Pompei wrote:

The difficulty in talking about Old Boy is that is impossible to do so without ruining the film's major conceit.

Unlike Fussbett, I'm incredibly lazy, so I'll let the trailer do it for me.

The movie has won a bunch of shiny awards, like the Grand Prix at Cannes, and despite the effusive showering of praise it is good. Not great, but good.

So don't mistake it for a slow and taut pyschological drama exploring the nature of panoptic imprisonment. See, this is the second in a trilogy of films whose only continuity that of revenge. This helps because I haven't seen the first. It also means things get violent and quick.

How, you ask? No spoilers, just watch the film. People getting teeth pulled out with a hammer...blah, blah, blah

And you should. It coasts by admirably on its quick pace, gallow's humor and for the fun of knowing the scene with the ocotopus was done four times.

Short review: Good not great, the only thing I truly disliked was the ending which pussies admirably. The rest leading up to it? Worth seeing.