Dropped like a hot potato - Successful story of a bright girl (2002)

This is a new series of posts, for all the dramas I dropped recently and don’t indent to finish watching. 

It is one of the classic Korean dramas that made more or less Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara famous. I was prepared for the awful early 2000s fashion – I haven’t watched a series/movie that has escaped from that - and more predictable story line. I’ve watched old movies and dramas and if they had that extra factor to make them timeless, I loved them to pieces. And this is where the problem lies with this case. Successful story of a bright girl didn’t age well. 

It sets the tone and expectations from the first minutes, where a girl dreams of fighting school boys to protect her prince while the swan lake music plays in the background. Try to picture that. We have the standard jerk male lead, Ki Tae, and the standard country pumpkin female lead, Soo Ki. Their first meeting is with him falling with a parachute into the bathtub she is washing herself outside the yard of her house. He certainly knew how to make an entrance. Anyway, her parents have a huge debt so she agrees to work as a housemaid to repay that, because her bold and brave parents run away. So, we have several shenanigans between out hot-tempered hero and the equally hot-tempered heroin.

One of my biggest complains is the lack of chemistry. In the reviews I read, they compiented about the chemistry between Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk. I didn’t see it. At all. I could have watched this drama despite all the other misgivings, if the chemistry worked. But it didn’t. I understand that this is an older drama and things were less explicit then than now – if you can say that now they are explicit in comparison. For me, the body language didn’t show that. 

Here the actors were pretty much newbies, so the acting is the strongest, however the direction isn’t doing anyone any favors. And when we have the fashion and the music combined, well then, my eyes hurt a bit. When it comes to writing this isn’t a very eventful drama. An episode can pass by and almost nothing that moves the plot or the characters happens. And the characters are one dimensional and not that charming or winning. And in the second half it went to corporation drama territory, which was blah.
I think I wrote too many words for a drama I didn’t even like. If you want to watch it proceed at your own risk.

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City Hunter (2011) - Review

My comeback review is a very well known Korean drama, City Hunter. If you asked me how I can not have watched it before, you would be right. But as it always happens with me, I full my hard drives (yes plural) with all the dramas I want to watch and some are forgotten in some dark corner. This past few months I am trying a massive hard drive clean up and I have rediscovered some of the dramas I wanted to watch for the longest time.

What is this about:

In 1983, 21 South Korean military operatives are sent into North Korea on a secret mission. After completing their mission, they are executed by their own side by a government cover-up. The sole survivor, Lee Jin Pyo, takes his best friend’s son and raise him as his own to take revenge on the men responsible. Some twenty years later Lee Yoon Seong returns to Korea with one goal in mind: to find and bring down the five men responsible for the murder of his father. While bringing these men down, he also brings justice and he is given the nickname “City Hunter”.

My review:

It is considered one of the most popular kdramas and rightfully so. It had a combination of things, directing, writing, acting, and that extra x factor that makes everything click together and I think it is a very nice choice if you want to introduce kdramas to someone who like adventure/romance. It is very Korean, but at the same time it has a more international appeal, I think, due to the very skilled directing.

Yoon Seong aka City Hunter

Yoon Seong (Lee Min Ho) is more on the cleaner side of heroes/vigilantes. He has a weak arrogant persona in the day and a more heroic in the night, reminding a bit of Clark Kent/Superman, Bruce Wayne/Batman, a trope I simply love. The reason why this hero grew to me was his reason for not killing his enemies. He wanted to bring these people to justice so that their families will know the truth and won’t want to retaliate. Would this character benefit from a better actor? Probably yes. But I have to say that this is one of the best Lee Min Ho’s performances, maybe the best. The role had so many layers, from playful kid, to dutiful son that wants his father’s approval, to a hero, and he made the effort to embrace all of it. Really I miss the rawness Lee Min Ho showed in his acting here.  

