Decibel, a South Korean action-thriller movie directed by Hwang In Ho, follows the story of Kang Do Young (Kim Rae Won), a retired submarine commander who gets drawn into a dangerous game of bomb threats that could endanger millions of people in South Korea. The movie has a budget of $4.3 million and features a star-studded cast including Lee Jong Suk, Jung Sang Hoon, and Cha Eun Woo.
The movie opens with 44 crew members of a South Korean submarine returning from a military exercise. Among the crew is the Captain Kang Do Young, Captain Jeong Tae Seong (Lee Jong Suk), and his brother Sergeant Jeong Tae Ryoung (Cha Eun Woo). Shortly after their return, a torpedo mine chases and targets their submarine. Captain Kang, along with his team, manages to avoid the torpedo and save the submarine.
Fast forward to a year later, the crew of the submarine is remembering the 22 members who lost their lives in the incident. At the ceremony, Kang receives a mysterious call informing him of two active bombs, one placed in a park and the other in the home of a crew member who survived the submarine incident. Kang initially takes it as a prank and ignores it, but soon he realizes the danger is real when the bomb placed in the crew member’s home explodes, producing more than 100 decibels of sound.
The explosion creates chaos, and Kang sets out to investigate the case with the help of government agent Agen Cha (Park Byung Eun). He receives another call for the second bomb, which the caller dubs as Torpedo 2, placed in a stadium during a match between Busan and Tokyo. More than 50,000 people are in grave danger as Kang rushes to the stadium. During the match, he meets Oh Dae Oh (Sang Hoon Jung), a CBC News reporter with a child, who also happens to hear Kang’s conversation about the bomb.
With the help of Dae Oh and his son, Kang tries to evacuate the stadium but discovers that the bomb’s location has changed to the VIP podium. When the bomb finally detonates, Kang successfully evacuates everyone from the stadium, including Dae Oh and his son. The bomber then kidnaps Kang’s child to keep up the dangerous game. Kang seeks help from Dae Oh, and together, they locate the van with the kidnapper, but it explodes upon opening the door.
The game of bomb threats continues, and the bomber now calls for Torpedos 3 and 4, one at the children’s playground and the other at the country’s largest water park. Kang’s wife, Jang Yu Jeong (Lee Sang Hee), a sergeant in the terrorist division, joins him to help diffuse the bombs. The movie ends with a thrilling climax as Kang and his team race against time and make tactical moves to stop the bombers.
In conclusion, Decibel is a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its gripping storyline, brilliant acting, and thrilling action sequences. The film’s themes of patriotism, loyalty, and sacrifice are prominent throughout, adding emotional depth to the characters’ struggles. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves thrilling action movies with an intriguing plot.
