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Everyone has a chance
I saw this movie by a chance so I would say that the director succeeded even though the main character in the movie tries to succeed with, what seems like a bad idea. He dreams of a blockbuster but insists of doing an erotic B-movie and is disappointed with constant failures. It is true that no achievement can be accomplished without failures. It is said that Thomas Edison produced 2000 bad lightbulbs before achieving success. So all those failures were necessary to discover a right way to do it. In this movie, a movie-director Seung Hoon fails at many steps but somehow he goes on and that is a good message.The movie also reminds us of the limitations a problems caused by to Covid. The acting could have been better. I was surprised to see some American people here. The jokes weren't very funny to me but I will remember the movie in positive light because i enjoyed the selection of songs played in the background a couple of times.
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There is a fish
Why does the synopsis reveal the entire plot of the movie? Luckily there is a fish in the movie that can be related to our main character, the mysterious woman Ji-soo who collects and examines garbage from other people, and this comparison is the most interesting thing about the movie.The idea to be able to know other people through their garbage is not bad but it is highly unrealistic from the perspective of this movie. The main character, Ji soo has only around 10 Folders but she documents every trash piece of every tenant?! If I knew someone with this kind of "hobby" I would surely think that this person is crazy although it could be a product of an introvert person who is interested in other people but is afraid to approach them directly. This is where we as viewers can sympathise with our main character and wish her to open up for the real human contact. The movie is good for what it is and it manages to emotionally connects us with the story and characters.
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those final punches
If you are on Twitter (X) you can see many instances where students dare to provoke teachers and even fight with them. This movie is, of course, a fictional story about something similar, a teacher who if provoked into fighting with a student. The story is quite simple but unexpected, and the resolution is well prepared and realized. There is action, comedy, drama, all mixed into a cute and yet brutal high school experience. Boy, I am so happy that i am not in high school anymore.This movie is not a super hero blockbuster, even though at one moment it seemed to be going into superhero direction. I am glad it didn't and that the women strength is depicted as realistically as possibile in the logic of the movie. Also, i just read here on the site that this is based on a webtoon and i must say that the movie gave me that vibe and reminded me on "Lookism" and "Moving". And yes, those final punches were straight from the comics.
.. 요 or should i say Meow!
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meet the members
I am writing this review while watching Tomorrow x Together Live Concert at Lollapalooza 2023, which is very energetic and exciting watch.as for the documentary, it did make me go and explore more about the band but i would say that it didn't have enough music. the director gave to every member a few minutes to say a few things which was good to meet the members and have a glimpse of what is on their mind. all in all this is a backstage footage of the band preparing for concerts and trying their best to overcome the challenges that can come like sickness, missing the moves, tiredness, pressure, etc... so i would say that this isnt as exciting as watching the concerts, for the real fans (MOAs) this is a great way to see what happens behind the stage and how the members are slowly growing as performers.
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even ghosts are lonely
Water Ghost aka Bottom of the Water is a mediocre horror movie. short enough to keep the interest and concentration but lacking in production quality and some inconsistent plot development. the legends of Korean Water Ghosts have a lot of potential but i don't see anything specially noteworthy here.Plus of the movie is atmospheric scenery and suspenseful music. it has many great shots, and i was surprised how good the trailer for the movie looks but the movie itself doesn't fulfil the expectations and the acting is not that great.
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unexpected religious experience
As a Christian i am not very familiar with Buddhism but i admire the life of Buddhist monks and this movie more than anything shows the human and spiritual side of them. also the differences between them. No one is perfect but everyone has his purpose.it was a very enjoyable production for the reason that the movie offers a 2-hour escape from every day life and makes you think about living in simplicity in the monastery and with the nature.
I was expecting a light comedy drama but this movie made me think about my life vocation and the meaning of life and death.
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I couldn't understand everything because i saw it in korean but i understood enough to follow the emotional and dramatic narrative of this unique natural territory - the Saemangeum tidal flat that was almost destroyed. The effort put into making this documentary is extraordinary. i enjoyed seeing birds and other small water animals living here and also the humans trying their best to protect the nature and exploring it.
this documentary is a testimony to the beauty of life and truly a love song to the subject it presents.
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Pyongyang Yes or No
The description puts this movie into the genres of Action, Thriller, Mystery, and Crime, but it is actually an artistic comedy in the style of Wes Anderson. So it is quite unique for Korean cinema.In the plot, the hijackers want to go to Pyongyang, but it seems like no one really knows what to do. Director Byun Sung-hyun took a strange historical story and turned it into an absurd and satirical comedy where all the ridiculous things you could think of find their place. This is good news if you enjoy this kind of comedy, but bad news if you expect something serious and realistic (like the “news” in the movie’s title). For me, the jokes were interesting, especially the intellectual ones, though a few gags felt cringy. Still, once or twice I did laugh out loud.
I appreciate the movie’s artistic style and the detailed production — even the insert shots or flashback scenes that last only a few seconds clearly took effort. (Were some of them maybe made by AI?)
As a religious person, I didn’t like how the movie portrayed prayer, but I admit that it fits the tone of this kind of satirical cinema, which offers viewers a bit of light-hearted escape from a boring reality. Overall, this movie is a good choice for when you have some spare time or want something different.
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Drama Special Season 15: The Two Women
1 people found this review helpful
Fictional story / real life
This drama has some my favourite ingredients: simple honest people, countryside, beautiful women, a lot of emotion, fairy-tale appearance. It is almost as if a traditional folk tale has come to life. Everything here worked for me, except maybe the final touch where the producers wanted to direct the relationship of two main women protagonist into a romantic sphere. First of all, I instantly fell in love with these two women who find themselves in a complicated relationship. The story is very emotional and interesting with a well chosen settings in the specific place and time which adds a lot not only as a background but is nicely connected with the story. I don't want to be specific because i don't want to spoil the story.I would recommend this "movie" to everyone, it is full with heart and noble intentions. It often fails when a movie wants to please everyone, but i think this story succeeded in that regard.
