ACTING/CAST: It's literally an All-Star cast! All of the actors, and the one actress, were superb. You just can't get too much better than these people!
MUSIC: It was good for a show like this, certainly. That ending song is quite good, check the comment section for a link to it English Subbed.
REWATCH VALUE: I will watch it again down the road.
OVERALL: Absolutely fantastic and heartwarming movie about a very powerful subject (Kar?shi) and two guys just trying to save each other.
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This review may contain spoilers
A surprisingly wholesome movie
Coming it to think about it, I don't even know why I started this. It was just a whim of mood that I actually started this. I didn't know most of the cast (even if I had heard of them, I had never really watched any of their dramas or movies) and the plot seemed cliché and wasn't remotely tempting. But, now that I finished it, I totally don't regret starting it in the first place!Honestly, the story isn't anything new and one may come across tons of this kind of storylines in the dramaland, but you won't come across a movie with a better execution of such a storyline that this one. This movie has many of the most over used troups and tags in dramaland like 'first love', 'time skip', 'makeover', 'coming of age' etc. It even has a love square, but it's not frustrating at all! In fact, they make your heart flutter as these helps the leads to come closer to eachother and recognise their love for each other. The way in which Truly and Tsu Tai Yu fell for eachother without even realising it, and when they finially realised it everything was too late... I really loved such cliché parts of the plot! But, had this been a 20+ episode drama, it might have ruined everything. The pace of the story was perfect to evoke a kind of nostalgia in the audience. The story is extremely simple yet so good and this is one of the plus points of this movie!
As I said before, I was unfamiliar with the cast of the drama. The only person I had heard of was Darren Wang and I had watched Jerry Yan's Meteor Garden. That was all.
I rarely get impressed with actings in movies since they are short and don't explore wide varieties of emotions of the actors and actresses. Now, after watching this movies, I'm really tempted to watch other workes of Darren Wang and Vivan Sung! They were truly awesome here! Darren was amazing portraying the bad boy Tsu Tai Yu and Vivan Sung in portraying the clumsy Truy. There were rooms for improvement for Dino Lee and Dewi Chein, but the over all performance form the whole cast was great. Even if Joe Chen and Jerry Yan were just cameo of the adult version of Truly and Tai Yu, I could feel their dynamics with eachother in the last scenes. I really wish it were longer!
Music was great and apt for the scenes. The rewatch value's fairly high too, compared to the ones I have given to other movies.
I don't usually rate dramas or movies 9.5, let alone a movie with a cliché plot. But this somehow is an exception. I can't even explain why I rated in 9.5! It's just my mind and heart telling me to do it even if the brain's not.
Overall, this is a surprisingly wholesome movie with a roller coaster of emotions portrayed It's a highly recommended movie
if you are someone who is past his/her school life for this movie, I believe, would take you back to your childhood days, when you were crushing on a hansome popular boy.
P.S. Don't mind any typos. I tend to have many of them.
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The casting for this movie was perfect. Kang Ha Neul and Park Seo Joon just work SO WELL together. As reluctant police academy students, they were the best of bros and I was 100% here for it. Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's brain-brawn dynamic made for a wild ride, and I can't think of anyone else that would have delivered like these two did. They played off of each other, and after hearing that they ad-libbed quite a bit during the movie I was sold -- that friendship did not seem like acting at all. The bromance was so strong in this.
Midnight Runners was a great example of what a buddy-cop movie should be (though if you want a super serious police procedural, this isn't it). It balanced Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's light, easygoing antics with the gross (and tbh, kind of scary) villains. Also, it was INFURIATING, and I do mean infuriating at one part. I mean, ignoring a very real, serious issue just because protocol had to be followed?? I was about to tear my hair out. It was so, so frustrating.
Midnight Runners' only issue is that the action doesn't really pick up until around the second half of the movie. The beginning is more of a buildup of Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's dynamic, which I'm not complaining about, but the actual conflict doesn't really begin until about an hour into the movie.
Overall, Midnight Runners was a solid film. It's not anything heavy, and I can definitely think of worse ways to spend 1hr 50min. Even if cop movies aren't really your thing, the bromance and the way the two leads build off of each other is worth watching.
