Train to Busan (2016) **1/2

The first live-action feature by South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho got a lot of buzz at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and it has done quite well with viewers and critics. I'm not sure what the big deal is. It's just a standard, zombie movie, but with subtitles, and not as good as a lot of other films, like “28 Days Later” or even “World War Z,” which wasn't perfect, itself.

The plot is as straightforward as it gets. The zombie apocalypse hits South Korea, and a bunch of people on a train try to survive. As an exercise in action-film-making, “Train to Busan” at least demonstrates technical competence. The shots are well-done, the pace is good, and the fast-moving zombies are as creepy as any on screen. The problem is the hackneyed story: the archetypal villain, the noble hero, and a treacly story of parental love. If this film were made in the U.S., it would immediately be dismissed as an overly-sentimental, derivative mashup of “World War Z” and “Snowpiercer.”

The film does have some bright spots. Star Gong Yoo does a decent job, but the lesser-known actor Ma Dong-seok steals the movie. He is downright charismatic, with his expressive, smooshy face, and he dominates every scene he is in. I would watch more movies with this guy.

For me, “Train to Busan,” suffers from its own hype. It's not the worst movie ever, it's just nothing special. If you forget the hype, it should be possible to enjoy it as a straight-up action flick.

2.5 stars out of 5