AMP Movie Rating

If someone were to ask me to summarize the plot of Twilight Gangsters very quickly the resulting premise would go “a movie about three senior citizens robbing a bank”.  This would immediately incite groans in anyone who was listening and rightfully so.  On the surface this movie sounds like it could be another cheesy Martin Lawrence in a fat suit-esque venture, but the reality is that director Kang Ho Jin manages to take a potentially unbearable plot and makes a movie that is funny, exciting, and touching.

The movie follows three senior citizens, Jung Ja (Na Moon Hee), Young Hee (Kim Soo Mi), and Shin Ja (Kim Hye Ok), as they try to save up money to go on their dream vacation to Hawaii.  They make their money by shop lifting from convenient stores and selling their stolen goods at discount prices.  The day finally comes when they have saved enough money to go on vacation.  Unfortunately, when they  go to deposit their money the bank gets robbed.  Due to a formality the bank refuses to re-inverse the ladies’ money and the police also provide no assistance.  The situation becomes dire when Jung Ja reveals that she is dying.  The women become determined to make it to Hawaii and conclude the only way to afford it is by robbing a bank.

The direction and screenwriting successfully blends genres together to to create a movie that does not get too sappy, too over the top, or too cheesy.  This is never an easy task to pull off, but this film manages to do it.  The real credit though should go to the three veteran actresses in the lead roles, who all turn in brilliant performances as their respected characters.  The depth of each character’s own personal problems is constantly on display in the expressions and actions of the actresses.  Added to this is the amazing chemistry between these three talented ladies.

There are a few exciting action sequences, but those who like Asian cinema for the blistering action and violent fight scenes may be disappointed by this film as all the action keeps itself firmly rooted in reality, with the exception of the grannies making a getaway on a motor cycle in such a way that it would put Steve McQueen to shame.  What it lacks in action, though, it makes up for in comedy and drama.

There are a couple of moments in the film that also might bring tears to ones eyes, especially the surprisingly realistic and some what sad ending.  I cannot say that I was caught off guard by this ending, though, as it fits in with the context of the film.

I cannot stress enough how bad this movie could have been.  It could have been a jumble of nonsensical gags of old ladies behaving unconventionally, but thanks to great direction, a screenplay that keeps itself somewhat rooted in reality, and great acting the film manages to be ferociously entertaining.  It blends humor, action and drama terrifically to create an overall memorable film.

This movie is not your typical Asian crime-drama nor is it a typical comedy.  Many will not like this film for one reason or another, but I myself found it to be a refreshingly funny drama that will choke you up at times and leave you with a positive feeling on life.

Stars Han-Seok Kyu (or shiri fame) as Captain Baek and Cha Seung-Won(better known for his turn in the excellent Blood Rain) as Hyun min.

Baek is the lead (and at times crazy) detective of the Korean special crimes department, looking to finish his career and move into the pest control business (don’t ask!). Known for his no holds barred approach to catching criminals Baek as just one blip on his impressive resume, and when a team of criminals robs a credit union transport vehicle in broad daylight (using Baek’s name to get away with the goods), Baeks plans to retire are quickly put to the backburner as he sets to find out who is behind the heist.

Hyun Min is the man responsible for the heist and is without doubt the highlight of this film, his turn as the criminal Hyun min as you supporting the villain instead of waiting for his downfall, He brings across a certain style (like a mix between the Yo Ji-tae’s wealthy unconventional bad guy plotting revenge in the fantastic “OldBoy” and Lee Byeong-Heons cool as ice hitman in the also splendid “Bittersweet Life” ) If you liked either of those characters you will love Won’s Hyun Min – A character who says very little yet accomplices much.

At the same time Seok Kyu brings a very mixed up detective to the plate, a character the audience finds very hard to understand or even comprehend. There are times his actions fall in the category of just plain crazy and It’s the lack of real development of this character that really hurts the film during the early stages, so much so that at times its very difficult to really pay attention to anything Baek does – his methodology seems too out of character for a detective that you are left feeling as though maybe Baek is the real criminal here.

Despite the problematic initial character development ‘Eye for an Eye’ is still a film worth sticking with as everything does start to make sense (assuming you are able to digest what’s been going on before)

The Story

After the heist the criminals set about spending some of their ‘hard earned’ cash (cue fancy cut scenes and cross over effects – nice; but completely unnecessary), they are then told to have some fun before getting away from Korea. But before they can go, Hyun Min must do one last thing.

