Superb acting, beautiful costuming, elaborate sets, and engrossing locations mark this powerful tale of the strained relationships that exist between all fathers and their sons.

Over a period of eight days, an 18th. century Korean king punishes his only son for attempted regicide. Flashbacks reveal the chain of events that led the son to rebel against his father while the women and courtiers who love them both struggle to deal with the growing conflict.

What works for The Throne is that the movie evinces a common family psychological dynamic that exists between almost all fathers and their sons, but the dynamic is amplified by the fact that the family in question is a royal family and the stakes are higher. As all fathers struggle to challenge and build their sons without breaking them and as all sons endeavor to prove themselves and earn their fathers' seemingly unattainable respect, The Throne shows us how severe that dynamic can be when the fate of an entire country is at stake.

There is something for everyone in The Throne as fathers and sons might learn something about the other side's feelings and motivations while other family members and friends can relate to the helpless frustration of watching their loved ones fight each other.

With all of that psychoanalysis stated, The Throne also delivers exceptionally well for viewers who enjoy lavish costume dramas about royal families and their courtiers and/or period pieces about Asian history and culture. In summary, The Throne is excellent story telling.

Any time Yoo Ah-In is in the film or series, he will reward viewers with his talent, and he always seems to be maturing as an artist. This film is one of SK's finest and one of the actor's best performances. It is also based on a true story that is painful to watch unfold as it does in "The Throne", perhaps too slowly, yet the closure is also beautiful.

This movie is about the events that lead up to the death of Korea's Crown Prince Sado in 1762. Costuming is ornate and beautiful with acting that was well suited to the characters. The script was decent and the story was in line with almost perfect historical accuracy. I liked everything about it but it seemed to be lacking a certain polish. It wasn't with the acting but something in the actual film quality. Aside from that this is a top notch film.