thebanquet

I'm a huge fan of director Kang Woo Suk and his films such as 'Two Cops' and 'Silmido'. The 'Public Enemy' series is unique in the fact that South Korean films rarely have a franchise because even if the first film is a hit, the second and third films flop.(for example, My Wife is a Gangster and Hi Dharma.) 'Public Enemy3'is more of a direct sequel to the first movie(because in the second one, the main character's job and history is all changed), and it was okay, but not great like the first one.

The film follows the story of our hero Kang Chul Joong(Seol Kyong Gu, who is brilliant as usual), who is sick of being a cop because the job is dangerous and pays almost nothing, not to mention his credit is way down so he can't even get a loan from the bank. He decides to quit until his old boss(Kang Shil Il, who participated in this movie despite the fact that he has cancer)calls him up for one last investigation. A high school student who murdered a local businessman was found dead in his school. As detective Kang investigates more closely, he finds out that the mastermind is Lee Won Sool(Jeong Jae Young), president of Geo Seong Enterprises, which on the outside is a regular corporation owning restaurants, construction firms and night clubs but on the inside, trains top fighting high school students to be ruthless gangsters. As Kang delves deeper into the case, Won Sool hatches a plan to stop both Kang and the case for good..........

The best thing about this movie is that it points out the problems of teenagers in society, who think that it's just cool to fight and beat up innocent people. It shows us that being a gangster isn't cool, it's like digging your own grave. The problem is the comic parts. I understand that director Kang Woo Suk called this movie 'a mixture from the previous Public Enemy films with his early movies like TwoCops', but comedy just doesn't work with a thriller like this with such a serious topic. People might just ignore the message this movie is trying to send because there are just too many funny parts. I give this movie 8 stars because on the whole, I enjoyed it and hope for another Public Enemy film in the years to come, but I hope if another sequel does come out, director Kang returns to the more serious version of the first and second Public Enemy films.

I went to the theaters expecting a lot because 'Superman ieotdeon sanai'(The Man who was Superman)was Gianna Jun's latest film, her first Korean film that she filmed after her Hollywood debut 'Blood: The Last Vampire'. Her co star Hwang Jung Min, while unfamiliar to international movie fans, is known as a serious actor here in South Korea. I also liked the director Jung Yoon Chul, seeing both his previous films 'Marathon' and 'Shim's Family'. When I walked out of the theater, I was totally shattered with disappointment.

'Superman ieotdeon sanai' tells the story of third rate television producer Song Mi Na(Gianna Jun),who, in a last attempt to achieve fame and fortune, makes a documentary about a local townsman(Hwang Jung Min)who thinks that he is Superman. This 'Superman' claims that he is Kal El of Krypton, son of Jor El, and that he can't use his superpowers because the evil Lex Luthor implanted a bit of Kyrptonite inside his head. So he helps people in ways like carrying heavy luggage for the elderly, getting rid of perverts in front of local high schools and standing upside down in an attempt to push Earth away from the Sun to avoid a collision. At first, Mi Na just wants to use this man in order to make a smash hit documentary, but as time goes by, she starts to feel sympathy towards him and learns the real truth about his real life story........

The synopsis may sound interesting enough, but the movie itself was crap. Gianna Jun and Hwang Jung Min give great performances, but the movie feels like a skyscraper that looks magnificent from the outside but if you go inside it, there is so much work to be done. The story lines don't connect. One moment, this guy thinks he's Superman, next thing you know, he gets his memory back, and before you have time to figure out what happened, he dies. I have never felt time go by slower while watching a film at a theater. I can't connect with the characters like the director intended, I don't feel sympathy toward the characters and I ABSOLUTELY disliked the cinematography. They should have put more time and effort in making a major motion picture. It was released in theaters nationwide in less than three months after it first started filming.

I'm sure that when this movie gets released overseas, it will be promoted as a sad tearjerker starring 'Hallyu'star Gianna Jun, but don't let it fool you. This movie was a waste of my time and energy.

