girl revenge
Way too generic. Girl's mom gets killed, then she wants revenge. It's a TV movie (split into 3 episodes) so it feels fairly cheap when watching, mostly because of the sound mixing._________________________________________
Stunts - 65/100 | Han Groo doesn't have what it takes to be an action star. She does try and she can take hits though, I'll give her that.
Narrative - 40/100 | Cheap writing will always remain cheap writing.
Fight Choreography - 66/100 | There was an attempt. Just about decent, if I'm being generous.
Enjoyment - 30/100 | C-tier knockoff drama of La Femme Nikita. Only for genre completionists.
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Ballerina is a perfectly adequate female-led South Korean actioner.
Korean revenge. Another one. I'm this close to making a list!_________________________________________
Stunts - 79/100 | Some fine stunts in there, but the actual award here would go to the sound editing in this movie, which was really on-point.
Narrative - 71/100 | It's pointless to try and reinvent the wheel in the revenge genre. Martial arts movie lovers want their martial arts movies to end in a fight scene. Revenge movie lovers want their movies to be about revenge and to end in revenge. That's just how it is. In this one, we've got both, but the movie didn't excel at either.
Fight Choreography - 70/100 | The ending fight scene, although a bit brief, was delightfully chaotic. The rest was messy but still managed to be decent. This is an example of how you can still have good (but definitely not great) fight scenes even if they're over-edited. We can follow what's going on through the cuts.
Enjoyment - 70/100 | If my job as a Producer was to hire a director to make a Korean revenge story that's representative of the genre as a whole with decent action and visuals and a story that's engaging enough, I'd hope and hopefully expect to receive about this in terms of end product. And I'd be fine with it and consider it a job well done and money well spent.
So, basically, thumbs up
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Classic for a reason
This is such a massive underhanded criticism of homophobia that uses heteronormativity to make its point, I love it.Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun-hye. They're so cute! No wonder the former became such a big star in Korea.
The secondary leads are the main reason why I can't give this a perfect score. The character played by Lee Sun-kyun (RIP…) was annoying and the actor didn't do a very good job in my opinion. He was over-acting his scenes and he never came across as believable to me. That was one of his first roles though, as he would go on to have much better roles in the future, namely in Parasite.
However, the others did a good job.
I love it when people mistakenly answer the phone with something other than the phone itself. This time, it's a toy cube. If I remember correctly, the other times I've seen this so far are in Dreaming the Reality (1991) (Sibelle Hu answers a Coca-Cola can) and The Stunt Woman (1996) (Michelle Yeoh answers a brush). These are the only other such instances I can recall right now. Fun gag.
It's strange because, although the writing is a bit forced, contrived and overly dramatic sometimes, I would still praise the writing in this show, mainly because they managed to make realistic, believable characters that feel human and unique. They all have quirks that make them endearing, even if sometimes the story forces them to act in a certain way. It's an odd dichotomy but it is what it is. Imperfect writing can still manage to be absolutely great when it sets its aims high enough.
If you're trying to flee the soap-opera cliché nature of kdrama (especially the OST, this one is refreshingly silent in all the dramatic moments), then this should be your next destination.
I'm not queer and/or LGBTQ+ so it's hard for me to say whether it's good representation.
But it's a killer gender-bender story for sure. Hella hard to beat on that front.
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Different kind of drama - fast and unpredictable
Starts off nauseating for a few minutes but then settles down quite nicely into a comfortable position.So what does it take to become a celebrity when you've got nothing? Apparently: Instagram, lots of luck, and being hella pretty.
This kdrama puts forward very actual problems and stakes today in 2023, some even coming up as a complete surprise. This series has great plot twists for sure, hard to predict!
The lead mainly acts with her eyes, it's rather interesting. Definitely a change of pace, as generally kdrama stars are all about outward expressiveness, so might not be everyone's cup of tea on that front since she's more reserved.
Unfortunately as exciting and engaging as this drama is, it still has its share of problems, most notably main story events that just plain make no sense. Some characters are tropes on legs while others… subvert those tropes really well? Just uneven all around.
But I'd be lying if I said this show didn't hold my attention from the first episode to the last. It doesn't devolve into excessive melodrama, it's actually fairly tightly paced and well acted. I could have used a couple more episodes to flesh things out which is something I rarely say with kdrama.
