chalbarczyk
Poland
I do like:
1. social commentary and sarcastic portrayed contrast between the poor and the rich
2. North Korean speech
3. coherent plot and fast action of the first part of the film
4. black humor in the first part of the film
5. cast, especially Jo Yeo Jung who excellent played naive rich wife
6. motive of revenge
I do not like:
1. Director’s job because it seems like he doesn't know what direction the film must go and what it is about. Is this a sarcastic picture of society and social differences? Or is this a thriller? Or is this an illogical and untrue story, such a storytale and biblical allegory? This is too much for me.
2. oneiric elements and disconnection from reality
3. symbolic and pseudo-symbolic elements
4. unknown motivations of the characters’ action
5. stereotypical characters that thay don't seem like real persons
6. reduction of human nature to social status
I don't know what to think about it:
1. mix of black comedy, thriller and social problems
2. the ending
I watched this out of curiosity, it's not bad but there are many Korean films that I like them more. If you want watch something really good and real you can try Japanese Shoplifters. Or you can enjoy the fact that you have subbs in your language at the cinema.
Was this review helpful to you?
Detective bromance
If you are going to watch a crime detective drama you expect a detective to be handsome but with some problems, strong bond with an investigation team, corruption in the higher level of the police, nasty villain, blood, chasing, sacrifice.“The Good Detective” has all of these and adds some more depth and nuances.
We all love a younger handsome detective with problems in his life and the older detective with his problems. Yes, Jang Seung Jo quite well plays a cool detective. He is a hero who defends women and children and hates the criminals and he beats bad guys very badly. But the real gem of this show is the performance of Son Hyun Joo. His older detective is so authentic, strong and vulnerable, with lost dreams and hope, so human.
Both detectives create fine duet and it’s entertaining to watch them. Their humor, loyalty, chemistry, bromance are great. And that’s why you could be a bit disappointed by the rest cast. Even the perpetrators are not so absorbing.
Since the drama focuses on the brotherhood between detectives, it’s extremely difficult for a female character to act properly and show something interesting, even beautiful Elijah is not able to escape from stereotypes and low level of the scenario for her.
Probably there are too many criminal cases, suspects, too many names that you can feel lost about episode 13th. And I’m afraid Oh Jung Se will remain autistic Moon Sung Te from “It’s Okay to not be Okay” forever. Can’t help. I can’t see him in a different way.
Behind the scenes creators of "Good Detective" ask us if the death penalty is right. And you, what do you think?
You can watch this drama when you are tired of silly romances. Actors and director did a good job.
Was this review helpful to you?
It’s a kind of concept. The more slaughter and dead body - the better.
I don’t think that the story is addictive and interesting. It’s rather simple and uninspired. The characters are flat. It’s difficult to bond with anyone here.
But it’s watchable because of Joo Ji Hoon. His performance is brilliant! I like his prince who in the beginning of the story is confused and uncertain, but later, after some battles with zombies, becomes a true lead. The other acting is just okay. Nothing special. Definitely it’s too short (6 ep.) to develop plots and characters.
I don’t like the music. It would seem that especially music would create the dark mood and fear in the zombies world, but no. Not in this case.
If you don’t like a story that stopped and doesn’t run anywhere, do not watch it and wait for the next season.
Maybe the next season will be better, who knows.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes, I just like Jung Yoo Mi as the female prosecutor!
This is a decent police and detective drama, not worse than American ones, on the contrary introducing a strong respect for every death and for every human body. Corps are not unnamed objects of the study, but they are worthy of respect human remains. I am grateful to authors for that.
The advantage of drama is that each character is a little bit incompetent and lacking.
Prosecutor Eun Sol, she is sometimes unprofessional and makes mistakes, but at the same time she doesn't sympathize with murderers or fear them. It was a great pleasure to watch Jung Yoo Mir in this role.
Forensic doctor Baek Beom, played by Jung Jae Young - Why does everyone hate him? I think he breaks the rules of Korean social etiquette and has no social competence. He is rude and he is cool.
Detective Cha Soo Ho: Lee Yi Kyung goes on the wave of his previous performance in "Eulachacha Waikiki" and he is funny here, especially when he tries to flirt with beautiful Stella, but also shows his honest, dramatic acting, and he is good.
