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Marrying the Mafia
Jung Jun Ho
| Kim Jung Eun
Marrying the Mafia was the highest grossed film in Korea in 2002. Not only did it push The Way Home down to the 1st runner-up position, it also beat all of the Hollywood blockbusters with a theatrical run that lasted for longer than two months. What is so special about this movie? The story is quite typical. Dae-Suh (Jung Jun-Ho), a young and promising college graduate who has bright future, has accidentally slept with Jin-Kyung (Kim Jung-Eun), the daughter of a gangster family. He is forced by her father to marry her as he and Jin-Kyung's brothers all believe that Dae-Suh is the one who will bring honors to their family, and so they try their best to get them together. This explains why the... [read more]
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Jail Breakers
Song Yoon Ah
| Cha Seung Won
| Sol Kyung Gu
After seeing the exceptionally funny and comical Attack the Gas Station, I have soon become a devoted fan of director Kim Sang-jin. It was so excited to hear the release of his latest film Jail Breakers. As everyone could have expected, this movie made it to the top ten highest grossed domestic movie in Korea in 2002. Identical to director Kim's previous comedies, the story of this film is full of absurdity. Mo-suk is convicted and jailed because he has stolen some bread. His sentence is only very short in the beginning, but due to his repeated escape attempt, it is extended to an eight year imprisonment. When he and his inmate Jae-pil (Sol Kyung-gu) have finally managed to break out, they... [read more]
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Break Out
Kim Seung Woo
| Cha Seung Won
| Kang Sung Jin
In Korea, comedy is not made merely for generating laughter, it is a device to criticize. The target can be the society, the government, or any individual affairs. Break Out is the latest representative of such comedies. At first glance, the plot may seem outrageously illogical and silly, but if you try to examine it in depth, you will find out that it is not as nonsense as you thought. The story of this film is quite funny. Kim Seung-Woo is an unlucky fellow who owns nothing except a cheap lighter. Unfortunately, this lighter is "stolen" by Cha Seung-Won, a gang boss, by accident. Cha refuses to return the lighter to Kim, but Kim has made up his mind to get back his lighter at all cost. He... [read more]
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Oh! Happy Day
Jang Na Ra
| Park Jung Chul
Best known as the Korean version of Miriam Yeung to the Hong Kong audience, Korean new face Jang Nara enjoys a successful TV acting and singing career at a really young age. Her debut on the big screen, Oh! Happy Day, is a light-hearted romantic comedy specially tailored for her outgoing and vigorous star image. Employing the unbeaten My Sassy Girl formula, this is a screwball comedy about a girl courting a man. Jang Nara plays an aggressive dubbing artist named Hee-jee. One day, she comes across the manager of a company called Hyun-jun and falls in love with him at first sight. She then tries her best to win Hyun-jun's heart. Finally, they become a couple, but... Similar to most of the... [read more]
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Silmido Limited Edition
Ahn Sung Ki
| Sol Kyung Gu
| Hur Jun Ho
| Jung Jae Young
In thinking about this review it occurred to me that Silmido) is not a film I?m supposed to enjoy. This came as a surprise, since although it is limited in terms of satisfying story progression (or even closure) it did sustain my interest. The cause of this paradox lies, I think, in the film?s generic oscillations. Cinema Service founder and part owner Kang Woo-suk (Public Enemy) knows how to produce and market suspenseful action blockbusters, but he makes Silmido) wear that disguise thinly and uncomfortably. Really a tragedy about collateral damage during the deep freeze of North-South diplomatic relations, Kang has furnished Silmido) with some of the brutish and explosive mannerisms that... [read more]
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Enter The Dragon Special Edition (Korean Version)
Bruce Lee
| John Saxon
I love Enter the Dragon. I love everything about it. Critical distance? I think not. This is a film I feel particularly strongly about, and one I refuse to discuss in a removed manner. I love Bruce Lee. I love Bruce Lee's performance. No matter what anyone says, Lee is not just a fighter - he's also a fine actor and a snappy dresser. I love Lalo Schiffrin's score - it really is too cool for words. I love Betty Chung's little yellow shoes. I love the way John Saxon constantly addresses the camera. I love Han's six identical female bodyguards (each more identical than the last). I love the way Lee offers tea to Mr Braithwaite, the Very British Person. I especially love Jim Kelly ("Man, you're... [read more]
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Save the Green Planet
Shin Ha Kyun
| Jang Joon Hwan (Director)
Before I wrote this review, my conclusion about the first season of Korean cinema in 2003 would be something like this: Similar to last year, romance, comedy and action are still the dominating genres in Korean cinema in 2003. Most of the films I have seen so far more or less fall under those categories and lack surprise. But I guess this statement should be adjusted after I have seen Save the Green Planet... The story of this movie is compelling. Byung-goo (Shin Ha-kyun) is a firm believer of extra-terrestrials. He believes that aliens are going to invade our planet, and Kang Man-shik (Baek Yoon-shik) is an alien disguised as the CEO of a chemical corporation. He kidnaps Kang and forces him... [read more]
