The Silent Sea (2021) [Drama Review]

The Silent Sea; or, 2021: A Lunar Odyssey
     Not a damn thing works smoothly in this station.
I have been looking forward to The Silent Sea drama since the first information about the shooting schedule dropped in December, 2020. Still, I had to endure an additional month of waiting after the Netflix premiere at the end of 2021 because of personal stuff and work. Well, as they say, better late than never. This is my review of The Silent Sea.

Release Info

Directed by: Choi Hang Yong Starring: Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon, Kim Sun Young

Language: Korean Original Title: 고요의 바다 No. of eps.: 8

Synopsis
Near future, the world is plagued by shortages of water and food caused by environmental changes. Doctor Song Ji An (Bae Doona) can’t get over the death of her sister who tragically died in a mysterious accident on Balhae Base research station on the moon. The Republic of Korea’s Space and Aeronautics Division asks her to join a team of specialists led by Captain Han Yoon Jae (Gong Yoo). They are sent on a mission to retrieve top-secret samples from the now-abandoned Balhae Base. Upon arriving there, the team realises something is amiss. That is to say, something, or someone, is lurking within the premises of the base.

Fly Me to the Moon
The Silent Sea was based on a 2014 short film The Sea of Tranquillity (I couldn’t track it down) by Choi Hang Yong, who also directed all 8 episodes of the drama. Interestingly, the executive producer of the show was Jung Woo Sung, the star of Steel Rain (2017) and The King (2017). The screenwriting duties were given to Park Eun Kyo who penned in the past Neverending Story (2012) as well as Mother (2009).

This drama is science-fiction at its purest. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly notice that The Silent Sea borrows tropes and concepts left and right from such legendary juggernauts of modern cinema as the Alien franchise (1979-1997), The Abyss (1989), Leviathan (1989), and Ad Astra (2019). There is room for thoughtful critique of modern problems plaguing the social order, but this aspect does not eclipse the willingness of filmmakers to provide the audience with a dose of thrills and chills.

In my opinion, The Silent Sea feels very much like the Lost (2004-2010) TV series, but instead of the island setting we get the moon. The first episode of the drama, albeit visually outstanding, is a bit overwhelming because its main focus is setting up the action and introducing (lots of) characters. Onwards the second episode, it gets easier to dive into the mysteries concerning the Balhae Base as well as the motivations of the main protagonists: Captain Han Yoon Jae and Doctor Song Ji An.

I have read online a lot of criticism about the plotline of the drama, especially the climax and dramatic reveal of (no spoilers) what actually was going on, but I personally found the whole thing enjoyable. I especially appreciated the themes of political corruption, company wars, and unethical research. The only thing that put me off; however, were CGI effects concerning one of the characters. From the visual standpoint, the effects looked good, but there was still some degree of uncanny valley which made these sequences look awkward.

Still, I love the marvellous production design. The Balhae Base looks incredible and the moon’s surface is fantastic, whereas the space suits are awesome. With regard to performances, it is always a pleasure to see Gong Yoo in the heroic role. This time, there is an added bonus because Gong’s character has an epic tattoo on his neck. Bae Doona is always wonderful as the female lead, but I was hoping for more character development in this case. Throughout most of the drama, we see Doctor Song either as bitter or depressed.

As for the supporting cast, I absolutely love Kim Sun Young as Doctor Hong. I have said this already on MDL and I will say it again: To me, she IS the Space Ajumma! In addition, I greatly enjoyed the appearances of Lee Moo Saeng as Chief Gong, head of the security team, and of Lee Joon as Lieutenant Ryoo Tae Seok, the head engineer. In general, the cast members have great chemistry, which also transpires in these sweet promo materials from Netflix, here and here.

Recommendations
After Space Sweepers (2021) and now The Silent Sea, South Korea has proven once again that they can do top-notch entertainment, even in the form of a miniseries. I sincerely hope that there will be a second season; however, we have to bear in mind that the drama came out in-between two other major Netflix players: Squid Game (2021) and All of Us Are Dead (2022). It’s reassuring to see that Netflix cares about the K-Drama audience, but I hope the quality will not be overshadowed by the quantity. The Silent Sea deserves an additional season because there is still the potential to develop the story further, but I would not like to see this drama last as long as Lost, The Walking Dead, or Stranger Things. Sometimes shorter is better.Overall score: 8/10

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The Wandering Earth (2019) [Film Review]

The Wandering Earth; or, Space: 2019

     Beijing No. 3 Transportation Division reminds you. Routes are countless. Safety is foremost. With unregulated driving, your loved ones might end up in tears.