I had very high expectations of Seven Days because I'm a big fan of lead actress Kim Yun Jin and because it got great reviews from critics, who called it 'a Korean film version of CSI'. I left the movie theater disappointed, because while this movie is OKAY, it doesn't deserve the hype that the media is giving it. (Just to give this movie a little bit of background, it was originally titled 'Thursday's Child', starring Kim Sun Ah, who's best known in the hit drama 'My Name is Kim Sam Sun'. Production on the movie was halted after the director was fired by the production company over creative differences. After waiting a couple of weeks, Kim Sun Ah left the project because she didn't want to keep waiting. Already, 2.8million dollars, a big sum by Korean movie standards, were spent on the movie and luckily, renowned actress Kim Yun Jin agreed to do the movie if they filmed it in a short period of time so they hired a new director, fixed the script to fit Kim's age and changed the title to 'Seven Days'.)

The movie focuses around Yoo Ji Yun(Kim Yun Jin), a very able lawyer with a 99percent success rate. Because of her busy career, Ji Yun has little time to spend with her 8 year old daughter. When her daughter's school has their annual sports meeting, Ji Yun comes to spend time with her daughter. But while Ji Yun participates in a 100 meter relay race, her daughter suddenly disappears. The next day, a phone call arrives. The mysterious caller says that she must free Jung Chul Jin, a convicted murderer accused of murder. The final trial is in seven days, and if Ji Yun doesn't free Jung, she'll never see her daughter again.

The concept itself is interesting. I can see why Hollywood bought the remake rights for one million dollars(a large sum by Korean movie industry standards), but it's like a stale cake. On the outside, it looks like a normal cake and is delicious. But after you eat it, you have a terrible stomach ache. I give this movie 6 stars because, it's very fresh in our movie industry, but the story itself is too, how can I say it, anyways, it could've had more depth.(I guessed who the kidnapper was as soon as his or her face appeared on-screen. It turns out to be the mother of the woman that was murdered by Jung Chul Jin.)

