Blu-ray review: Rampant

Genre mashups are all the rage these days, and in the tradition of something like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter comes Rampant, a new South Korean action / horror film that brings together a historical drama with outbursts of killer zombies.

The film focuses on Lee Chung (Hyun Bin), the son of the king, and coincidentally, a martial arts master, a trait that definitely comes in hand here. While originally given over to the Qing empire as a political hostage, Lee Chung returns home to the Joseon nation after his brother, the Crown Prince Lee Young (Kim Tae-woo) has taken his life. While dealing with the political infighting breaking out in the dynasty, Lee Chung also has to deal with the “night demons” who have suddenly appeared, killer creatures who in this take actually share a lot of common traits with vampires.

The tonal shifts in Rampant can often be hard to adjust to, from the protracted feudal infighting to the flashy zombie fighting scenes, but director Kim Sung-hoon has a keen eye for stylish visuals, especially in the artfully constructed fight scenes, which alone make Rampart worth a watch.

Rampart arrives on Blu-ray with a spiffy video presentation that highlights the film’s elaborate production design, but unfortunately, with very little in the way of extras. We get a pair of trailers, a very brief making-of (under 2 minutes long), and a short behind-the-scenes piece, all of which total less than 5 minutes of extras.

Rampant might not totally please either fans of Korean horror or historical dramas, but the whiplash sensation of flicking back-and-forth between the two genres is at the very least an interesting experiment. Despite some slow and rather complicated moments of feudal backstabbing, Rampart is a fun mashup that puts a new spin on two tried and true genres. It may not fully work for everyone, but it will definitely keep you on your toes.

Rampant is available on Blu-ray / DVD combo pack now.