Spike Lee's superfluous duplication of Oldboy brings to mind Samuel Johnson's famous 18th-century witticism, likening a woman preaching to a dog walking on its hind legs: "It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.
Spike Lee can't find the right tone in this remake of the 2005 Korean cult hit. Bloodier and goofier, yet less funny and less thrilling, it's a near-miss
Lee's rendition is meant to be more straightforward and grounded in reality, less stylized but just as dark and shocking as its 2003 predecessor. And it does have a couple of powerful, disturbing plot twists
Lee's Oldboy closes with a semi-happy shrug - a finale that is careful to tie up all loose ends and, in the process, makes the tense, strange picture that preceded it easier to forget
Lee has not only made a perfectly worthy remake of an already perfectly worthy movie, he has Americanized it as a pop parable for the early 21st century
Lee directs this deranged undertaking with great formal control and confidence... The suspense is taut, provided you can prevent yourself from frequently yelling, "That's not possible." Remember: comic book