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Wild Card
Yang Dong Geun
| Han Chae Young
| Jung Jin Young
Apart from the romance trend, the Cop movie is also a popular genre in Korea. From Two Cops in the early 90s to the recent years' Nowhere to Hide and Public Enemy, quality cop movies are always a box office guarantee. The latest installment of this genre in 2003, Wild Card, proves to be another success as it was well received at the box office. The story of this film is no different than any of its counterparts. An armed robbery case has happened, detective Jay-soo (Yang Don-geun) and Young dahl (Jung Jin-yeong) are assigned to the case. The whole film is about how they tackle with the case step by step. It is not a detective thriller in which the suspect is unknown or kept secret. There is... [read more]
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My Wife is a Gangster (Hong Kong Version) (DTS Version)
Park Sang Myun (Actor)
| Shin Eun Kyung (Actor)
| Ahn Jae Mo
The idea of a strong female protagonist and a weak male lead is not brand new or provocative. In Christmas in August, we have the active and passionate Darim (Shim Eun-Ha); in Foul King, there is a female wrestling expert (Jang Jin-Young). As the film title suggests, the dramatic quality of My Wife is a Gangster comes from the exaggeration of this gender displacement. Once again, as seen in some other films with a similar thematic element, what Cho Jin Gu does is to misplace the gender identity and maximize the conflict of the two genders. The result is a highly humorous comedy. Eun-jin (Shin-Eun Kyung) is the head of a crime family. One day, her dying sister makes a request, she wants... [read more]
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Classic
Son Ye Jin
| Jo In Sung
| Cho Seung Woo
| Kwak Jae Yong
For most of you, acclaimed director Kwak Jae-yong (My Sassy Girl) is probably the biggest reasons that propels you to watch this film. The Classic, Kwak Jae-yong's latest work right after My Sassy Girl, is actually quite different from its predecessor. Compared to the joyful and highly entertaining My Sassy Girl, The Classic is rather a sophisticated and passionate drama. This film features the love stories of two generations, with Son Ye-jin playing the role of both the mother and the daughter. Ji-hye (Son Ye-jin) discovers her mother Joo-hee's (Son Ye-jin) love letters by accident. Out of curiosity, she begins to read about Joo-hee's first love with Joon-ha (Jo Sung-woo). At the same time,... [read more]
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The Way Home... S.E
Kim Eul Boon
| Yoo Seung Ho
The Way Home is the second highest grossed movie in Korea in 2002. Without a recognizable cast and a running time that lasts under 90 minutes, one may wonder, what is so special about this movie? The plotline is very simple, it is all about this seven year old kid and his seventy seven years old grandmother. Sang-woo (Yoo Seung-Ho) stays in her grandmother's home in the rural area for two months. A spoiled kid from the city is forced to dwell in a place that has no television or any entertainment, you can expect how hard it is for him to adapt to this new environment. Moreover, his grandmother is mute, which makes it harder for them to communicate. The theme of the story is obvious, it aims... [read more]
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Take Care Of My Cat (Hong Kong Version)
Bae Du Na (Actor)
| Lee Yo Won
| Ok Ji Young
| Jeong Jae Eun (Director)
Take Care of My Cat is a very genuine depiction of the relationship and life of five young women. It does not have any blatant twist, nor does it have any tear-jerking tragic element. The director simply handles the five characters in a sincere and sympathetic way. After the five girls graduate from high school, they have different encounters. Hae-joo (Lee Yo-Won) works as an office assistant in a brokerage firm; Tae-hee (Bae Doo-Na) works for her parents and a poet for free; Ji-young (Ok Ji-Yeong) is jobless; Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo (Lee Eun-Ju, Lee Eun-Shil) stay together. While each of them has some unpleasant experience working in the society, will their friendship deteriorate? Why is this... [read more]
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The Phone (Hong Kong Version)
Ha Ji Won
| Eun Su Woo
| Choi Woo Jae
| Ahn Byung Ki
It is not a surprise if you begin to fear cellphone and the jealous mind of woman after seeing this film... As the highest grossed local horror movie of the year in Korea, Phone is even better received than Kwak Kyung-Taek's Champion at the box office. What is so special about it? The synopsis should remind you of Ring, both of them utilize an everyday appliance as the subject matter to scare people, both narrative structures follow a basic detective thriller approach, and in both movies, the protagonist is a female reporter. Similar to the Japanese horror classic, the filmmaker of this film is smart enough to generate terror from something that is almost a necessity in our daily life. In... [read more]
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The Phone (Hong Kong Version) (DTS Version)
Ha Ji Won
| Eun Su Woo
| Choi Woo Jae
| Ahn Byung Ki