Jin Pyo smiling at his best friend before hell broke loose

The other important character (and maybe more important that the city hunter himself) is Jin Pyo (Km Sang Joon). He was the emotional and intellectual force of this show. His story is tragic, one of the most tragic ones I have seen in dramas, and has scared him deeply to the point of no return. He treats Yoon Seong only as a tool to revenge, even though he supposedly raised him as his son. He wants the men responsible for the death of his comrades dead and he will do anything to achieve that, even break poor Yoon Seong’s heart. 

Yoon Seong’s relationship with his mother (Yoon Ye Hee) is a rocky one. Jin Pyo stole her little baby so he can train him as a human weapon and she is left alone to deal with the consequences. When Yoon Seong returns to Korea, he is with the impression that she didn’t want him, so it took him a while to know the truth and to deal with his own feelings. 

Nana (Park Min Young), the female lead, has her own heartbreaking story. But the reason why I love her is that she is honest with her feelings and has her own sense of right and wrong. She doesn’t convince me as a bodyguard, but her personality is so winning that I am not going to let it bother me that much. 

Prosecutor Yeong Ju (Lee Joon Hyuk) is the epitome of passionate advocate of law and justice. He wants to believe in the system and tries his best to work with it to bring the bad people to justice. But he is not a crystal white prosecutor. He has his own secrets that play significant role to why he behaves the way he does. One could say that he is the other side of the coin when it comes to City Hunter. While City Hunter uses not so legal ways to find evidence, Yeong Ju uses what City Hunter gives him to enforce the law. Their core beliefs are the same and, if they could get past their differences, they could be a team to be reckoned with. Also, I loved the intensity the actor brought to his character and I honestly can’t picture anyone else in his shoes.

City Hunter literally delivered the corrupted politician in a box

But all these talented actors could be wasted if the writing was not so good. But it is good. It is very good. Besides the strong multidimensional characters, what impressed me was the handling of revenge. In these types of dramas, usually there is a bid bad that our hero tries to overthrow and after twelve-fourteen episodes we have the resolution which can sometimes be anticlimactic. After so many hours of watching, was he beaten only in like twenty minutes? Here the writer used a group of five people as the bad guys, so the hero beats them one by one in the course of the drama. This resulted in a sense of progress, he is not trying to outsmart one guy for sixteen episodes, but five of them, one at a time. Also, it led to the bad guys being delivered to the prosecutor in sometimes funny ways. 

It had some beautifully shot scenes in Thailand

Last but not least, the directing made all of these work. The director was sure about what story he wanted to say and how to say. He did have a problem with effective cliffhangers in the first part of the drama, but he improved. He delivered one of the strongest first episodes in dramaland and an equally strong final episode, which is not an easy accomplishment. The final five minutes or so are a bit choppy, though, but I won’t fault the directing due to live shooting. Of course, the director had an expensive production behind him to support his vision and it really shows in the first two episodes.

One of my favorite scenes in the whole drama

Why you should watch:

• A revenge drama done right.

• Great writing. The writer created a full world with multidimensional characters.

• The revenge is not centered on one person, but five, thus creating progression and climax.

• It starts out strong and it finishes out strong – this is not always the case and should not be treated as guaranteed.

• Lee Min Ho delivers a raw performance, maybe his best. His hero is also very well written.

• We have the father of the decade in the face of Jin Pyo – excellent performance by Kim Sang Joon.

• Strong confident direction that delivers not only intellectually and emotionally but also visually.

Why not to watch:

• Well, if you are not into this type of dramas.

Final verdict:

10/10. One of the best dramas in revenge/action genre. I even recommended it even to those who don’t like that much the genre or Korean dramas in general.

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Friends The great legacy (2013) - Review

The sequel to the classic movie “Friend” from back 2001 took 12 years to come. I think it worked for the best, because the director was conscious about the things he wanted to say and how to portray them.