This is when the story starts to really take shape. The real motive behind the heist is soon revealed and from casually watching a film which seems to be going nowhere, you soon find yourself studying the small details and the plan is finally revealed. A game of cat and mouse soon reveals itself with Baek constantly trying to track his man down, going to great lengths to catch all of the men responsible for the heist – even to the point of offering himself to another man (seriously – all with a purpose I might add ) The cat and mouse games and the careful planning by Hyun Min is what really keeps this film moving nicely, add to that a side story which in all honestly should have been the main attraction you have yourself a great 100 minutes of Korean entertainment.

Conclusion

And as the norm with Korean films the ending is really nicely put together. Although not a great Korean film this is still a recommended watch but still somewhat disappointing. On paper this film as everything going for it;

Two fantastic leads, a good story and some well known supporting actors, yet the film somehow manages to fall short of the mark.

For me the reason for this lays with how the story develops – there was the opportunity to take the story in a completely different direction focusing more on the criminals and the reasons behind the heist and not the cat and mouse games between Min and Baek. The character of Baek is only really used in the movie to link the heist with the ultimate plan of criminals, but too much screen time is given the Baek and not the other pieces of the puzzle (the more important pieces), when the story is finally unfolds you don’t have any real sense of understanding (you’re left wondering why so much time was spent with Baeks character when obviously there were more important elements at play).

Never the less ‘Eye for an Eye’ is good Korean thriller with some stand out scenes and good dialogue interchange between Baek and Min.

Worth a Watch

You can discuss this and other reviews via http://www.asianmoviepulseclub.com

Basically the story revolves around a Father’s struggle to avenge not only his honor, but his daughter’s as well. Little girls always look at their dads as being protectors and when Chang Ka Pil, played by Lee Moon Sik, fails to fill his roll one night after his daughter is attacked by the nation’s boxing champion, the full weight of failing to live up to those expectations comes crashing down on his head. No one wants to touch the young boxer because he’s the school’s pride and joy and his parents are bigwigs in the community. Which means the cops and politicians are all in their pockets. So what’s a middle aged business man to do to get justice as well as restore his sense of pride? Go to the kid’s school and try to stab him.

Like, Duh.

Only, like a lot of things, the murder doesn’t go quite as planned for Chang Ka Pil, starting when a student runs into Chang Ka Pil and makes him drop his knife. After a minute and a half of screaming for his daughter’s tormentor to come out and face the music, Chang Ka Pil is taken out by 18-year-old Go Seung Suk, played by Lee Jun Ki. Moved, as only a high school boy can be moved, by the plight of his daughter (who is too frightened of the outside world to leave the hospital anymore) as well as the pitiful state of Chang Ka Pil ‘s manliness, Go Seung Suk and his two friends join forces to help Chang Ka Pil beat the boy who assaulted his daughter at his own game. The plan is to take the ‘champion’ out in an impromptu boxing match before he can leave for his tournament. Chang Ka Pil will be trained by Go Seung Suk, the only person to ever beat him in the ring (though the win didn’t count since it was an unofficial fight).

It won’t be easy though. Chang Ka Pil has to work through 40 years of fried food, toxic buildup from cigarettes, and copious amounts of alcohol and hardcore couch-potatoing. After many tennis ball induced black-eyes and a couple of iconic Rocky running up the stairs moments, Chang Ka Pil is ready for the fight of his life. The question is will he be able to step up and implement everything he’s been taught once that bell rings.

Fly Daddy Fly is a surprisingly sweet and funny family movie. The drama balanced everything out nicely and the acting was top notch. There was some sappy moments in there that I still cringe to watch, but I’ve decided to blame that sort of thing in the translators and not to script writers. The reason why is because of one scene in the movie that still has me bouncing up and down in my seat, even though I’ve seen it like, four times by now.

Chang Ka Pil has this training method in which he runs after the bus that usually takes him home from work. His goal is to make it to his stop before the bus does and for a month he struggles with it, getting faster and faster each time. Then the night before the big match he makes it. I don’t know if it was the build-up from the film or that background music that was all PEOW! PEOW! PEOW! PEOW! that gets me so worked up, but either way it is an epic two minutes, and by far the best in the movie. That and the part where the chubby bus driver finally skates down the street.

This movie s the type that anyone would enjoy. Even now I have a smile on my face just thinking about it. The audience response when it came out in the box office in 2006 was staggering. Not only were tickets sold out before the movie even premiered, fans emptied out every avenue that sold the ticket in less than two hours. The public response was unprecedented and the two lead actors received high standing for their performance.