Other characters are well-written as well. The first prosecutor, played by Park Eun Seok, is stubborn and blind to the truth, the other one, played by Oh Man Seok is mysterious and intelligent. Both of them have their proper place in drama.
Story line is a bit disappointing, because personal experiences and tragedy of the forensic doctor Baek Beom don't add anything to the investigation. It's a rule in kdrama to give a lot of flashbacks, but here it doesn't seem to be working.
Rewatch is problematic because if you know who the murderer is, the secret is destroyed!
Drama is entertaining, because the viewer follows the detectives and wonders if they can catch the killer, but also it shows the truth about death, does not use euphemisms and does not offend the viewer's intelligence.
Was this review helpful to you?
Gangster elegy. Sad and beautiful
It seems to be another typical Korean gangster film that we have already seen many times: New World, Bittersweet Life or Gangnam Blues, packed with fights, gang wars and corrupt politics. But from the first scenes we know this is something different.It’s about life and death. Human path and bounds. Sacrifice and pain in the human soul.
We don’t watch spectacular choreographic fights, instead, we got a story of young men’s life involved in a gangster family. The story goes slowly, the decisions made by protagonists are the most important part of this story.
Filming, acting, scenario, music and director’s job are just impressive and actors became an integrally part of the whole artistic creation.
The end is necessary.
If you want to watch something between Korea and Europe and if you are fine with sad films – I recommend ‘Unalterable’. It’s a piece of art.
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama Special Season 4: Yeonu's Summer
2 people found this review helpful
This is a slow pace story, all about the girl Yeon Woo, played by Han Ye Ri, her life, her music, her love. Although the plot has a cliché pattern (rival girls and jealousy, poor, without ambitious, simple life of Yeon Woo and career and success of her friend) we watch it as something original, unique story without stereotypes about her growing up, her complicated emotions, rooting in her family, neighborhoods and friends.
Acting is good. Han Joo Wan – he is a king of drama special ;), he plays in my favorite ones: “Twenty Dollars to Pyeongyang” and “The Tale of the Bookworm”. He always gets a good role, but here has a minor one, because this drama is about woman.
Music is beautiful. Guitar songs are so nice and melodious and the director creates a sweet, warm world, close to us, and in some way everyone can identify with the dilemmas of the main heroine.
If you like to uncover a bit of girls’ life and soul, you will enjoy this short drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
It’s a very ambitious cinema: it presents very intense relationships between brothers and a closed circle of revenge and hatred. The story is really heartbreaking and painful. The portraits of characters are build in minimalist way and we have to guess what has happened in the past in their life. We watch the younger brother (palyed by Seo Young Joo) and we indeed feel his loneliness, anger and innocence. He asks, is it possible to have a better life? Is it possible to have a hope?
The cinematography is outstanding, the ambience of an abandoned neighborhood and a fish shop creates a suggestive cold image of the world. The music fits in this cold and bitter world.
I think it’s one of the best drama special I’ve watched. While good, funny, interesting drama is 8/10, this one deserves 10. I highly recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
Who is the king of this drama?
Lee Joon Ki? - yeah, he is not bad. He fights well and he likes it, moreover everyone there likes to fight with fists. But his legal romance is not sweet and not convincing.
The evil judge Cha played by Lee Hye Young? She`s not bad, well, yes, she is bad: cold, calculating, manipulating, distinguished and cruel. However, she doesn't arouse profound disgust and she doesn't truly frighten us.
Seo Ye Ji as female lawyer? Unfortunately no. She was an amazing princess in Hwarang and acting in sagueks with long hair suits her better.
Then, who is the king? The bad guy.
Choi Min Soo gave a really good performance. His An O Joo is a gangster from a provincial town, a murderer, a parvenus who dreams about himself in a better future. He is cruel, threatening and terrifying, but on the other hand he is like a beggar or a dog who asks for praise and acceptance. He has my all attention and I wish he would be a hero in his town.
Drama has rather a light style. There are gang wars, some politics, some court hearings, some secrets, some plot twists and a bit of romance, but generally it's drama of action. The story is ok, but the cast is not very good for this story: the main character should be ugly and smart and female lead should be smart and beautiful. The cinematography is excellent. The music is ok. The young Bong Sang Pil (Lee Ro Woon) is cute.
