#KimJi-hoon

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Tower (2012)

If you’re looking for a movie set around Christmas time that takes place in a skyscraper and isn't focussed on presents, reindeer, Santa, or any of the other holiday business… then Die Hard is what you're looking for. If you want something else - maybe less action and more Towering Inferno - then check out The Tower.

In Yeouido, Seoul stands the luxurious Tower Sky, twin 120-story building complexes filled with every luxury. On Christmas Eve, a helicopter crashes into the Riverview Tower, igniting a blaze that threatens everyone inside. The plot follows various characters, from firefighters combatting the inferno to guests and the building’s staff as they desperately try to escape or rescue those trapped inside.

The Tower is a well-made disaster film that checks all the boxes. It clocks in at just over 2 hours (with the end credits) which means there’s enough time to introduce at least a dozen characters and tell you all about them. There’s Lee Dae-ho (Kim Sang-kyung), the building complex’s manager, and his young daughter Ha-na (Jo Min-ah). He’s in love with the restaurant’s manager, Seo Yoon-hee (Son Ye-jin). There’s another love story with cook Young-chul (Jeon Bae-soo) and Min-jung (Lee Joo-ha), the building’s receptionist. We also meet the firefighters on the scene. Among many, there's rookie Lee Seon-woo (Do Ji-han), the fire station’s chief (Ahn Sung-ki) who’s been told he should go home but refuses as long as there’s work to do. You've seen several of these stories before and can easily figure out where they’re going to end. The Chief, for example. Fresher characters would’ve been a bonus but you’re not really here for them, you’re here for the roles they play in this story. There’s a myriad of dangers that can be found as the flames rise, the floors collapse, and the air becomes thick with smoke. People have to break out of windows to escape the heat, once outside they have to find a new way to get back in, they have to come up with plans to make it out alive and then revise these plans when a new obstacle is discovered. Is the best strategy to go up, or down? What about that bridge linking the two buildings? A road to salvation, or a death trap?

The Tower is at its best when it finds creative ways to up the stakes. Sometimes it’s a bit ham fisted, like when the mayor insists certain high-profile guests be prioritized over others. Most of the time, it’s by introducing deadlines for everyone to escape, revealing a weakness in the structure that didn’t need to be brought up previously, or it’s a couple who gets re-introduced just when we thought everyone was in the clear. None of it is revolutionary but in terms of delivering what you want to see, it succeeds. In terms of spectacle, it certainly offers plenty of top-notch special effects and architectural carnage, along with feel-good moments as the brave firefighters give it their all.

There are Christmas romantic comedies, horror movies, action movies, dramas, fantasy films… but what about disaster flicks? You want all of the genres covered so there’s room in your Holiday library for The Tower. While it never reinvents the wheel, the picture offers what you’ve come to expect, and does it well. (Original Korean with English Subtitles, December 13, 2020)