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PickyMcpickleton
The atmosphere in this for me is not as gritty as Old Boy or Lady Vengeance which actually really aids the movie. This movie unlike the other two has one huge plus in my books. It's that there's no true villain. The tipping point of this movie is a result of carelessness that actually tugs at your heart and make you feel sympathetic for one of the main characters.
This cast is just as stellar featuring Song Kang Ho and a young Shin Ha Kyun who is actually what made me watch this. He plays a mute who lives with his sister and is in a relationship with Bae Doona's character. In an attempt to gain money, he and his girlfriend attempt a kidnapping that unfortunately does not fully materialize the way they had planned it. This triggers a vengeance cycle
What this movie excels in is deriving sympathy for both lead characters. There are no true villains here and vengeance here is triggered by a simple yet heart breaking moment of bad circumstances. There's some very well done symbolism and imagery in this portion of the story that makes this movie distinctly memorable for me.
However, If you've read any of my other reviews concerning the Vengeance series. I warn constantly of the director's dragging and also distracting sub plots. You will indeed have to sit through some less than interesting bits to get to the meat of the plot. I'd like to add though that you truly should finish regardless. However, let me just continue to beat a dead horse with my typical comment in regards to almost anything Park Chan Wook directs. His movies should seriously end at a certain point. He needs to go to finishing camp because honestly, the man needs to learn how to adequately end a movie without feeding us unnecessary commentary in an attempt to sound deep.
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This review may contain spoilers
Admittedly, it's been a while since I watched Sympathy for Lady Vengeance but I must admit, it's my least favorite out of the Vengeance series.I felt the other Vengeance series were far more well thought out and far more emotionally stifling than this one. Furthermore, the fantastical element of this particular series was in some ways daunting yet also not my cup of tea as it made the film not settle as darkly for me as it could have.
Also, unlike, the other two movies, it instilled a burning curiosity in me but did not deliver. In the end, the focus was so much on Lee Young Ae's character and none on the villain rendering me a little disinterested. When it came to the other two movies, the villains final revelation really helped shape the climax of the movie and it's why these movies stuck with us. However, in this case, the villain remains a shadowy figure that we never truly hear from. Admittedly, this movie is a narrative so it hinders any other perspective other than the narrators.
As this is a narrative, you may find it quite tedious. It begins with Lee Young Ae's character being charged with the murder of a young boy. She's beautiful and not your typical murderer hence you now start to wonder, did she really do it? This is a little reminiscent of old boy in that the perspective is one where everything leads to a boiling point as you slowly unravel the story. Anything more would be a spoiler.
Ultimately though, you have a good guy and a bad guy and nothing quite philosophically daunting as the other two movies. Furthermore, different sub plots distract from the meat of the plot. Halfway through, you may actually forget about the revenge story as different sub plots vie for your attention. Furthermore, in typical Park Chan Wook fashion, there will be some dragging before you get to the final destination which in typical PCW fashion will also include more dragging. Overall, it's a good film, a little disjointed and fantastical for my tastes but not a bad ending.
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Reviewing this drama is quite tough. It was one of those dramas where I feel like a lot of people found fault in it but at the same time, A drama that had me going "I get it." It's a drama for me that has some very clever details that I really appreciated. There's actually some symbolism here that either I'm reading too much into it or that many people missed. One is the theatrical scenes. I don't mean in the sense of ludicrosity because there were those but there were elements of theatre here that I really liked. Especially the ending. I think a lot of people focused on the face value presentations that they missed out this odd little things that actually make me rate this far higher than the story deserves.
The story in dramatic fashion is a stockholm syndromed girl vs total arsehole turned mildly decent guy. Jun Kai is a character that had it not been for the director and stellar script (at very few moments that mattered), I would have gritted my teeth through this whole ordeal but alas, he is somewhat saved by some very decent directing moments. His abuse towards the female lead is something I really tolerate but her response towards him was even more intolerable. Nonetheless, the climax of the movie saves them both. It could have been done better but I actually liked it.
