Reviews

Will This Movie Serve As Your ‘ Hero’?

Kim Hong Ik attempted to ride off the coattails of the crazed vampire genre phenomenon during the early 2010s with ‘ Hero’; an intriguing but sporadic and low-budget vampire flick which will likely intrigue and unintentionally amuse viewers of equal measure.

The plot revolved mainly around underdog high school student Shim-dan (Kim Hyung-Gyu). Together with his best friend Eun-seok (Han Jeong-woo) , the duo are often tormented by relentless bully Cheol-seung (Kwak Min-ho). Nevertheless Shim- Dan has found salvation from his daily torture by trying to avoid Cheol-Seong wherever possible. Instead the main lead spends time watching his secret crush Mi-ah (Lee Da-in) ; too scared to approach her directly and often watching her from afar out of intrigue .

However Shim-Dan’s ordinary school life soon takes a different turn. One evening he ends up attempting to rescue a drunk girl Yoo-ri (Han Ye-won) from being assaulted only to discover she is a vampire. Rather than killing him Yoo-Ri decided to spare his life by turning him into a vampire also. Desperately trying to hide his newfound physical changes and abilities from his classmates , Shim-Dan’s secret becomes harder to keep after the transfer of Yoo-ri as a teacher at the school.

The acting in the series could admittedly be a mixed-bag. The main cast undeniably had natural onscreen chemistry together. However line deliverances could admittedly differ between scenes also.

Kim Hong Ik’s ‘ Hero’ is a vampire movie evidently aimed at a younger audience. Graphic violence and blood is rarely exposed in the series and thematic themes surrounding everyday high school life certainly indicated towards the audience’s aimed age demographic. Nevertheless it is important to establish that ‘Hero’ was surprisingly not based upon lighthearted and soapy teen-angst either. The greatest drive of the movie was arguably served through the comedy; alternating at times between professional satire and amateurish jokes. However sadly the alternation between professionalism and amateurism could often be seen in the screenwriting also.

One of the greatest problems which arose in Kim Hong Ik’s movie could often be found through struggling to establish a concise plot goal from the outset. Perhaps if the movie had tempted to place an obtrusive focus on simply Shim- Dan’s new life as a vampire and his gradual romantic relationship with Mi-ah, ‘ Hero’ could’ve felt as though it had a direct and clear plot beginning, climactic build and resolution throughout the movie. However sadly this was not the case with the outcome for ‘ Hero’ ‘s depicted plot line.

Intriguing relationship builds initially introduced such as between Yoo-ri and Shim-Dan were often abandoned by the halfway point whilst potentially quintessential characters were often left hung up by abandoned subplots before the halfway point. As a consequence entire sequences and seemingly built up scenes were often awkwardly cut through or flitted to another scenario in an attempt to draw viewers’ attention to another storyline; often feeling like a diversion tactic to reduce focus upon loose plot ends.

By the ending of the movie it was evident that even the screenwriters were aware that the plot had been exhausted due to lacking foundations setup from the start towards plot drive. The “solution” was given by the screenwriter by the finale of the film: enter the generic vampire final boss. Whilst arguably this scenario was a desperate attempt to clutch at wrapping some loose plot ties up, the ending felt sporadic and rashly thrown together to raise tension. However rather than acting upon coherent logic, it was odd that somehow all of the quintessential characters of the film were put under one roof without h rhyme or reason towards truly coming together.

A consistent problem which became apparent in these final conflict scenes became apparent through poor fighting sequences; looking neither consistent or slick onscreen.

Of course it is wrong to entirely condemn ‘ Hero’ also. One of the greatest writing dynamics of the film came through the friendship between Shim-Dan and Eun-Seok. As the movie progressed and events shifted it became apparent towards the natural causes of division which would occur between the two friends.

In addition to this there’s also the relationship between Mi-ah and Shim-Dan. The chemistry between both of the main leads was dynamic and gradual. It could’ve admittedly have been built up more but it did add a touch of surprising authenticity towards a main lead who struggled with his bloodlust towards his crush. Even Mi-ah had her moments of added complexity at times in the movie with her home life revealing that she struggled with her own problems also.

Several plot holes aside there is the OST also. The chosen soundtrack isn’t inherently dire per say but considering the mood and tone set during scenes it could often feel mismatched against storyline and taking away the deliverance of emotion, when silence could’ve delivered a greater result at times also. In addition to this there’s the amalgamation of the quality of filming in the series; low-budget but sometimes cinematic and at other parts in the film, arbitrary and rushed scenes added before the final-cut gave an amateurish feel towards the delivered result.