Fly Daddy Fly was written by Kaneshiro Kazukki and directed by Choi Jong Tae

Eun-young is a young woman who has come to view her beauty as a curse. Not only do strange men follow her around, proposition her, and harass her on the street but it has gotten to the point where even her best friend’s boyfriend has begun calling and texting her nonstop with his confessions of undying love (or lust). One day said boyfriend gets tired of her constantly rejecting him and attacks her on the street. He’s chased off by a cop and Eun-young is traumatized but otherwise perfectly fine. That is until her best friend finds out and breaks off their friendship under the assumption that Eun-young ‘tempted’ her ‘pure hearted’ boyfriend.

Now alone Eun-young is heartbroken but does her best to go about her everyday lie even though the effects of her curse seem to become ever more present. Always feeling as if she’s being watched, the sensations increase but are otherwise ignored since Eun-young’s many admirers inadvertently mask the behavior of the one stalker who turns out to be dangerous.

Each time she comes home there is a boatload of bouquets and love letters awaiting her at the front desk of her apartment building. Just like usual she has them thrown out but on the day she loses her best friend, she asks the doorman not to accept any gifts at all. That doesn’t go to well in the lovesick mind of one of her fans as he takes the rejection as a personal one. He decides to confront her about it and after making his way into her apartment he proceeds to beat and rape her.

That was bad enough but afterwards he feels so guilty and horrified over what he had done (proof maybe that he had once been a decent person) that he takes pictures of Eun-young’s body and turns them, along with his stalker vids, into the police when he turns himself in for the crime. When the police bring her in to identify him he claims that he did what he did because of her.

It was all her fault because she was too beautiful. Her beauty raped him first and he was simply returning the favor. And oddly enough, the detective in charge of the investigation seems to agree.

This incident is what sparks the destructive spiral that Eun-Young falls into. She tries to destroy herself, kill the beauty that men seem to find so irresistible and women so detestable. What she isn’t aware of until much later is that her curse has struck again and Eun-Chul (played by Cheon-hee Lee), the same cop who saved her earlier, is the latest victim to fall under her spell.

I say victim for one simple reason. The movie still had me at this point. I can understand why the cop suddenly developed a fascination with her. She had the whole damsel in distress thing going on, and he seemed like an honestly nice guy. When she starts stuffing herself in an attempt to get fat so people will no longer find her beautiful, he was right there helping her get up out of her vomit and paying for her food when she stole from the grocery store. Then when she didn’t gain any weight and decided to starve herself instead, he was right there again picking her up out of her own vomit and trying to keep her from killing people when she hallucinated.

But then he started stalking her. Taking pictures of her when she was passed out in the park, trying to steal a kiss when she collapses in a public restroom after throwing up a hamburger, and even jerking off to a freeze frame of her face taken from the videos made by her former stalker. It gets to the point where he’s taking vacation time off of work just so he can follow her at his leisure. I was like ‘whoa, are there no other vaginas in Korea?’ but I went with it because it was still in the realm of possibility.

Then came the ending, and believe me it was a doozy.

Beautiful is the type of movie that can’t be taken at surface value. There are so many hidden depths and undertones of the movie that it may take a few watches before you can fully appreciate all its quirks. � Beautiful is a movie that explains the curse associated with a pretty face and the dark, hidden corners that live in everyone just waiting for the catalyst that will send them into the light.

Beautiful was written by Jae-Hong Jeon and Ki-duk Kim and directed by Jae-Hong Jeon

The film opens with Ha-Young having a dream in class in which she’s played by Snow White and is kissed by a pretty gruesome looking Prince. Things pretty much spiral out of control from there. Ha-Young is a pretty pitiful person starting out. Not only does her teacher stuff his boogers in her mouth and her boyfriend break up with her the day before their anniversary, but when she gets angry at the overall state of her existence and kicks a can while walking down the street she hits the driver of a Lexus causing him to crash.

You would think that would be considered bad luck for him but considering that the driver, Hyung-Joon, demands 3 grand to pay for the scratch on his car and turns her into his slave when she can’t pay it…well you see who the real victim is here. Especially when it comes out that that scratch costs no more than $10 to fix in the first place. Hyung-Joon is the definition of ‘asshole’ and he wears the title proudly.