It goes all Enrique Eglesias in Hero where Le Jun Kai finds his girl in a predicament and he has to save her. However, there's actually a lot of symbolism in here. The ending was actually very well done for me. A lot of people finished this and immediately ranted about how ridiculous it was but for me it turned into a cinematic stage where you have to understand what's happening. This is so annoying to state without giving spoilers. Peter ho also makes this ending very good for me and I find he for the most part, delivers decent acting. Ugh, okay my review sucked but this is a drama I need to go on a long discussion about.
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Scent of a Woman is one of those dramas where I merely started watching because of Kim Sun Ah. I was a little ignorant of the cast but even after the drama ended, I never bothered to care about any of the other cast sans occasionally letting the sight that is Lee Dong Wook warm my eyes.
Nonetheless, amidst the rich man, poor woman story, slapping (lots of slapping) and cliche running in the rain scenes, there is still a story here that does not fail to engage. A story that really I must stress is made possible due to Kim Sun Ah. She brought her A game here and it was hard to hold it together as she really became the character of Lee Yeon Jae.
Yeon Jae is a woman that works in a company but never gets anywhere. Despite being older than some of her co-workers, she's mistreated and is at the bottom of the political food chain in the company. Life leaves her with no choice but to live it to the fullest and she embarks on a journey of heart breaking romance.
She tears you apart as you both root for her yet at the same time remain weary of her circumstances and she is a character that makes some of the flaws in this drama far more forgivable.
On to the flaws.
Unnecessary cliche scenes. Honestly, the slapping and running in the rain is just cringe worthy. It sets the pace for romance but I'm not very fond of the sugary prince charming character.
Unnecessary male and female second leads: For me, the story would have been just as powerful if not even more powerful without these two. One was a bitch for no reason, the other was just wall paper. A good guy but really, he isn't needed much. Both add very little other than unnecessary drama that at times distracts you from the main dish here.
The acting: Other than Kim Sun Ah, the rest for me paled in comparison. Lee Dong Wook's inability to believably break down was so bad, I actually fast forwarded his heart broken scenes. They were just embarrassing and uncomfortable to watch. He looked like he smelled something bad... The rest unfortunately played such stereotypical characters that it's hard to fault them. I mean how many ways can you execute a goody goody side kick?
I genuinely loved the OST for this but they really milked the hell out of that sad song. I didn't mind much because I like the artist but wow, it became a "that song again..."
Nonetheless, I re-re-reiterate that the selling point is Yeon Jae's journey. It's one that is sweet, forgivably romantic yet also so heart wrenching and powerful that it makes me give this a 6+.
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It tells the tale of a kidnapped boy(Hwayi) who is raised by five murderers. Hwayi’s journey though is one of self-discovery as he attempts to discover who he is in more ways than one. First is the topic of his identity as circumstances lead to him discovering that he was kidnapped as a boy. Hence begins his quest to figure out who he is. Amidst this he is also on a journey of self-discovery as he floats in between normalcy and the violent environment that he’s in. Then is also family love as he discovers his new family but is also rooted to his old one. Then you have a story that is looser than than than a one size fits all dress.
Unfortunately, while Hwayi seems deep, it is just very lack luster that it leaves the whole movie feeling tedious and lost. Most of the supporting characters in this movie such as the cops lend absolutely nothing to the plot at all. Another unnecessary addition is the stereotypical action scenes that don't need to be there. The chase scenes are ridiculous and look so low budget you have a hard time believing it. Ultimately they lend nothing to the movie other than the dragged out time. A lot of concepts are thrown in here, but they are never well done making the movie have very few compelling moments. The only decent action sequences come from a few fights but a majority of the movie is gun usage which is terribly done. At some of the action scenes, bullets kind of seem to materialize out of no where and it’s not evident who is shooting who.
The movie, transcends mediocrity (just a little) due to two people. Hwayi played by Yeo Jin Gu and one of his fathers played by Kim Yoon Suk. They both blend in to the gray tinged tones of the movie very well and as characters, really lift this lackluster plot. However, despite the magnificent acting displayed by both, ultimately, there’s almost nothing that is truly focused on and sharpened. It deals with the concept of monsters but completely throws that concept under the rag with what is somewhat of a plot twist. I'm apprehensive about calling it that because it’s neither compelling nor triggers my interest much. It deals with self-discovery but that concept also suffers a bigger death than most of the characters in the movie. It deals with family life but that is also just not developed enough and ultimately, there is nothing that really sticks. When you think it is going somewhere, it takes a completely different direction.