But the writing… damn, so contrived. In all, I'd say it's pretty good, but be ready to nod a few times like "ooooookay…?"
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This review may contain spoilers
Classic lovers in opposite camp story done right
imagine wanting to kill yourself in Switzerland but then years later when you actually want to live you're stuck in... North KoreaLmao
Now, this drama isn't perfect, but this is the couple to end all couples. If you didn't believe in the power of love, this drama will rectify that. Their love was so deep and absolute it transcended enemy country borders and could conquer any adversity, and even... break the fourth wall, as apparently being together on-screen wasn't enough for them! Their chemistry was too good.
And so Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin got married afterwards in real life too. Makes the whole thing even more wholesome and heartwarming.
Life goals.
This is an emotionally stirring drama. Very earnest.
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Awesome premise, could have been done better
You know, the premise for this drama would make for an absolutely riveting, nerve-wracking, and captivating horror story. The potential is immense!What would you do if you found out that you were a useless side character in a comic book, and that you're basically destined to die soon and that your actions are determined by the writer? Moreover, whatever you do and tell people when you're in control, they won't remember it in the next scene. Unless they're special like you... which is rare
The grim implications of being forced to play out scenes against your will, while still fully and actually living through those scenes, are kept to mainly surface-level quirks and drama in this story. But in the hands of someone else this could have easily gone… uh, sideways.
Like a character who has to walk toward her own drowning scene, and drown right there, knowing full well what's happening, despite not wanting to. It would be a real horror show!
But since this is a kdrama obviously the romance drama aspects are dialed up to eleven while the rest rests on the sidelines. But I had a good time because of the quality of the premise. The story-within-a-story opens up all kinds of potential plot points although sadly, a lot of genuinely intriguing ones are left unexplored. I also enjoyed the style of the cuts (imitating a story jumping all over the place while you read). They were often unpredictable as sometimes characters are suddenly and abruptly transported to new scenes, even mid-sentence!
As much as they poke fun at kdrama clichés, they also equally indulge in them which I found comical. Pacing was also meh as there are some redundant scenes clearly there just to pad the runtime.
The ending was also lacking a bit, we definitely needed more closure.
All in all, had huge potential, but has to settle for "pretty good".
You can add it to the pile of "kdrama with awesome early episodes that can't sustain that level of quality".
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I really liked it overall but the ending felt rushed a bit.
Aside from a major oversight in the fifth episode, this is the best-written kdrama I've watched so far. As in, things make sense, characters don't do stupid, out of character things, and there aren't really annoying tropes overstaying their welcome.I have to commend this show for relentlessly going for so many "hiding in plain sight" scenes, even when they're not done all that well (look, not just about anyone can do it like Tsui Hark). But I love them so much, any excuse to include them is a good excuse in my book.
Mostly because of this, the first couple of episodes are seriously laugh-out-loud hilarious.
I really liked it overall but the ending felt rushed a bit.
The Netflix subs were wonderful, far better than what I am used to with Korean/Chinese content (Credits to a certain Su-In Choi apparently). It's not easy to contextualize humor in different languages and I was so glad to "get" some jokes that I definitely wouldn't have gotten with lesser quality subtitles (so, around 95% of the subs I get).
And finally, lead actress Kim Se-jeong's performance was easily the highlight of this show. From her mastery of subtle facial cues to inflated emotional deliveries, she was outstanding.
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A story about healing
"Hurt people hurt people"Quite the insightful observation by the lead. Couldn't have summed up the cycle of violence better.
I wish the FL played more violin overall. The music takes too much of a backseat in the story for something that's so important to her.
This is well written. Character motivations make sense, they don't make dumb decisions, they talk to each other to get through their problems, surprising things happen, music fits, it works. However the plot is a bit stretched out, and some things fall into place too easily.
The side characters became grating to me near the end, especially the nephew who was a bit ridiculous. His constant massive grin became annoying after a while. He's just too much. And he can't say "Don't think, feel!" properly to save his life (his motto, as said by Bruce Lee).
But if you're up for a slowburn heartwarming story then this is one I'd recommend. It's very sweet!
