Post by ajk on Aug 30, 2020 20:37:30 GMT -5
Obviously this was a big, important episode with lots of action. Most of it was excellent but there were several groaner moments that detracted from some of the good stuff. Surprising because the series has had so few of them, and this was one episode that should have been extra-careful not to have any.
The opening reminded me that this was an older series without some of the technology that was available in more recent series. Five years later IYSS used some CGI to enhance the naval fleet and make it look bigger and more realistic, and it definitely would have helped here. But what we got was excellent anyway, some really great images and scenes that showed us the complexity of what Koryo was doing and how big and complicated the operation was.
A rare stumble in one of these texts: didn’t identify the third landing operation. Fortunately a map was shown and the year 660 indicated on it...which is the year when Tang sent its fleet across the sea as part of the Shilla/Tang conquest of Baekje. So that would be the third one. But as usual, great visuals with the narration. Loved the big army advance.
Then, unfortunately, we had to have some of those silly one-on-one battles between enemy generals while everybody else in both armies stands there and watches. And we get the usual sad attempts at trash-talking. I don’t know if this had already become a cliché in 2000 when it was filmed, but either way, blecch. This series has mostly been above silly stunts like this so it was sort of disappointing.
And then WG charges into battle to go one-on-one with Sudal, and knocks Sudal’s sword away. Huh?!? Where did this come from? We’ve never once seen anything in the series to suggest that WG has any sort of combat-riding skill or elite ability with a sword. Not once. But suddenly he’s an elite cavalry warrior equal to or better than Park Sulhee, yeah okay sure. That was awful. And of course there’s no way in heck that the commanding general of the entire operation would be allowed to risk his life like that. Especially someone like WG who isn’t exactly physically imposing. His own men would have stopped him. Stupid stupid.
And in the next scene we see Doyoung out there sword-fighting against trained elite male soldiers a lot bigger than she is. No. Just no. She’s good at running her father’s business, that’s what we know about her. She is not an elite combat warrior. I don’t care if she’s on a horse, putting her out there swinging a sword around with no explanation was ridiculous.
Then, as the battle is winding down, WG shouts “Capture Sudal!” and then exactly fourteen seconds later he shouts “Do not go after them!” Seriously?
It’s too bad because throughout these scenes there was some wonderful combat action going on, some talented stunt guys making things look great. Somebody just needed to go through this whole sequence and edit out the silliness.
Also have to mention, unfortunately, there was some of that ugly, garish lighting in the nighttime scenes. Certain images and camera shots looked snow-blind-white from the side. But it wasn’t everything, just parts of it. If you’re going to err, the series has shown that it’s better to err with too little light rather than too much. It's okay if things are a little tough to see clearly, we get it.
“They will pass the ravine at sunset.” Ugh well of course there has to be a ravine, doesn’t there. And instantly we know what will happen. To be fair, maybe there was a ravine in real history and maybe it did happen exactly this way. But you knew what would happen the moment we heard that sentence. Still, the ambush itself was terrific. Great sequence, some of the best action we’ve seen in the series. Especially all of the boulders and logs falling, they were filmed very well. And the back and forth with Kangju Fortress, it was all beautifully done, really made you feel the chaos of it all and the horrible situation that the Bekjae army got itself caught in.
I liked it when KH was walking around afterwards and stumbled. Probably was an accident and they could have reshot the scene, but they left it in and it worked. Added to the feeling of shock.
Doyoung: “Establish an eternally binding tie with someone of local power.” Oh good grief, just strip naked and jump on him already. Geez she is annoying.
Great image of Geumsung Fortress at night. Loved it.
Goongyae: “The supreme councilor’s denseness is due to old age.” Ouch. For a moment you wondered if he was going to fire the guy right there on the spot.
“Numbers don’t mean a thing! I am Sudal!” Gotta love that. He’s been fun. If he dies in the next episode I’ll miss him.
Okay so WG picks out a general to lead the attack on the fortress rather than us seeing him lead it himself. That’s more like it. But are we seeing a cavalry charge against a fortress? Hope WG was smarter than Kyun-hwon and brought some siege weapons.
