Old Boy

Old Boy follows Josh Brolin’s Joe Doucett, an obnoxious, alcoholic advertising executive, as he’s kidnapped and imprisoned for 20 years by an unknown figure, with the movie, for the most part, detailing the character’s subsequent efforts at discovering who is behind his abduction (and why he was taken in the first place). It’s an off-kilter premise that is, at the outset, employed to less-than-engrossing effect by filmmaker Spike Lee, as the director, working from a screenplay by Mark Protosevich, has infused the early part of Old Boy with a grimy and pervasively unpleasant feel that holds the viewer at arms-length from the material. The movie’s shift from unimpressive to surprisingly entertaining comes as Brolin’s character is released from his claustrophobic confines, with Joe’s compelling investigation into his kidnapping heightened by a smattering of larger-than-life action sequences – including the now-infamous interlude in which the protagonist takes on dozens of goons armed with only a hammer. (It is, in spite of an overly theatrical and nigh campy execution, an undeniably engrossing scene.) It’s worth noting, too, that unlike Chan-wook Park’s 2003 original, Old Boy contains, at its core, an intriguing (and interesting) mystery that perpetuates the film’s compulsively watchable atmosphere. Brolin’s standout work as the tortured central character is matched by strong supporting performances by Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Imperioli, and Samuel L. Jackson, although it’s instantly clear that Sharlto Copley’s scene-stealing turn as a flamboyant antagonist stands as an ongoing highlight within the proceedings. By the time the engrossing, shocking conclusion rolls around, Old Boy has established itself as a superior remake that improves upon its (admittedly solid) predecessor in most aspects – with the movie benefiting substantially from filmmaker Lee’s unflinching approach to the less-than-savory material.

*** out of ****