Overall ‘ Hero’ proved to be an intriguing premise with a decent cast and ensemble of characters. Nevertheless whilst the film delivered a compact conclusion, the added touch of lacking to wrap up loose plot ends didn’t deliver a truly emotional finale to the film. Amateurish screenwriting combined with filmmaking created a haphazard film filled with unexplored potential; entertaining in a way but never truly possessing concise build or plot either.

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A fun throw-back to those crime capers of the 1960s like Ocean's 11

A fun, campy action movie that feels like a throw back to those crime capers from the 1960s. Go Hyun Jun is perfect as Chun Soo Ro, the wallflower protagonist who gets sucked into the middle of a double-crossing drug deal by a fake nun, hilariously played by Jin Kyung who makes the most of her all-to-brief screen time. Yoo Hae Jin is great as "Red Shoes", the menacing man of mystery. (His hair should've received its own screen credit.) It's hard to imagine Detective Sung being played by anyone other than Sung Dong Il, who is as bombastic, snarky, and short-tempered as ever. The rest of the cast is good too, and everyone seems to be playing their part with a twinkle in their eye. The OST contains some magnificent big band & orchestra arrangements that accentuate the throw-back feel. This movie would be great fun to see on the big screen with the volume turned way up!

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Did I watch the same movie as everyone else?

I'm seeing reviews about people crying at the second half of this movie and I'm just a little lost for words because the movie I watched was just so...mediocre? It was certainly a nostalgic and light-hearted rom-com, but overall the plot points and the characters are just really cookie-cutter and cliche. The two second leads are also considered main roles but were not really given adequate personality or character development.

I also could not handle how many times the main female lead had to trip over her own feet — I understand the clumsy aspect of her personality, but there are different ways to do it. Seeing the exact same thing happen so many times grew old very fast.

With that being said, there are more quiet, thoughtful moments in this movie that really stood out to me, and I wish the movie let those moments shine through more.

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A tearjerker

This is a movie about silver linings. I really did not expect myself to shed so many tears over this movie — but I sobbed throughout it, especially the second half.

I was expecting a really depressing movie where it was just one tragedy and no good parts one after another, but there was a surprising amount of hope and friendship in this that made it really beautiful to watch. The two leads had amazing chemistry and really heart-warming dialogue and it felt like the main focus of the movie, as opposed to the bullying moments. I actually felt like the bullying situation at school and beyond wasn't fleshed out very much, but I think this actually worked in the movie's favor for the most part.

Overall, a really really beautiful movie that will make you ugly cry :)

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This would've worked out better as a full fledged movie.
The story was an actually excellent one involving very wuxiaish tropes. From what I observed, it follows of a young disciple whose parents are killed off by a mysterious cultivator. She is adopted by her 'Shifu' for whom she develops ardent feelings for.
I loved the soundtrack used for the short film. It can be called a rather short music video rather than a film. Some of the actors were unconvincing and this seems to be an independant creation. I appreciate the efforts that they took. It was all over in the blink of an eye.

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would have loved more

trigger warnings: imprisonment, strangulation

This was kind of odd, both in the sense that it is 4 minutes long and that it feels like a trailer. So much so that I had to like, triple check that I wasn't watching the trailer for this very thing.

Short films like this often make me hungrier for a larger work (looking at you 2019's Kiss of the Rabbit God). The game attempt by the director and team here to just like, try to fit an entire web novels plot into 4 minutes is pretty solid but there is just too much plot for that little amount of time (this is also why it feels like a trailer).

A comment on the video I watched said something about how if BL can do the toxic master/disciple relationship so can GL and honestly, go for it girl. I just hope that there are more longer form works down the pipeline.

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It feels like I was listening to a lovely song

This has been one of my most anticipated Korean movies ever since I saw the Cast line-up. So, I finally watched it and this totally reached my expectations. Infact, I feel empty now. I wanted more of this!

A Year End Medley is simple yet overwhelms us with a bitter-sweet pleasure.

The movie starts from a full festive vibe where Seo Kang Joon is singing the Christmas song "Jingle bells, jingle bells… jingle all the way…" and everything is in like a happy to go state. Everyone can be seen gearing up for Christmas and finally when Christmas comes, we come across the other side of the coin. When most of the people are excited for Christmas and New Year with their friends or families, there are yet many people who have their own problems and loneliness to deal with… that's when this takes us on a "little" deeper ride but as the year finally ends, gladly everyone finds a "New Hope" in their life. It's like inspiring us to keep going on.

There are actually 5 different stories which are intermingled to each other. All characters were lovable. Yes! No negative or annoying character which makes this such a light watch. My favorite character was "Sang Hoon" (acted by Lee Kwang Soo) ~ a selfless, dedicated manager who supported a singer when he was in his down, he could have left him and signed up someone else but he became his pillar and made him a big star, when he was really popular, he didn't even try stoping him from signing into a bigger company so that he can get more opportunities. I loved how selfless and caring he was. They had a brother like bond which was truly precious to see. Infact, all 5 stories were special in their own way.