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Watch this if you need a heart massage
This show is a warm embrace. Watching this is like entering a snug sleeping bag. It's just so cozy, and aside from a brief rough patch, the central relationship is so wholesome. Male lead gets some genuinely great character development. It's quite consistent in its quality too.I like how important the side characters were, and remained. They don't get unceremoniously sidelined in favor of the leads like so many other shows. They stayed very relevant throughout.
I'm a bit baffled seeing that this kdrama was such a massive commercial failure back when it came out. We're talking disastrous ratings here—last in its time slot, not even ranked on Nielsen ratings so low it was—which is strange because on the technical side it's a lot more interesting than most of them. The CGI was surprisingly good too for network TV. I think it has to do with the way it was released. It's a great binge watch but I'm not convinced it's structured in a way that could sustain the attention of people watching on a weekly basis because nothing much happens. It's good fluff, but just fluff ultimately.
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It's like Ocean's Eleven cranked up to… well, eleven (...I'll see myself out)
The double-crossing in this movie is something. They live and breathe to one-up each other.
Why is it so Kim Soo-hyun is so expressive here? I dare say he steals the show for a while. What went wrong in the year between this and My Love From Another Star? (He was easily the worst part of that). Who told him that playing an expressionless/emotionless lead was the way to go? His agency? The director? Himself? Not sure. I think it was a terrible idea. However, seeing as he is today's best paid actor in Korea I'm probably wrong. Still think it was a terrible idea lmao
I enjoyed the stacked cast and the way they weaved Hong Kong into the storyline, including the addition of the likes of Simon Yam. The action is filmed well (though the bad guys' clips seemingly have hundreds of bullets in them at a bare minimum), the twists and turns keep on coming, the actors are hella charismatic, the thrills are served one after the other… Entertaining for sure.
But it was missing a little something for me. I guess things fell into place a little bit too much? One convenient occurrence too many I'd say.
_________________________________________
Stunts - 84/100 | Some good stunts sprinkled throughout since we're dealing with heist stuff.
Narrative - 68/100 | Many years ago, being a Westerner, I used to not be able to distinguish between asian languages like Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, etc. Not anymore so now it was really fun to see them switching languages between all 4 constantly and being able to follow who could understand who in the story, because that's kind of important in this case.
Fight Choreography | No fights.
Enjoyment - 72/100 | Still fun and exciting. I'd put it about on par with Ocean's Eleven overall, quality-wise. Recommended if you like that kind of movie.
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Bong Joon-ho channeling a stronger Tsui Hark than all imitators (and some dare say, even the master himself) in an extended "Hide N Seek" sequence the kind of which I always love to death, featuring the most likeable scumbag family on the planet.
Song Kang-ho, again. Everyone's a natural. They ease into this role so effortlessly I'm guessing it's making a slew of actors jealous right now. I'm so glad a Korean movie performed so well with American critics, it brings more people to the light side!
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Fade to Black version
I recognize this movie’s faults but it left such a strong impression on me that I had to rewatch it the next day before writing this review. I highly recommend watching it a second time if you’re feeling lukewarm after a first watch.Hits the right notes for me with the dark humor, deliberate pace, mesmerizing, chilling yet oddly engaging lead performance, personal stakes, and splendid editing through multiple time periods. A second viewing brings to light a lot of hidden details in the early parts of the movie that only matter later, details which you can easily miss the first time around.
I’m seeing these revenge films all out of order but I don’t think it really matters. It’s mostly a fabricated trilogy anyway.
I really like intelligent but damaged characters with a plan, an infallible one perhaps, who are dead set on a mission backed by well defined motivations. I also like how this movie doesn’t glorify violence, and also doesn’t carry a big reveal or anything of the sort.
I think from a technical and stylistic standpoint this is quite similar to Oldboy, but this one worked much better on a personal level for me. The two movies are interestingly similar in a way: in Oldboy, we follow the protagonist against the backdrop of a villain with a vicious plan years in the making. In this movie, it’s flipped around on its head — we follow the protagonist with a vicious plan years in the making. I much prefer this iteration.
Regardless, I need to rewatch Oldboy before I make a final stand on this. I can easily see this movie going up another notch on rewatch a few years down the line.
The way I see it is… this movie is quite simply a striking work of art.