I was the first person to pay to see 'D-War'.While I could've waited just one more day and see it at a huge multiplex near my home, I chose to go to a far, shabby theater to see 'D-War' just a couple of hours earlier. I was so looking forward to this. There have been lots of talks about D-War in Korea, director Shim Hyoung Rae's second shot at the international market after his 1999 film Yonggari(English title is 'Reptilian'). Filming, I heard, was finished in 2004 but post-production on special effects took such an enormous amount of time that people started to wonder whether D-War would ever be released. Anways, I went to see this movie with high expectations and it even exceeded my expectations, although in somewhat a peculiar way. Ethan Kendricks(Jason Behr)is a reporter for CGNN(I think this name is a rip-off of CNN). One day, he goes to cover the story of a mysterious accident site, and sees the scale of the monster 'Imooki', the monster which the mysterious Jack(Robert Forster)told him about. 500years earlier in ancient Korea, a girl called Narin was born. She had the tattoo of a dragon on her shoulder. She was the 'Yeouijoo'which Heaven sent down to earth. Legend has it that every 500years, a 'Imooki'is chosen among many to ascend to the heavens to become a dragon and must have the 'Yeouijoo'to do so. Heaven has sent Bochun and his apprentice Haram to protect Narin until the day she turns 20 and must be sacrificed to the good Imooki so that it can ascend to the heavens and bring peace to the world. But the evil Imooki 'Booraqui'and his Atrox army stormed the village on Narin's 20th birthday to take the Yeouijoo,killing everybody in their path. Haram is supposed to take Narin to the good Imooki but he defies Heaven's wishes and runs off with Narin. When Booraqui corners them on a cliff, they commit suicide.Haram is reborn as Ethan, Bochun is reborn as Jack and Narin is reborn as Sarah Daniels(Amanda Brooks in a surprisingly good performance) in the present day. Sarah is soon to turn 20, Ethan deduces, so he must find her before Booraqui and his followers do. With the help of his faithful cameraman Bruce(Craig Robinson in a hilarious role), he tries to take Sarah to safety but get's caught by Booraqui's followers. Booraqui's general(Michael Shamus Wiles)ties Sarah up for sacrifice, but at that moment a shining light erupts from the necklace around Ethan's neck that Jack gave him and every single one of Booraqui's followers dies except the general. Eventually Ethan defeats the general and there's only Booraqui left. Then suddenly the good Imooki comes and fights with Booraqui. Ethan tries to run with Sarah but Sarah accepts her fate and gives the Yeouijoo to the good Imooki, who then becomes a dragon and defeats Booraqui. Many people say that D-War was a bum, that it's storyline is weak,special effects are bad and that the actor's performances are terrible. I beg to differ. The special effects are great. Sure it may not be 'Transformers'or 'Pirates of the Caribbean',but they had budgets over 150million dollars,didn't they? D-War's budget is estimated at 30million dollars, although the cost goes up when counting for the price of filming equipment because nobody loans advanced filming machinery in Korea. I especially liked the last battle scene between Booraqui and the good Imooki. The only flaw about the special effects were the flying monsters(I forgot what they were called...). While some say that their movements had the best quality, I think that it was a bit unreal compared to the slow movement of the Dudlers(these big fat walking dino-like monsters with blasting cannons on their backs that look a bit like stegasoraus without the spikes)and the monsters that Booraqui's Atrox army rode on.(again, I forgot what these were called, although they reminded me of raptors) The actors performances were better than written. I was especially impressed with Amanda Brooks's performance as Sarah Daniels. I hope she'll grow to the ranks of A-list stars like Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon. Robert Forster of course was spectacular like every movie he is in, Jason Behr's acting was above expectations and Craig Robinson did a fine job as Bruce. One thing disappointing, though, was that the movie just kind of flipped through the pages a bit too fast without explaining a bit more about the insides,for example, Sarah suddenly falls in love with Ethan, kisses him and says the line "It's not fare that fate is trying to take me away when I have only just met you". But on the whole, D-WAR was a supertacular movie. I never knew that our native Korean song 'Arirang' had such a wonderful tone before I heard it in the end of 'D-WAR'. I hope this is a smash hit in the USA. To Hollywood fans, please watch D-WAR.

Never Forever is a rare gem in the film industry, an art-house film enjoyable to watch on a Friday night. Though I think English native speakers might have a bit of a problem with the male lead Ha Jung Woo's English speaking ability, otherwise it's perfect. Sophie Lee(Vera Farmiga in a superb performance)is a white girl from a plain American family who marries Andrew(David McInnis),a successful Korean American lawyer from a high class family. The couple have a perfect life except for one thing. Andrew's sperms aren't strong enough for Sophie to have a baby. This one factor leads Andrew to attempt suicide.

Next we see Ji Ha. Ji Ha is an illegal immigrant who is saving money so that he can bring his girlfriend to America, but because he's living illegally, there are many things he can't do like selling his sperms to a clinic for a small amount of money. After being rejected by the clinic, he comes home depressed to find a strange white woman sitting in front of his doorstep with a dangerous proposal. Every time he has sex with her she'll give him 300dollars and if she gets pregnant he gets thirty thousand dollars in cash.

That white woman is Sophie. Seeing as getting pregnant was the only choice to make her husband happy, she buys Ji-Ha's sperms after seeing him by chance at the clinic. What started as a strict business relationship starts turning into passionate love.

