‘Emergency Declaration’ Goes From Gripping to Exhausting with a Bloated Runtime

Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho are up against a terrorist in the skies. When it comes to disasters, I think we can all agree one of the most harrowing nightmares is an attack on a plane. With nowhere to run and trapped in a small enclosed space with upwards of a hundred people, it is a breeding ground for terror and panic. This is the setting the writer/director Han Jae-rim sets his disaster film Emergency Declaration in. For about 75% of its run, the film is a gripping examination of human nature when caught in the jaws of fight or flight. A biochemical attack on a plane turns the passengers against each other as the officials on the ground rush to desperately find a solution for the victims. The other quarter of the film is dedicated to melodrama, shots that drag on far too long, and a plethora of moments that are unintentionally comedic, especially in the final moments of the film when the story should land the hardest.

Despite its faults, there is a lot to love about Emergency Declaration, mainly that praise goes to a star-studded cast of performers. Anyone even remotely familiar with South Korean acting stars will recognize the likes of Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho, the latter reaching international fame for his roles in both Parasite and Snowpiercer. The film also casts singer/actor Im Si-wan from ZE:A as its villain, Jin-seok, though it’s effective compared to Lee and Song. On the whole, Lee and Song hold up the film in its most dramatic and thrilling moments. Song plays detective In-ho, who desperately hunts for the terrorist on the flight, knowing that his wife is also on the same flight.

Lee plays Jae-hyuk, a passenger on the flight with his daughter, Soo-min, looking to move to Hawaii for a better life. Jae-hyuk is by far the most complex character of the film and perhaps in less experienced hands, the character could have been hammed up, but Lee navigates Jae-hyuk’s complicated backstory well and plays a devoted father with much conviction.