Along with the Hype: the Last 49 Feels
Along with the Gods 2 lived up to its prequel, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, which grossed a total of US$108.2 million in South Korea alone, making it the second highest-grossing film in the country. The film also became the top-grossing South Korean movie in Taiwan, with a figure more than US$13,095,660.00. With a budget of US$18.3 million, it was a box office hit. Its sequel also became a hit, setting the record for the highest pre-sale tickets in South Korea's box office history with 60.5% reservation rate. The rate reached 42 million, outdoing the record of the 2017 film The Battleship Island. It also had the biggest opening week gross for any Korean film in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
All this to say, yes, this film was kind of a big deal.
The hype for Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days was high, with people expecting it to live up to the original film. I had high hopes that this movie would move me the same way the first one did, would induce fear like the first one did, and would put me at the edge of my seat like the first one did. It did not disappoint.
This movie has the same overall concept as the first one. A religious, cultural and fantasy themed movie, focused on the 7 trials of hell. Although they both revolve around the same concept, this had a somewhat different plot from the first one. With its main focus on the grim reapers and their journey to discovering their past lives, it does lose a bit of its original charm of the afterlife trials. The first film was the trial of a courageous fireman who passed when he was rescuing someone, with the focus on the 7 trials of hell. The second film had 2 plots going on simultaneously. One was the trial of a man, and the second was the grim reapers discovering their past life. Although the trials were present, The trials were more of a side story: It was fast-paced and had little screen time. The person on trial had a constant attitude of 'I don't care if I die, I don't want to be reborn,' which does get tiring after a while. The emotions you feel during the trial scenes were mostly fear and suspense. With so many types of trials and so many ways of dying, you start losing hope after each trial since the person on trial is always on the verge of dying. The suspense was evident because you don't know the outcome of the trials, and with this being a life and death situation, it becomes very real.
The film's transition between the grim reapers' past lives and their current existence was done well, with the past personality of the characters influencing that of the current one, showing the consistency of the film. The past and present transition also depict the relationship of the characters consistently as well.
The filmography and CGIs in this film was amazing as well. With the incorporation of 3 different worlds, it blended altogether without it actually being together. The 3 worlds were the current world, a yellow themed, retro-styled, aesthetic; the underworld, a dark, uncomfortable aesthetic reflecting the spirits and souls; and the world of the past, a place of reminisce, glory and coldness. The soundtrack for this film was amazing as well, with a mixture of a 90s feel and modern style music, which sets the overall mood of the scenes.
Additionally, the evolution of feelings and emotions is quite evident. The first half of the film is more action-centered and has a feeling of bravery and adventure. The second half of the film revolved around nostalgia and the idea of a connection. The last half of the film became really gloomy, and melodramatic. Although it isn't evident in the transition itself, it becomes noticeable after you get deep into it.
The only thing disrupting the flow of emotions was the trial scenes. One second you're watching a melodramatic scene in the present world, the next second, you're in hell with lava spewing around you - which is quite annoying if you're on the verge of crying.
Overall, the film was a story about family, friendship, and empathy. This film will make you laugh, cry, and terrified by the different moods and feelings between each scene. You will also contemplate life and its importance and value. Although it was a bit less entertaining than the original one, it still lived up to its hype. With an amazing ensemble of A-list actors, including Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Dong-wook, and Do Kyung-soo, this movie will definitely be on my re-watch list.
Rating: 8.5/10