Not quite sure about this one. It's a spin-off from the popular Korean historical zombie show KINGDOM, featuring the back story of a random character who only appeared in the last episode of season two. For the first half it's long-winded and a little dull, marred too by some dodgy CGI animals that filmmakers like including in their stuff these days (reminded me of THE WALKING DEAD a bit). The second half is more vibrant, with some nasty zombie action and a grisly revenge-themed climax. I found the main character entirely unappealing, but once this gets off the ground it's pretty interesting.

While waiting for the third season of "Kingdom," we were treated to this 2021 movie titled "Kingdom: Ashin-jeon" (aka "Kingdom: Ashin of the North").

And writer Eun-hee Kim definitely managed to fill in the gap here with brilliance and entertainment, because "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" definitely was up to par with the "Kingdom" series. So if you enjoyed the first two seasons of that series and find yourself waiting for season three, then I can warmly and strongly recommend that you sit down to watch "Kingdom: Ashin of the North".

"Kingdom: Ashin of the North" is sort of an origin story, and it definitely was an interesting and well-told one. So I was more than entertained by what director Seong-hun Kim delivered here.

Visually then "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" is as astounding as the "Kingdom" series, so you know what you are getting here. And there are some nice scenes with a deer and a tiger, which were quite good. Though, I feel that writer Eyn-hee Kim didn't really fully explore to its full contents.

"Kingdom: Ashin of the North" is entertaining from beginning to end, and you should certainly watch it if you have the chance.

My rating of "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

This special episode of 'Kingdom' can be looked on as a feature film prequel. It tell the story of Ashin and how the plant that turns people into ferocious zombies is first used. As a child Ashin lived in a frontier village. When members of a neighbouring tribe die while looking for wild ginseng in a forbidden area the authorities claim they were killed by a tiger and tell Ashin's father to relay that fact. He isn't believed. The village is attacked and Ashin is the sole survivor. She asks the local military commander too help her have her revenge. He allows her to stay in the base and she becomes more and more proficient in archery. She also finds a flower that writings on an old shrine says can bring people back from the dead... at a price. It is only a matter of time till she has her revenge.

I really enjoyed 'Kingdom' so watched this as soon as I became aware of it. I think this was just as good. It starts well and only gets better as it proceeds. The story is interesting, because it is a prequel it isn't necessary to have seen the series to enjoy. There plenty of action; this includes an exciting tiger hunt; Ashin dispatching various people with her bow and a zombie attack. It is all beautifully shot; the scenes in the forest are particularly good as the camera races between the trees. The special effects were great too. Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Shi-ah are great playing the older and younger Ashin respectively; the rest of the cast are really impressive as well. Overall I'd say this is a must see for fans of the series; fans of period far-eastern action and fans of zombie films... great stuff!

These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.