The Battle of Jangsari (Korean: 장사리: 잊혀진 영웅들; RR: Jangsari: Yicheojin Yeongungdeul; lit. Jangsari: Forgotten Heroes) is a 2019 South Korean action-war film co-directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and Kim Tae-hoon, starring Kim Myung-min, Megan Fox and Choi Min-ho of SHINee in the lead roles. The second installment in a trilogy following Operation Chromite, the film tells the true story of a group of 772 student soldiers who staged a small diversionary operation at Jangsari beach in Yeongdeok village to draw away North Korean attention from Incheon.
Megan Fox plays the role of Maggie, an American reporter and war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune, who covered the Korean War and called on the international community for assistance. Kim Myung-min plays a guerrilla task force commander while Choi Min-ho plays a low-ranking soldier. George Eads plays the leader of the landing operation.
Produced by Taewon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Korea, the film released theatrically in South Korea on 25 September 2019 and was released in USA on 4 October 2019 by Well Go USA.
Tropes pertaining to this film:
- Alas, Poor Villain: As Jae-Pil dies, his long-lost brother Sang-Pil mourns his death.
- Bittersweet Ending: The mission was a success but many lives were lost, including Sang-Pil, Ha-Ryun, and Jong-Nyeo.
- Composite Character: Megan Fox's character, Maggie, is based on 2 American female reporters: Marguerite Higgins
and Margaret Bourke-White. - Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Lim Gye Jin was a Dirty Communist who orchestrated the execution of Jang Hak-Soo's father which lead to the latter's defection and a massive Hate Sink who kills his own men for failing to kill Hak-Soo and his own men. Here, Choi Jae-Pil is a sympathetic Anti-Villain Child Soldier who wants to be with his family, but unfortunately he was forced by the North Koreans to wear their uniform.
- Everyone Has Standards: One of the South Korean officers doesn't like the idea of having Child Soldiers fighting alongside them.
- Important Haircut: Jong-Nyeo shaves her head so that she can fight alongside men.
- Last Request: Sang-Pil, Ha-Ryu, and later Jong-Nyeo as she falls to her death due to the loss of blood gave their final latters to Man-Deuk so that he will give it to their parents.
- War Is Hell: The film's central message as the 772 Child Soldiers realize the horrors of war and tries to cope with it by telling their own tragic backstories.
- X Meets Y: Saving Private Ryan meets 71: Into the Fire (about Child Soldiers trying to delay the enemy's advance during the Korean War).
