Blog Archives

Art of Fighting (2006)

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Posted on May 1, 2006 by James

Every year a few more high school fighting movies emerge from Korea, but few are as likably conventional and entertaining as Art of Fighting. Often bogged down in weighty social commentary, historical context, and orgasmic explosions of brutal violence, movies like Friend and Once Upon a Time in High School tend to go places that audiences may not always expect or welcome. Breaking tradition with films like these, Art of Fighting remains focused on concluding its simple set-up, which … (read more)

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The Art Of Seduction (2005)

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Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eugene

Rom-coms have such a tried and true formula to them that when one tries to move away from the genre tropes and distinguish itself under its own merits, some kudos must be given to the attempt. A shame then that Art of Seduction plays quite true to form, and what little it does do to separate itself from the multitudes actually sucks the fun out of it and makes it a chore to watch.

Art of Seduction suffers from being … (read more)

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The Way Home (2002)

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Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eugene

I cannot believe how hard it was for me to write this review for The Way Home. And it has nothing to do with the quality of the film, as it is very understandable how this captured the hearts of its native Korean audience. What made this review hard to write was the fact that this film, while enjoyable, just makes me feel somewhat wretched about my relationship with my grandparents. And yet, paradoxically, it is one of the … (read more)

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Blossom Again (2005)

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Posted on April 9, 2006 by James

From the director of Happy End comes this intricate small drama about dealing with the pleasures and traumas of first love, not to mention coping with dissatisfying long-term relationships, death, and people who seem to possess deeply ingrained hidden agendas.

From the outset, the audience’s expectations are toyed with. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing Kim Jeong-eun play goofy comedy roles in titles such as Marrying the Mafia and Spring Breeze. Here, her voice opens the film with a barrage … (read more)

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Marrying the Mafia (2002)

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Posted on April 9, 2006 by James

Never fully realising or exploring the possibilities of its fantastic premise, Marrying the Mafia is at times vibrant and hilarious but ultimately confusing and dissatisfying.

Park Dae-suh (Jung – Hi, Dharma; My Boss, My Hero) is a graduate of Seoul National University successful at negotiating contracts for an Internet security enterprise. As such, he is a hot commodity in the marriage market, the type of guy who can bring some elite respect to a mobster family. So when … (read more)

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Typhoon (2005)

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Posted on April 9, 2006 by James

Similar in too many ways to the overblown Taegukgi, Kwak Kyeong-taek’s foray into the mega-budget action blockbuster starts as an effective chase picture but stalls midway before collapsing under the weight of Kwak’s excessively tragic story and his heavy-handed method. With a production budget of at least $15 million, Typhoon is now the most expensive picture ever made in Korea. Earning about $25 million on domestic release, it can’t be considered an absolute economic failure and may well accumulate … (read more)

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My Wife is a Gangster (2001)

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Posted on April 3, 2006 by Alison

I always like to see a girl give the men a good kicking, and this film opens with as fine a kickin’ scene as I’ve seen for a while. Shot in black and white, the swirl of bodies resolves into Big Brother being ruthlessly slaughtered by Villain. Second-In-Command, released from the clutches of Hench-Villains, falls to his knees over rapidly cooling Big Brother and screams his torment to the skies. Enter our Heroine, Mantis (Shin), blades and legs flashing.

Mantis … (read more)

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Geochilmaru (2005)

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Posted on March 5, 2006 by Justin

South Korea checks in with their take on the martial arts tournament film. You know the style; think Enter the Dragon, Lau Kar Leung’s Heroes of the East or the (slightly silly, but quite entertaining) One-Armed Boxer Versus the Flying Guillotine. The backstory for this one, of course, is updated for the Web generation. Eight martial artists from different personal and pugilistic backgrounds are regulars on a martial arts themed website. One day, they’re summoned to fight the … (read more)

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