What is this about:

Directed and written by Kwak Kyung Taek. Star Yu Oh Seong, Kim Woo Bin, Joo Jin Mo.
17 years after the end of the previous movie, Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is released from the prison and he faces a different world from what he remembered. In prison he meets Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin), son of one his high school friends and they form a father-son bond. Together they will try to change the status quo in the current leadership of the gang.

My review:

I think the best equivalent to this sequel is Godfather II. Like Coppola, Kwak Kyung-taek changed the focus from the four teenage friends of the first movie and their coming of age tale to Lee Joon Suk’s tale of regret and redemption. With the introduction of Choi Sung Hoon, he created parallels between different generations of gangsters.

Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is a born leader. He comes out of prison, sees that he is replaced by Eun Gi and starts to plan how to take back the leadership. But at the same time he is filled with guilt and regret about the last movie’s events and wants somehow to redeem himself. This is where Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) enters, reminding him of himself and his bestfriends. Yu Oh Seong is a wonderful actor and, like a good wine, he became even better with time. He managed to express so much emotion and complexity with his eyes, face expressions and body language, without overacting. Kudos.

Choi Sung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin) is a rebellious and troublemaker young man. He has his reasons for his violence, namely a lack of proper father figure. In Joon Suk he finds the closest to a father and he formed a heartwarming relationship (kinda) with him. As much as I like Kim Woo Bin, he posed more often than he acted in this movie. Honestly, I expected more intensity from him.

Friends 2 is Kwak Kyung Taek’s work as much as the first one was. Yes, it is more polished, better camera work, higher quality image. But it still has its director’s unique style of storytelling and world building. What I found interesting was the parallel between Joon Suk and Sung Hoon. The first represents the old school gangster, who builds families and loyalty means more to him than money, while the second is newer generation that thinks everything can be bought with money. Different views, different eras.  What stayed the same is how gangster life is presented. Many times we see on the silver and small screen gangsters being glorified and shown as really cool guys. Here, they are tragic figures that cannot break free from the circle of violence.

Why you should watch:

• One of the best gangster movies.

• The unique directing of Kwak Kyung Taek.

• Very good performances from most of the actors – Yu Oh Seong is excellent as Lee Joon Suk.

• Well choreographed fight scenes.

• Those who liked Godfather II might enjoy it.

Why not to watch:

• If you don’t like gangster movies.

• The direction is not for everyone.

• It has a lot of violence and mention of sex and drugs.

Final verdict:

8/10. A thoughtful sequel to the classic that doesn’t recycle the success of the previous, but delivers its own theme. Yu Oh Seong carries the movie on his shoulders masterfully and deserves your time watching this movie.

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A company man (2012) - Review

A gritty movie with the always amazing So Ji Sub? Yes, this movie is as good as it sounds.

What is this about:

Directed by Im Sang Yoon. Written by Im Sang Yoon. Star So Ji Sub, Lee Mi Yeon, Kwak Do Won, Kim Dong Jun.
Hyeong Do (So Ji Sub) is an employer for a metal fabrication company, that is a hit man. He is regarded as one of the best and will be promoted, until he meet a single mother (Lee Mi Yeon) and starts to question many things about his life.

My review:

I love So Ji Sub. I first encountered him in the movie “Always” (I think I will rewatch this for the millionth time) and then in the drama “Master’s sun” (I want to rewatch this too), and it took me some time to realize it was the same actor. He really transforms into his role, and this movie is no exception.

Hyeong Do (So Ji Sub) sees like a typical employer of a big company, wearing impeccable suits and coming to his work every day. But he works as a hitman and “clears out” the competition. There is not much information about his character. We don’t learn about his past, his family, if he has anyone he cares about. The dialogs between him and the other characters don’t give much. But So Ji Sub did an amazing job crafting this character. He looks timid, not very social, he doesn’t talk much, like a sympathetic, even sensitive, guy who has a little difficulty expressing himself. But in reality he is like a time bomb, takes everything in, and eventually he will blow up.

