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Hope review: This 'wild South Korean blockbuster' is '2026's must-see monster movie' ★★★★☆

One of the most expensive Korean films ever made, epic sci-fi Hope begins as a "breathless rollercoaster ride" and mashes up The Terminator, Predator, Aliens and Avatar.

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One of the most expensive Korean films ever made, this epic sci-fi begins as a "breathless rollercoaster ride" and mashes up The Terminator, Predator, Aliens and Avatar.

作为有史以来制作成本最高的韩国电影之一,这部史诗级科幻片一开始就像一场“令人喘不过气的过山车之旅”,并把《终结者》《铁血战士》《异形》和《阿凡达》混搭在一起。

The films that compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival are known for their depth, intelligence and political conviction.

在戛纳电影节角逐金棕榈奖的影片,向来以深度、才智和政治信念著称。

They aren't generally known for police cars hurtling down narrow streets in pursuit of slimy giant trolls.

它们通常并不以警车在狭窄街道上疾驰、追捕黏糊糊的巨型怪物而闻名。

But this year there is an exception to that rule – a wild South Korean blockbuster that is 2026's must-see monster movie.

但今年这个规则出现了一个例外,那就是一部狂野的韩国大片,堪称2026年必看的怪兽电影。

Hope isn't just a monster movie, though.

不过,《Hope》并不只是一部怪兽电影。

One of the most expensive Korean films ever made, it races from modern-day western to action thriller to horror film to science-fiction epic – all while retaining the full-throttle energy and sweaty cult-movie atmosphere of a 1970s exploitation flick.

作为有史以来最昂贵的韩国电影之一,它从现代西部片一路狂奔到动作惊悚片、恐怖片,再到科幻史诗,同时始终保留着20世纪70年代剥削电影那种全速冲刺的能量和汗津津的邪典片氛围。

Its writer-director, Na Hong-jin, doesn't make many films – his last release, The Wailing, was in 2016 – so maybe that's why he has packed so much into this one.

该片的编剧兼导演罗泓轸作品并不多,他上一部上映的电影《哭声》还是2016年的作品,所以也许正因如此,他才把这么多东西都塞进了这一部里。

Not that he puts in any scene-setting before the plot gets underway.

不过,他并没有在剧情展开前安排任何铺垫背景的场景。

The film's hero, played by Hwang Jung-min, is the police chief of a shabby rural town named Hope Harbor, at some unspecified time that could be in the 1970s or '80s.

影片的主人公由黄政民饰演,是一个名叫希望港的破旧乡村小镇的警察局长,故事发生在某个未明确说明的年代,可能是20世纪70年代或80年代。

He has barely swaggered into view before a band of hunters tells him that a dead cow has been found with what look like deep claw marks on its body.

他刚大摇大摆地出场,一群猎人就告诉他,有人发现了一头死牛,尸体上似乎有很深的爪痕。

And he has barely started his search for a rogue tiger or bear when he is thrown into something between a Godzilla prequel and a zombie apocalypse chiller.

他刚开始搜寻一只失控的老虎或熊,就被卷入了一场介于《哥斯拉》前传和僵尸末日惊悚片之间的事件。

There is some kind of ogre on the rampage, and soon the policeman is following a wonderfully immersive trail of devastation all around the town.

某种怪物正在横冲直撞,很快这名警察便沿着遍布全镇、极具沉浸感的破坏痕迹追查下去。

The film's first hours is a breathless, non-stop rollercoaster ride.

影片的第一个小时就像一场令人喘不过气、毫不停歇的过山车之旅。

There is no cutting away to frightened families or government scientists: there is nothing but adrenaline-fuelled, tyre-screeching, gun-blasting momentum.

镜头不会切到受惊的家庭或政府科学家那里:这里只有肾上腺素飙升、轮胎尖叫、枪声轰鸣的推进力。

One engaging touch is that the gruff, Eastwood-like lawman proves to be as susceptible to fear and panic as the rest of us – but he keeps tracking the monster, anyway.

一个引人入胜的细节是,这位粗声粗气、颇似伊斯特伍德的执法者最终也和我们其他人一样容易感到恐惧和惊慌,但他还是继续追踪那只怪兽。

Another welcome touch is that the creature itself isn't shown for the first 40-odd minutes.

另一个讨喜之处是,这个生物本身在最初四十多分钟里并没有现身。

Inevitably, it's slightly disappointing when we finally see it.

不可避免的是,当我们终于看到它时,还是有点令人失望。

Thanks to some substandard CGI, Hope often resembles a video game.

由于一些水准不高的电脑特效,《Hope》常常看起来像一款电子游戏。

But the visceral, live-action mayhem more than compensates for the unconvincing graphics.

但那种直击感官的真人实拍混乱场面,足以弥补特效画面不够可信的缺陷。

It's a shame that the Oscars' new prize for stunt design isn't being awarded until 2028, because the daredevil driving and horse-riding would have put Hope straight on to the nominees' list.

遗憾的是,奥斯卡新设的特技设计奖要到2028年才会颁发,因为片中那些大胆惊险的驾驶和骑马场面本可以让《Hope》直接进入提名名单。

I won't give away what's revealed when the policeman tracks the monster into a forest, with the help of his charismatic sidekicks, an outlaw cousin (Zo In-sung) and a passionate, heavily armed deputy (Jung Ho-yeon from Squid Game).

在那名警察追踪怪物进入森林时,他得到了两位魅力十足的帮手相助:一个亡命之徒表亲(赵寅成饰)和一名热血且全副武装的副手(《鱿鱼游戏》中的郑浩妍饰);至于那里揭示了什么,我就不剧透了。

Nor will I comment on the bizarre cameo roles played by Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

我也不会去评论迈克尔·法斯宾德和艾丽西亚·维坎德出演的那些古怪客串角色。

Suffice it to say that Na must be a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron, because he has clearly been watching The Terminator, Predator, Aliens and Avatar.

只需这么说就够了:罗泓轸一定是阿诺德·施瓦辛格和詹姆斯·卡梅隆的粉丝,因为他显然看了不少《终结者》《铁血战士》《异形》和《阿凡达》。

On the other hand, he has added his own sincere but raucous comic commentary on human frailty and prejudice.

另一方面,他也加入了自己对人性脆弱和偏见的真诚却喧闹的喜剧式评论。

Along with all the action, there is some depth, intelligence and political conviction in Hope, too.

除了所有这些动作场面,《Hope》也有一定的深度、智慧和政治信念。

The only real drawback is that when the film stops abruptly after just over two-and-a-half exhausting hours, it seems as if there's at least another hour of story still to come.

唯一真正的缺点是,影片在令人疲惫的两个半多小时后戛然而止时,看起来仿佛至少还有一个小时的故事尚未展开。

But maybe that means that a sequel is in the works – and that we won't have to wait a decade for Na to make it.

但也许这意味着续集正在筹备中,而我们不用等上十年才看到罗泓轸把它拍出来。

We can but hope.

我们也只能寄希望如此。

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