The opening reminded me that this was an older series without some of the technology that was available in more recent series. Five years later IYSS used some CGI to enhance the naval fleet and make it look bigger and more realistic, and it definitely would have helped here. But what we got was excellent anyway, some really great images and scenes that showed us the complexity of what Koryo was doing and how big and complicated the operation was.
At last, Geumsung Landing Operation began like this. Historical records document this battle in two separate accounts, in the year 903 and 909. Along with General MacArthur’s Inchon invasion in the Korean War, this battle, which capsized the power balance in the Later Three Kingdoms, is one of what is known in history as The Three Yellow Sea Landing Operations. Koryo’s naval force led by Wang Guhn successfully lands in Geumsung, and begins sweeping the unguarded region.
A rare stumble in one of these texts: didn’t identify the third landing operation. Fortunately a map was shown and the year 660 indicated on it...which is the year when Tang sent its fleet across the sea as part of the Shilla/Tang conquest of Baekje. So that would be the third one. But as usual, great visuals with the narration. Loved the big army advance.
Then, unfortunately, we had to have some of those silly one-on-one battles between enemy generals while everybody else in both armies stands there and watches. And we get the usual sad attempts at trash-talking. I don’t know if this had already become a cliché in 2000 when it was filmed, but either way, blecch. This series has mostly been above silly stunts like this so it was sort of disappointing.
And then WG charges into battle to go one-on-one with Sudal, and knocks Sudal’s sword away. Huh?!? Where did this come from? We’ve never once seen anything in the series to suggest that WG has any sort of combat-riding skill or elite ability with a sword. Not once. But suddenly he’s an elite cavalry warrior equal to or better than Park Sulhee, yeah okay sure. That was awful. And of course there’s no way in heck that the commanding general of the entire operation would be allowed to risk his life like that. Especially someone like WG who isn’t exactly physically imposing. His own men would have stopped him. Stupid stupid.
And in the next scene we see Doyoung out there sword-fighting against trained elite male soldiers a lot bigger than she is. No. Just no. She’s good at running her father’s business, that’s what we know about her. She is not an elite combat warrior. I don’t care if she’s on a horse, putting her out there swinging a sword around with no explanation was ridiculous.
Then, as the battle is winding down, WG shouts “Capture Sudal!” and then exactly fourteen seconds later he shouts “Do not go after them!” Seriously?
It’s too bad because throughout these scenes there was some wonderful combat action going on, some talented stunt guys making things look great. Somebody just needed to go through this whole sequence and edit out the silliness.
Also have to mention, unfortunately, there was some of that ugly, garish lighting in the nighttime scenes. Certain images and camera shots looked snow-blind-white from the side. But it wasn’t everything, just parts of it. If you’re going to err, the series has shown that it’s better to err with too little light rather than too much. It's okay if things are a little tough to see clearly, we get it.
“They will pass the ravine at sunset.” Ugh well of course there has to be a ravine, doesn’t there. And instantly we know what will happen. To be fair, maybe there was a ravine in real history and maybe it did happen exactly this way. But you knew what would happen the moment we heard that sentence. Still, the ambush itself was terrific. Great sequence, some of the best action we’ve seen in the series. Especially all of the boulders and logs falling, they were filmed very well. And the back and forth with Kangju Fortress, it was all beautifully done, really made you feel the chaos of it all and the horrible situation that the Bekjae army got itself caught in.
I liked it when KH was walking around afterwards and stumbled. Probably was an accident and they could have reshot the scene, but they left it in and it worked. Added to the feeling of shock.
Doyoung: “Establish an eternally binding tie with someone of local power.” Oh good grief, just strip naked and jump on him already. Geez she is annoying.
Great image of Geumsung Fortress at night. Loved it.
Goongyae: “The supreme councilor’s denseness is due to old age.” Ouch. For a moment you wondered if he was going to fire the guy right there on the spot.
“Numbers don’t mean a thing! I am Sudal!” Gotta love that. He’s been fun. If he dies in the next episode I’ll miss him.
Okay so WG picks out a general to lead the attack on the fortress rather than us seeing him lead it himself. That’s more like it. But are we seeing a cavalry charge against a fortress? Hope WG was smarter than Kyun-hwon and brought some siege weapons.