What images appear in your head when you think of South Korea's neighbor North Korea? Likely candidates that come to mind are stoic behavior, dictatorship, and sad faces. Maybe you'll change your mind a little bit after you meet a unique North Korean super spy who shows us a somewhat different side of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Spy Girl.

Clinging to the recipe made popular through My Sassy Girl, Spy Girl introduces its male protagonist Ko Bung (Gong Yoo) with his narration of events that have occurred earlier. We get to know him as a shy somewhat silly high school student who is still looking for the girl that will change his life. He is invited to a party under the condition that he show up with a girlfriend, but has a drink or two too much after he is let down by a temporary girlfriend stand-in. Just when he is about to become the victim of a not-too-friendly street gang, a caped female arrives out of the blue to save the day and give his life a long-needed twist.

Once again, this Korean comedy succeeds through its intriguing premise: the encounter of two very different yet interesting individuals charmingly portrayed by Kim Jung Hwa and Gong Yoo.
Of course, viewers get to see plenty of female protagonist Hyo Jin's super deadly martial arts and weapon skills with which she decimates her enemies as if they didn't exist. What's more, you are also invited to watch in amusement as she becomes the spotlight of numerous secret admirers who line up neatly just to see her on duty with her trademark smile at Burger King.

As in other films from this light comedy genre, real romance and seriousness take a backseat in Spy Girl to let you enjoy the more trivial fun and excitement. The action, though limited to the level of a drill at a combat simulation park and a confrontation in which Hyo Jin teaches her jealous manager (Nam Sang Mi in a memorable supporting role) a lesson, is always well-paced and never boring. Overall, I had a good time watching this over-the-top spy comedy which maintains the amusement factor at a high level for most of its running time.