Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds

In the CGI universe depicted in Kim Yong-hwa's purgatorial fantasy Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, the honorable soul is a rare one. Who am I to argue? Looking around my own circle of friends, the highly principled person isn't the rule. Most are a confused mix — sometimes taking the high road, mostly putting the self first with a rationalized spin. As for myself, should I look into the Mirror of Karma that materializes in this afterlife adventure film, I wouldn't see the noble acts of Kim Jong-ha (Cha Tae-hyun), a fireman/momma's-boy whose career has been built upon good deeds. I've never rescued eight humans from a fiery end. The sinister God of Murder would hardly let me proceed to the next level without comment. He'd damn me then and there. My shot at getting through all seven levels of Limbo is slim. A paragon I am not.

I would drown in the River of Indolence. I would get my face slapped by the Goddess of Betrayal. As for the Hell of Deceit, I'm guessing everyone I know would burst into flames. But like above ground, these hereafter judges seem pretty lenient when it comes to falsehoods. Everyone lies. Everyone lies all the time. And apparently, the Great Arbitrators are pretty forgiving on that count. And maybe that's the problem. Not with the movie, no, that's a whole other issue. Do good. Be better. Speak truth. Relish the special effects. I won't say I liked this movie because that wouldn't be honest. Disagree? Then you'll need to see the sequel posthaste: Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days.

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days: What the Hell!

A movie can take its inspiration from anywhere: a great book, a bad book, a play, a graphic novel, or in this case, a webtoon. As you might guess given this particular source material, Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days isn't exactly realistic. Director Kim Yong-hwa's episodic tale of the underworld is instead a combination of video game action, Medieval redemption, and modern-day dramedy.

It's a complicated plot full of flashbacks and flashbacks in flashbacks, a story in which you may struggle to reconcile financially struggling humans on earth with costumed judges in the Hells of Filial Impiety, Indolence, Deceit, Betrayal, Injustice, Violence, and Murder. So many hells! So many green screens!

None of these hells are scary, mind you. The ravenous raptors and the firey Go-Bots, much like the CGI wolves and the animated tiger, are creatures more likely to surface via your PG-rated Xbox than by way of your worst nightmares. The closest thing this flick has to a real threat is the dwindling value of the mutual funds which the caretaker-grandfather (Nam Il-woo) and his guardian angel (Ma Dong-seok) pray will provide for the future of their young charge's future. As for the corny jokes and silly gags we've come to expect in action pics, one grim reaper (Ju Ji-hoon) does drink a chamber pot of urine. But overall, the comedy is more tonal than actual. So what's the point? "No one is innately bad. There are only bad circumstances," quips someone near the end. You could say the same about many movies.