[HanCinema's Film Review] 'Hopi and Chadol Bawi' + Full Movie

Released in August 1967, "Hopi and Chadol Bawi" is the sequel to "Hong Gil-dong", and focuses on the titular characters, who are actually supporting ones from the Hong Gil-dong comic and movie. It was also the first animated Korean movie to be exported overseas, screening in Thailand and the 3rd Tehran Children's Film Festival in Iran.

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Chadol Bawi is searching for a great swordsmanship teacher, since Hong Gil-dong is away and his master is unavailable. During his wanderings in the mountains, where he even resorts to asking the animals about a proper teacher, he is attacked by a herd of wolves and barely makes it out with his life, with the help of someone who decided to help him. The next morning, as Chadol Bawi checks the bodies of the wolves, he sees a cross-shaped cut on one of the wolf's belly, and realizes that his savior is Hopi, an outlaw famous for his lightning sword technique, and immediately decides to go after him. Before that however, he stumbles upon a huge thief named Gomsoe, who poses as Hopi, and has a fight with him, winning against his gigantic opponent. Eventually, the two meet Hopi, who turns out to be, though, a rather hard man, who is not particularly eager to help his potential students. After stealing from Chief Inspector Choi Jin-dal, however, Hopi finds a series of rather strong opponents coming for him, with the three protagonists eventually fighting together against them.

Recently restored in 4K, "Hopi and Chadol Bawi" looks pretty good even by today's standards, particularly regarding its animation, even if the technology of the time was much weaker than it is now. What impresses the most is the many and quite lengthy fighting scenes, a number of which feature one hero fighting scores of enemies, with the ones with the wolves and the many soldiers being the apogee of this trait. The many one-on-ones are also quite good, with the dramatic essence induced into them, working quite well in entertainment terms, and the music being rather fitting in those sequences. Particularly the one taking place on the edge of the cliff is truly agonizing, also because it is revealed that Hopi is not the all powerful fighter he thought he was. The rather fast pace also works well for the general aesthetics here, in a movie that is essentially an action one, with the fight with the monkey-like monster magician in the end cementing this approach.

Regarding the technological limitations, they become particularly evident in the background, which is still for the most part, with the exception of a river flowing at some point. Nevertheless, the quality of the drawings of the background is top notch, with a number of them having the quality of a painting, with this prowess actually extending to the drawing of the characters, with the villains especially, being particularly detailed. The coloring is also of the same quality, concluding an overall great art work.

Regarding context, Shin Dong-hun focuses on the corruption of the regime and the people who became outlaws in order to fight against injustice, with all the heroes here, and particularly Hopi, having a distinct Robin Hood mentality. The benefits of comradeship are also presented, while moments of humor and the inevitable melodrama, which is, though, restricted close to the finale, conclude the narrative.

At 74 minutes, "Hopi and Chadol Bawi" is particularly easy to watch as much as entertaining, with the almost constant action and the frantic pace helping the most in that regard. Furthermore, the restoration works wonders for the quality of the image, in a movie that definitely deserves a watch even today.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Hopi and Chadol Bawi" is directed by Shin Dong-hun Release date in Korea: 1967/08/15.