I will stop here about the plot because if I write more,it'll probably become a spoiler but the main reason I liked this movie wasn't the plot. It was the superb performances of Vera Farmiga and Ha Jung Woo(a relatively unknown in the international movie industry, having bit parts in acclaimed director Kim Ki Duk's film 'Time'and 'Breath'.)I've only seen Vera Farmiga in 'The Departed' and 'Running Scared',yet the depth she put into Sophie was something I rarely see an actor or actress perform. Not to mention full frontal nudity. Not many actresses like to take their clothes off even if it's necessary and if they do, they ask for tons of money but Vera willingly did it in a three million dollar low-budget film. Ha Jung Woo is, how can I say it, a phenomenon. I knew he was good looking after seeing him in 'The Fox Family'(not many actors look good when they're dressed like a total nitwit.)but didn't know the extent of his acting abilities. His English tongue is not perfect,sure,but how many actors can act so well speaking a language that they're not completely fluent in? I cried my eyes out during one scene where he whispers into Vera's ear "Saranghaeyo"(in English it means "I love you"), the only Korean line he speaks .

Overall, Never Forever is a fantastic film. Go check it out when it opens(if it opens)in a theater near you.(It's also worth knowing that the theme for the movie was composed by Michael Nyman, the man behind the music for The Piano,directed by Jane Campion.)

I wasn't expecting much when I went to the theaters to see this movie. The only reason I watched this was because I was bored to death, there were no other movies and because of Drew Barrymore's acting.(I loved her in her previous film 'Fever Pitch'.) Hugh Grant was a good actor, but every time I see him on screen, I keep thinking about Daniel Cleaver.(the character that he plays in Bridget Jones Diary) All my prejudices were blown away after I saw this movie.

The movie tells the story of a washed up singer Alex Fletcher(Hugh Grant),who was a legendary singer in the 80s,yet now makes his living by singing in amusement parks, reunions and so on. He is surprised when his manager Chris tells him that the hit teen idol Cora Corman(Haley Bennett)is a huge fan of his, and wants to do a song with him. There is only one catch. He must write the song himself and in three days! Alex, who is gifted in composing but not in writing lyrics, enlists the help of Sophie Fischer(Drew Barrymore), a gifted lyricist who comes to water his plants.............

People who disliked this movie attacked it by saying that it's a cliché movie and that somebody who looks like a grandpa(meaning Hugh Grant)is still doing lead roles while he should let the new generation rise. Well, I say, who cares? I mean sure Hugh may be a bit old and wrinkly, but it's not like he does a 30year old handsome virgin. He plays his age. And about the cliché thing, I mean, the story is a bit predictable,but does the story have to be new even if the old ones are still good? I mean, there are plenty of movies that have new topics that I found distasteful.(for example, Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu's Babel and the controversial Korean military film, The Unforgiven.)

Overall, great acting,good story and splendid music. A must see so I'm giving it a 10.

When I first heard about the movie Eragon, I immediately ran to a nearby bookstore and bought the original novel and devoured it before going to the theaters to watch the movie,because I thought that the story would be hard to understand given the gap between the book's length and the movie's running time.(I have experienced this while watching Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring) While I was disappointed that the movie cut out some important details and characters, I was astonished with the rest of the film.

I don't care what other people think. Some of the harsh reviews that other fellow movie fans wrote cited that Eragon is just another copy from Lord of the Rings. I agree that there are characters similar between the two, yet I think that all modern fantasy novels are influenced by The Lord of the Rings. You can see them in many books, including the world wide known Harry Potter series. So why do people not criticize other fantasy novel movies? Yes, I would have to say that the battle scenes are similar, but nowadays every movie is influenced by one another, so you can't blame the special effects department.(some reviews that reporters in my home country argued with this issue)

Yet there is one thing that I have to agree with the anti Eragon movie fans. The special effects and costume,scenery, the acting(Edward Speelers does a much better job than most young actors)are superb, but the storyline and characters have shrunk too much from the original novel. It is all to vast to write, but I was most disappointed with that the Twins(the magicians that envies and jeers Eragon when he joins the Varden)were wiped out, as were Katrina(Eragon's cousin Roran's lover),Jormundur(Ajihad's second in command)and Solembum(the were cat that the fortune teller Angela). Where as the Lord of the Rings trilogy had each at least 150minutes of running time, Eragon has less than two hours, too little for a book over 900pages.

