Day 123 continued - For the Emperor (South Korean)

A former professional baseball player joins a loan shark organizations, falls for a woman and betrays the man who gave him a second chance. 

What a total letdown! I happen to enjoy seeing Lee Min-ki, but this movie does nothing for his film credits. The film is very bland and the characters seemed so confused. There was no real character development and the structure of the film was truly horrible. Honestly, the best thing about this film is the fact you get to see Lee Tae-im's breasts in a few lousy sex scenes. Speaking of Lee Tae-im, she also offered the best acting in the film so let's give her a round of applause. Avoid this film at all costs. 

0.5/5

Little Info

Lee Min-ki appeared in the TV drama Shut Up Flower Boy Band for 3 episodes

This was Lee Tae-im's third movie

Day 136 - Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies (Korean)

Bo-hee (Jo Yeo-jeong) is a wife, mother, and a successful marketing executive. Sadly, her husband leaves her because they haven't had sex in more than a year and she rarely has time for her family. It gets worse when she is fired from her job. Eventually,  Bo-hee makes a deal with Oh Nan-hee(Clara), the local sex expert who runs an adult toy store. 

This is a very funny movie which a very interesting subject matter. Despite what the title says, this film can be watched by men and it should be. They focus more on the female side which is understandable but what is shown is quite revealing. Not in the nudity aspect but in the relationship aspect. Despite the comedy, it does have a serious subject matter that appears to be very realistic as I'm sure many couples have the kind of problems that are shown in the film. Plus we have the lovely Clara to teach us more about sex and that is very interesting in itself. Can't forget to mention Jo Yeo-jeong who is really good in this film. I think it was probably her best film role and I hope to be able to see her do more work.

3/5

Day 118 - Ode to my Father (Korean)

"Amid the time of Korean War, a young boy's vow to take care of his family marked the beginning of a lifelong promise spanning 60 years." - IMDb

Probably one of the best Korean films I have ever seen. Hwang Jeong-min was an excellent choice for this film and I can't imagine any other actor in his spot. The whole movie can be summed up in two words: Journey and Promise. I think it was well written with historical events taken into mind. The emotion was there as was the acting. It was a very good piece of film that could have been improved but none the less the film was entertaining to watch.

3/5

Day 96 continued - Nameless Gangster (Korean)

"On the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan." -IMdb

An absolute snore-fest that every gangster movie fan should ignore. Even though Choi Man-sik is in the film, its still a very bad film. It felt like it was all over the place with no real depth. Choi Man-sik's character was so bland and the direction so out of whack that this could be a student film. All the other characters were as weak as his, everyone seemed to be underwritten and as I stated before they lack depth. There is no way in hell that this film will be remembered as a good crime thriller.

0/5

Day 86 - The Divine Move (Korean)

"A professional baduk player infiltrates his local underground gambling scene to avenge his brother's death."

One of the better Korean movies I have seen recently. I like the fact that most of the actors did a different kind of role in this film. As some of the actors in the film normally do comedy but in this film they actually played a serious role. That's the good part but the bad part is that this film is only watchable once. It could have been a lot better with a different director and better editing.

2/5

Day 85- Man in Love (Korean)

"Tae-Il lives a fast life as low level thug. He then learns that he has a terminal illness and not much time left to live. For the first time in his life falls in love. The woman's name is Ho-Jung." IDMb

Hwang Jung-min is awesome in this film, it was nice to see him as a gangster. It is always nice to see him perform, too bad I have to wait a while until the film gets English subtitles. I think the film could have been better directed, as there is a time skip present in the film. I think it was the wrong approach, I would have added all of the drama that goes along in a drama film. It was almost like watching a Korean drama to be honest, it seems like the typical standard of Korean storytelling. It is a touching love story that is a bit different than a typical dramatic Korean film.

3.4/5

Day 78 continued - Wet Dreams 2 (Korean)

A high school girl's struggle as she starts to become a young woman and her love of a new student teacher can lead to some more problems for her. 

It was actually decent, some parts were enjoyable but it was a bit bland on its delivery. It seemed rushed towards the end and doesn't really end in a good way. I understand why the director made the choice to do the ending but I hoped it would have been better.
The actress was not bad, you can tell it was her first time acting. She had a lot of room for improvement, I hope to see more of her work in the future.


