Kim Tae-ri defends ‘Alienoid’ after mixed reception, says movie’s second half will be “more enjoyable”

Actress Kim Tae-ri has defended her new movie Alienoid after it received mixed reviews from critics.

• READ MORE: Yumi’s Cells 2 episodes 11 and 12 recap: second time’s the charm?

The first half of the sci-fi action film received a mixed reception from South Korean film critics at the press screening on July 13. While some critics lauded the unique worldview Alienoid presented, others pointed out the potential for confusion in terms of its characters and lore.

In an interview with South Korean media outlets, Kim – who plays the warrior Lee Ahn in the film – responded to the mixed reviews of Alienoid by saying that the second half of the film will be “more enjoyable.”

“The first part was a set-up of a vast, five-hour-long story. It is necessary to explain the characters, their relationships, the complex magic and the setting, which shifts between Goryeo and modern times,” Kim said, per The Korea Herald. “Now that they have been explained, we can just run into the vortex of adventure.”

“The second part will be less focused on explaining. I want the audience to understand that the explanation was unavoidable to enjoy the story,” the actress added.

Alienoid is a two-part film about a time portal that opens up between the Goryeo Dynasty and present-day Korea amid a wild chase to capture an escaped alien prisoner. The first half of the film premiered in South Korean cinemas today (July 20) while the second half of the film is set to premiere in 2023.

The first part of Alienoid is also set to be screened as the closing film at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival on July 31. It will also be screened in Montreal as part of the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival on August 1.

Starring opposite Kim Tae-ri is actor Kim Woo-bin, who returns to the silver screen for the first time in six years with Alienoid. Kim recently spoke on the cancer diagnosis that halted his career, revealing that his doctors recently pronounced him “all clean”.

The post Kim Tae-ri defends ‘Alienoid’ after mixed reception, says movie’s second half will be “more enjoyable” appeared first on NME.