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Who deserves to die?
I was eagerly waiting for the chance to watch this movie, and it did not disappoint. Admittedly, the movie is a bit uneven—it starts as a silly action comedy but later turns into a serious action thriller. It also felt odd that the movie clearly hints at the villain from the beginning. However, this was executed quite well, even better than having a shadowy figure revealed only at the finale. So, watching this movie from start to finish, it gradually became better and better. The final scene of the movie adds the icing on the cake, helping us viewers to put our emotions in the right place as we follow the plot. This comment may sound abstract, but I don’t want to spoil anything.The action is very well executed, and the actors did an excellent job in their roles. There are a few brief disturbing scenes, almost horror-like, but ultimately, this is an entertaining action movie. I wouldn’t have given it such a high score if it didn’t have a meaningful message and some food for thought, particularly regarding taking justice into one’s own hands. The best scene in the movie is the moment when the main character, veteran detective Seo Do Cheol, addresses the bloodthirsty onlookers.
The movie is great on its own but even better in the context of the original "Veteran (2015)" because it ties into many details, especially when you grow attached to the main characters. In my opinion, this sequel is even better than the original, and it seems to have the potential to become a full-fledged series.
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Rule of Dance
Surprising and fun. This short movie, shown as the third part in the Love Track series, started off very confusingly, mixing relationship drama with horror and thriller elements, but the blend was very satisfying in the end. We also get a bit of comedy, even parody — a classic Korean mix of genres — all packed into a quick 30 minutes story.I liked the couple. I can't believe that I had never seen this actress, Kim Ah-young, before. As the couple falls into the hands of a serial killer, we even learn the most important rule of dance: to trust your partner, because you don’t dance alone. This becomes an allegory for life and for any love relationship. You should trust that even when your partner doesn’t fulfill your expectations, he is trying his best. Watching this, you will be entertained but also come to respect your partner a bit more.
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So Happy that the Tears come out
This is a simple yet very nice romantic drama about a girl and a boy who grow in affection for each other. We used to have many movies like this before, but now they come rarely, so they feel all the more emotional and inspiring. As in every love story, there is always a challenge — and here it is a rare medical condition of a girl, Mi-sol, who is sensitive to sunlight, so she can meet her boy only at night. But love always finds a way. Midnight Sun is truly a heartwarming movie for all the innocent souls out there. It reminds us of the importance of family and the beauty and strength of love.There are a few cute comedic moments, but the movie makes us smile mostly with its goodness. I felt a lot of joy, but with a constant tear in my eye while watching this movie, sometimes out of pure happiness and sometimes out of sadness. Mi-sol is not only sick and in love, but she is also a singer-songwriter, and the songs we hear in the movie are all great and worthy of repeat listening. They have a nice indie melody and meaningful lyrics. So I will revisit this movie for sure — especially for the songs.
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New Demon Hunters
Before the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, there was this live-action movie: Holy Night Demon Hunters. This movie would have worked much better as an animation, because as it is, it doesn’t succeed as an action film, even less as a horror movie, and even less as a fantasy or comedy. They really didn’t need those silly gags. The movie also spent too much time on “found footage,” where we watch events from another camera instead of directly. In my opinion, the biggest flaw of the movie is its misguided production.I still had some fun watching Ma Dong-seok (I didn’t really catch his character’s name) kicking demons with his destructive fists, and it was interesting to see an exorcism done in a slightly different way. Usually, the Catholic Church is the one expelling demons, but here they turned it into a Korean-style exorcism while still keeping a vague connection with Christianity. So, there is some originality, even though the majority of the movie is just another below-average exorcism film.
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The Triangle of Warfare
You know how some movies feature a love triangle, where three people are involved in a romantic drama that can only end with two? Here, we have something akin to a *fighting triangle*, interestingly set up to represent the three parties involved in the conflict: the imperial guards, the slaves, and the Japanese enemies in this historical period of Korean history.Korean movies usually succeed in conveying strong emotion, and this movie has all the elements of a great drama, spiced up with thrilling battle choreographies. But for some reason, I couldn't empathize with the characters emotionally— basically none of them. The story is great, the actors are very good, and the production is top-notch, but something was not in the right place for a perfect epic, so I couldn't fully enjoy the film. I definitely appreciated the scenery, with its beautiful and sometimes brutal shots, but where the film should have been strongest—in the emotional clashes between the protagonists—something was missing, and I can't fully explain what it is. One of the reasons could be the movie's pacing, which wasn't fluid and jumped from one thing to the next, making it seem like the director didn't focus enough on the central plot.
What I really liked, however, was the theme about Korean society and the relationship between the upper and lower castes. There are echoes of a message that we should all be equal, whether someone is an emperor or a slave, and we know that because of this very message, the Catholic faith in Korea was violently suppressed in the early 19th century.
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Beauty Photoshoot
It is clear from the beginning that this is a B-movie. Actually, it is hard for me to believe that this was first a drama series turned into a theatrical release. Artistically there is nothing of worth here but there is some entertainment in watching beautiful girls doing photoshoots. For me that was the best part of the movie – just enjoying looking at some beautiful Korean women. I guess the appeal of this movie is to show these actors to the public and it doesn’t try to hard to be a good movie.Storywise, it was all too silly and unbelievable. The theme of vampires is used just as background for the romance and drama but is not realized very well. This movie doesn’t work as Sci-Fi or fantasy, but it has some worth as a comedy. I must admit, I had a laugh or two watching this.
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