‘Avengers’ director praises ‘Wilderness’ “Ma Dong-seok, action genre titan”
‘Wilderness’ raised the status of Korean action movies by ranking first in English-speaking as well as non-English-speaking countries around the world. The Russo brothers, who created 'The Avengers', and Hollywood action stars Iko Wu-wais and Tony Jaa also praised Ma Dong-seok's action.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who directed 'Avengers: Endgame,' said, "In 'Wilderness,' Ma Dong-seok once again showed that he is a titan of the action genre. As a long-time fan of Ma Dong-seok, I know that he continues to push the boundaries of Korean action films. “We are showing this to the world. I couldn’t take my eyes off the hallway scene, which is the highlight of the movie,” he praised.
Iko Wuwais, who appeared in 'The Raid' and 'The Expendables 4', also said, "I fell in love with this movie. Especially the hallway fight scene completely captivated me. It's an action that only Ma Dong-seok can pull off, and it's truly outstanding." It was evaluated as follows.
Tony Ja, famous for ‘Ong Bak’ and ‘The Expendables 4’, recommended,
“‘Wilderness’ was a very satisfying movie that combined action and
comedy well.”
As ‘Wilderness’ gained worldwide popularity, favorable reviews
continued from around the world as well. American media such as GAME
RANT and CBR reported that 'Wilderness' ranked first in the US and
around the world for a week after its release, and recorded an 89%
positive rating on the Rotten Tomatoes index for a week. In particular,
he praised Ma Dong-seok-pyo's character and actions unfolding in a
bizarre and creative apocalyptic worldview. Along with expectations for
the combination of action scenes created by director Heo Myung-haeng and
Ma Dong-seok, interest in the next work was also expressed. In addition
to the global interest in actor Ma Dong-seok, the hopeful outlook for
the global release of Korean action films was also mentioned.
The American media UNILAD introduced viewers' evaluations of 'Wilderness'. According to the article, 'Director Heo Myung-haeng, along with Ma Dong-seok, showed a new action style by using a variety of weapons along with the fist action he has shown so far', 'A must-see for anyone who loves action movies', 'It is a classic, but action movies must have. It conveyed the enthusiastic response of global ‘Wilderness’ viewers, such as ‘It has the virtues of a movie’.
In particular, in overseas review sites and related comments, there were many mentions of the characters Ma Dong-seok played in the 'Train to Busan', 'Eternals', and 'Crime City' series. Through the character of Namsan shown in ‘Wilderness’, global fans were reminded of Ma Dong-seok, whom they loved, and responded that they would like to continue to see him in the future. The character that only Ma Dong-seok can show is expected to develop into a more evolved form in the future.