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So basically I loved everything about it - The story, the characters, the acting, the ending.
The only thing that annoyed me a little were Shinya's hair and really, that wasn't tragic. ;)
I loved how it switched between friendship and love and how important the relationships between the characters were. I loved Shinya's narrating, too (he does have a great voice) and the overall dreamy feeling this movie had.
I'm surprised it's not popular. Go watch it.
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The story is great, you really have no way of imagining what's gonna happen next, but I won't anything more about it because otherwise I'd spoil it for those who haven't watched it yet.
The acting really blows my mind, I've always loved Tamaki, ever since I saw Nodame Cantabile, and he always plays his part perfectly wether it be here, in Nodame, in Love Shuffle or any of his other dramas and movies. The female lead, whose name I can't remember right now, also plays her part perfectly, her more than anybody because her role was really hard to play. I hate her in real life because she's one of Japan's biggest divas, in the BAD sense of the word, and that's why admire her even more in this movie-because I love her character.
The music always goes according to the scene, it makes you feel what the characters are feeling.
I've watched this movie several times with different people, and every time I watch it again I discover something new.
Overall this is one of the greatest japanese movies that I've ever seen because unlike must jap movies this one actually makes me feel something, this one gets to the heart instead of being overvdepressing, I recommend it for anyone who likes memorable love stories.
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In the first half, the KMovie is actually a one-man show. And that, I think, is the strongest part
"#Alive" is a variety on hip zombie stories. First things first: it doesn't have much new to offer in this respect - zombies as a plague that spreads fear and terror, a horde that you want to shake off or destroy, like disgusting, annoying vermin. Well, that's not why I would recommend this KMovie.I also don't think that you have to overstrain the reference to the Covid pandemic and the sometimes grueling current lockdown experiences that come with it.
Even fans of the horror genre won't be really happy with "#Alive", because "horrifying" can surely be done even better.
So why am I mentioning the KMovie here? The script revolves around surviving in an almost hopeless situation. However, the focus is not mainly on the action, but rather on the quiet moments in which the protagonist is ruthlessly thrown back on himself. There he is alone with himself and his inability, facing his insufficient survival skills, his loneliness and hopelessness ... and finally the desire to leave this world.
Oh Joon-woo isn't a born hero - perhaps he was trying to be in the day-long, night-long computer games, with his joystick in hand. But then the Internet connection is gone, no water supply, no food, no one can be reached. The self-chosen isolation in his room with his virtual game world, which has shaped him to this day, is one thing. Real isolation with real threats and no virtual team is something completely different. It's about that juxtaposition and the painful process of waking up to a NOW that's so different from the gaming world. Ultimately, the impulse comes from outside, which helps him to venture out of his safe cocoon into the real and thus truely threatening world.
However, the movie isn´t anti-technology. On the contrary, in playful creativity technical gimmicks, old and new, give the story new impetus again and again.
In the first half, the KMovie is actually a one-man show. And that, I think, is the strongest part. It's never boring. Actor Yoo Ah-in once again uses the chance to show what he's made of. In this way, the viewers accompany him through his very personal Hall of Pain, and there he hardly omits any physical form of expression. For this he has meanwhile been awarded the Cine 21 Award for best actor. After almost half the distance he gets support from Park Shin-hye, who embodies a character who pursues a completely different survival strategy - namely, she has one, even if she also reaches her limits with it. As is well known, more than one person form a group and a group develops its own dynamics, which can do more than each individual on their own. Here too. Both of them grow together. Heroes are rarely born as such...
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When a young trouble maker -whose parents pretty much run away from home because they cannot stand his bad behavior- finds a baby in his basket, he has to face the realities and hardships of becoming a single parent, with no support, while going to school.
This story made me laugh and cry. It's very cute, light, but not TOO fluffy. This was a very enjoyable movie. The baby is absolutely cute. My newly found love for Jan Jeung Suk continues. He is REALLY pretty to look at. I'm not going to tell you that this is the greatest movie out there, but it was extremely enjoyable from beginning to end. I was not bored at any point of the story and was touched by it. Highly recommend.