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We are all powerless in the face of senseless evil acts
I’m… oh man this thing is harsh.Not gonna lie, this movie wasn’t really having me in the first half. It was interesting but I wasn’t too into it.
But, like clockwork, as soon as a Park Chan-wook movie (or any movie, really) begins focusing on Song Kang-oh, it’s like magic happens.
This one is quite sadistic. I’d say so far that it’s this director’s most repulsive movie overall, even felt more genuinely gratuitous than Oldboy to me. As usual the script is well-rounded, the pacing deliberate so we can get really into the characters’ messy heads, and the violence often sudden and brutal. I like the twist with the title, a really nice touch.
But what was lacking to me in this movie compared to his other work was the feeling of going on a journey with the characters. I felt detached a bit, like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. I get that the blind man is dense but why is he so? I didn’t get a good sense of that. While Park Chan-wook’s style was much more pronounced in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, this felt less distinguished to me. Slightly.
Sounds from my review so far like this movie is not so good but I thought it was great, and I respect it in a weird way, especially from the half-point and onwards. It’s brilliant and unique in a way and Song Kang-oh’s acting was exceptional. The dramatic irony in this movie is off the charts. It stays with you.
I'm thoroughly impressed with this director.
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Masterpiece
What is it with Park Chan-wook that makes him so talented?The guy clearly understands how to write and frame broken characters in a sympathetic way. It’s a delicate balance to be honest. If my appreciation of his movies are any indication, I should be thirsting for movies with broken characters as leads but... I’m not. In fact, I prefer flawed but ultimately good characters in general, not genuinely broken ones. But he just forces it on you, continuously, then makes it work so well it’s baffling to me. And heart-breaking.
He did it with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Oldboy, and he did it again with what I consider his masterpiece, Thirst, a sort of Psychological/Horror/Romantic thriller. A movie about damn vampires of all things! I usually don’t like vampires, or vampire movies. Well, except this one. To say it’s merely a vampire movie would be doing it quite the disservice though. Also, The Handmaiden remains his most erotic movie overall but this is definitely the runner-up on that front.
It’s a movie about abuse, physical and psychological. Return to the primal. And about religion, and faith, and giving back. But strangely enough, there is a melancholic and coming of age aspect to it too—vampire stories often are coming of age stories in one way or another as it can be compared to another form of puberty. And lastly, and most importantly, it’s a movie about power, which drives most of the central relationships.
Song Kang-ho… not much left to say about him. Most people who are remotely familiar with Korean cinema know he’s a legend, and so I have to sing his praises again here. He makes the movie work on a number of levels because of his nuanced performance, what an amazing actor.
But the revelation here absolutely has to be Kim Ok-bin who promptly runs away with the movie. Outright theft in plain sight!
I can already imagine casting agents watching this movie back then going like holy fuck, the range on this one. Stoic, vulnerable, badass, romantic, resolute, in despair, faking all of the above... name it. I was already familiar with her because of The Villainess, and while that was great, this is on another level. The sheer intensity in her gaze at times reminded me of Brigitte Lin, who’s had a much, much more prolific career.
It’s somewhat quite deliberately paced, which may or may not be your cup of tea overall. Watching the beginning after the ending, it does feel odd. This movie is truly a journey of some sort.
And I love it.
Onward to Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. I don’t think one can watch them more outrageously out of order than I did, but whaddaya know...
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Started off a bit rough, the English parts were painful a bit, but by the time the ending came on, I had almost entirely forgotten about the bland early parts.
This is one unique story of friendship. It can be found in the unlikeliest of places indeed. You can always count on Park Chan-wook to deliver the heart-wrenching moments when it truly counts. He knows where his movie's goods are, and he goes all-in on them.
Song Kang-ho delivers, as do all the actors involved (at least, as long as they're speaking korean). I like how even though this is a mystery movie, it isn't the focus so much. The focus is on the dynamic akin to a "lovers on opposite camps" but with friendship instead, and it's effective. It's a nuanced piece done with respect for the characters and their relationships.
It also feels less like a Park Chan-wook movie than his other, highly-stylized work he would later direct. I must say I prefer the latter.
I would put it above Stoker so far, and under the rest. It did take a while to get going.
If a movie like this sits at the bottom of his filmography for me... damn, that's some consistency
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