Illang: The Wolf Brigade is a Live-Action film adaptation of the popular 1999 Anime Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade by adopting some of the same stories. The similarity between the two films is that they both take the same basic premise, namely the existence of a special unit known as the ‘Wolf Brigade’ and are tasked with the task of dealing with terrorists with high potential threats to the safety and security of citizens. The differences include the setting of the story, namely the film Illang: The Wolf Brigade has an alternative future background, namely the unification between North and South Korea, while Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade tells the story of riots in Japan with an alternative future of the 50s when Japan lost the war and was divided into two separate countries.

The film begins in the year 2029 when the governments of North and South Korea agree to unite the two countries into one amidst the increasingly heated geopolitical conditions between various other major countries such as America, Russia and China. As a result of the reunification plan, various countries imposed heavy economic sanctions on Korea which resulted in the country’s fall into a severe economic crisis. Before the reunification was formalised, the two countries agreed to postpone it for a 5-year preparation period despite challenges from a radical-extremist group called “SECT” who considered that domestic problems, especially the decline of the country’s economy, were caused by the reunification of the two countries.

SECT groups have a variety of weapons and equipment that are so dangerous that even the regular police and military do not have the capacity to deal with them. To counter the SECT, the government formed a special police force under the authority of the president called the CSPF (Capitol Special Police Force). Unfortunately, a year after the formation of this special force, the “Bloody Friday” tragedy occurred when the CSPF liberated the Gwacheon area from SECT control. A total of 15 innocent girls became victims in the tragedy and impacted public confidence and demanded the government to disband the CSPF so as not to cause similar tragedies. The battle between CSPF and SECT seemed to have no end and forced them to become ‘monsters’ in the midst of the unrest. CSPF not only fought against SECT but they also came into conflict with the Department of Public Safety (DPF) for power and authority to deal with SECT.

Throughout the film we are presented with various intrigues, conflicts, and tense actions. Starting from the main character Im Joong Kyung (played by Kang Dong Won) who was traumatised after their last mission in eliminating SECT at their headquarters and was responsible for being the mastermind of the riots during the demonstration against Korean unification, the protagonist’s meeting with Lee Yon Hee (played by Han Hyo Joo) as the older sister of a young child suspected of being one of the SECT members who blew himself up in front of Im Joong Kyung during the CSPF raid on the SECT headquarters, causing emotional conflict between the two, Lee Yon Hee who has hidden intentions and intentions when approaching Im Joong Kyung, to various very tense battle scenes during the film. The film then ends with the DPF raiding the underground sewer area to wipe out the CSPF in a massive attack.

This film is an interesting watch because it presents the perfect combination of cinematography, action, plot, and a deep moral message for the audience. The morality between different characters such as Im Joo Kyung who is still haunted by trauma after her last mission, Lee Yon Hee with his own mission, the intrigue between CSPF and DPF officials that is getting heated up, to the end of the film that requires further interpretation by each audience. Overall, the presentation in the film is quite good although the flow still feels too fast especially for audiences who have watched Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and compare the two. Currently, the film Illang: The Wolf Brigade is also being shown on the Netflix streaming platform which is able to reach a larger audience