1.5/5

Day 75 - The Flu (Korean)

"The worst epidemic ever seen is sweeping through Bundang, the suburb of Seoul. After smuggling illegal immigrants into the country, Byung-woo dies from an unknown virus. Soon after that, the same symptoms are plaguing scores of residents in Bundang. People are helpless against the airborne disease and the number of infected increases quickly, spreading chaos. As the worst-case scenario precaution, the city of half a million people, just 19 kilometers from Seoul, is about to be sealed off. The government orders a complete shutdown. Meanwhile, infectious disease specialist In-hye and rescue worker Ji-goo go into the closed city to find the blood serum of the index case, a crucial part of developing the vaccine."

A good movie if you are into mass panic movies like Contagion. Though I don't really like that there is a small feeling of Anti-Americanism in the film. I also hate how we are shown as bastards and not once have I seen an American truly represented in a Korean movie (except for Daniel Henney. Anyway this movie is actually a good watch, there are a few dull moments and standard Korean movie moments as well. There's also an annoying supporting character that you can always hear coming. Don't expect any real romance or any truly human moments except for the scenes with the little girl. I would suggest this movie on a slow day, there are a lot of graphic scenes so beware!

3/5

Day 64 - Slow Video (Korean)

 

"Yeo Jang-Boo (Cha Tae-Hyun) possesses extraordinary visual acuity. He is able to see things ordinary people cannot. When he little, people laughed at him. Afterwards, he spent the next 20 years at home watching TV dramas.

Finally, Yeo Jang-Boo goes out into the world and becomes an ace at a South Korean CCTV control center. "

 

A very fun movie to watch, towards the end it is a emotional film to watch. Chae Tae-Hyun did a great job, he was so entertaining and at the same time quite touching. The movie could of had a better script, as the characters were right I felt like some of the story could of been better. If you are used to Korean romantic comedies then this is the movie for you but its a little more serious. I could easily relate to the main character, actually I think a lot of people in this generation can.

 

3.5/5 

 

 

Day 61 continued - He's On Duty (Korean)

 

"Bang Tae-sik is perennially unemployed as he drifts from one job to another, from manual labor to serving coffee. His appearance (dark skin and short height), being rather atypical for a Korean is to blame it seems, but best buddy Yong-cheol persuades Tae-sik to make better use of these disadvantages: Desperate and having nothing better to do, he adopts a strange accent and ethnic hat and is reborn as Bang-ga (a twist on his family name) from Bhutan, and immediately lands a job at a chair manufacturing factory"

 

This film had a great message with a good plot but falls flat on trying to achieve a good movie. The film is very hard to get through as it is slightly boring and the lead could have been better with his performance. Plus the ending of the film was a little weak, it really turned sour in the beginning of the film. It was really hard to concentrate on watching this movie. I will suggest this to anyone that likes to see the racial issues in Korea plus if you like Korean comedies.

 

 

2/5

Day 61 - The Pirates (Korean)

"Set during the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty period, envoys lose the Emperor's Royal Seal to a giant whale. Jang Sa-Jung (Kim Nam-Gil) leads a group of bandits and he attempts to retrieve the seal. Jang Sa-Jung and his group then run into a group of pirates led by Yeo-Wol (Son Ye-Jin). " -Asian wiki

Could have been a lot better with the talent in the film. I felt like it was a bit too comical at times and I wish it took a more dramatic take. I loved Son Ye-Jin in the film, she did a great job and was fun to watch. While Kim Nam-Gil had some good parts but I didn't really like his character too much as I felt like they didn't really add much depth to his character. I have to say this movie lacks depth and seems like it lacks heart as well. I suggest you watch this only if you like one of the two leads.


2/5

Day 42 continued - Please Teach Me English (Korean)

" a young woman begins English lessons after she is unable to help a foreigner at her government office."

 

A decent romantic comedy that is a little over the top which brings it down a little bit. I enjoyed the lead actresses performance, everyone else was a bit annoying. I enjoyed the fact that the characters were actually trying to learn English. Its a good movie to watch if you are bored and want to see a multicultural film.

 

2/5

 

 

Day 38 - Fatal Ecounter (Korean)

 

"King Jeongjo (Hyun-Bin) attempts to protect his royal powers from the conflict of two factions: Noron and Soron."

 

Visually this movie is great but I felt like they moved the camera too fast in some areas in the movie. Hyun Bin did a great job as a King, he really stood out in the film. I was quite impressed with his range of acting skills. I even enjoyed Ji-min Han's performance it was so different that her other roles. I did like how they didn't rush the film and set a time limit they followed well. The plot could have been a little better, some of the characters could have had more depth. The progression of the film was good and the character development was almost spot on. There is a lot of room of improvement in this film but it has a nice feel to it.