Not only does he force Ha-Young clean his house, carry his bags, wash his beloved lexus, and eat fortune cookies all the time, he also makes her perform a sailor moon skit just to get into his house, kidnaps her from class just to entertain him for the day, and basically terrorizes her with the threat of death at the least sign of resistance. So basically what they have is the start of any typical anime/manga love affair right? Correct.

Despite the constant abuse and put downs Ha-Young falls in love with Hyung-Joon and he falls in love with her. However, never think that just because she’s a slave Ha-Young can’t hold her own. After finding out about the actual cost of his car she spray paints the windows black to ‘protect Master’s face from the harsh sun’ and then goes around with bullhorn, sign, flyers, and fake baby, telling everyone she meets how the father of her baby (Hyung-Joon) knocked her up and left her and their child to starve. She escapes him and after chasing her around the city for hours and realizing that his booze heavy college body will never survive the strain, he decides to get to hit Ha-Young where she’s weak. Her brain. That’s right, he becomes her tutor and then has free reign of her time whenever he wants it.

Ha-Young has fallen hard for Hyung-Joon but when she confesses her feelings the renowned playboy walks away leaving her to wonder if he had ever really changed or if the boy she had fallen in love with had never existed in the first place.

Despite the disturbing amount of bodily function themed comedy present in this film, 100 Days With Mr. Arrogant is one of the most original love stories I’ve ever seen while still managing to be the most cliché. The dynamics between Hyung-Joon and Ha-Young are believeable and a credit to their actors abilities. This is the type of movie I wouldn’t mind watching over and over again.

100 Days With Mr. Arrogant Directed by Shinn Dong-yeop

I won’t mention the movies that brought on this reaction by name as that simply ruins the delicious mystery that you all experience when you click on a new movie review and read through it, eagerly in search of that particular film’s suck rating.  Seeing a movie plummet into a steaming pile on the pavement of production ratings is a bit like watching a pack of hyena bring down a baby gazelle, a sight which brings enjoyment to one and all. But I’ll get into the social dynamics later. Since they don’t apply to this movie, they aren’t really all that important anyway. This movie rates very high with me because it’s managed to portray something unique in a fun way, without losing any of the impact behind the lesson it’s trying to get across. That takes cojones and I applaud director Park Chan-wook for his efforts.

Su-jeong plays Young-goon, a young woman trapped by her own mind. Believing herself to be a robot, Young-goon finds herself in a dilemma when her disappointingly human body fails to charge like a proper android’s should. So what does she do? Well obviously desperately low batteries call for drastic power surges. The next time she’s at work Young-goon slits her wrist and after attaching cable cords to her struggling veins, she plugs herself into the nearest electrical outlet and…bang. Full battery. Along with a complimentary ride to the loony bin. Because of her own mother having to be sent away, Young-goons mother has made her swear not to tell anyone about her thinking that she’s a cyborg. So unfortunately, while she’s in the hospital, when the doctors finally begin to notice that she isn’t eating, they aren’t sure why or even what to do to help her. They try everything from shock therapy to force feeding her through a tube up her nose but nothing is working and Young-goon is steadily slipping away.

The great thing about this movie is that unlike other films centering on the mentally disabled, it’s in no way a depressing, frightening, or disgustingly heartwarming. The atmosphere inside of the mental institute is bright, almost cheery. And instead of the perspective of the film being taken from the outside looking in by portraying the patients as people to be pitied or feared, it lets you see the world from their point of view. You yodel in the mountains with the singer who never got her part, you fly through the sky with the woman who made anti gravity socks using static electricity, and you even get a front row seat when Young-goon takes out a dozen or more doctors and nurses with her machine gun fingers every time her battery charges all of the way.

When it all comes down to it the movie is actually more of a romance than anything else. Young-goon’s love interest is another patient who happens to be an anti-social schizophrenic who wears a bunny masks and hops around the hospital. Throw in a compulsion to steal and the fact that the actor playing the part happens to be the amazing Ji-hoon (or Rain to his fans), and you’ll understand why he happens to be a great leading man. Ji-hoon and Su-jeong are funny and sweet together as a couple and they also make surprisingly good mental patients. You wouldn’t think that that would be a compliment but it is. Not many actors can pull it off without seeming insulting or looking stupid. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so because Rain won the Best New Actor award at the 43rd Baeksang Awards. Since he was a delight to watch, this isn’t much of a surprise. I can’t reveal much of the movie without giving the good parts away and honestly, even as I write this I feel as if my review isn’t really giving the movie justice. Which is no small feat since I’m pretty full of myself and therefore have great faith in my abilities.

