Attack the Gas Station!

Context is super important here. When "Attack the Gas Station!" came out, Korea was going through a serious financial crisis, and a lot of people were without jobs because of it. So the idea of people randomly deciding one day to rob a gas station, then robbing it again and deciding just to run the thing on their own gains a whole new meaning. It's still a pretty dumb movie, a couple laughs here and there, but I'll add some points for the context. If it were '99 and I were Korean, I'd love it.

I really loved this movie. It speaks to me in several ways, and it does a very good job, like many other Korean films I've seen, of letting fun and entertainment shine through in a story with deeper meaning. The politics aren't very subtle, but they aren't meant to be; this is a film that wants the viewer to know just how displeased its makers are with the direction the world has taken, from its treatment of "inferiors" to the greed-driven mindset forced upon the youth. But it's also very fun!

Why did I find this movie so irritating? Maybe because 15-year-old me would have found these protagonists unbearably cool, but now the brooding, mysterious ones are lame dorks and the loose cannons and comic relief are just annoying. Like, I can handle anti-heroes and unlikable protagonists, but the movie positions these guys as full-blown Robin Hood heroes that we're supposed to sympathise with and it's like nails on a chalkboard for two hours.

HEADS ON THE GROUND!

Silly and absurd, which is probably what the filmmakers were going for, but the comedy lacks wit and verve. At the same time, the violent and terrorizing felony kidnapping essentially gets a free pass as we are supposed to sympathize with the perpetrators. I'd say I was taking all this too seriously, but then I go and read about the supposed incisive social commentary in this film. Um, no.

Heart of gold hooligans thing kind of ruined it for me.

Quite funny, definitely worth a watch or two.

The concept is really original, but it is not a comedy to laugh all the time. The characters awaken us in two extremes. One, is funny and nonsense that they do. On the other hand, is so empty. This is a great idea.

It's ok, I really didn't laugh!!!

I don't remember much about this other than it was sorta fun

Very Great

Oh, it's entertaining. I'm just wondering what it all adds up to.

Complete ridiculousnes thrown into a two hour package. Not saying that's a bad thing though.

I don't think "wacky antics" is an appropriate description, because that seems too dismissive, but it is a lot of fun. There are four mercifully brief flashback segments that attempt to explain the motivations of each character, all of which would probably have been more effective had they simply been implied, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.