At the end of this journey, I found myself beyond disappointed. The script is just mediocre and I really wish the writer would have made it tighter. The more you watch, the less stellar it is and frankly, it did not need the length that it had. The only pros to this are the good acting which lend a hand to the few compelling moments. The compelling moments come from the moments of self-conflict such as when Hwayi hesitates to shoot but there are moments when he hesitates but mere seconds later does and you're just there going… For a move that seems heavy in philosophy, it really should have explored its themes better. Furthermore, the conclusion for me was just terrible. Another unnecessary addition to leave us with an ill placed "feel good" moment. Furthermore, because the relationship between the two characters involved was barely developed, it was just another scratch in the head.
Overall, underwhelming due to a scattered plot.
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Now, Hanzawa Naoki though is the best written thing (closely tied with Legal High) that I have watched in a while. I think it's my irritation with K-dramas that led me slap bang into this masterpiece and boy was this a thrilling journey.
This is the tale of Hanzawa. A banker embroiled in banking politics (really). The story is told in two parts with Hanzawa constantly in difficult situations. He must outsmart, outplay and outlast. Indeed, I do hate to steal the survivor logo but that is what his life entails.
It is a well written tale full of engaging characters and it's been a long time since I have liked both the protagonist and antagonist (Normally, I like the antagonist). I really liked the antagonist (Owada) in the second part. He happens to be smart, flawed yet quite charming. Kagawa Teruyuki who played his role also did a phenomenal job. The climax of this story gave me chills. CHILLS I tell you. It was powerful, raw, well acted brilliantness that actually stunned me to silence.
However, despite the well written moments, there are feel good moments that are not for the cynic. I happen to be one of those cynics and the feel good moments induced some mega cringing. The declarations of friendship and super hero-esque moments weren't for me. Although, for the most part, the drama manages to create an anti-hero vibe especially in regards to Hanzawa's character. He is merciless in exacting revenge which is exactly my cup of tea. I like them devilish and certain.
I'm all over the place with this review but I get tongue tied sometimes trying to describe stories like this. There's so much to tell yet it's difficult to focus on one thing. Overall, a strong recommendation with minimal flaws.
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The cast is slightly altered and as opposed to the arch nemesis Miki in the first season, we gain the pretty boy Hanyu who will challenge Komikado in court.
The drama is still very charming and hilarious. Komikado is his over the top satirical self that still captivates you through the whole season. The writing is decent and is still comedically very strong, however, let's get down to the flaws. Some events felt ill planned and made the script feel just a tad loose. I'm a fan of plot twists when done right but this left me a little underwhelmed and felt quite forced. It felt like a "hey, let's connect shit and make it look like we planned it all along." Yeah, it just wasn't riveting.
Furthermore, I felt the legal and philosophical aspects in this drama were not as crisp as the first season. Especially, in regards to Hanyu's character. His goal is to make everyone happy through law but I expected the drama to tackle that issue more creatively. I mean really what the hell does that even mean? It may sound like a dumb question but I have to hold myself back on going on a rant of what exactly happiness is if not bursts of temporary feelings induced by different things. Should we use a utilitarian perspective to determine happiness? I digress, but really, most of the time, Hanyu's happiness philosophy made me want to throw my hands up. It eventually just made me accept his philosophy as nothing more than a word. After all, to create a utopia, you must first understand and define what exactly a utopia is. Nonetheless, let's let that slide.
I really liked the growth of both Komikado and Mayuzumi but it wasn't enough. I still lust after Komikado's personal history and should there be another season, I really hope we get more than crumbs about his history. In fact, it was one of the things, I really wish was touched upon in the first season more. I want that history! However, in terms of Mayuzumi, I felt her character developed the most. She becomes clearer about what her goals are and is much stronger in court.
Nonetheless, this drama still makes me anticipate another season because the characters still remain very well done. While the plot is not as solid as the first season, it is still very decent. I still marvel at the ability of the writers to consistently be humorous yet very strong. I look forward to another season.
