Reviews

Today I watched a movie named You Are My Pet, the story of a man who becomes a woman's pet dog after she finds him in a box outside her home, but he's also a dance choreography master and does... ????? during the day.

Today was a strange day.

Guy looks bit too feminine I thought.

He tells her that, as his master, she can have him do anything, anywhere she pleases (she also confesses that she's lonely), and somehow this movie doesn't involve any kinks whatsoever for the whole runtime. Nothing, not even a small something? Criminal!

Some legitimately funny scenes and a pleasant dynamic between the duo almost salvage an ultimately cringy movie about a love triangle the kind of which we've seen everywhere that's also 20 minutes too long. Random but it was interesting to me how the woman was 10 years older than the man here. And it doesn't play into the plot at all. That's not something you see often, at least not in Western movies.

It's just so absurd for a premise that I just had to watch it.

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Oh hey she's undercover as a nun!

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> Mission: Operation Nun Sense

xD my sides

Quirky and effective South Korean comedy that I found way better than it had every right to be, thanks to the charming performance of lead Kim Seon-a and some surprisingly good action sequences for a movie in that genre.
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Stunts - 71/100

Narrative - 72/100 | It helps that I have a special (and biased) fondness for pretty much everything that happens in this movie: quirky lead performance, awkward high school setting, undercover high school setting, "forbidden" romantic undertones, good fight sequences…

Fight Choreography - 79/100 | You know, I wasn't expecting good fight scenes in a movie like this. The lead could certainly act the part of someone who could fight. Not too many cuts, decent stunts, good choreography, good flow… Some hits could have hit harder but thumbs up!

Enjoyment - 80/100 | I was never bored, not a single second throughout, and that says a lot since it's a 2 hour comedy movie (which usually bore me at some point). As usual with South Korean movies, expect some tonal whiplash near the end. However, I appreciated the melodramatic turn at the end, I thought it fit the moment and wasn't out of place.

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South Korea's Charlie's Angels

Okay don’t go in expecting a masterpiece, this is basically South Korea’s Charlies’ Angels… if they had yo-yo’s and stressball grenades. And if it was set in the 19th century. And starring a real-life kpop diva.

But for what it’s worth, I enjoyed this. It’s cheesy as hell but when you have 3 charming girls like this kicking ass flying on wires and swinging metal yo-yo’s around the place while delivering heavy-handed dialogue, I’m in awe as to how exactly a movie like this got made.
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Stunts - 58/100 | Lots of cutting around to hide the CGI and stunts of average quality.

Narrative - 65/100 | Okay I may be getting a little generous on this one. But I didn’t mind the cheesy storyline so yeah. 65 it is. I liked the gender-reversed situation at play here, with the rescue operation.

Fight Choreography - 64/100 | They’re using yo-yo’s to seriously hurt people. And swinging around like Spider-Man.

Enjoyment - 74/100 | I think this movie establishes really well that the lead Ha Ji-won is incredibly photogenic, that much is certain.

It was an energetic and fun movie with lots of silly moments and a trio who are basically the three female musketeers and I liked it. The main theme, which starts every time the three girls get into a fight, is also exactly as corny as you would imagine from the poster.

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Too slow

The nonsensical writing sinks this. Also the pacing, which is terrible with easily 25 mins of bloat, but I kind of expected that one. There seems to be this unwritten rule with Korean films where they need to clock in at around 2 hours even if they have nothing to show for it, not sure why. A shame because the actors were good and the story was compelling.

I know that they're supposed to be the same age in the movie, but in real life, Kim Ah-joong is 5 years older than Joo Woo, which I thought was interesting because you don't often see a casually older female lead like this. Well, as far as Hollywood movies are concerned.

I guess Korean films couldn't be further from them in that regard.

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Imagine a buddy spy movie, but female-led.

I headed into this because it looked funny, and I wasn’t wrong.
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Stunts - 64/100

Narrative - 62/100 | The main character was so good at looking clueless, it’s like it was second nature for her. Hilarious at times. I remember her from The Huntresses, quite a funny actress!

Fight Choreography - 49/100 | Jump cuts are the only way you can show a 100 lbs girl successfully taking on 4 guys in a fight. The fights are just… bad. Seen worse though.

Enjoyment - 68/100 | Somehow this movie kept me engaged. The main girls had great chemistry, the plot had a few surprises of its own, and it was funny enough. Definitely not boring, even though it was a tad too long as most standard fare South Korean flicks tend to be, since they aim for 2 hours even if it means forcing it.

Really loved Chae-ah's overly fierce attitude like she's about to brawl with anyone in sight all the time. Also, her seduction scene in the office... damn!!

