It all starts with a feral cat (they really are nasty creatures). The small-time crook it infects stumbles all the way to Seoul’s Gangnam district, eventually entering a building sort of like the Deutsche Bank Center (formerly Time Warner). Likeable Hyun-seuk works there, but he isn’t getting paid by his slimy boss, who is trying to build a knock-off “Funny or Die” viral prank video channel. Business is bad, but Hyun-seuk does not want to go home to the countryside, because he carries a torch for his sexually harassed co-worker, Min-jeong.
Fortunately for all his co-workers, Hyun-seuk was an alternate for the national taekwondo team, so he can fight zombies from a safer distance using his jump-kicks. He will do his best to save everyone, even their Scrooge-like landlady, who is always complaining about poor people’s lack of manners and hygiene.
It is fitting some of Gangnam Zombie takes place in a mall, because Dawn of the Dead obviously looks like an inspiration for Lee, especially in terms of its class-conscious social commentary. Frankly, some of the landlady’s dialogue is absolutely laughable—in the wrong way, from Lee’s perspective.
Gangnam cannot boast much originality, except maybe its wickedly droll final twist, but it always maintains a high energy level. If you are in the mood for a zombie movie, this is certainly a competent one—far more entertaining than a lot of the Walking Dead-Living Dead knock-offs out there. Recommended for what it is, Gangnam Zombie releases Tuesday (9/26) on DVD and BluRay, from Well Go USA.
