Netflix’s Kingdom Brings Swords and Sandals (and Zombies) Into Your Home
[Authors Note: This review will be spoiler free!!!]
How to watch: Netflix
# of episodes: Season 1: 6[Season 2: 8(rumored), greenlit, pre-production]
Language: Korean (subtitles available)
Director: Seong-hun Kim
Writer: Kim Eun Hee
Rating: TV-MA
Release date: January 25, 2019 (USA)
Style: Action, Thriller, Zombies, Medieval Korea, Swords and Sandals
For more show details, you can find them on IMDB or Wikipedia
Let’s Get Into The (Rotting) Meat Of It!
“Do you like Zombies?”
“Of course, I do!”
“Do you like “swords and sandals” shows?”
“You know it!”
“Do you like tales about medieval Korea?”
“Umm… I guess I probably would…I guess…yeah?”
“Well, then do I have a show for you!”
So full disclosure here: I am a relative newcomer to all of this great Korean cinema that has hit Netflix like a tidal wave lately. I had no clue there was such a wonderful and broad amount of content coming out of Korea until Netflix started focusing on bringing it to their platform. You can find a bevy of this stuff when you go to Netflix now. So kudos to them, because I have been enjoying it immensely. And, consequently, I’ve had to get more educated so I know what I’m talking about here!
But what about this one? Train to Busan showed that Korean cinema can make one heck of a zombie movie for sure. Does that translate to this one, set in medieval Korea? Admittedly, I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out initially.
So what did I discover? Something pretty epic, actually!
Overview
Kingdom the show is based on the Korean webcomic “The Kingdom of the Gods” by Kim Eun Hee (Signal, Three Days). She was also the screenwriter for the show. The show was directed by Seong-hun Kim whose credits include A Hard Day and Tunnel. The show consists of 6 episodes ranging from roughly 45 to 55 minutes each.
Kingdom is set at a point in the Joseon Dynasty which lasted from 1392 to 1897 a.d and centers around rumors that the sitting King has fallen ill or has already died. The Crown Prince(Ji-Hoon Ju) suspects things are not right when the pregnant Queen(Kim Hye-jun), who is not his mother, bans him from the palace and from seeing his father. The Crown Prince has heard rumors that his father is ill. He has also heard rumors that his father has already died which would make him the next King. Additionally, he knows that if the King were to die after the Queen’s baby is born, he will no longer be in line for the throne. This is because his mother was a concubine of the King. With this, he sets out to learn the truth of his father’s current state. Along the way, The Crown Prince and many others learn that there is something much worse to contend with: the dead.
Show Review: 9/10
Pros:
Overall, I thoroughly loved this show. For starters, it is phenomenally gorgeous. The cinematography is fantastic, which supports the reports that this show went over budget during production. The costumes and make-up are also excellent. The story, while only 6 episodes long, is very dramatic and tight. The show does not suffer from the bloat that can come with longer seasons. There is a great level of tension throughout the entire season, with some lighter moments sprinkled at perfect moments to keep the tension from becoming overwhelming. The director and writer were masterful with this.
The acting is very well done and comes across as authentic to the situations presented to the various characters. Some people are smart enough to take what they’re seeing and learn. Others, not so much. Some of the characters think of the safety of others. Some, only themselves. Performances of note would include the Crown Prince, his personal bodyguard Muyeong(Sang-Ho Kim), local physician Seobi (Doona Bae), and Minister Cho Hak-Ju(Seung-ryong Ryu). They absolutely own their scenes in their own, unique ways.
Cons:
Honestly, I had trouble coming up with negative points of the show. However, there is one notable thing that I didn’t enjoy about the show’s first season: the length. The fact that it is six episodes long is noticeable. Additionally, it ends with a revelation for the characters. This is not surprising as many shows end with some sort of direction that they are teasing for the next season. But leaving this show with such a game-changing revelation, and then just stopping there is a bit jarring. It is obvious that this was only half of the story they wanted to tell. They should have considered calling this season “Part 1” or something. Regardless, I’ll be anxiously awaiting season 2!
Martial Arts Review: 8/10
Pros
This is not your typical martial arts movie or show when compared to anything with Scott Adkins or Jackie Chan. It does not have a significant amount of hand-to-hand combat. However, it does have really good weapon-based combat. Weapons such as the sword(jingeom or ingeom), bow-and-arrow, spears, as well as muskets, appear here. These battle scenes, both big and small, are done really well. The camera work is really good too, not falling into the “fast-edit” gimmick that is all too common in American movies and shows.
Cons
There is simply just not that much here. There are long amounts of time between any physical altercation or conflict happening. In my rating, however, I’m allowing for the fact that the show is only six episodes long and that the plot would suffer dramatically if there was just a bunch of fighting scenes thrown in to satiate the masses. If the show had felt slow, or plodding in any way, I would have dropped the rating further. Thankfully, the show did not disappoint at all.
Overall Rating and Review: 8.5/10
Simply put, Kingdom season 1 is fantastic from start to finish. If you enjoy “swords and sandals” shows, then you will likely enjoy this show thoroughly. The tension and drama are fantastically played out by the cast and crew. Pacing is excellent. The combat scenes, when done, are very good. I highly recommend Kingdom!
Have you seen the show? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
You can also check out the trailer right here!
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