But as in every movie that is based on a book,running time can't be blamed with. Although I don't like it, I also understand that it is inevitable to cut lots of scenes if you are going to make a novel into a movie. So I think that Eragon is one of the best, if not the best,book based movie there is.

Let me just say that I was very happy when I first heard that in Jopog manura 3,Shu Qi was going to replace Shin Eun Kyung as the lead role. Although I have nothing against Shin Eun Kyung, I feel that the character of a female gangster requires just more than having a scary face. I was very disappointed when I saw Jopog manura and Jopog manura 2. I expected something truly funny with tons of mega kick action, but it turned out to be just another cliché Korean gangster film. But Jopog manura 3 is totally different from it's predecessors, having the right mix of comedy,action,and melodrama.(although I think that this movie should change it's title, given that the movie itself is totally different from it't title.)

Jopog manura 3 revolves around Ah Ryoung(Qi Shu), who is framed of murdering a crime boss from a rival gang to her father's. When her father(a spectacular performance from Lung Ti who starred in the legendary Hong Kong film "A Better Tomorrow")tells her to evacuate Hong Kong until the heat dies down, she chooses to go to South Korea, a country where her unknown mother was born. A Korean mob boss, who is friendly with Ah Ryoung's father, orders his third in charge Ki Chul(played by Lee Bum Soo, star of "The City of Violence" and "Oh Brothers")to protect Ah Ryoung during her stay. What started as a mutual relationship between Ki Chul and Ah Ryoung slowly develops into passionate love.

If I say more, I would be adding spoilers so I'll stop right here. But let me just say again that Jopog Manura 3 was the best movie that I have seen in a long time.

Director Park Chan Wook is known for creating very eccentric films, including his widely known 'vengeance trilogy'. In the interviews that he had with the Korean press, he said that he made 'Saibogujiman kwenchana'because he wanted to take it easy after finishing his vengeance trilogy. While it is definitely much less violent and different from his previous films, it certainly has a strong touch that separates director Park from the average movie director.

The storyline is simple,yet it is something that has never been tried before. Two patients at a mental hospital fall in love with each other. Young Goon(brilliantly played by Lim Soo Jung)is a patient who thinks she's a cyborg, having a strong dislike towards doctors(because they took away her grandmother when she was young)and not eating food for fear that her robot-body would break down. Il Soon(played by the sensational singer Rain)is a patient who thinks that he can steal other people's abilities and has a fear of being demolished from the world.

It's simple yet complicated because there are twists and turns everywhere that Park leaves unexplained. It's not your average blockbuster, I don't even know if foreigners would like this movie,seeing as that Lim Soo Jung and Rain are not famous in the western world.(although Rain was named one of the 100most influential people by Time Magazine last year) But in a world where the film industry is running out of ideas, this film is definitely outstanding, unlike the average cliché Korean love stories filled with Cinderella stories and triangular relationships. How many people could think up such a beautiful love story that takes place at a mental hospital? After watching this film, I truly understand why Park Chan Wook is a great film director. He's not the kind of director that only directs safe,cash-guaranteed blockbusters. He's the sort of director(like Kim Ki Duk)who takes a challenge and tries to create a new chapter in cinema history. Already rumors are spreading in Korea that this film is a front runner for next year's Cannes International Film Festival. Although I think it is totally a rumor, I do wish that this competes at Cannes, a festival that elevated Park into worldwide fame.