The Wandering Earth is the latest Chinese production which broke many financial records and climbed the divine top of the domestic box-office after such recent hits as Wolf Warrior 2, Operation Red Sea, and The Mermaid. It is based on a novella of the same name written by science-fiction author Liu Cixin and tells the larger-than-life epic tale of a few good men (and one woman) who are on a mission to save mankind.

Release Info

Directed by: Frant Gwo Starring: Qu Chuxiao, Ng Man-tat, Zhao Jinmai, Wu Jing

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 流浪地球 Runtime: 125 min

 

Plot

In the year 2061, the Sun expands rapidly and is about to devour the Solar System within the period of 300 years. In order to survive, countries on Earth join forces, resources, and technology in order to realise the most daring plan ever invented: move our home planet 4.2 light years away to the Alpha Centauri system. Liu Peiqiang (Wu Jing) is a Chinese astronaut assigned to a space station that will help Earth navigate as it moves out of the Solar system. He leaves his son, Liu Qi (Qu Chuxiao), under the care of his grandfather, Han Zi'ang (Ng Man-tat). Seventeen years later, adult Liu Qi and his adopted sister, Han Duoduo (Zhao Jinmai), sneak out from the underground city and grandfather Han runs searching for them. As Earth passes by Jupiter, the planet’s gravitational spike causes devastating earthquakes that disable many fusion thrusters across the globe and put the Earth on a collision course with Jupiter. The only way our protagonists can save the day is by restarting the thruster engine located in Sulawesi.

 

Moving Out: Extreme Edition

Director Frant Gwo, having only two directing credits prior to this film, is allegedly a major sci-fi buff who spent a lot of years studying the genre. Evidently, The Wandering Earth is a visually pleasing piece of entertainment that very much feels like “The Best of Science Fiction” compilation. Two years in the making, three thousand concept maps and countless storyboards resulted in a mash-up filled with nods and references to such classics as Armageddon (1998), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Blade Runner (1982), and Space: 1999 (1975-1977).

 

The Wandering Earth was indeed a financial risk for the Chinese movie industry, considering the fact that they have never done a movie on such a big scale before, but they certainly passed this test. You can feel the grandeur of the movie’s rich world in almost every shot, which is enhanced by Roc Chen and Liu Tao’s towering music score. The studio sets and practical effects combined with CGI are definitely top notch across the board. Hollywood was given a good run for their money in this aspect.

 

However, excellent technical execution does not mean that The Wandering Earth can be regarded as an instant masterpiece by default. There are a few things which really distract the viewer from fully enjoying what is presented on the screen. First of all, the film lacks necessary exposition in the moments where it very much needs it. The first act and the ending have exposition, but the middle is all about the action without explanation. Secondly, there are too many characters doing too much epic stuff. From a merry band of three heroes, they grow to (about) 10 in the finale. Thirdly, the film desperately wants to pass itself as memorable. Remember the driving safely quote from the review’s beginning? It is reiterated by the truck’s AI at least 6 times throughout the story, hoping to enter the pantheon of such classic citations as Tears in Rain monologue or Open the Pod bay doors, HAL exchange.

 

Yet, while not matching the greatness of its predecessors, The Wandering Earth is still an entertaining flick. The story is interesting, the stakes are high, and there are some good performances by Qu Chuxiao, Li Guangjie, Ng Man-tat, Zhao Jinmai, and Wu Jing. An honourable mention goes to Arkady Sharogradsky for providing the most over the top portrayal of a Russian astronaut in the history of cinema.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, if you thought that, for example, Armageddon is THE most bombastic and overblown motion picture ever made, then you are wrong. The Wandering Earth is Armageddon but on METH, and it communicates the message of generational sacrifice. It is a fun sci-fi movie for one time. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the story about how the Chinese tamed “the right stuff” and rescued our degenerate Caucasian butts by setting Jupiter on fire.

Overall score: 7/10