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This is a movie very much of its time. The camera work, the editing, the type of storyline, the type of humor, they are all hallmarks of the period this movie comes from. It's filmed in a slice-of-life way (despite not being a slice-of-life story) with what another MyDramaList reviewer referred to as a series of vignettes that all connect together. I think that's an accurate summation and a good thing to know going in. There is an over-arching storyline with a beginning, middle, and end, but it doesn't feel quite the same as most mainstream movies today. This style of filmmaking isn't something that was done in all Korean movies made at the time, of course, but it was a somewhat common form of storytelling from what I can tell. Initially, I found it a bit confusing, but I got the hang of it about halfway through, and now that I've finished the movie, I think I like the directing/editing decision.

The one thing that really hampers this movie is some of the humor. The male lead is a rich, sexist, jerk in the beginning. This isn't a new trope, and it's not one that bothers me if the male lead grows as a person and sees the error of his previous behavior. But the way the filmmakers chose to portray him in the first half of the drama involved a number of inappropriate jokes/scenes that I found tasteless and unnecessary. For example, the male lead arrives for his new job and immediately a fantasy plays in his head of a bunch of teen girls (although the actresses look like they might be in their early 20's) coming out of classrooms and running past him in skimpy gym uniforms, all the while laughing and giggling with their long hair flowing behind them. I was not amused.

If you take out the crude jokes though, this movie does work surprisingly well. Like I said, it's filmed in a sort-of vignette sort of way that I came to enjoy, and the male lead actually becomes quite likable by the second half of the story. The catalyst for his character growth happens about halfway through. Something terrible happens to one of his students, and he really pulls through for her in a way you don't expect. From there, he continues to improve, and by the end, he's become a decent guy. The crude humor also goes away in the second half, for which I was very grateful.

I don't know that I will ever watch this movie again because of aforementioned crude humor, but it was funny when it wasn't crude.

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Pornography disguised as social commentary

A landscape photographer finds himself entangled in some nefarious forest business: what was meant to be a search for some rare local flower turns out to be a trip fraught with mysterious murders, crazed women, and sexy jungle fairies. When he finally uncovers the true nature of those he meets in the woods--animal poachers, unauthorized loggers, and murderous human traffickers--he is must choose what he deems more important: his safety or his morality.

"Virgin Forest" could have been a story about sexual exploitation, environmental politics, and the need for restorations; but instead the movie ends up spending most of its screen time on sultry forest spirits, scarcely-clad sex workers, and waterfall-themed orgies. Any attempt at meaningful social commentary is overshadowed by erotica, and I wish the director had committed to making this either a full-fledged porno or a proper art house film-- because this weird combination is just messy.

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Really disappointing

The Admiral is one of my favourite Korean flicks, so I was waiting for this since I saw it announced, a little over a year and a half ago!
Sadly, this failed to live up to both its predecessor and my own hype, as I often found myself checking how long was left, since the battle seemed to take forever to start!
Even worse: once the battle came about, it was a one-trick pony... which is all I'll say, as to not ruin it for others.

Yes, the cast is strong, the music is somewhat rousing and the effects are all decent, but the story failed to pull me into both the human elements and the strategic build-up (and massive anti-climax).

I rated this a 6 instead of the 5 I wanted to give it, because I probably judged it (slightly) too harshly, but I'm so disappointed now, I may even go back and watch, The Admiral again, just to brighten my mood.

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Ordinary and messy but fun

Feature debut of Cho Eun-ji, who has been making a name in the Korean film industry as an actress of films like “The Villainess” and “Concubine” since the beginning of the millennium, “Perhaps Love” is a romantic comedy that tries to stray away from the norms through a number of different ways and an intensely episodic approach.

Cho Eun-ji has a great comedic cast under her instructions, and she manages to make the most of them in that regard. Ryu Seung-ryong’s immaturity and awkwardness, Oh Na-ra’s frantic mood changes and short temper as Mi-ae, Kim Hee-won’s despair as Soon-mo and Sung Yoo-bin’s multileveled frustration as Seong-gyeong create an explosively funny mix that carries the movie for the most of its duration. In that fashion, the interactions of the many protagonists are hilarious to watch a number of times, with Cho including enough episodes to allow them to do so. Even Mu Jin-sung as Yoo-jin, who is the main “advocate” of drama here, has its funny moments, even if in a more subtle fashion, in an overall approach that both highlights and benefits from the chemistry of the cast. The fighting scene inside the apartment is a great testament to the fact.
Through this approach, Cho also manages to present her comments about love, parenthood, mentorship, creativity, all of which seem to showcase how difficult life can be both in professional and social terms. At the same time, though, the changes the protagonists undergo during the many events they experience and the way they change them induce the movie with a rather optimistic note, which works quite well here, particularly through the whole persona of Hyun.