 

3.5/5

 



Day 37 - Just Do It (Korean)

"

rowning in debt and evicted from their house, a family of four comfort themselves with a few drinks at a food cart. The drunken father stumbles off to take a leak and gets hit by a truck. Their saving grace? Insurance! They find themselves with a slightly injured father, a handful of insurance money, and an ingenious new way to get rich quick. One by one, they find new ways to hurt themselves, making enough money to buy their dream house. Their luck almost runs out when an insurance investigator finds out the truth, but with a beautiful daughter and a very loose dressing gown, the family traps him and forces him to marry her. All five of them are determined to get one last big payoff… life insurance. The only question is, who dies? "


Such a boring movie with over the top comedy that makes you roll your eyes rather than laugh. Poor directing and acting also bring this film down. I suggest you skip this comedy

0/5

Day 36 - Destiny (Korean)

 

When a man and woman who first meet their tempers get the best of them as it does the second time they meet and so on. They start to realize maybe its destiny that keeps bringing them together.

 

Not bad honestly but it wasn't that good either. It was a nice take on a love story and I enjoyed watching it. I felt like the direction could have been better but I understand that this was the director's first movie. I liked the interactions between the main characters which was give and take. It was funny to see at times but felt natural. I didn't really like the ending I felt like it was rushed and there was really no drama involved which makes a more good hearted romance film.

 

2.5/5

Day 33 continued - The abductress (Korean)

"

In this sexy mystery farce set in Korea, several troublesome college students get abducted and "forced upon" by a mysterious woman. Now they are on a mission to find the culprit by spying on all the girls in their village. "

This film was a complete waste of time its poorly directed, filmed, acted, and scripted. Its very boring to watch especially the first half. I suggest you watch a better Korean movie!


0/5

Day 21 - Moebius (Korean)

"A father driven into desire, a son coveting that of his father's, and the sorrowful maternity that hovers them into tragedy."

 

This film has no dialogue at all but you can understand what is happening due to the emotion present. This kind of movie must have took a lot of courage to make since it is a very graphic film. I liked most of it but I felt like the emotions could have been better. There's also a bit of sick comedy messed in with the film. Lee Eun-Woo was such a wonderful actress in this film, she stands out to me as the best one. I felt like the son could have been better, I really didn't like him. Its an interesting film, if you have seen a Kim Ki-Duk movie before you should watch this movie.

 

2.8/5

 

Little info

The actress who plays the mother also plays the mistress

 

Day 20 - Happy Ero Christmas (Korean)

"Byung-ki (Cha Tae-hyun) is a taciturn village patrolman who helps out with trivial tasks like distributing promotional papers, though he dreams of fighting evil. One day, he runs into Min-kyong (Kim Sun-a), an employee at the neighborhood bowling alley, and falls for her at first sight. However, his attempts to woo her go unnoticed. Meanwhile, Sang-doo, the boss of the local gang, also swoons over Min-kyong and vows to take her virginity on Christmas Eve."

A very plain romantic comedy that has a real lack of depth. The film is a failure as it doesn't get you to care for the characters. Everything was over the top, I did like Cha Tae-hyun's character but I wish they did more with it.

1/5

 

Little info

this was Cha Tae-hyun's 5th movie

Day 15 - Don't Cry Mommy (Korean)

 

"The Film tells the story about You-lim whose only daughter Eun-ah commits suicide after a rape by a group of male students. Because all of the suspects are minors, they can leave without the possibility of punishment by law. You-lim is so full of anger that she seeks out revenge on her own. "


Such a very sad story that could have an even better movie if it wasn't for the last part of the movie. I think Yoo Sun proved she was a great actress in this film as this is her most emotional role I have seen her in. She was quite good, it was so entertaining to see her. I think that the director managed to show why she decides to strike back but at the same time you get frustrated at how the main characters gets revenge. I think that supporting actors especially the one who played the main characters daughter was excellent. Though some of the actors didn't have enough depth especially the cop in charge of the case. As he really didn't care until he learned about his daughters role in this whole plot. It is still a great story, these events could actually happen that thought adds to the element of realism present in the film. Thus I could understand why the director chose to make her revenge plot slightly weak. I suggest you watch this movie, as it is a good one it will make you think.

3.5/5

 

 

little info

The director  Kim Yong-han wanted to bring awareness to sex crimes

Yoo Sun has won several SBS Drama Awards