If you are tired of long, boring romances, heartbreaking scenes, great tragedies - watch this drama. And if you love Lee Joon Ki and SeoYe Ji in any role – of course, watch this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
In my opinion the director and screenwriter Nam De Joong is a kind of genius. This film isn’t a silly comedy with low unappropriated humor, in the contrary, it’s a deep emotional story about boys friendship, lost, death and complicated relationship between parents and sons.
The dialogues are brilliant, the scenario is excellent and so funny.
The other work of Nam De Joong is "Homme Fatale", which confirms his great talent. In both playes Kim Dong Young, I hope next time he gets the lead role :)
I highly recommend, especially if you fell into melancholy, because The Last Ride is very energetic.
Was this review helpful to you?
I expected some stupid rom-com and cliché drama to fill the time and not to think too much. Instead I watched a wise, a bitter-sweet story, surprising, amazing, touching and heartwarming. I laughed and cried in the same time, because it shows a completed life with innocent first love, up and downs, guilt, hope and real problems in relationships.
Why I love it:
I love it because of two faces of twin-sister (Lee Soo Kyung): the beauty one with perfect make up and eloquent, and the other one: warm, friendly and ugly. Her character is captivating and her relation to twin-brother is the most cordial and warm that you can see in dramas.
I love it because of excellent story. It’s socially involved and touches problems that could concern every girl. The story is about love that must struggle and overcome difficulties. Ho Goo who isn’t clever and quick-witted but his sincere and innocent overcome the fear and uncertainty of Do Hee.
I love the baby. (Isn’t the littlest and cutest baby in kdrama?)
I love every character, everyone eventually grew up. They stole my heart for good. The life that isn’t easy becomes worth to live.
I love Ho Goo, played by Choi Woo Shik. He is praised for his dark role in “The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion”, but here as naive, sweet boy is seductive and charming.
I love wonderful love story, or better to say love stories, because emotional adventures of the lawyer Byun Kang Chul (Im Seul Ong) and twin-sister are twisted, tricky and funny! Is it possible to love BOTH male leads? It happened to me.
Why I don’t like it:
...well, there is no single thing I do not like. But, wait, it is one: drama is too short, I wish I could meet my lovely protagonists for 100 ep.! I miss them already.
Music is extraordinary: Vivaldi, Russian ballads and marches, and Korean optimistic vibes – create unique atmosphere.
Drama is really amazing! Of course I’m not going to be objective, it isn’t a drama to be cold mind and objective! I give 100, it’s the rating scale that is wrong.
If you like ambitious drama with important problem to think about, or you want to see optimistic story about overcoming the difficulties of life, or you want to fall in love with Choi Woo Shik – watch this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
There is no doubt that this is a masterpiece: it’s terrifying, scary and weird, but the most scary thing is that it is real and true. Drama portraits possessed people and makes them suggestively authentic; it presents the way how human become possessed by evil and what the way of escape is.
We get to know the protagonists and their characters very slowly. They seem to be weak, and the evil seems to be powerful. But heroes’ imperfect nature attracts our attention and sympathy.
Every episode is frightening, dark and intense, but the last one is… so beautiful. The friendship of priest, taxi driver and cop is unique and special. Surprisingly it is the story about being human, about facing up to the difficulties, about sacrifice and faith. It seems to be a horror, but after watching it I am very optimistic and I think positive about people.
Music turns the drama into the horror. Let’s say the truth: everything is terrifying there . I was able to watch it only during the day, in the night it was too scary...
Certainly 10/10, this is one of the best drama I have ever seen! If you want to watch a deep and interesting friendship, or a lovely sea landscape, or awful zombies - you must watch "The Guest"!
Was this review helpful to you?
Two love stories. One is great
The modern plot lacks everything, intensity, pace, and chemistry between leads. The character of 21 century girl is inconsistent. She is supposed to be a brave hero, she is a fireman after all, but she is easily manipulated and walks around grumpy, and her decisions often don't make sense.It would be a simple and average story about a ghost, revenge and a girl, but fortunately, we have a true love story in ancient Silla. I wish it would be a main plot!
It has a deep meaning of love and death, beautiful scenes and visuals.
