Squid Game Season 2’s Player 001 Is A Reminder Of How Badly This $1.4 Billion Hollywood Franchise Wasted Lee Byung-hun
Squid Game
season 2 shone a light on the actor Lee Byung-hun as the terrifying Front Man, but it also highlights how underused the actor was in a different major franchise. Squid Game has helped to shine a global spotlight on some of the most spectacular talent from South Korea in a tense, thrilling series that shattered records for Netflix. While the first season was released in 2021, it took three years before season 2 released on the streamer, and fans of the show learned more about the mysterious people behind the games.
One of these characters who is potentially shrouded in the most appealing mystery is Hwang In-ho, the masked Front Man who controls the operations of the games. In-ho is also the missing brother of Hwang Jun-ho, a police officer who is actively searching for his brother. And in Squid Game season 2, the character inserted himself into the games as player 001, also known as Oh Young-il. The actor behind the character did an incredible job in the role, and it also highlights missed opportunities from some surprisingly huge franchises in the years before Squid Game.
Terminator Genisys Cast Lee Byung-hun As The T-1000 But Did Nothing With Him
Lee Byung-hun Could Have Done A Lot More In The Role
Terminator: Genisys may not be the most revered entry in the Terminator franchise, but the 2015 film was an attempt to bring the series back to life and featured the leading man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the familiar T-800. While Arnie was established in a heroic role, helping Sarah Connor, there was a new robot added to the story to make things more tense. Similar to the T-1000 robot that appeared in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a malleable metal man who masquerades as a police officer and tries to kill messengers from the future, this time played by the talented Lee Byung-hun.
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However, despite casting the then lesser-known talent, the film barely gave Byung-hun anything to do. In total he only really appears in two scenes, where he confronts the hero, Kyle Reese, and then where he dies. Between these two appearances, Byung-hun barely has any dialogue, and there is very little development with the character. Recognizing Byung-hun’s talents, this seems like a tragic waste that really let the film down.
Lee Byung-hun Could Have Been A Fantastic New T-1000 In An Extended Role
The T-1000 Robot Is One Of The Best Parts Of The Terminator Franchise
Considering the lasting impression that the original T-1000 made, played by the talented Robert Patrick, there was a lot of room to make this character a bigger part of Terminator: Genisys. And honestly, if the film did better utilize the villain, it may have improved the story overall. Instead, they repeated some iconic moments from T2, and then relegated the character to the shadows. While Byung-hun does the best he can with the room he was given to perform, this ultimately leaves the character feeling unremarkable.
Had Byung-hun been given more room to develop the character, tease the protagonists, and deceive other officers, it would have been a different movie. Especially considering the skill that Byung-hun has displayed in playing deceptive and dishonest characters, he could have tried to fool and persuade Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor to further his own vendetta. But the T-1000 robot ultimately displayed a total and complete lack of ability and creativity. They marched in to fight against Reese with no real plan, and were swiftly defeated.
Squid Game Season 2 Is A Reminder Of How Great Lee Byung-hun Is Playing Villains
The Front Man Is One Of The Best Characters In Squid Game
The truth is that Lee Byung-hun makes an incredible villain. His capacity to switch emotions, and portray a character who appears friendly, joyful, and honest, to become a heartless villain who turns on those that he gains the trust of makes for compelling drama and intense action. Whether he is quietly listening to jazz while sipping alcohol in a private viewing room, or in the thick of the action and intentionally failing to throw a spinning top, Byung-hun makes his characters authentic and powerful.
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Squid Game season 2 cleverly reverses an iconic Gi-hun moment from season 1, saying a lot about his character without saying anything at all.
He uses his range with incredible skill, and ultimately creates a character that is able to devastate others with emotional manipulation. As the shapeshifting T-1000, there was a lot of room to make this character a bigger part of the story, and give Byung-hun the space to deliver a compelling performance. But even just in terms of using him physically, and having him intimidate and fight others, the scenes in Squid Game far outshine Terminator: Genisys thanks to the creatives trusting Lee Byung-hun’s abilities and giving him a role that matches his talent.
In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.
- Release Date
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September 17, 2021
- Finale Year
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November 30, 2024
- Cast
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Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung - Seasons
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2
- Writers
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Directors
-
Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Showrunner
-
Hwang Dong-hyuk
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