She's On Duty (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All

If you're familiar with films like 21 Jump Street or Fight Back to School, you'll have some idea of what's going to go down in She's On Duty. This undercover cop comedy centers on Detective Chun Jae In (Kim Sun A, from S Diary). After screwing up a case involving a sex trafficking ring run by the Japanese Yakuza, Jae In gets roped into an undercover assignment at a local high school. She's ordered to conduct around-the-clock surveillance on Seung Hee (the beautiful Nam Sang Mi) by becoming her best new gal pal. Why? It seems her absent father, Cha Young Jae (Kim Kap Soo) is a reformed crook and a key figure in the prosecution of a sadistic mob boss.

But that's only half of her problems. It turns out that Jae In isn't exactly thrilled with her one last shot at redemption, considering the fact that she was a poor student and onetime gang leader back in high school (which makes one wonder about the standards involved in the South Korean police entrance exam, doesn't it?). Considering her background, it's no surprise how she reacts to new challenges. When confronted by bullies, the headstrong Jae In beats the hell out of them. When forced to take exams, she cheats with the help of her commanding officer. It's amusing stuff, but it all seems a bit too familiar.

Eventually, she falls head over heels for the mysterious Kang No Yong (Gong Yoo), who just so happens to live next door to her. When Jae In's main rival, a gloryhound police detective is installed in the school as a substitute teacher to speed up the case, the film suddenly accelerates into a gritty, bloody conclusion that, while seemingly incongruent when described, actually transitions quite smoothly onscreen. Not surprisingly, things revert back to comedy for an "all's well that ends well" finale.

So much has been said about South Korea being the "New Hong Kong," and in terms of cinematic output and production values, perhaps the title is deserved. There have been some Korean juggernauts like My Sassy Girl and Old Boy that seem to have that extra something that typified the best and brightest of the Hong Kong new wave, but as amusing as She's On Duty can be, it isn't even close. It's just far too familiar, both in premise and execution to be considered anything but prepackaged fluff. If this were a Hong Kong movie, Jae In would be played by Miriam Yeung. If it were an American one, probably Sandra Bullock. Even when the movie starts making wild tonal shifts, there's something cozily safe about She's On Duty (and quite a few other Korean comedies). Why? Because there's a definite formula at work here, a fact that practically guarantees you won't be angry at wasting your time or money on the film, but also pretty much insures that you won't exactly be giddy with excitement once it's over. If you like Kim Sun A and/or the very premise, then you won't be disappointed. But if you're looking for that "little something extra," it's nowhere to be found in She's On Duty.

By Calvin McMillin - LoveHKFilm.com