As the number one film in the box office when it opened in South Korea in 2006, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK grossed over $2,478,626 in its first week. Its popularity waned during the following weeks in the box office which was a disappointing surprise. However during the following year the film won numerous awards and even opened for the Hong Kong international film festival. From the same director that brought you movies like Joint Security Area, Oldboy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok is another film that will leave you wanting more.

I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok was directed and written by Jeong Seo-kyeong and Park Chan-wook

AMP Movie Rating

The Host. What can I say? I’ve looked through dozens of reviews and I’ve concluded that it’s an extremist film. Which is to say that you either love it or you hate it and there is little to no room for the in-betweeners. Since I’m on the side that loved it, which greatly outnumbers those who didn’t, and I’m also writing this particular review, my opinion is the only one that counts. Much like when I made up the word ‘in-betweeners’, no one’s going to call me on it, so make yourselves comfortable. You’re in my world now.

Released in the U.S in 2007 The Host seems like the Asian apology for Godzilla. Not to say that Godzilla wasn’t a classic. But whenever I hear the name, the film I picture in my head is in black and white with a clay monster smashing down a hand built miniature set of Tokyo. Toy planes attached with strings flying around its head, and of course, the Hallmark screams of “Gaika! Gaika! It’s Gozira!”

Like most people spout off the Ghostbusters tagline like they’re spewing vomit, I’m an oldie goldie who will point and scream out “Gaika! Gaika! Gozira, Gozira!” in a reasonably well-done Asian accent whenever the mood strikes me. Whether there happens to be a 300 foot tall lizard hybrid waltzing around doesn’t really matter. What does matter is keeping the legend fresh in everyone’s minds. Let’s all take a few moments and do so now.

…Alrighty, where were we?

Reminiscent of its predecessor, The Host, or Gwoemul (which, originally enough, simply means monster.) is centered around the havoc one mutated sea creature can wreck in a relatively short period of time. The movie starts off with two military pathologists dumping over 100 bottles of formaldehyde down the drain and into the Han River. Actually the American, the guy in charge, orders his hapless Korean assistant to pollute the well known waterway. A few years later we visit the bank of the Han River where Gang-du, played by Song Kang-ho , and his father Hee-bong, Byeon Hee-bong, run a snack bar for the tourists and natives who socialize there. He’s watching his sister Nam-joo, played by Bae Doona who’s a medalist archer on television with his daughter Hyun-seo, Ko Ah-seong, when his father calls him away to go and serve some customers.

When he goes over with the order, he notices a small crowd forming at the riverbank. He joins them and together they watch as a strange, dark lump unfurls itself and dives into the river. Personally this would have been around the point where I got the hell out of dodge but these people stay. They not only stay, they throw beer, peanuts, and other assorted snackety goodies into the water to feed it. It’s not surprising that five seconds later, in a rage that it has no opposable thumbs and therefore can’t open any of the potato chip bags, the thing jumps out of the water and goes on a rampage.

In the spirit of the term rampage, he causes havoc and destruction and induces all around piss-in-your-pants terror. At one point Gang-du and an American soldier named Donald try to help some people the monster has trapped inside of a trailer. When they escape the thing goes after a fat kid instead, he was running slow and looking like prey I guess. During the battle to try and save the kids life Donald get his arm stepped on by the monster and Gang-du, who attacked it, is splattered with its blood.

It’s during the running and screaming that follows this incident that Gang-du sees his daughter come out of the snack shop where she and her grandfather have finished watching the archery competition. He grabs her hand, runs some more, stumbles and then grabs her again and keeps running. Only when he looks back it’s only to find that he’s picked up the wrong girl. Horrified he watches as the monster blazes past Hyun-seo and snatches her before diving back into the river.

The rest of the film is dedicated to the family’s desperate search for her. Gang-du, Nam-joo, Hee-bong, and Gang-du’s younger, alcoholic, former activist, and funny as hell brother Nam-il (Park Hae-il), are dubbed the infected family. It comes out that the monster is not only a menace, but the host of a new virus that’s deadly to any who come into contact with him. By getting the blood on his face Gang-du is the poster child for the virus, along with his family by association, and after they all break out of the hospital to go in search for Hyun-seo, it becomes the Government’s top priority to get them back.

