R-Point Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: During the Vietnam War, Korean soldiers search for a missing unit believed to have been killed in action.

Review: This film has a great idea in theory, but it's fails in the execution. The notion of a ghostly war movie is on the rarer side, however, this is neither a compelling war story nor a competent horror film. I mean, they couldn't even avoid the usage of a ghost woman for Rika's sake! There are plenty of positive aspects to consider on the technical side, but the underwhelming climax, and lack of explanations, hurts the final product. I remember this was one of the few Asian horror films that aired in the USA so, perhaps, due to the amount of times I've watched this, it has dampened my opinion upon repeat viewings.

The basic plot involves a squad of Korean soldiers sent to find another, missing squad. Things are a bit ambiguous as to what went on with this previous squad and why the officers are so hush-hush about it. As far as I can gather, there was nothing noteworthy about the previous squad but okay. The first 30-45 minutes are pretty good as we see the war movie side of the story. It makes you consider the possibility that maybe they should have stuck with that approach rather than throwing in the supernatural elements late in the game. Once the squad reaches this apparent R-point, we realize it's some kind of temple built where a lake was drained or something. On top of that, there is an old, French mansion nearby being used as a supply depot by American troops. You might think there are numerous ways to handle this setup, but none of the likely paths are taken. The mansion isn't necessarily haunted though there is something about a photo of the ghost woman that appears. Yet...that ghost woman looks like a soldier/prostitute they killed? Dude, whatever. The whole lake and temple angle doesn't fully come into play either except to set up a few scares that go nowhere. It's like the film knows how to establish why the area is haunted but never pulls it all together meaningfully. Sure, a few other ghosts are seen, but, for the most part, the random deaths of the soldiers are ill-defined as well as the men becoming paranoid far too quickly; there are definite pacing issues that's for sure. Then there is apparent possession too? What? And also the painfully obvious revelation that the squad they're looking for is dead along with the American troops they meet. Okay, so everyone is a ghost--great--but then why are the ghosts luring more people into the area? Are they malevolent? You need clarity in these kind of situations. By the end, everyone is dead, their bodies are missing, and more people will probably end up dying here. But of course!

I don't want to make this film sound horrible when it's not. It's just more on the mediocre side than anything else. Had they played it straight as a war movie it would have worked infinitely better I believe; that was the stronger part of the story. The horror elements simply do not cut it. The pacing is too slow and boring to engage you in the mystery. The blue, wannabe Predator-vision to represent the ghosts' POV was weak as fuck too. Plus, you know they're out of ideas when there was still the need to include a ghost woman pointlessly. They discuss this French ghost looking for his brother--why not explore that instead? Likewise, the radio operator of the group was supernaturally understanding French...so explore that shit! Overall, this is one of the more unique Asian horror films out there, but that's pretty much the only thing going for it. The militaristic parts are decent, but not exactly extraordinary. I think this is still worth checking out for a novel experience, but I wouldn't expect to be blown away.

Notable Moment: When that one guy reacts nonchalantly to the news he has syphilis. Oh yeah, don't worry, just walk that shit off, buddy-boy.

Final Rating: 5.5/10