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This review may contain spoilers
what happened?
how do you ruin a good romcom movie? by attempting to crush viewers' hearts with an unexplained twist.the start was strong and had a good buildup to the chemistry between bora and woonho. with a decent cast, on point aesthetics and amazing sismance, i was ultimately hooked at first. the romantic scenes had me yelling to the void at how i wish i could revoke my 'i'm single' card. even though the camera was a bit shaky in some scenes, i was able to push through and say, "this is definitely a 9. without a doubt"
but..... the ending....
the thing is i have no problem if they made this a hundred times more angsty and make a main character's death more tragic than my whole life is right now. i'm into that shit. the PROBLEM is how the movie felt like a half-baked lasagna. it didn't even feel like an open ending. we just know "oh, they're dead" that's it.
cause of death: unknown? does hyunjin know? what happened?
instead of me crying over this character i once loved, i'm clouded with curiosity. the ending took away my attachment to how sad the death of this character is. in my opinion, there could've been a better way to end this movie without leaving the viewers with a question mark on their head.
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Filming standard à la Hollywood meets melodramatic narrative, emotionally firmly rooted in SK soil
“The Moon” could have easily been titled “The Dark Side of the Moon”. At least we as audience learn quite something about it... But it's actually about much more. The KMovie is delivering action within the high-tech world of space travel. On top of that it is touching, thought-provoking and thus gnawing at fundamental, existential and political questions, too. We get a remarkably balanced production between ´international´ filming standards à la Hollywood and a melodramatic narrative with its emotional roots firmly planted in South Korean soil. So eventually, this lunar expedition is neither/nor, as this KMovie offers something in between. For hard-core fans of Hollywood blockbusters it might be offering too much melodrama. For the hard-core KMovie fan it might not be enough. Well, I simply enjoyed it as the lunar expedition as it is.The focus is on the ambitious national program that South Korea has recently set up in terms of space research (you may check side note below). With its technological innovations, South Korea is starting to present itself as an increasingly self-confident G7 space power. That is where this story is coming from. And it is against this background that the particularly high level of filmmaking effort must be seen, by which the experience of space is brought almost hyper-real within the audience's grasp.
The special ambience is staged first-class thanks to the applied highly developed audiovisual filming technology and expertise. Seemingly, the production team has spared no effort or expense - with 3D rig camera recordings, premium HDR video technology, Dolby Cinema technology (for the first time in a KMovie), innovative spatial audio technology and sophisticated rendering processes for the finest color nuances. The demand was for high-end cinema quality. And it is surely impressive. Everything in this distant, highly technological, alien world, far way within the orbit of the moon, comes as close to the audience as it can get.
Despite the enormous spatial distance, dense emotional intensity is provided, even though the protagonists are located so far away from each other. This delicate emotional bridging, requiring high-end performance skills, has been the big challenge on the actors´ side. In addition to the proven, first-class veterans Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae on the ground at the rather clinically clean setting with high-tech computers and screens of both Aerospace Centres Naro and NASA, especially Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) offered magnificent top performance as an astronaut lost in space. Mainly those three create and maintain an impressively emotional density (in addition to the overall action).
The plot of "The Moon" revolves around South Korea´s international profile as capable space power, while the eyes of the world are set on their (fictive) second trial of a manned lunar mission. Whereas unfortunately it didn't work out the first time... It's also about politics and tons of money. And in the end, it's all about survival... or rather, whether a human's life in the face of groundbreaking missions for humankind is worth ignoring chains of command, nationalities and costs.
Breathless action on unusual terrain. Intense scenes in an isolated space capsule 380,000 km away from earth, surrounded by darkness and severe cold. Desperate helplessness. The struggle for the 'right' decision – what´s actually the measure of what is right? Maybe ultimately just what I can live with in the end?
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SIDE NOTE: --- KSpace ---
Korean movie oder drama productions set in space have so far been few, and for good reason. The KMovie “The Moon” from 2023 as well as i.e. the KDramas “The Silent Sea” (from 2021) and “Ask the Stars” (planned for 2023) are, so to speak, a start. They reflect current (or better: hoped for further) developments regarding KSpace.