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Legal High focuses on Komikado Keisuke who is a genius of a lawyer who has yet to lose a case. He picks cases driven solely boy one thing,money. He is over the top, hilarious and an absolutely captivating character. He's a blend of immaturity, charisma and at times raw and powerful emotions. His partner is the naive and innocent Mayuzumi Machiko who is surprisingly not irritating. Normally, this is the type of character that I absolutely despise. The self-righteous preachy type who wants the world to be butterflies and rainbows- however, she is very charming in her own way. She for one sticks to her philosophy but also acknowledges its flaws. This partnership makes for some of the most "laugh out loud" moments I have ever had in a drama.
Overall, this is a hilarious yet very well done script. The writers did a phenomenal job not only developing the characters but giving them distinct and memorable personalities. The humor does not get in the way of plot progression or even distract from the issue. It serves as a good compliment to the overall plot and by the end of this season, I was more than thrilled to hear there was a second which I have also finished. I rarely ever seek out second seasons in dramas. Heck, it's an incredibly difficult challenge for me to ever finish a drama much less get passed the fourth episode. I jot this down as an over the top yet highly recommended comedy. Do not pass this up.
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Ha Ji Won in the beginning is a very endearing and strong character but in typical Ha Ji Won fashion, she is soon reduced to giving you doe eyed looks and being saved by Hyun Bin from the evil mother. She also gets dragged around by Hyun Bin a lot if the formula tells you anything. She has absolutely no reason to be charmed by him but really she does get charmed by him.
I did not focus on the body swap because other than to add some comedic effect, it didn't do much for the drama. Anyway, I've bashed a bit so let's focus on the positives. The supporting characters are great in carrying this drama. They add humor where needed and make this quite the enjoyable experience. Oska despite being loud mouthed is actually quite charming and overall, the supporting cast make this formulaic drama quite enjoyable. The drama drags a little in some areas but not enough for me to lose interest and while the end for me was a little tedious, I still think this is a decent romance recommendation for anyone who is partial to the genre.
PS. The OST is a plus in my book and one of the best OSTs in my opinion.
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First of all, the story isn't exceptionally original. It's been done numerous times but nonetheless, it doesn't stop it from being poignant and unsettling to some degree.
Song Joong Gi plays a boy who as the summary states appears to have been raised by wolves. He is discovered when Park Bo Young's character moves to the countryside due to her sickness and he happens to have been inhabiting the shed of the place that they just moved in to. Park Bo Young's family eventually pick him up because they cannot find anyone to adopt him and so the story is triggered.
This story isn't really about a werewolf. It's about monsters. Song Joong Gi's unrefined character through living with Park Bo Young's family starts a transformation to become human or to attain human qualities. He develops an affection towards Park Bo Young's character amidst his transformation and they develop quite a bond. However, due to numerous predicaments, he reverts into a "monster" and is dubbed as dangerous. However, a "monster" in appearance is not a monster at heart and in watching the movie you start to distinguish who exactly the real monster is.
The tale is somewhat light hearted but with very heavy moments that made me sweat a little from my eyes. However, I lamented a little that we never truly delve into any important details regarding Song Joong Gi's character. It's mentioned but not shown. It's not ridiculously relevant but I would have liked to know. Also, the villain is somewhat stereotypical and other than being a rich arse hole, there's not much we know about him. However, I guess his character is relevant in the success of this plot. However, the philosophical undertones didn't stop me from wondering what his story was. Take that as my need to always over think things.
Overall, a very poignant story with minor flaws.
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In The Face Reader, Song Kang Ho starred as a famed physiognomist. His ability is so good that he attracts the attention of even the king and he is soon thrust into politics. The political era is one of strife as Prince Sungyang played by Lee Jung Jae lusts after the throne.
The story in movie fashion is a bit dramatised. There were moments it wasn't even Face reading, it was borderline fortune telling. As in, there were moments when Kang Ho's character just pretty much predicted the future as opposed to physiognomy. Strictly speaking, he looked at one of the character's face and told him he would be beheaded. Frankly, that was a touch ridiculous because that really isn't even physiognomy. The only reason this works is because we are in the present and the script is about the past so anything he predicts of course happens because history has happened.