There are many other characters that play important role, but if I were to talk about them, I would probably give a few plot twists. Let’s just say that most of them have a more important role than what they appear to be at first. That’s what is so nice about the movie.

The direction is sleek and meticulous. The fight scenes are very well choreographed, showing the brutality of this profession without getting too graphic. The non-fight scenes are accompanied with well chosen music score that gives an extra rhythm and the feeling that something more is coming – which it does. One thing that confused me was the transition between present and past. Up until a point in the movie I was really confused if the scene I was watching was happening now or it was a flashback and I had to wait for the next scene to understand what was going on. But that is a good thing, too. The director expects your attention and tells his story accordingly. Also, there is a little black humor here and there. Like stepping out bloodied and hit, but still correcting his tie.

Why you should watch:

• So Ji Sub in a gritty thriller.

• Excellent directing with sleek use of the camera.

• Nicely choreographed fight scenes.

• Clever scenario that wants your attention.

• Very good performances from all the actors and actresses.

Why not to watch:

• If action thrillers are not your style.

• There is a lot of violence.

• The transition between present and past might confuse you.

Final verdict:

9/10. A gritty action thriller with excellent performances and directing and many plot twists. Highly recommended. 

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Must date the playboy (2015) - Review

“Must date the playboy” is an adaptation from a wattpad story (you can find more about wattpad in Wikipedia) and it was relished as four web episodes and later as a movie. This is the third collaboration of Kim Chiu and Xian Lim that I watch and their chemistry is still strong.

What is this about:

Directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar. Star Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Jessy Mendiola
Tori (Kim Qiu) is an everyday girl that works as personal assistant for her best friend, Chloe (Jessy Mendiola), and wishes to open her own cupcake shop. Chloe is dating the notorious playboy Zack (Xian Lim) and breaks up with him when she sees him dancing with another girl. When she returns to Philippines back from the U.S. with her new boyfriend, she persuades Tori to date Zack, so he cannot become a problem to her relationship. 

My review:

This was fun. It is a very cliché story, but it never took itself too seriously and it was unapologetically funny. Compared to their other movie collaborations, like Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo and Bride for rent, this is not as good, but it is good enough to spend your two hours.

Tori (Kim Chiu) is the sweetest. Kim Chiu brings her usual cuteness and mannerisms making the character very charming and endearing. She makes to-do-lists for everything, even to find her prince charming. She is a bit pushover when it comes to her best friend Chloe, and cannot say no to her. Her efforts to date Zach are really funny.

Chloe (Jessy Mendiola) is the master mind behind this plan. She is a spoiled princess and used to get everything the way she wants them. Towards the end she came close to the dark side but she redeems herself, cause in reality she is a good person, just spoiled.

Zach (Xian Lim) is a certified playboy. When Tori approaches him, as per Chloe orders, he agrees so he can be close to Chloe. The player becomes the played and vice versa. He too has issues with his father – is this some kind of trend in pinoy movies? Xian Lim, I have to admit, is not one of the most talented actors out there. But when his character falls in love, you can tell from miles away, I have to give him that.

Last but not least, Nathan is the third bestie of Tori and Chloe, and most of the time he acts as the third perspective in this mess. He sees things more clearly and is hilarious in his reactions.

The production values are not as good as their previous movies, perhaps because this is was aimed as a mini web series. Also, the writing is simple full of clichés and the characterization of the characters is paper-thin, while the direction is standard. But it is a charming little funny movie, thanks to the three leads.

Why you should watch:

• If you like romantic comedies.

• If you enjoyed

• The chemistry is enjoyable, as always.

• Nice youthful background music.

• If you want two relaxing hours.

Why not to watch:

• If you don’t like romantic comedies.

• The writing and directing are very simple.

• It is full of clichés.

• Paper-thin characters.

• Can see what is going to happen from miles away.

Final verdict:

6/10. Nice funny movie if you want to spend two relaxing hours and nothing more.

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