After rather unsuccessful endeavors at the beginning of the new millennium, South Korea as the 13th country to have its own space center by now, is increasingly well positioned in the KSpace segment. 2021 was marking the first attempt to launch their own test satellites into the orbit by their launch vehicle Nuri, which had been developed over the past ten years. Yet it failed. Nevertheless, in 2022 and 2023 it succeeded at last. Three more Nuri launch vehicles are already scheduled to be launched into orbit by 2027. According to the plans of the country and the Korea Aerospace Research Institut (KARI) at Naro space center, South Korean spacecraft will be collecting data on the moon in 2032 already. Additionally, the country has Mars scheduled for 2045.
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Being a fan of Miike’s filmmaking, it was unavoidable to miss the highlighted foolish characterization, extreme violence and hilarious black humour inserted everywhere. That being said, I never expected Toyoda to do the same. After all, two different directors have entirely dissimilar way of making their pictures. Crows Explode leaned to the realistic side way too much which was a bit wrong in my opinion; don’t get the wrong idea, immersing the characters and fighting scenes in realism didn’t sound like a bad treat but when it’s over-done with this type of film then things are bound to become bothersome.
To make things clear, this film had too many similarities with its famed prequels. The fight to become Suzuran’s top leader was still used as the main thread to drive the plot. However, the fighting sequences to reach that objective were surprisingly demure and repetitive in a worrisome way. Although Toyoda tried to focus on the human emotions between his characters, he didn’t exploit his main leads’ potential to the fullest. Thus, many feelings couldn’t get pass the screen barrier to reach the watcher’s heart.
Crows Explode narrative pattern was composed of several side stories that didn’t serve any meaning at times. At the matter of fact, few of them were just used to fill the running time instead of building characters’ back stories. To some extent, most of them were heavy to watch especially with the obvious lack of fighting scenes; they became utterly irrelevant to the film’s development. Let’s not forget the near-disappearance of black humour – which I clearly don’t blame Toyoda for it. The last fighting sequence wasn’t blowing but it delivered a nice punch after all.
The entirely different cast is worrisome, isn’t it? I know that many people can’t imagine the “Crows” without Oguri Shun and Yamada Takayuki on top of them. I am a big fan of those two actors myself but shockingly, their disappearance didn’t make me feel bad. I did want them to be in here but the new faces weren’t bad at all. Led by raising stars like Higashide and Yagira, the acting department did the trick for the lack of better words. Some actors didn’t convince me much but I can’t put all the blame on them, the way their characters’ were written didn’t allow them to show a wide range of emotions or action.
The cinematography was trying to be the same as the two Crows Zero but it didn’t come out that way, I believe the yellowish atmosphere is the film’s way of distinguishing itself from the others. The musical note was the same so there's nothing to complain about in that department. The directing style and the setting of fighting sequences are debatable but Toyoda made sure to leave his mark which is more than enough to respect a director.
Watch if:
-You like both Crows Zero but make sure to watch this with an open mind.
-You like school fighting.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for a “copy-paste” version of Takashi Miike’s prequels.
Crows Explode had its own touch of filmmaking but the serious realistic depiction that Toyoda decided to use didn’t come out entirely right, just like it wasn’t entirely wrong. Due to its entirely different pattern, this sequel should be viewed for its own merits, comparing it to Miike’s Crows will only make it harder to watch and judge.
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The plot starts off very slow and realistic but has plot twists within the middle of the movie. After that happens, the plot picks up and that's what makes you more interested in what will happen next.
As for the soundtrack/OST, not the most memorable. It just was okay. The acting on another note was beautiful. I love Choi Woo Shik, Kim Dami, and Go Min Si in this movie. I really think the cast was well picked and the actors did an amazing job with the acting and portraying each of their characters.
I would rewatch this movie if I wanted to, and I am really hoping and excited if there is a PART 2 to this movie.
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So I rated this movie so high because I really wasn't expecting to like it, but by the end I was bawling like a baby, and any film that can do that is a good one in my books.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mankind's greed has no limits....
I've been anticipating this movie, for quite a while now and I have to say the wait was worth it.If you're one to get easily emotional, then get ready to grab your tissue box, because BoGum's doe eyes will make you cry and feel for his character, Seobok, who amid everything was still innocent and yet treated so unkindly by humans, through all his life. To never know kindness, love or trust, and see himself as nothing but a specimen with a purpose.
