I hate pull quotes.

Sure, as a reviewer myself (do I dare call myself a critic?), I understand their existence. They (and we) are marketing tools. If it weren't for Siskel and Ebert's “Two Thumbs Up!” would movies have made as much money? If Gene Shalit or Rex Reed didn't have their high praises flash during those thirty-odd seconds of TV time would DVD sales be as high? Probably not.

However, sometimes these pull quotes don't quite ring true. As I explained in my review for Beyond Re-Animator (review here), sometimes they can be taken out of context, or completely mislead the potential viewer/buyer into a movie they may not want to see. The quotes on Natural City's slipcase proclaim it to be “A modern Blade Runner!” and, inexplicably, “The Korean answer to The Matrix!” While one cannot help but notice the obvious similarities (and sometimes outright homage) to Ridley Scott's seminal sci-fi masterpiece, the Matrix connection leaves me baffled and irritated. Do we truly live in a world where every piece of dark science fiction film needs to draw comparison to The Matrix? Are we so Ameri-centric that we need to compare an Asian film with martial arts elements to an American film that liberally borrowed Asian martial arts elements? Let alone that, a few slo-mo action sequences aside, Natural City has about as much in common with The Matrix as Akira has with, say, My Neighbor Totoro? Just because they share a genre doesn't mean their elementally intertwined.

Those who pick up Natural City based on this pull quote are certain to be disappointed from that angle. Natural City, while it does contain a few blistering action scenes, is a very character-driven piece. In it, we are introduced to R, living in the post-war year of 2080. Society has incorporated cyborgs for servitude, military combat, and sexual pleasure, but only giving them three-year lifespans. Like any intelligent being, the cyborgs revolt, wanting to extend their all-too-brief lives and actually have an existence outside of what their creators originally intended. R, along with his friend and commander Noma, head up a military police squad tasked with hunting down and destroying these rogue cyborgs.

R, however, has his own agenda: salvage the A.I. Chips from the fallen 'bots in order to repair his own sex/servant cyborg Ria, who he has fallen in love with and is rapidly approaching her expiration date. Working with the mad Dr. Giro, he learns of a certain “compatibility” between cyborg A.I. Chips and the human brain, whereas in some cases the cyborg's A.I. can be downloaded into a human brain, thus preserving the cyborg's essence in a new host body. Dr. Giro has found a match for Ria in the beautiful fortune-teller/hooker Cyon, who R must hunt down to save Ria. Unfortunately, Cyon has also been discovered by the rogue combat 'bot Cyper, to whom she is also a “match” and wants her body for himself to preserve his A.I.

While it sounds like a typical “race against time” plot line, Natural City sets itself apart by injecting the proceedings with that favorite of Korean plot devices: the weird love story. This time it is the forbidden (and oddly metaphorical) love of a man and his machine. While it may not be as creepy as that statement sounds (it's not like R's humping his toaster), the obvious irony of the MP officer who kills cyborgs who are attempting to extend their lives is trying desperately to save his own cyborg's life rings loud and clear. Even better, their love is not the sort of pure, wholesome love that one would expect in a love story. While they certainly have their moments (the sight of R resting his head in Ria's lap is an oft-repeated and oddly sweet scene), they also have their rough spots. They bicker, R gets a little rough with Ria...it all comes across as somehow real, which is incredibly important with ideas like these.

But, as I mentioned before, it's not all rainbows and bunny-farts. The action scenes in Natural City are pretty damn mean. The initial battle between the MP and a group of rogue cyborgs, set in a waterlogged tunnel, is one of the most brutal ballets I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The heavily armored soldiers (who, ironically, look more robotic than the cyborgs they're hunting) spray their gunfire wildly as their targets spin through the air, spraying water from their bodies in silvery arcs as they rain hell down upon the MP, cutting them to pieces. It's a beautifully organic display of water, fire, and blood, all choreographed to near-perfection while still maintaining the illusion of “sloppiness” that comes with human error.

Video quality, as can be expected from a film this recent, is nearly flawless. The muted color palette comes across as dull and solid before exploding across the screen in select scenes dotted with vibrant hues. Blacks and whites are right where they should be, with no visible artifacting that I could see. Audio is available in either Dolby Digital or DTS (both 5.1), and both are clean, crisp and loud, with the DTS coming across as a more “substantial” mix. Extras include a fistful of featurettes, a few deleted scenes, an English-dubbed theatrical trailer, and Tartan's usual handful of trailers for their other Asia Extreme titles.

Natural City is yet another example of why Korean cinema is very popular among genre fans. It's a movie that could easily fall into its usual trappings, but manages to keep its head well above water with deep, poignant drama. All this, and no sight of Keanu Reeves. Sounds like a winner to me.