Korean Movies are a great break from Korean Dramas. It gives you all the subtitles and good looking actors that K-Dramas provide but in a more digestible dose. Plus, movies are an easy way to get your non-drama watching family and friends to open their minds to foreign entertainment. I've gotten more into watching movies and I must say that I am impressed with many of the movies from Korea. Here are short reviews on a few of the movies I've seen.
Friend
Year Released: 2001
Cast: Yu Oh Seong, Jang Dong Gun, Seo Tae Hwa, Jung Woon Tae
Where I Watched: Hulu
One Sentence Synopsis: Old friends become enemies as they get caught up in the gang life.
Mini Review: I couldn't pass up on the chance to watch a classic movie that people are still talking about. It was a good movie but it wasn't as fluid as I thought it could have been and some moments made me uncomfortable but that's what I get for watching an R-rated movie. Anyway, it was a good gangster movie and a good show of friendship and how it can change in a second.
My Tutor Friend
Year Released: 2003
Cast: Kim HaNeul, Kwon Sang-Woo
Where I Watched: YouTube
One Sentence Synopsis: A college student becomes the tutor for a high school student that is the same age as her.
Mini Review: This movie was bit hard to digest, part that might have been from the horrible quality while watching and part of it might be that it was adapted from an internet series so the movie writers decided to smash as many events as possible in the time allotted. Anyway, the pacing of events was a bit off to me, however the events that occurred were entertaining, so I think it's a movie worth watching.
Please Teach Me English
Year Released: 2003
Cast: Jang Hyuk, Lee Na-Young
Where I Watched: DramaFever
One Sentence Synopsis: A woman falls in love with a man in her English class, but can't really get him to take his focus off their foreign teacher.
Mini Review: It was funny with just the right amount of romance added in. It was also interesting to see the process (however exaggerated) of learning English as a second language.
200 Pounds Beauty
Year Released: 2006
Cast: Kim Ah Joong, Joo Jin Mo, Ji Seo-Yun, Sung Dong Il
One Sentence Synopsis: A romantic comedy that takes a fat girl to a skinny pretty girl with a lot of plastic surgery.
Where I Watched: Hulu
Mini Review: It was funny and endearing. It also gave thoughtful commentary about the pressures to be thin in the entertainment industry despite being talented.
My Tutor Friend 2
Year Released: 2007
Cast: Park Min Ki, Lee Chung Ah
Where I Watched: Hulu
One Sentence Synopsis: A Korean college student tries to tutor a foreigner living at his dad's boarding house in Korean.
Mini Review: For the most part this was a cute and funny movie, there was only one event that threw it off for me. Park Min Ki's character, Jong Man, is supposed to have been a really great boxer but gave it up. The event that kind of hindered the flow of the movie, to me, was when he returned to boxing. It was a bit out of place, other than that I thought it was a fun movie.
Crazy Waiting
Year Released: 2008
Cast: Son Tae Young, Jang Geun Suk, Jang Hee Jin, Danny Ahn, Yu In Young, Kim Sam Ho, Han Yeao Reum, and Woo Seung Min
Where I Watched: YouTube
One Sentence Synopsis: Four couples try to stay together as the men serve their mandatory military service.
Mini Review: This was another movie that I felt lacked flow. I know that it was in the anthology style focusing on multiple couples at one time so it wasn't going to be the most fluid movie, but I still feel there was a way to make the movie less choppy.
19-Nineteen
Year Released: 2009
Cast: T.O.P., Seungri, Huh Yi Jae, Kim Young Ho
Where I Watched: DramaFever
One Sentence Synopsis: A coming of age tale of three teenagers accused of murder.
Mini Review: I consider this a good starter movie and Big Bang fans will be pleased with T.O.P and Seungri's acting skills. I thought it was well written and I thought it was very relatable. I am no longer 19 but I still feel growing pains as I am moving into adulthood. I thought this issue was addressed in a very creative and suspenseful way.
Mr. Idol
Year Released: 2009
Cast: Park Ye Jin, Ji Hyun Woo, Kim Su Ro, Lim Won Hee, Jay Park, Jang Seo Won, Kim Randy
Where I Watched: Hulu
One Sentence Synopsis: The pains of becoming an idol condensed into a movie.
Mini Review: It was pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed watching it. It addressed common place problems within the music industry in Korea, so the situations that came about and how they were resolved weren't necessarily shocking but the movie was well written and the acting was pretty good. I wished they would have addressed the stories of the other boy band members a little more.
My Girlfriend Is an Agent
Year Released: 2009
Cast: Kim Ha Neul, Kang Ji Hwan, Jang Yeong Nam, Ryoo Seung Ryo
Where I Watched: Hulu
One Sentence Synopsis: Two exes meet again as enemy agents.
Mini Review: This movie was hilarious. I laughed the whole time.
The Man from Nowhere
Year Released: 2010
Cast: Won Bin, Kim Sae Ron, Kim Hee Won, Kim Sung Oh, Kim Tae Hoon, Lee Jong l, Thanayong Wongtrakul
Where I Watched: DramaFever
One Sentence Synopsis: A girl gets kidnapped by gangsters after her mother is killed, and he next door neighbor starts kicking butt to get her back.
Mini Review: This was actually my first taste of Korean action films. It was so legit! The back story, the fighting, the villains. At no point was I bored, disappointed, or felt lost. After watching it I fully understood why it was such a popular movie, it was action packed and not did the villain but also the hero sent chills up my spine. Kim Sae Ron also displayed the talent that would carry her into her current status as a promising child actress. Two thumbs up!
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