It truly depicts the lack of humanity when it comes to study and use animals for such, also the greed of those who fear death while seeking for a way to prolong their petty lives.
"It scare me to think of dying, but living forever is scary too."
Kiheon and Seobok both share something in common here, they both fear the unknown that lies in dying, and yet they are also afraid of living.
"What should I believe to not be scared?"
The symbolic value and moral grounds this movie works with are deeper than one can assume, and mainly questioned by the two main characters, along their journey, were their fears and doubts are exposed.
"Do you think dying... is really like sleeping?"
"Maybe."
"Then how come people aren't afraid to fall asleep? It's like dying for a while."
For some it might be the typical collaboration between Korean/American plot with the whole experiment and survival, however it's GongYoo and BoGum's acting that takes the prize.
Special effects too in a way when it comes to production.
The OST is nothing out of the ordinary for me, although quite right into the emotional scenes.
Not going to lie, it's quite an emotional ride.
The message in plot is more than it seems.
Its all about acceptance and resilience.
And knowing what's wrong and right.
"It's beautiful."
"What is?"
"To be alive."
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The story is good , the cast was nice and the music was beautiful. I thought it would've been much better if they replaced plastic surgery with a normal weight loss but either ways I enjoyed it till the very last end.
It was short, cute and most of all entertaining without any blank moments.
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Ok, first off, there has been a TON, and I mean a whole lot of bad ratings/reviews for this movie. Because of this, I can honestly say I was very hesitant to watch this movie, judging from the reviews. But... I still watched it so I could judge for myself :)
So to start, it's not like the bad ratings didn't have a point. Let me make this a little clearer for you guys. The movie was not HORRIBLE, per se, but if you're one of those people who enjoy romantic, action/adventure, melodramatic genres which evoke those deep feelings inside of you, this movie is definitely NOT for you. It is a light-hearted movie with no real "deep" meaning behind it. So if you're one of those people who enjoy watching comedic movies, this MIGHT be the movie for you (and let's face it, there's definitely some crime and a little action mixed up in there somewhere too). Continue reading if you want to know more ;)
Story: I can sum my feelings up in one word: Meh. It's not like the storyline was a BAD idea, but I felt it was the kind of plot which would have been amazing had it started off a 20+ episode drama. However, being made into a movie, the plot didn't reach it's full potential and therefore was a little repetitive (let me just say that he didn't get kidnapped just once, nor did he try to escape just once- and that was in a hour and half movie). And yes, the storyline sped by WAY too fast, and it left me blankly staring at the screen for a solid 15 minutes just to figure out if I had the facts right.
Acting/Cast: No complaints here. The acting was quite good, it didn't seem superficial at all (except when purposely made to look superficial), and I enjoyed watching them. Let's face it. Jae Joong might be some very sweet eye candy, but his acting didn't lack at all. Also, Ji Hyo did a very good job with her two-sided character. All the other minor characters also did an amazing job, making me crack a smile here or there.
Music: Honestly, I don't even remember hearing any music in the movie. It's one of those movies which don't really need music to get the point across, or to evoke feeling from the watchers. But since I didn't cringe because of completely mismatched, horrible sounding "music", I gave it a 7.
Rewatch Value: I'm quite surprised at myself wanting to watch it again. It's the first time I've ever even thought of rewatching a movie right after I finished watching it. Reasons? It's short, funny (some people may disagree), and well, why not?
Overall: It might not be as funny as some other dramas/movies I watched, but I don't regret watching it. In fact, if you're thinking of watching this right now, I suggest you do it with a couple of your drama lover friends, with a bowl of popcorn with you and a comfortable place to sit and enjoy. It didn't make me laugh as in tears-streaking-down-my-face-rolling-on-the-floor-OHSHOOTCRAMPS, but there were many times when I smiled and chuckled a bit. And let's face it. Most of the time, I was just smiling at Jae Joong and his adorable character ^^
P.S. If you're a fan of Jae Joong, I just want to tell you that he is so hot in this movie, that you'll find yourself wanting to open a window. JS.
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