What does not work though, is the number of episodes, and to the point, of characters, here, which prolong the movie to almost two hours, and become somewhat tiresome after a point, even if individually, they still make sense. Particularly close to the end, when elements of (melo) drama come to the fore, Cho seems to lose control of her narrative, resulting in a movie that could definitely have ended much sooner. This also dulls the effort of editor Kim Tae-gyong, who has implemented a rather fast pace in order for all the episodes to fit in, but could have trimmed the movie, particularly close to the end.

Kim Tae-soo’s cinematography is fittingly polished, with his framing being quite enjoyable on occasion (the fighting scene once more) without any particular exaltations.

Cho Eun-ji seems to have hit the reef of the first time directors, who frequently try to do as much as possible in the feature debut. However, the result is rather entertaining for the most part while she seems to have many interesting social comments to make, which deem the film hopeful.

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For Action lovers only

The story is what is just written in a synopsis, with an ample amount of action. So if you want a more deep story of character growth and bonding please just avoid watching this movie and bash it later.

It serves an audience who loves action, and we all know Jang Hyuk doing action sequences, killing the baddies, and firing guns as if in a war is a treat to watch. Not much for acting but he really put a lot of effort on action, as viewers we know that action requires more physical strength.

Since I like watching JangHyuk's works, this was an OK movie for me but I enjoyed it.

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Laugh-out-loud Funny

This is the funniest movie that I have seen in a while. The humor in Korean productions usually does not appeal to me, but this time I laughed from start to finish. Extreme Job is a worthy representative of its genre.

The story revolves around four disaster detectives and their chief, Go Sang Gi, who, despite having been in the force for twenty years, has still not been promoted to Captain. The squad is so notorious for their incompetence that other detectives are hesitant to entrust cases to them, so when Go Sang Gi's friend Chief Choi of the organized crime division asks him to take on an important case for him, Go and his four subordinates seize the opportunity to prove that they are capable and worthy of promotion. Going undercover as chicken men, though, they get more than they have been prepared for as their restaurant becomes incredibly successful.

This premise is great comedy material, and both the script and the actors deliver on it. There is not one weak performance in this movie. Everyone is hilarious. Of course, the five main actors stand out with their brilliant comedic timing and chemistry.
The story might not be unique, but it is so well-written that it entertains and even surprises. The high-quality production and the OSTs, which fit their scenes well, make watching it even more enjoyable.

Overall, if you are in the mood for a comedy, this movie is a great choice.

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A really mellow film, this story tells of our two leads who are quite unenthusiastic about life and find themselves drawn together through multiple interactions. They help each other feel a sense of belonging in the world, overcome loneliness, and inspire new experiences and new thoughts. For sure, they cared deeply for each other. But would I say they were romantically in love or meant for each other? No. Even their romance was really mellow and low-emotion. And I wouldn't attribute this to the actors, because the characters did bounce off of each other quite well. This was all in the characters. They didn't feel like they were IN love, if you know what I mean. And I think it was intentional - if you just look at the cinematography and dialogue.

Nonetheless, it was a pretty powerful story. The female lead, disabled and reclusive, finds solace from life in books. So much so, that she will tell the tales she's read as if she's actually lived them. Which, in her mind and with her imagination - i suppose you could say she did, in a way. This was definitely a comfort mechanism - given the fact that she hadn't been able to live and explore much in her life. And that's why some of the most powerful and memorable moments in the film were when she lived in the moment. When she realizes that she's living her own story right now. And she actively works to make them count and reminisce on them.

Other really powerful scenes are when the male lead introduces her to google maps so that she can explore the world, right at her fingertips. Not just from her imagination and words on the page, but in front of her eyes. I think this was also a form of therapy for him as well. He appears to feel trapped by circumstances and gives in readily with the whims of others for any sort of comfort. So helping the FL was very much helping himself in a way too.

This is, above all else, a slow-paced character-driven story focused on personal growth. These 3 components are the key factors in determining whether this film is for you or not.

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The world is not ruined by the truth

The King's Letters gave a fascinating glimpse into the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It was set in 1442 with King Sejong the Great determined to do something for his legacy as the sands were quickly running through the hourglass of his life and reign.

The Joseon court was largely ruled by ministers and scholars schooled in Confucianism and Chinese writing. They were not at all interested in developing easily learned phonetic letters for their language. Sejong wanted all of his people to learn to read and write which would have meant more competition and a threat to their power and positions.

