I could only imagine the parking lot must have looked like a bustling ant farm if seen from above. Cars were streaming in and out in a slow series of dances; some would tango together to get into an open parking space while other cars waltzed around the lot seeking a free spot to rest. Why I decided to venture out and get some shopping done on one of the busiest days of the shopping year I cannot explain, but I found myself there secure in finding a place to park on the street to avoid the chaos in the lot.   ENTERING the store was not too dissimilar from walking into a carnival. There were displays everywhere touting sale prices and bargains. In the aisles were temporary display shelves crammed full with what marketers call, “last minute items.” I was not as stunned with the amount of the people in the store, since the parking lot was full; as I was with the way they were acting. Shoppers with their shopping carts were careening through the aisles, dodging bystanders and display cases. They reminded me of contestants on a game show who were being timed as they grabbed as much merchandise as they could within the allotted minutes. Two women reminded me of Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz as they played tug of war with a grape colored bath towel set. My overall feeling as I walked through the store was one of perplexed curiosity as if I had ventured into one of those freak show acts that make up part of the carnival. I passed people yelling at each other, scanning product codes with their smartphones or carefully balancing packages on top of an already full shopping cart. It was a crazy, non-stop, noisy atmosphere similar to what took place in this action adventure comedy.   EACH desperate to steal for themselves a secret map for a hidden treasure; an assassin, bounty hunter and outlaw traveled across China while each being chased by other forces. This film festival winning movie’s story was inspired by the works of writer and director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon a Time in America). Starring Kang-ho Song (The Host, Memories of Murder) as Tae-goo Yoon, Byung-hun Lee (G.I. Joe franchise, The Magnificent Seven) as Chang-yi Park and Woo-sung Jung (A Moment to Remember, The Warrior) as Do-won Park; this film took place in the 1940s at a time when Japanese forces were occupying China. There was an over the top feeling for me as I watched this DVD. The scenes, the action, the pace all had this bigness to it; in other words, nothing was subtle. Directed by Jee-woon Kim (A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life), the pacing was consistent though at times there was almost a spastic pulse to it. I thought the choreography was excellent; it reminded me of several of Jackie Chan’s movies. This was an easy picture to watch; one need not have to put much thought into it to get enjoyment. Essentially it comes down to a long chase scene/race with twists and turns. I was just glad I did not have to be a part of it. Korean, Mandarin and Japanese were spoken with English subtitles.

3 stars — DVD