ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE LAST 49 DAYS NOW SHOWING!

Thursday, September 06, 2018

Su-hong and his 3 Afterlife Guardians journey through 7 hells in order for all them to be reincarnated, while a household god defies all rules to help ordinary people in the living world. And the afterlife guardian’s tragic lives on earth thousand years ago are uncovered one by one during their battle against the god in human world.

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds became a box-office sensation, writer-director Kim Yong-hwa has delivered a second, even more ambitious chapter in his celestial saga.

Following on immediately from events of the previous film, The Last 49 Days also explores the backstories of its three guardian protagonists.

Guardian Gang-lim (Ha Jung-woo) must now “ascend” Su-hong (Kim Dong-wook), the younger brother of his previous ward, through the underworld trials that end in either reincarnation or being banished to hell.

Gang-lim claims that Su-hong’s murder gives him paragon status, which would grant him reincarnation if proved correct. However, Su-hong’s trial will be far from simple, and Gang-lim’s own unorthodox methods come under heavy scrutiny.

Meanwhile, fellow guardians Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi) and Hewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) are assigned the task of ascending an elderly man, only to discover household god Sung-ju (a sadly underused Ma Dong-seok) has sworn to protect him, at least until a new home can be found for the man’s young grandson. In return for their patience, Sung-ju recounts to the guardians their own human pasts, and how their lives were tragically intertwined.

Also, you must stay and watch the end credits because there's an amazing twist regarding Kim Yeomra's character that you will surely love.

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days boasts the lavish production design and eye-popping CGI dreamscapes as its predecessor, I didn't get the chance to watch the first movie though so I don't know how I will compare this movie to the first one but clearly, they really make fantasy films come to life. Although throughout the film, they have running jokes about the economic downturn and mutual fund investments in Korea, it actually makes sense because it made the movie relatable because of this.

I also enjoyed the flashbacks, which is set a thousand years earlier in the war-torn Goryeo era, the back story of each of the characters gave me an introduction before I watch the first part. This made me understand their characters which are intertwined with each other from past to the future.

ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE LAST 49 DAYS NOW SHOWING in cinemas nationwide under VIVA INTERNATIONAL PICTURES