REVIEW 'Steelay' opens new era for AI feature films
A scene from movie "Steelay" / Courtesy of Laon Company Plus
Korea has entered a new cinematic frontier with the release of the science-fiction action movie "Steelay," which hit local theaters on Oct. 21.
The movie drew strong interest before its release as it applied artificial intelligence (AI) tools across the entire production process instead of relying on the technology for just a few specific scenes.
“Steelay” follows Yoon Kang, a young man who steps into a combat suit left by his father and teams up with the AI Ara to fight a virus and a rogue autonomous robot named AIRA.
As AIRA begins to treat humans as threats, the film mirrors contemporary real world discussions surrounding agentic AI and autonomous decision making systems where machines act without human command.
Running for 90 minutes, "Steelay" stands out as the longest Korean AI feature film to date, outpacing recent 60-minute AI movies like "I'm Popo" and "Man in Hanbok."
Produced by Laon Company Plus on a modest budget of under around 1 billion won ($750,000) within a compact six-month production period, the movie demonstrates how independent imagination can materialize on screen.
The movie still has noticeable AI visual elements and occasional awkward action movements compared to big budget films that remind audiences of the AI used. However, the production team kept the visual quality steady by picking the best scenes from roughly 13,000 discarded options, relying entirely on human decisions for the final cuts.
A scene from movie "Steelay" / Courtesy of Laon Company Plus
Although early AI video clips were treated mostly as internet memes, rapid technological advances now allow creators to deliver consistent visuals and natural facial expressions. "Steelay" reflects this rapid evolution, pushing the boundary of full time AI production by turning a technology experiment into a complete narrative film intended for commercial theaters.
Seeing a high-tech superhero suit against a distinctly Korean backdrop offers a fresh contrast, even though the visual language draws inspiration from Hollywood action blockbusters. The production company also brought in human voice actors for dubbing to eliminate the uncanny audio friction typically found in AI generated speech, proving that human intervention remains crucial in refining artificial creativity.
To bridge the gap, the filmmakers integrated precise lip syncing with professional dubbing, sound mixing and digital intermediate processes. Thanks to this detailed finishing work, the movie looks and sounds just as good as standard commercial movies.
A scene from movie "Steelay" / Courtesy of Laon Company Plus
Director Seol Woo-in, an actor who started using AI to direct films with "Code G," a collection of five short AI movies last year, emphasized that technology remains merely a tool. Speaking after the premiere of the movie in Seoul last month, she said telling a good story and moving people's hearts are still the most important elements in making a movie.
"While we made bold technical attempts, what ultimately matters to the audience is the characters, the story, the action and the emotion," Seol said.