However, the story is well written. It has touches of humor that are not ill placed amidst a serious and well done plot. There are some good emotional scenes that are well acted and overall it leads to a satisfactory performance; enough to even make me tolerate Lee Jong Suk. Now, I have nothing against the boy, but I felt his lack of experience and acting just made some scenes fall slightly short. In fact, most of his emotional scenes are with the veteran actors and he is heavily saved by them.
Unfortunately, I have one gripe and that is with the ending because I thought it ended, oh but there's another scene and this is surely the end, but oh no, here's another scene and surely this is the end... Oh no, not yet, then finally the end. I was honestly going, my goodness just end already. There were multiple concluding scenes and I almost thought I was in a Park Chan Wook movie because he really likes dragging the end. I mean they even do that concluding comments of "so and so became a monk five years later and died in 1456..." but it doesn't even end after those comments! Other than that, I recommend this.
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A King trades places with a lowly theatre actor who resembles him. It's not so much trades places as occasionally takes his place. However, the King is met with a predicament and the actor has to take his place for an even longer period that anticipated and he does so for money. The actor who takes his place ends up being loved by all, that's it. When I say that's it, it really is because there's no action. The real king is supposedly a tyrant but we don't really see that. He used to be a good King but the throne made him change somehow. Again, you never see this. We don't really get an in depth view on the burden of being King. The pauper who takes his place ends up being loved for merely giving feel good speeches and receiving almost no opposition. He changes laws just like that... Honestly, he makes being a King look bloody easy. He pretty much does whatever he wants! The men that oppose him aren't really forceful. It feels like he does more in the two weeks as the King than the real King. It would be great if there was an in depth focus on how power is use and what made the real King tyrannical to begin with. I also thought it would have been even more amazing if the pauper began to change somehow and found himself being tyrannical. Then the ending would have been perfect. I feel like the focus should have been on how the throne changes you even if you have the best of intentions. This felt like a waste of a good concept. There were good and funny moments but ultimately this felt a little too loose.
Furthermore, the ending could have been better if the plot was done better. However, the country still ends up with a tyrannical King...
Lee Byung Hun for me did a decent job but I would be lying if I said I was captivated. There were moments it was hard to tell who the real King was. While there was a lighter air about the pauper. It never felt truly challenging as I expected it to be. I ended up liking the supporting cast more...
Overall: This is pretty much the tale of the Pauper and The Prince so I could praise the concept but it's not exactly original but I thought they missed some opportunities to make this amazing. There were too many things I wish were better done. However, my six comes from some good and poignant moments and the few that I thought were good.
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Another movie I went in for the stellar cast (Hwan Jung Min to be particular). However, in the end, the movie wasn't as engaging as I thought it would be. Too many moments could have been further developed and showcased but because they weren't, it left the script just full of gaps.
For instance, more back story on their history and younger selves. They just befriended each other, stuff randomly happened and bam, all grown up. It was rushed and a little unbelievable. Furthermore, the defining moment in their younger years was just terribly written and terribly done. It should have been a far more emotional, psychological and dramatic scene. Instead it ended faster than their lunch scene.
They are all also severely in shape and skilled for people who haven't fought in 25 years. Further more, they fight like professionals and even better with minimal training...
There's also very little back story on his life after high school. There were just too many gaps to find this engaging. A lot wasn't developed making me not root for the characters that much. The climax of the movie was his last fight but I didn't find myself on my tippy toes severely rooting for his character. Normally, when I root for a character, I get tense and vocal but I realised, I neither cared if he won or not.
Overall: Underdeveloped script and characters make for an unengaging plot.
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This review may contain spoilers
I am reviewing this drama after eight episodes and a lot of people will find that ridiculous. How can you review a drama without finishing it? Well, I justify that simply. If a drama fails to somewhat cement itself in the first few episodes, there's a chance it will not get better. If you watch and hate eight episodes of a drama, the likelihood that what you hate will get better is very slim. Furthermore, it's not like I started hating it at the eighth episodes. It's more I persevered until the eighth episode until it was unbearable.Another thing: I liked absolutely almost nothing in this drama. However, the biggest con in this drama is the script and characters. The script affects the characters.