This family gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘dysfunctional’. Gang-du, the eldest is more than a little slow, the sister’s flaky, the brother has a tendency to doll out drunken drop-kicks at funerals to any and all that have angered him, while the father claims to be able to tell the condition of his kids based on the smell and power of their farts. The group doesn’t exactly inspire confidence and for a good bit of the movie there seems to be little, to no chance of Hyun-seo making it out of the monster’s clutches alive.

That is, before we take into account that Hyun-seo is a little 13-year-old badass and she has four odd, but loving, adults who are determined to let nothing stand in their way of getting her back.

As the highest grossing Korean film of all time there was a lot of expectations for this movie to live up to. I was all ready to be disappointed and I’m not sure if it’s my favorite Korean film of all time, but I find myself pleasantly surprised to move it up my list of monster movies to number one. It has a lot of little elements in it that can appeal to different people, whether it’s the graphics and blood, the comedic relief of the family, which was frighteningly true to life, or the dedication they had for one another.

After watching the movie I came away with something else, a new love for the actress that played Hyun-seo. Ko Ah-seong won the Best New Actress award for her performance and I agree with the verdict. The kid was great. Nothing like those weepy, whiny, please-don’t-eat-my-head-off-gaika-gaika! (note my undying love for that phrase) little girls either. I was getting thoroughly sick of them, both in American movies and Asian ones and it was nice to finally find one with not only a little spunk, but some smarts to go with it.

SPOILER

My only complaint is the ending. Ticked me off five ways to Sunday. You’re rooting for these characters if you haven’t already dropped it after the first five minutes so to see them die…ugh. Somehow it made what they were fighting for all this time seems a little pointless. I could understand the heartbreak value but honestly after it was over I had to go back to my happily-ever-after Disney movies and hug them to my chest with a silent thank you for always assuaging the hopeless romantic in me. If I’d known from the beginning that the freaking movie was going to be a tragedy, I never would have watched it, awesomeness or no.

END SPOILER

All in all most will find it a pretty decent way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I’m not going to go around screaming Gaika! Gaika! It’s Gwoemul!” or anything (not the same ring to it) but I will definitely sign any future petitions against aquatic polluting. It’s shameful that I’m doing it not to save our planet but to make sure I don’t get my face eaten off by any toxic offspring that happen to be a byproduct. But as they say, progress is made a little at a time.

The Host was written by Baek Chul-hyun and Bong Joon-ho and directed by Bong Joon-ho.

It’s an accepted fact of like that female cops are sexy. The only thing sexier is an undercover female cop. I’m not sure if the fascination arises from James Bond flicks or those old black and white PI movies that always seem to have some pouty mouthed blond in a tight red dress and do-me-dirty high heels (the F word is currently unsure of its welcome but you all get what I mean.) Either way, there’s just something addictive about the possibility that your mousy librarian or frumpy school teacher could actually being some curvy crime fighter with a glock strapped to her thigh. Personally, I think the entire thing has something to do with Wonderwoman and her nifty invisible flying saucer, but that’s a theory for another day.

Whatever the origins the result is the same, and She’s on Duty does not disappoint. It has all the pre-requisites. The sex appeal:

As shown by the flowing hair, And of course the required thigh holster, with honking big phallic shaped weapon both of which have been provided as proof for you here

Model and actress Kim Seon-ah plays Chun Jae-in (who from here on out will Americanized as Jane), a spunky young detective who has more spirit than sense. Evidenced by the fact that at the very beginning of the movie she appears infiltrating a sex slave ring…dressed in a sailor uniform and pigtails. The bust is an epic one for the simple fact that she does most of the battle with backpack attached, pigtails bouncing and skirt flashing schoolgirl white panties, and even after all that still loses the gun to the bad guys.  She saved by another cop who happened to be working the same case from the other side. He closes what she believes to be her case, takes the credit away in a blaze of glory and when it’s all done, blames her for making an ass of herself and compromising the take-down.

Therefore making him her, and the audience’s, sworn enemy from then on out.

Inspired by her school girl regalia, Jane is sent on another undercover case as a high-schooler. Her assignment is to befriend and protect Seung-hee ( Nam Sang-mi ), a daughter of notorious gangster, from all the people who want to kill her and also report when, and if, her MIA father contacts her again.

Personally I’m not sure why the movie turned out to be a flub at the box office. Not only does it have gratuitous amounts of child abuse (Jane has enough age over most of the high-schoolers that her constantly beating them actually constitutes the term), the fight scenes are awesome and it just so happens to be hilariously funny.

