Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula

 3.5/4

Starring: Dong-won Gang, Jung-hyun Lee, Do-yoon Kim, Kyo-hwan Koo, Min-Jae Kim, Re Lee, Ye-Won Lee, Hae-hyo Kwon

Not Rated (probable R for Strong Violence/Gore and Some Language)

2016's "Train to Busan" was what Roger Ebert called a "bruised forearm movie."  It made you grab the forearm of the person sitting next to you.  There wasn't an original moment in it, but it was efficiently made with a lot of energy and some peak thrills.  It was the kind of movie destined to become a cult hit, and sure enough, it made a big enough splash at the box office to warrant a sequel.

Four years have passed since the Korean Peninsula became overrun with the undead.  Those who managed to escape the outbreak, like ex-soldier Jung Seok (Gang) and his brother-in-law (Do-yoon Kim), are barely scraping by in Hong Kong, where everyone is too terrified to even serve them food.  Their fortune changes  when some Chinese gangsters come to them with an offer that is too good to pass up.  A truck carrying $20 million in cash was abandoned near the coast.  If they can bring it back, they can help themselves to half the money.  But they have to come back alive.

"Peninsula" does what every good sequel should do: take the concept of the original and push it into a new direction.  As much as I enjoyed "Train to Busan," I was skeptical of the need for another film.  It told a complete story with a beginning, middle and end.  It was a full course meal.  But by refusing to take the easy way out and make a carbon copy of the first film (like the MCU), co-writer/director Sang-ho Yeon lets his imagination run wild and explores what could plausibly happen years after the outbreak.  "Train to Busan" was a disaster movie.  This is "Mad Max" with zombies.

One of the smart things that Yeon does is jettison all the characters from the first one.  Okay, fine, he didn't have a choice considering how the first film ended but that never stopped lazy screenwriters before.  Just look at all the slasher franchises.  New characters means new stories with less baggage.  Granted, a zombie movie generally isn't the place for nuance, but these characters are an appealing bunch.  Thieves, a gun-toting mama and a bunch of soldiers who have lost their minds.  Not to mention an adorable little girl with creative uses for remote controlled cars and fireworks.  What's especially interesting is that these characters know how to fight.  Typically in zombie movies all the characters do is run away from the hungry undead.  They do that here too, but they can put up a good defense first.

Is it as good as the first film?  Well, not quite.  "Peninsula" has an actual plot, as opposed to the first installment, which was essentially "Speed" with zombies (and set on a train).  That has positives and negatives.  On one hand, it isn't a retread.  On the other, the pacing flags when Yeon tries to explain the plot, which if we are being honest, isn't any more inventive than the original.  And the editing isn't as crisp and clean as it needs to be, leading to some momentary confusion.

Still, "Peninsula" offers plenty of adrenaline and action.  Sang-ho Yeon has taken a lot of risks with this movie, and while some of them don't pay off, most of them do.  Dropping an ex-soldier in the middle of a zombie apocalypse is a neat idea, and there's a sensational chase scene near the end that brings to mind "Mad Max: Fury Road."  One could argue that the cars move too fast to be believable, but I liked that aspect of it.  It brings an "otherworldly" feel to the proceedings that is perfect for the film.

Every movie must be viewed on its own terms.  Expecting "Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula" to be high art is unfair.  As a zombie movie, this one delivers the goods.  It's loud, bloody and fast paced, and has a goofy sense of fun.  That's more than enough to earn a recommendation from me.