It is hard to rationally justify the sins of the previous life and the endless punishment, and that's why the scenario can't be good, but it's enough for an uncomplicated drama.
The ending? Not bad.
Was this review helpful to you?
Superficial film with a lot of guns.
The action scenes are filmed very well. We can enjoy chases and fight scenes, explosions, rifle fire and sniper hunts and at last handsome fighting boys.But it’s almost everything that I can say about this movie. The scenario is flat and not interesting. Something about a nuclear staff and there is a traitor in every room. The Korean style of the romance between enemies seems to be forced and unconvincing although the female lead Park Soo Ae is a real star here.
The cast is good (and pretty), the entourage in Italy and Japan are good as well.
The film is an attempt at a new approach to the theme of a gang war that is well known in Korean cinematography but the fighters have better guns and they work in secret service and they can travel around the world. I can say it’s a higher level of action entertainment.
The best part of the film is the title “Athena: Goddess of War”. I wish the rest were so good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Pure crime detective drama
ClassicIt’s a pure crime detective drama but with extra light characters and scenes that add some smile into this brutal world.
Insane plot
The plot is just crazy. It’s not easy to follow the story and understand what is going on. In every episode there is one new perpetrator and suspect or two. The story suddenly turns and goes into a different direction. I’m afraid the director teasing viewers, up to the last minutes we can’t say anything about what would be the ending.
Class actors
Jo Seun Woo is fantastic! I really don’t know how he was able to create such a vivid, bright and thrilling character. Amazing job!
Lee Bo Young is not my favourite actress. But I am surprised in a positive sense. Even her mannerism of acting looks okay here.
The chemistry between main leads is so intense! Although there are a lot of nasty bad guys and murderers, blood and violence, I watch drama with pleasure thanks to the main actors.
We can’t forget about the child actor who has a lot of job during the whole drama (though I still don’t understand how leads could lost the child about ten hundreds times)
Fighting
The director created fast paced story with unexpected elements but at the same time characters give to this story human dimension and profoundness. Mainly they catch the bad guys but also present touching relationship.
Cinematography is great. Fighting scenes are wonderful if I can say this about this.
End
Of course, perhaps someone would like the better ending, more realistic and probabilistic, something simple since the ending is complicated and twisted as a whole plot, but still, it’s a fine detective story, where the mother and ajussi try to fight against the evil.
Drama touches the serious problem of abducting and killing child and if you have the nerve for this and if you can keep up with the heavy plot – you probably will enjoy it a lot. It’s classic.
Was this review helpful to you?
Retro cool drama!
What a Cast! What a Story!It’s an old drama so actors have a retro hair style and old-school outfits. They walk and run around the island a lot. They smoke cigarettes and often lost their phones. The weather is sunny and windy, the ocean is shining, it’s an exciting trip due south of Korea.
It’s a beautiful, heartwarming, well played family story, but it also a melodrama and sliced of life, with a bit absurd humor. It’s so beautiful that it took my breath away.
Every protagonist has a flaw: Jang Hyuk is a jerk, Gong Hyo Jin is dumb and irresponsible, Shin Sung Rok is greedy bad boy, Ryu Seung Soo at this time is not a gangster, but eventually everyone reveals the other, deeper face. The busiest is 8 years old actress Seo Shin Ae who has a lot of lines to recite.
The pace is rather slow but never boring, because it’s for presenting the multidimensional relationship between members of family and neighborhood, especially around the little girl Bom. The character of Gong Hyo Jin is so dumb and pushover that not only you are nervous about it but also other protagonists, they were nagging her: be impudent! Be brazen! Don’t be silly! But some episodes later you start to wonder what is important and value in life? To be clever and cunning? Really?
There is the most interesting kaleidoscope of characters I have recently seen in dramas: Mr Lee – about his character you can write a book! Budda-nim – the worried matchmaker, the first and eternal love of innkeeper, the scenes with them are just wonderful.
If you like other dramas of screenwriter Lee Kyung Hee “Chocolate” or “I’m Sorry I Love You” – you may love this one too. This reminds me “When Camellia Blooms” in both there is a single mother played by Gong Hyo Jin, at the small village near the ocean, and in both the bright star is a child actor!
If you want to watch something good and classic, watch "Thank You". It’s a Masterpiece. Definitely.
Was this review helpful to you?