One of my favorite scenes is when Seung-hee is locked in the bathroom talking to her father and there are three girls outside actually begging, screaming, and crying to be let in to use the bathroom. Jane comes up and asks them why they didn’t simply go to another one, and one girl says that if she moved even a little bit she’d ‘go’. Suspicious, Jane busts down the door just as Seung-hee opens it and there proceeds an awkward lesbian kiss scene straight out of a shojo manga. That would have been memorable enough but when Seung-hee runs out of the bathroom and knocks into one poor unfortunate just outside. The girl collapses against the wall, her eyes roll into the back of her head and as she slides down and disappears out of the shot, you hear her moan out, “Ah, feels like heaven.”
Honestly, the first peegasm I’ve ever seen portrayed on television and therefore the best. Since Seung-Hee absolutely hates her after this point, I liked that the only way Jane succeeds in befriending Seung-hee is after rumors abound through the school that Jane is a prostitute. Confused? Good. You should be, it means you’re paying attention. Watch the movie and find out what I mean. The two women grow close and you can feel Jane’s need to protect the younger girl when the Yakuza’s desire to find and punish her father grow ever more dangerous. Even the only family Jane has left, Detective Kang (Kim Sang-ho), can’t avoid the bloody reach of the Yakuza’s manipulations and more than one cop turns on Jane under the promise of money and power.

Another good scene is when Jane has a dirty dream involving her crush whom she believes is a high-school student. Understandable since said high-school boy happens to be Gong Yoo, main male from the hit series Coffee Prince, and also thirty-years-old. I don’t care how good your make-up is, there’s a huge time gap between 17 and 30 and it shows. Only oh him that gap is a smexy one. He has a sort of Johnny Depp, older man, drool appeal. So when it comes out that he’s not actually a student (gasp) I wasn’t terribly surprised.

Enjoy Fan service Here

All in all, the jokes are corny, the fight scenes are authentic but for the floating, and the storyline is one that’s been done thousands of times before. But She’s on Duty still manages to stay original even after all that with an assortment of characters that are as endearing as they are eclectic, and that’s what makes this particular movie a keeper.

She’s on Duty was directed by Park Gwang-choon and written by Lee Weon-jae, Park Gwang-choon, and Seol Joon-seok

Slowly.

I don’t say this just because I’m not the brightest bulb in the happy meal either. Everyone may make fun of the half naked chick who runs through the forest, screams, trips, falls, and then dies, but you’ve never seen her tortured now have you? In Final Destination it wasn’t the dumb people who stayed on the plane or who decided to ride the coaster anyway who died in drawn out, bloody ways. No, it was the smart asses who escaped and tried to come up with inventive solutions to get out of what was going on which only seemed to tick off death in the end. Hence the inventive little murders like death by fishhooks and elevator doors, and suffocating on a plastic fish in the dentist’s office while you’re doped up on Novocain.

The point is, be smart by not being smart.

Lay down and die and you won’t have another hour and a half of screaming, blood and gore torture to go through. Personally I think it’s a win, win situation. Mike Meyers meets his quota for the week and as a result you’ve helped out your fellow man.

Or serial killer.

Death Bell is a perfect example of what I mean. Not to say that they follow my advice and lie down and die, oh no. They do me one better.

For the first half of the film, they let everyone else die instead. Death Bell is like the ultimate version of a reverse Saw, if you don’t get the puzzles right, it’s not you who suffers for the failure, but your friends and classmates.

It is, in a purely horror filmy way, Epic.

The spicy heroine of the film Kang Yi-na, played by Nam Gyu-ri, has just been chosen as one of the top twenty students in her school, along with Kim Bum as Kang Hyeon, Yi-Na’s love interest, and her best friend Yoon Myong-hyo, played by Han Na-yeon. This special class, filled to the brim with the elite, is held over the break to get the students ready for their college entrance exams. At first it simply seems like another boring study session, but about halfway through things begin to go horribly wrong.

Beethoven’s Fur Elise heralds the chilling image of Hye-yeong, the class’s top student, trapped inside a giant fish tank on the class’s television screen. On the glass, framing the terrified girl as she scrambles and tries to beat her way out of her makeshift coffin, is a riddle. A disembodied voice over the intercom informs the shocked students along with the three remaining teachers in the school, that the riddle needed an answer before the girl died.

Then the tank, once empty, begins to slowly fill with water.

