Imran Yusof

Disappointing. While Peninsula isn't a sequel, just set in the same universe, much of what made the original Train to Busan a refreshing take on the zombie genre are missing, instead replaced with excruciatingly long CGI car-chases and cheesy, cliché dialogue. Peninsula is closer to a Mad Max or Fast & Furious film, with zombies becoming a minor backseat hindrance. The movie follows 4 refugees (who escaped the initial outbreak and are now living in Hong Kong) returning to Korea to recover $20 million USD abandoned in a truck. While the acting from the Korean cast is good, their performances are weighed down by bad writing and a predictable, plot-hole filled storyline. This becomes even more obvious toward the end of the movie, which contains a series of slow-motion scenes that come off more like a cringe-y parody than a heartfelt exchange. Peninsula seems to suffer from its predecessor's success. Ignoring the egregious overuse of CGI, the movie is also littered with attempts to appeal to a 'Western' audience with the inclusion of English-speaking actors. Unfortunately, these attempts fall flat, as the writing for the English cast is laughably bad, made worse by stiff acting. On its own, Peninsula is passable as an action-packed summer blockbuster, but when put beside its predecessor, it screams 'wasted potential'.