Volcano High (2001)

[This review follows the English version.]

Kim Kyeong-Su is a high school student with an unfortunate habit of getting picked on at every school he goes to. A lesser known fact is that Kim has powers, very unusual powers that bullies usually find out when it is already too late. Being the good guy that he is, Kim is a target for delinquents but it is always Kim who is kicked out of school for fighting. Kim has been kicked out of nine schools so far, and in his senior year, the only school that will take him is Volcano High. If he doesn't make it here he won't make it anywhere. However, even at Volcano High Kim has to deal with challenges and roadblocks on his road to success. He seems distracted by his crush Yu, and he has already become the target of school bully Jang Ryang.  If that weren't enough, Kim has to deal with his most fearsome enemy, the substitute Mr. Ma. Graduating is the least of Kim's worries as his goal must be to survive.

Set in Korea, Volcano High follows the formula of the high school delinquent genre where situations occur within the school and the only way to maintain order is by going outside societal norms. This has social implications as well because there are things the students have to deal with on their own, and without the guidance or support from any parental figures or educators. The movie does make an admirable effort at blending martial arts, comedy, and romance and more often than not succeeds, albeit some parts are a little cheesy.

The plot sets up the usual new guy in a strange place but also throws in some superpowers. The students versus the teachers is a rarely utilized plot device and is done on a level suitable to the world in which the movie takes place. Rather than being something like a talent show or some kind of competition, these are actual battles with serious consequences. The sub plot revolves around the enmity between Kim and Mr. Ma.  The two met at one of the schools from which Kim was expelled and they've developed a very unhealthy relationship. It adds a tense element to the story because there is more at stake here than Kim's popularity or academic success. Students who run afoul of Mr. Ma don't get sent home, they disappear.

The acting in Volcano High is very good. Each person was cast for the right part. Jang Hyuk plays our main character Kim and he really has a look that screams socially awkward new guy. At the same-time he conveys a certain aloofness that you would expect from a typical outcast. Shin Min-ah does a great job as Yu as well. We can tell from her character’s performance and how Yu interacts Jang Ryang, that there is a painful history between the two and while Yu doesn't have to explain that this relationship caused her to close off her heart, Yu is able to convey it via non-verbals. Kim Soo-roh did a very good, if unorthodox portrayal of school bully Jang Ryang. Soo-roh could have gone from a checklist of traits but rather, his take on Jang Ryang is not so much a bully as more of a hot blooded gang leader whose ambition is driving him towards something greater than what he has now. The acting also goes a long way in helping the viewer explore the relationships between the cast.

As expected of this genre, new guy Kim has a crush on popular girl Yu who used to date school bully Jang Ryang and Yu isn't all that into Kim until things go south and Kim plays the Spider-Man to Yu's Gwen Stacy only without the whole dying part. Kim and Jang Ryang get off to a bad start right from the beginning, but after seeing Kim’s threshold for pain, Jang Ryang wants him to become a Dark Oxen. This is an interesting development because although Jang Ryang doesn't like Kim, he does respect Kim's physical attributes and wants him to join his gang. Kim and Mr. Ma have an extremely tense relationship and it soon becomes clear that one of them isn't leaving Volcano High alive.

Volcano High is not a unique movie by any means. In fact there is an entire genre devoted to works like exactly like this one which spans movies, comic books, and anime. To its credit the film does a fine job at balancing lighter elements like comedy and romance with the darker elements like violence, but when you look at the genre as a whole Volcano High isn't as funny as Cromartie High, nor is it as interesting or as action packed as Crows Zero. If we look at the movie on its own, Volcano High is still a very good film that's definitely worth watching and serves as a good entry point into the high school delinquent genre. Volcano High doesn't aim to be an exceptional movie and it doesn't really have to. It's a fun film that has its feel good moments despite its dark premise.

- Jetstream Rev