No memory. One mission.
2022-08-05
N/A
132 min
Carter, who awakens two months into a deadly pandemic originating from the DMZ that has already devastated US and North Korea. He who has no recollections of his past finds a mysterious device in his head, and a lethal bomb in his mouth. A voice in his ears gives him orders to avoid getting killed and he's thrown into a mysterious operation while the CIA and North Korean coup chase him close.
Carter (or rather: Kato)
tries to present itself as a one-shot-film, but it is not quite the Korean Hardcore Henry. There is little effort hiding the supposedly invisible cuts, of which there are many. The ever-flying shaky camera drone is busy, as are the very dedicated stunt people, and the soros of CGI.
The plot is... and illogical mix of something even C-grade video games wouldn't dare to use; the upside of which is that it is unpredictable. Three secret agencies, an coup, implanted devices, fast Zombies, save-the-daughter, some Total Recall, Indiana Jones, and Blood Red Sky, with a hint of Extraction and James Bond.
Bullet-proof pigs I'm OK with, infinite ammo magazines we all know - but flea-like zombies, the free fall fight, and the CGI fires are hilarious. Or bad, depending on your expectations.
Apply plenty Suspension of Disbelief to be entertained.
Warning, not suitable for fragile Americans: Aside from lots of gory violence, there's also brief frontal nudity, and we know you're easily scared by asian genitalia.
For me, Carter feels like a Hardcore Henry re-mix, with a Korean flavour.
This is run and gun, beat em, cut em up, style of film, with a video game vibe. It worked with Hardcore Henry but somehow this one just doesn't quite pull it off.
I think part of the reason for that is unlike Hardcore Henry, its not quite as well paced or polished. Its back story is a bit thin too, not really adding much to the proposition. The result feels somewhat aimless and a little bland.
In short, moderately watchable but fizzles when it needs to burn.
