"SOAR INTO THE SUN" Movie Review. Also known as Return to Base (R2B: 리턴투베이스 ). AS if YOU can STOP this RAIN !

“SOAR INTO THE SUN” PRESS PREVIEW

Take note that “SOAR INTO THE SUN” would be RAIN’s swan song as of now.

It is his interim departure from the commercial world of entertainment, as he is presently enlisted to perform his country’s obligatory military service.

March on, it’s adieu time and you won’t be seeing this Korean pop icon any time soon.

“SOAR INTO THE SUN” for all intents and purposes, is positioned as an adrenaline pumping aviation thriller.

The name RAIN needs no introduction.

He is an actor into his element, pouting and spouting his trademark cocky self.

He plays this fighter jet pilot with a devil-may-care attitude.

He disobeys orders to prove that he is exceptional, demonstrating that the world will always be his oyster.

He puts his personal interest first and he relishes dangerous stunts.

For avid fans of actor RAIN and followers of the KOREAN CINEMA, this one is bound to hit the right note.

It’s a movie crafted for RAIN, and our enigmatic Korean heart throb is singly left to carry the box office burden on his shoulders.

RAIN may be a household name but he is already feeling the heat as this film has under-performed at the box office in South Korea recently. The onus now is to capture the overseas market.

Here’s a quick story run-down:

RAIN (TAE-HUN) has been fired from his Elite Black Eagles platoon for reckless bad behavior.

He is soon absorbed into the F15 K, a combat flying unit.  There he meets CHOEL HUI a disciplined colleague who despises him for his antics.

However he is quick to form another clique with DAE-SEO, YU-JIN and SEOK-HYEAN.

As chance would have it, he meets a pretty maintenance mechanic SE-YEONG and falls in love.

A dangerous mission curtails the life of his partner DAE-SEO and SEOK-HYEAN is reported to be missing in action.

Now the F15 K must make preparations to stop an impending war and to recover their missing comrade.

Up in the skies there are majestic moments.

The air combat scenes are heart pounding.

You are treated with glowing special effects utilizing the use of strenuous camera work that tirelessly move around the aircraft when it’s in rapid motion.

Striving beyond perfection, the overuse of the CGI tends to overstretch at some point, rendering a certain “fakeness” in certain scenes.

Down on safe ground, the plot line is predictable.

You expect a fair share of love, regret and redemption as in the line of all Korean dramas.

This is the way the Koreans tell their story.

“SOAR INTO THE SUN” is one film you either love or loathe.

Without prejudice, I did enjoy the film.