Characters: Dumb. I just have not in a long time clicked on a drama with such stupid characters who are so devoid of logic and planning, I actually said out loud "you can't be serious." These characters literally dive into situations with absolutely no planning whatsoever. They neither think about the consequences or even have a plan B for things, they just ran into things and hope for the best. They absolutely do not even bother thinking things through and trying to calculate the alternative. Most of the tragic situations are so easily preventable, I started gnawing my teeth at how dumb things were, but it's important to note that this is not because of the cast. It's because of the script. I absolutely could not stand Suzi's character, I started hoping for her death because she spends way too much time needing rescue. As in with most female leads but it was unbearable because she's supposed to be a strong character who is a tomboy but so help me lord, she causes more trouble than help.
The villain is your typical evil villain with no backstory. I've reviewed a lot of dramas where I point this out. Where, the villain is the most interesting character because without him the plot is absolutely worthless. However, because he has no back story and no true understandable motive, it makes you care less and less other than finding him despicable. This villain happens to be a despicable pedophile who just likes to torture this bunch for no actual legit reason. He can easily find a young pretty girl anywhere in Joseon but he's obsessed with a particular one for no reason other than creepily staring at her.
Plot: The plot actually became comical and affected how I felt about the characters. Often, if you have dumb characters, you will probably have a dumb plot. It seems the characters have GPS's on them because you can easily run around and find the character you're looking for. Or it's a "if you can't find Kang Chil look in the forest."
Furthermore, the male and female lead end up together just because. Mind you, I didn't even get a spoiler, it becomes blatantly obvious around the fourth episode. It's your k-drama cliche where even if you like the second lead better, it is never going to happen.
I've just remembered what I liked Choi Jin Hyuk's character made this amazing but he interestingly lasts like three or was it two episodes and I'm left with the rest. Nonetheless, he was also subject to dumb character syndrome who could have easily prevented a lot of tragic stuff.
There are also very mild plot holes here and there that aren't unbearable but noticeable.
Furthermore: A TON OF CONVENIENT SITUATIONS TO SUIT THE CHARACTERS. Oh boy, were there a lot of those. The type of tripping on a brunch when running situations.
PS. This has nothing to do with the story necessarily but something that has always bothered me. Why do the female leads run in their Han Boks? I'm just saying, if I was running for my life wearing an uncomfortable dress, I would rip it up and run like the wind. I mean who runs for their life prettily trying to hold up their freaking dress. Ain't nobody got time for that?
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Slight Edit to accommodate an actual review:
As per the summary, this tells the story of an undercover cop infiltrating a gang. He spends years in the gang and rises up the ranks but he wants out. Unfortunately, as a valuable tool in the police force they won't liberate him not only due to the hard work and commitment it takes to be an undercover cop but they believe they can take down the gang.
Unfortunately, I did not find this movie as compelling as it could have been. What was supposed to be a plot twist was predictable and actually made me dock marks because it made the plot a little iffy.It now propels you to point out a lot of things that don't make sense anymore due to the plot twist. In fact, prior to it happening, I sincerely hoped they would not make it that way because it now opens up a can off questions that make the premise not make sense. Plus, I'm not sure if I could call it a plot twist because it didn't really surprise me but others have called it so, so I'm doing so too.
The story is very solid and has a film noir, toned down aspect about it that will either bore or thrill some of you. This tone is rarely seen these days due to the schizophrenic and fast paced world we live in. It has a very Mario Puzo aspect about it and that is a plus for anyone who's a fan. As in, you will see quite some Godfather channeling here almost as much as the blackberry product placement. I happened to be a fan so I appreciated this film to a certain extent sans the mediocre plot twist. The cast is stellar and they are all well known for their acting but overall I docked marks for the terrible ending.
I'd also like to point out the not so subtle product placement. Blackberry anyone? Okay, it didn't bother me much but made me want to play the drinking game for every time I saw it. There's a liver damaging suggestion to those of you who haven't watched it.
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