While Radio Star wasn't a smash-hit here in Korea, it had a surprising long run. Being a big fan of Park Joong Hoon and Ahn Sung Kee, I went to see the movie without getting my hopes up about the storyline. Little did I know that I was to be proved wrong. Radio Star is a story about a washed-out singer Choi Gon and his agent Park Min Soo. Choi Gon was a superstar in the 80s, yet in the present year 2006, his only job is singing at a second rate cafe. His manager Min Soo spends his hours covering up for all the drunk driving and illegal drug cases that Choi Gon blew. When he runs out of ideas to borrow money, the only solution for Choi Gon is to become a radio DJ in the small town of YongWol. Gon whines and complains, still thinking of himself as the star that he was in the 80s, unfit for a low job as a radio DJ. But surprisingly, his radio program becomes a legend in the city of YongWol. I'll say this, it's not a movie that you'll come out of the theater thinking that you had the time of your life. Radio Star isn't like that. It's the kind of story that will never get a wide release in Hollywood. But if you want to see a movie that will teach you about the real friendship that is lost in the present world, I suggest that you see this movie.

Movies about gambling are very rare in Korea,and none have been a smash hit. I myself didn't expect to be impressed with the film Tajja,which is based on the hit comic with the same name. Coming out of the theater, I thought it was the best movie I have ever seen. The story revolves around KimGonni(Cho Seung Woo),who loses all his money to a tajja while playing the traditional Korean gambling game 'Hwatoo'. For a while he just visits illegal gambling centers,hoping to catch the tajja who took all his money. Coincidentally he happens to cross the most skilled tajja in the country,PyoungGyoungJang(Baek Yoon Sik).Becoming Pyoung's apprentice,Gonni learns the skills and tricks,becoming a master tajja himself and earning loads of money.While he promised PyoungGyoungJang that he will retire once he earned five times the money he lost,he just can't seem to stop playing hwatoo.But the world of gambling is not pleasant as it looks........ I don't want to be critical,but all the comic based Korean movies that I have seen sucked, including the horror film 'Apartment'and 'Dasaeposonyu'. 'Tajja'was different. It carried on the story so swiftly and interesting that the running time of about 140minutes just passed swiftly like the wind. I was especially impressed with Yoo Hae Jin,who plays Gonni's friend tajja Ko Gwang Ryol, and, like all the people who've seen this movie,Kim Hae Soo, who plays Madame Jung,a woman who organizes planned gambling games with tajjas. I hope there will be a sequel,because 'Tajja'totally changed my view of Korean movies.

When I first heard that the movie King and the Clown was being made, I thought that it wouldn't be very interesting. But it was so good. Directed by Lee Joon Ik(a quite well known director in our country,though not in overseas),King and the Clown tells about a love story between two courters and the triangular relationship between them and the king.(of course,unlike what many foreign audiences might think,although the king,his concubine and Kong Gil are real people,the story itself is 100% made up)What was most astonishing about this movie was that,it showed the passionate love between the two male jesters without showing any sexual scenes.(I liked Brokeback Mountain,but not it was too explicit)And the choreography,costumes etc were so beautifully made with a low budget(around 4.5million dollars). Finally I see a well made Korean movie that was very interesting even without any star actors.

I first saw Jackie Chan in the Hollywood film'Rush Hour2'which was pretty interesting.But my uncle,who is a movie critic,told me that a true Jackie Chan fan must see the hit film 'Drunken Master'. Over the years I saw many Jackie Chan films,both Hollywood,Chinese,and even a Korean movie but none could compare itself to the legendary 'Drunken Master'series. To be honest, I was very disappointed by Jackie's recent Hollywood films,including 'The Medallion'and 'Around the World in 80days'.None of his Hollywood films could compete with 'Drunken Master'. 'Rob B Hood'opened in theaters in my native land Korea the same day as in Hong Kong. Because it was edited into 110minutes from the original 134minute version,there were many scenes that just non understandable,but on the whole,if you watch this film,Jackie Chan is back to his original Chinese roots. The jokes and action are like the ones in 'Drunken Master'. Of course,recently Jackie Chan made a statement that he wouldn't act any more action films, but I hope to see him in many more films like Rob B Hood. Cheers to the one man in Asia whom even Hollywood superstars look up to.