The Cast was the major factor that attracted me here and they all did a great job acting their own parts especially the Old duo – Lee Hye Young ( as Katherine ) and Jung Jin Young ( as Sang Gyu ) were great presenting a touching love story. It was the top notch acting that made this movie more memorable.

The best part of this movie is that it made us experience so many wide emotions in just two hours. All 5 stories gave me something. Then, the OST. Beautiful songs that match the situations. I didn't even realize how fast my two hours went and I was already done watching this movie. It's like a smooth ride perfect for a evening watch. I watched it alone this time but I would like to rewatch this with my family later…

Overall, just a bunch of ordinary stories wrapped up in colourful flavours which should be watched at least once.

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A thinking-person's movie!

I started watching this movie and noticed how SLOW it was...it was like having a toothache and the dentist looks in your mouth and just looks...and looks...and looks...

After observing the two, I wanted to tell her, "Tell him you like him!" but she didn't; then along came the tragedy! Same thoughts on the male lead as well.

I am thinking as the movie continues, what isn't going? Then it hit me!

Both kids are shy and have trouble communicating their feelings; as if their inability to tell each other their feelings is part of the movie itself. I then remembered young Hirahara Yu (played by Miyazaki Aoi) and her conversation with herself after kissing the boy. The boy's reaction is also quite indicative of young Yosuke (played by Nagayama Eita) that he as well is not well-versed in communicating with young girls in society.

Both actors were good at saying a lot with little dialogue, and I thought about all the missed opportunity for the two to come closer to each other. Both actor/actress portrayed the insecurity of young teenagers unable to express themselves in a personal, social situation.

Cut to a later time period in a bigger city...

Again, the two meet (quite accidentally, or was it by fate?) and start reminiscing about the past, and the older Hirahara Yu (now played by Nagasaku Hiromi) embarrasses the older Yosuke (now played by Nishijima Hidetoshi) about a typical 'boy' ritual that he performed late at night in his youth, when he thought no one else was around to see him! They also realize that they both wound up in the same industry as well.

The older Yosuke had not forgotten the promise he made the younger girl at the time of the tragedy back in their small town, and yet before he could fulfill his promise, another tragedy struck! I was so upset: he comes this close to fulfilling his promise made years ago, and he is going to die before he does! So I thought...

The ending though was both anti-climatic, yet climatic at the same time; I never thought that it would end this way, since it took so long. When the act happened, I felt of rush of emotion, forgetting that I was watching a movie.

Both actor/actress portraying the older main characters also kept the feeling of their inability to express themselves in a personal, social situation going in the second half of the movie. Good job both sets of main cast members!

The supporting cast assisted in the main cast's portrayal of the story quite well; special kudos to the criminal (Ryō Kase) for his brief but important two scenes in the movie.

Until recently, I never paid that much attention to music in a movie, but the little music in this film helped set the mood at the appropriate times..

The cinematography was also excellent in this film: the use of light and dark ( and black and white) helped set the appropriate mood for the scenarios, along with the music. I especially like the shots of the small town and then city to differentiate between the two worlds the two main characters are operating in for both parts of the film.

I never read reviews before I watch any movie; yet after watching other Japanese movies. they sometimes use this what I call "delayed action" technique for saying more than if the cast members talked; however, I still feel frustrated until i get the 'gist' of the movie down so I can truly enjoy it. It can make the movie very thrilling if timed just right, which the director of this movie does.

The overall message, to me, is NOT to put off saying what you wish to the people around you; it may be your only chance!

RE-WATCH VALUE: Occasionally...

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Very heartbreaking, a really sad teenage movie, but highly recommended!

I watched this because I really liked Gingle Wang, I watched the 2004 version and the plot was too long and annoying, But the movie version, the plot is really concise, highly recommended, very shocking and the acting is amazing, I can't believe this will be the first acting of a new actor. It's really amazing!!

Story: Under the strict education of her professor father, Pei Yuyan was a good student at school, practiced the violin at home, and followed her parents' wishes, living quietly like a canary in a cage. What made her smile was the Occasionally secretly played banned pop songs. She thought that everything would follow the path arranged by her father. After graduating from high school, she went abroad, studied music, and played classical piano...until she met Yu Hao, the gangster who was fighting on the street, who rushed into the classroom to thank her students, that The boy who stopped the bus and handed over the love letter! Yu Hao, whose parents died, under the care of Uncle Hui, a police officer, made a thrilling move towards the day of graduating from high school. He and Shanzi and Archie, who grew up with him since childhood, are always in a relationship no matter how good or bad, walking in the school is windy, and fighting outside the school. Yu Hao remembered that day, every move of Pei Yuyan who took the first step towards the injured him. Although the two worlds were far apart, he couldn't help but grasp the love that made his heart flutter. Taking Yanzi's speed and seeing Yanzi smiling happily, Yu Hao decided to use all his power to protect the girl who broke into his youth