It is not a surprise if you begin to fear cellphone and the jealous mind of woman after seeing this film... As the highest grossed local horror movie of the year in Korea, Phone is even better received than Kwak Kyung-Taek's Champion at the box office. What is so special about it? The synopsis should remind you of Ring, both of them utilize an everyday appliance as the subject matter to scare people, both narrative structures follow a basic detective thriller approach, and in both movies, the protagonist is a female reporter. Similar to the Japanese horror classic, the filmmaker of this film is smart enough to generate terror from something that is almost a necessity in our daily life. In... [read more]
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Double Agent (Comrade)
Han Suk Kyu
| Ko So Young
After a three-year respite, beloved Korean actor Han Suk-kyu finally made his return to the film business with his latest film Double Agent (aka: Comrade), which is directed by new director Kim Hyun-jung. What is worth to mention is that Han is also the co-producer of this film. Similar to Han, co-star Ko So-young has not been in any movie for quite a while too. The teaming up of this couple has made this movie one of the most anticipated one in 2003. Carrying some similarities of Shiri, this film features an intricate spy tale intertwined with a pathetic love plot. Byung-ho (Han Suk-kyu) is a North Korean agent who has chosen to defect to South Korea. He gains the trust from the South... [read more]
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A Little Monk
Without doubt Korean audiences are becoming more and more receptive these years. Many non-mainstream movies have been doing well in the commercial film market. For instance, in 2002, films like The Way Home, Bad Guy, Chihwaseon, Oasis and Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance all lean at least partly toward the art-house route, but they were still generally welcome by the audience. The Way Home did even manage to capture the 1st runner up of the highest grossed domestic film of the year. Stepping into 2003, the first of this type, The Little Monk (I would tend to categorize My Teacher Mr. Kim as a mainstream movie that focuses on entertaining the audience), hit the theater in April. This film was shot... [read more]
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Can't Live without Robbery
Park Sang Myun
| So Ji Sub
Can't Live Without Robbery is a very enjoyable comedy. Frankly speaking, I didn't expect much when I watched this film, that may explain why I found it unexpectedly entertaining and engaging. Obviously, this is not a mega-budget production, but the director was smart enough to utilize his limited resources and produce a comedy that actually works. The premise of the story is quite brilliant. Kang-jo (So Ji-seob) is a successful computer game programmer. He is rich but he has a strange habit of burglary. The more difficult to break into a house, the more satisfaction he gains from it. His latest target is a big mansion in the rural area of the city that is owned by a civil servant Sang-tae... [read more]
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Oasis Special Edition
Sol Kyung Gu
| Lee Chang Dong
| Moon So Ri
| Ryoo Seung Wan
Oasis, along with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Chihwaseon, is one of the most anticipated Korean films in 2002. It won four awards at the Venice Film Festival and the lead actress Moon So-Ri is the winner of this year's Blue Dragon new actress award. For the general audience, the focus of this movie is usually the cast, with Sol Kyung-Gu as a young man who is just released from jail and is considered a shame by the family, and Moon So-Ri as a physically handicapped girl who is suffering from serious cramp. Jong-Du (Sol) comes across Gong-Ju (Moon) in an unexpected encounter and he soon forms a strange kind of affection for her. Without the awareness of their families, a clandestine love... [read more]
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Public Enemy
Lee Sung Jae
| Sol Kyung Gu
| Kang Woo Suk
When Public Enemy was released early this year, it was well received at the box office. The critical response was generally positive too. One of the major factors that leads to its success is probably the brilliant cast - Sol Kyung-Gu and Lee Sung-Jae. In fact, Sol did manage to capture the Blue Dragon best actor award with his outstanding performance in this film. Featuring a typical "catch the thief" storyline, the plot does not consist of too many surprising elements. Detective Kang (Sol Kyung-Gu) is a violent cop who prefers to investigate in an extreme manner. His enemy is Cho (Lee Sung-Jae), a witty and composed murderer who is terribly cold-blooded. The two characters are a total... [read more]
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Emergency Measures 19
Fin.K.L
| Shinhwa
| Hong Kyung Min
| Kim Jang Hoon
To some people, Emergency Measure 19 is no doubt a dream comes true. It has brought almost all the popular idols in Korea together. Try to imagine, Kangta, FinKL, ShinHwa, Click-B, Baby Vox, Ha Ri-Su, and many more are all in one single film! If you are a K-Pop fan, merely the cast list is already the biggest allurement for you to get the film. The story of this film is quite illogical and whimsical. The Korean government is afraid that pop singers and their songs are having too much political influence, that the chief secretary has decided to pass a new law called "emergency measure 19" in which every pop singer in the country is to be arrested and jailed. The establishment of such insane... [read more]
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