The first victim in the movie never had a chance. Terrified and disbelieving, by the time the students finish arguing with each other as well as the head teacher Hwang Chan-wook, English teacher Choi So-yeong, as well as Lee Chi-yeong who seems to hate  Kang Hyeon and blames him for what’s going on at every opportunity, it is only to look up and find Hye-yeong floating, lifeless, inside of the tank.

The bell plays once again and the voice warns that should anyone try and leave the school then they would be killed. Their cell phones have disappeared along with the student in charge of collecting them. The school’s security and phone lines have been cut. The grounds are being watched and those who leave are taken out by an invisible enemy. And everywhere they look, one of their numbers is taken only to be replaced by yet another riddle that could mean their life or death. Students are being murdered in order of their ranking and Yi-na is fifth on the list.

The difficulty of the questions increase as night falls, and with each answer and each death, the shocking truth about the schools most securely kept secret begins to make itself known.

As the only Korean film released in 2008, Death Bell premiered at the 12th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. Though rushed in order to be ready for the festival in time, Death Bell turned out to be one of the top five most popular horror film in Korea. Not nearly as shattering as A Tale of Two Sisters, but still satisfying enough to keep horror lovers fat and happy.   So while some critiques may dub it ‘torture porn’ they obviously can’t appreciate a good thing when they see it. I’ll admit that the buildup is more exciting than its subsequent ending, but all in all the film was tied nicely together. I would have loved to see what former music video director Yoon Hong-seun could have done with his first horror film had he had more time.

The film marks the acting debut of Korean pop star Nam Gyu-ri, as well as comic aficionado Lee Beom-soo’s first ever role in the world of the dark and bloody. Both do a good enough job that it won’t be surprising if we see them again this genre. Gyu-ri and Kim Bum have amazing chemistry together and add in the dedication between Gyu-ri and Han Na-yeon, and the three of them make a devastating triad. One where the loss of any of them turns the senselessness of their deaths into something more than ‘torture porn’ and converts it into something entirely more poignant.

Death Bell or Gosa, was written Yoon Hong-Seung and Kim Eun-Kyeong and directed by Yoon Hong-Seung

Love, So Divine is the second Korean film that I’ve seen (the first being My Sassy Girl).

Released in 2004, the movie stars Kwon Sang-woo as a pious young seminarian named Kyushik, whose main goal is to become a priest but was sent to a test of spiritual endurance at a remote parish due to a mistake made by his delinquent friend named, Sundal played by In-kwon Kim, during a school mass.

There, he meets Bonghee, portrayed by Ha Ji-won, the often rude and wild niece of Father Nam (In-mun Kim) who just returned from the US only to find out that she had been dumped by her boyfriend. Theirs was initially a love-hate relationship due to conflicting beliefs and outlooks in life but it took a different turn when Kyushik was tasked by the old parish priest to teach catechism to his niece in preparation for baptism.

Daunting as it is, the task proves to be a way for them to fully explore their true feelings, eventually developing an attraction to one another. However, things get more complicated as Kyushik’s ordination draws nearer and Bonghee’s ex-boyfriend had returned prompting them to make the hardest decisions in their lives.

This movie is not technically superior with regard to acting but I would say that it’s main draw is with it’s witty storyline and how it depicts a portion of Korean culture that is somehow unknown to most people elsewhere around the world.  Actually, I have no idea that there were Korean Catholics until I saw the film. Since I came from the Philippines where a vast majority of the population is Catholic, Love, So Divine made me realize that Korean culture is not really too different from mine and I would say that the presentation of the Catholic Church, its doctrines and issues it faces is realistic without appearing too preachy.

Although the main conflict falls on Kyushik’s character, the much harder decision was really on Bonghee’s part for she must choose between reconciling with her ex-boyfriend and allowing him to become a priest or to acknowledge his love and let go of her old flame. On a personal note, I would say that Love, So Divine is not just a romantic comedy but also intellectual and spiritually challenging for it presents the harsh reality of how one’s faith and beliefs can affect in making difficult and life-changing decisions that could make or break a person. It also presents the fact that sometimes, we get the answers to our questions through the most unlikely situations or person as was depicted on the pre-ordination scene where Sundal, the horny seminarian, told Kyusuk that what the latter felt for Bonghee is not sin but actually real love and that God is proud of him for doing so.

As a whole, Love, So Divine does not only bring you the laughter or the sizzle of romance but it also its audience an understanding of one’s humanity and the aspiration to achieve love and happiness in their truest sense.