King Sejong was not to be deterred. An envoy of Japanese monks arrived demanding the Tripitaka, the oldest collection of Buddhist scriptures written in Hanja on over 80,000 wooden blocks. A series of dots connected him, with some help from the Queen, to the Joseon Buddhist monk in charge of the Tripitaka. Sejong discovered the monks could chant, read and write in Sanskrit which was based on phonetic letters. His Eureka moment occurred after years of failed attempts to create an easy and useable alphabet. Promising the monks he would build a temple in the capitol if they would help him with the alphabet, an uneasy alliance was formed.

Much of the film covered the monks and king working through their language and breaking it down into a total of 28 consonants and vowels. Instead of memorizing thousands of characters, what they were developing would make it much easier to be literate. Sejong wanted the letters to be elegant and concise like geometry using only lines, dots, and “facets”. The major conflict of the story was keeping what they were doing from the Confucian court. Due to conflicts with the Buddhists during the Goryeo Dynasty, there were hard feelings on both sides. Most of the tension, however, dealt with the ailing king fearing he wouldn’t live long enough to not only create the letters but also to spread their use so that they would be protected and take root.

Spoiler alert! Of course, they succeeded as we all know. Sejong did end up giving the Confucians credit to try and gain their support. It took time for the “vulgar” or “women’s” script to be accepted. Thankfully, women and fiction writers used it as well as Buddhist monks which kept it alive until it took hold. In 1849, it was adopted as Korea’s national writing system. Even the Japanese during their occupation who outlawed it, couldn’t kill it.

The King’s Letters did tend to slow down and become repetitive in the latter part. I am enough of a documentary geek that this felt like an enjoyable one only dressed up and with excellent acting. Song Kang Ho (King Sejong) had great chemistry with both Park Hae Il (Monk Shin Mi) and the late Jeon Mi Seon (Queen So Hun). The cinematography, sets, and costumes were all lovely.

King Sejong was playing the long game, he wanted an educated people who would only make the country stronger and more enduring. His vision didn’t come to bear overnight or even in his lifetime, but he planted a seed that did take hold, blossomed, and bore fruit. Is still bearing fruit. A legacy of knowledge which can break down class lines and open communication is not such a bad legacy after all.

10/10/22

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More than Just a Comedy

What a fantastic movie! I was expecting a typical buddycop comedy, but it is so much more than this. This seemingly generic story brings attention to important social issues in such a masterful way that I cannot praise it enough. I hope that my review will give it at least some of the justice that it deserves.

Park Ki Joon and Kang Hee Yeol are two students of the Seoul Police Academy that could not be more different than they are. Ki Joon, Mr. Action, is hotheaded and way better at sports than at studying. Raised by his single mother, he comes from poverty and has decided to become a policeman because he cannot afford going elsewhere. Hee Yeol, Mr. Bookworm, is calm and excels at his studies. Unlike Ki Joon, he is well-off and has entered the Police Academy to stand out from his classmates, who have all gone to study science at prestigious universities.
Against all odds, the two become best friends and team up to solve a kidnapping case, overcoming obstacles such as indifferent policemen, bureaucracy, and their own lack of experience along the way.

Aside from entertaining the viewers with Ki Joon and Hee Yeol's bickering and mishaps, this story is a serious one. It reminds that the main objective of the police is to protect people and that excessive sticking to protocol clouds rational judgement and causes more suffering. Most importantly, it draws attention to human trafficking, one of the most difficult issues that our society faces today. Every minute one person gets trafficked, but few people talk about that. Please, check out the organization A21, whose goal is to abolish slavery everywhere. This a link to their website: https://www.a21.org/ You can educate yourself, donate, and even volunteer.

Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul deliver brilliant performances. They have great comedic timing and are a really funny duo. Notably, their fighting scenes are realistic. The two main characters do not take ten men with one blow. The bad guys are actually stronger or at least as strong as them. It is their genuine desire to save the victims that gives the students the strength to prevail over the criminals.

Overall, Midnight Runners is a gem. It is hilarious and feel-good and makes a strong statement about the duty of policemen and the meaning of being a good person. I think that everyone should give it a try. The final scene, the one after the credits, alone makes it a beautiful story.

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..FRIENDSHIP. . .EFFORT. . .VICTORY..

..the three important artifacts in the world of manga to exist..
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..I already done reading the manga, and well as expected, either they will change some part or still follow the original story but with selected part. . .no wonder at all..
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..still, I do enjoy the film, a sfx are so amazing to watch, putting so much creativity to entertain me..
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..and yes compare to manga, this film gives me more appreciation and fully understand the gambling to enter in manga industry - your career, social life, and even health may affected..
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..the whole film, I enjoy it a lot, the casts, the staffs, thank you for having this adaptation..

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