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Cute short movie featuring spicy chicken obsession

Overall: a 15 minute short movie about two friends who start living together. Bought/watched on Vimeo.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- the obsession with eating chicken was kind of funny
- the sweet moments including the subverted wipe mouth trope
- I appreciated the good continuity, a character said it was late and the clock was 10:10pm

Room For Improvement
- this really needed another minute or two at the end, it ended so abruptly. If the one guy had just passed out, but then they had a conversation in the morning when non-drunk, that would have been great.

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Quirky Vampire Short Movie

Overall: this 14 minute short movie has an artsy film vibe. It's about 4 vampires, one of whom wants to die and the other three agree to help. I wouldn't categorize it as BL, but adjacent with two of the vampires (we aren't super clear as to their relationship in the past/present). Purchased on Vimeo, also on Gagaoolala

(minor spoilers)
Content Warning: discussion of death, attempted murder/suicide

What I Liked
- the color scheme and production value (costuming was done well too)
- the juxtaposition of a serious topic and humor

Room For Improvement
- wish this was a whole series that delved more into their dynamics, we need a m/m vampire romance that doesn't end tragically, pretty please????

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I picked up this movie because I realized that Yoshizawa Ryo played my favorite character from the manga/anime, Ishida Uryu. And must say I wasn't disappointed because he was awesome, though I wish he played a bigger part. But the CGI of his bow was simply marvelous! Yes, I have a soft spot for archers.

But also for swordsmen and Fukushi Sota was just as fantastic as Kurosaki Ichigo! I think I found yet another J-actor to follow. Great. His character was the perfect combination of funny and ballsy. And he played the part wonderfully! I could really understand why all the others would feel drawn to him.

Also, I didn't realize that Sugisaka Hana (Evergreen Love) was in this. Or Eguchi Yosuke (Rurouni Kenshin)! He was so awesome as Ichigo's dad. He's a great actor so you could really feel his undying love for his dead wife and for his kids, the delinquent Ichigo in particular. I loved the scene at the grave, when he asked his dead wife, "Could you tell Ichigo that it wasn't his fault?" Gosh...

And though we only caught a glimpse of the Soul Society, again, the CGI was breathtaking! I didn't expect it to look like that!

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Having a good dream should I smile or cry, if I know it will not come true?

This was highly recommended by a favorite Korean movie channel of mine, great cast, and acclaimed director therefore I had high expectations though I did not get disappointed but I do have complaints
Story: we follow a hitman who succeeds in everything with ease gaining the trust of his boss, he was ordered to eliminate the boss's girlfriend if caught cheating but when he decides to let the girl off, this is where everything goes wrong and a irreversible war with the gang begins. Everything mentioned is exactly what happens in the film, personally it was a bit slow for my taste but i did expect that considering it was directed by Kim Jee Won. What was lacking was that adrenaline factor, in tale of two sister we got a surprising plot twist and in i saw the devil we had so much violence, therefore i think it was underwhelming for me. Though do think it it did things good in some factors for example is missile the human side of our protagonist even when he is a hitman it shows that you can also love and not the cold person we see throughout.
Acting: our task consists of a list superstars main protagonist is lee byung-hun and our main antagonist kim yong-cheol we also add a stunning supporting cast of shin min ah, oh dalsu, and hwang Jung min. Leave your hand was as always amazing. He show us the nuances of the hitman Kim Sun Woo not even in cold demeanor you felt love for someone. Veteran Kim yong cheol was also great as always but I did hope Shin Min ah more screentime.
Music: the music in me the suite life was amazing the high pumping music during the action sequences that leveled up from the original
Rewatch Value: i gave a rewatch value there wasn't anything to rewatch it was a movie that is straight to the point and will understand in 1 watch. However it still an okay rewatch to see the transformation of our protagonist and the amazing action sequences

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First story is forgettable (I can't remember it even now:) The middle piece with Sunny Suwanmethanont & Cris Horwang️ is nice. The third one with that Munchkin or whatever his pet name has very intrusive voiceover all over it. I'm not fond of somebody telling me exactly which feelings I should have while watching something (we already have music for that!), describing things I can see for myself, or opinions I wish to form by myself. It reminds me of commercials (or 'Gossip Girl', lol). I know most of viewers think the 3rd story the best but I say either she needed to wear glasses or she didn't. Either this was about FRIENDSHIP or falling for someone 16 years younger. But, overall if I'd ignore the voiceover and the stairway scene it was also nice segment.

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