EMERGENCY DECLARATION – A Review by John Strange
Bioterrorism is a fact in our world today. Every government is scared that the next attack won’t be stoppable thanks in part to the Covid pandemic. Where does that put all of us? This fear is buried at the core of Emergency Declaration.
A large plane leaves Inchon, South Korea headed for Honolulu, Hawaii. On board are the usual mix of businesspeople and those headed out to vacation or to start a new life in America. All but one, that is.
Why is he spreading his deadly virus? Can the authorities back in Korea figure out how to stop him and save the passengers? Can the pilots and flight attendants stop the man and get the passengers safely to their destination?
This is a story that has been done many times over the decades, in many formats and with as many different ways to destroy the plane or kill the passengers. The best of these films draw us in, making us a part of the action and using our own fears to add to the effects of the story.
Emergency Declaration is one of the best of the genre I have seen in a long time. The family ties, the backstories of various passengers as well as the aircrew on the plane, and the political atmosphere are all woven into a truly watchable story.
The cast all do an excellent job. Those of you who watch American action films will recognize Lee Byung-hun. He has had great roles in films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation as Storm Shadow but my favorite role was in RED 2 as Han Cho Bai. His Jae-hyuk character is one of the major players in this story.
This race to save all the passengers is a good one. If you like well-made thrillers, this is one for you!
Director: Jae-rim Han
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil, Yim Si-wan, Kim So-jin, and Park Hae-joon
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 147 Min.
Release Date: 08/12/2022
Local Release Locations: AMC Dine-In Grapevine Mills 30
Language: Korean (with English subtitles)
Movie Site: EMERGENCY DECLARATION Official Site
Trailer: EMERGENCY DECLARATION Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
