Hi-Five
Well a little story time - I had a opportunity to watch it in cinema, because of Korean Movie Festival which one of cinema in my country do every year (as far as I know) - so of course it is a little different experience than watching on computer, especially when it is not comercial cinema, so less people, they actually well-behaved and there was no food/drinks so no noices. Also it was funny when there were subs in english and my native language (had to admit our translators did better job). What more I was watching with my husband, so it was hard to say if he will have good time at all, but he liked it. End of story.Hmm if I had to compare I would say it is like The uncanny counters - and it was clear from description and trailer. And it is not a bad thing. Well I personally love TUC so I also really liked this. It was funny, stupid, full of action. Of course I would prefer it as a series, but it is really great movie - one of the best I watched this year. Acting for on point, great music.
I usually talk about actors, so two who catch my attention the most:
- Park Jin Young - he is really good as a villain, they need to give him more of such roles, totally different than in Our unwritten Seoul and The witch, I think that I like him more as a villain
- Yoo Ah In - love his character! probably my favourite, I love Quicksilver reference (maybe not everyone will think the same, I mean maybe not everyone see any reference there).
Yeah totally worth watching!
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An action comedy movie about five (six) people suddenly get a superpower after getting an organ transplant. One person is trying to acquire all of the superpowers while the others are trying to stop him, seems like a classic superhero storyline. The story is mixed between action and comedy, but somehow this create a confusing situation whether this movie is tend to be realistic or silly-ish. For an almost two hours long movie, the storyline is quite shallow. Some of the decisions made by the characters are bizzare and come out of nowhere. The CGI is so bad, intentional or not. Even if it's intentional, their original intention may not worked. Good thing to take is the main character's performance. They all have done an excellent job, especially Lee Jae In. On the other hand, the villain(s) don't bring enough evil aura though.
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Flashy but hollow
It's a mixed bag to a very serious degree, they're going for extreme cult comedy that even the main arc itself is about fighting a religious cult leader, paired together with characters that acquired superhuman abilities due to some organ transplantation mythology. Most of the time the storyline was quite witty but also consistently dumb, one of the better aspects is the chemistry between the actors and their charismatic acting as they liven up the characters. The cgi part though is literally the weakest thing in this movie, they just don't look realistic on screen, whether intentionally or not, the unrefined graphics are sadly quite distracting to look at.Was this review helpful to you?
Become like God
Surprisingly fun superhero movie with a strong focus on action, comedy, and some science fiction. The science fiction part is the one I probably liked the most, although it wasn’t developed as much as I would have wanted. The main story follows a group of people who suddenly receive different superpowers and become superheroes. The powers are reminiscent of earthly elements like wind, water, and fire, but here they are connected to human organs. I wish that had been explained a little better.This is the first real superhero movie in Korean cinema, and I appreciate that. I mean, we’ve had movies where people have superpowers, like Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard (2009), Haunters (2010), Psychokinesis (2018), The Witch: Part 1 and 2 (2018, 2022), and oh, there’s also Lightning Man (2016). But this is the first time I felt a true superhero vibe, similar to Marvel or DC, in a Korean movie.
The name of the movie and the superhero group is Hi-Five. The name sounds catchy, but the way it was introduced in the movie felt a bit cringy, I must say. Picking the superhero names for each character, though, was done comically well. One scene in particular showed how superheroes might appear to other people as gods. So imagine becoming a god that others look up to—how would you use your godly status and treat other people?
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Fun story!
I don't think there was enough story to make it episodic, but because it was a movie, I felt like there was a bit missing. I would have liked to have seen more about how the friendships developed.The cast was very good, a band of misfits. Watching them discover, develop and enhance their powers was enjoyable. Some good comedy scenes.
I thought that the bad guy storyline was way over the top, though.
LOVED the music.
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THE VILLAIN IS HOT!!!!
Park Jinyoung absolutely steals attention in Hi-Five with his portrayal of a dangerously charming villain. His presence alone feels powerful, and the way he controls his emotions adds a layer of unpredictability. He makes the character feel both attractive and intimidating at the same time. It’s a performance that keeps you hooked whenever he appears.Was this review helpful to you?
This is funny and good
I watched this and I like how funny is this. Even some of the humor are just stupid but it's still can made me laugh. But the fighting scenes are a bit too much for meBut the backstory of Yoo ahin is a bit confusing, and the story of the origin superman also a bit lack.
Overall this movie is good, I like it
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PARK JINYOUNG ACTED SO WELL
Hi-Five really proves how versatile Park Jinyoung is, especially as a villain. He brings this cool, controlled intensity that makes his character both dangerous and oddly captivating. There’s a sharp charisma in the way he carries himself, making every scene feel more charged. It’s hard not to be drawn to him, even when he’s playing the antagonist.Was this review helpful to you?
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Up High, Down Low...
In the age of action-fantasy-mystery-thriller-romance-comedy mash-up hysteria, it's nice to know you can still rely on some good ol, simple (minimal genre) works like High-Five. Both written and directed by Kang Hyoung-Chul (whose name romanization has so many dang versions), this high-flying greeting sure packs a punch...AND a 540-degree kick! 😂 If you're not expecting a complicated plot, this works as a fun underdog watch.I love the story originality. Granted, computer generated superhuman fight scenes aren't new. But the fact that Writer/Director Kang threw in the need for teamwork and solidarity as the anchoring power for a band of misfit organ-transplant survivor heros to defeat the power-hungry chaebol cult leader villain seems a lot fresher than some of the garbage out there these days. I mean most people look at those with medical challenges as weak and dependent; whereas, this movie turned that perspective on its heel and showed us the strength and power everyday folks can display when not only given a superhuman organ but also working (mostly) harmoniously together.
Some things the storyline did lack was deeper connection and backstories of the original superhuman from which the main characters got their powers from and the main characters themselves. Where exactly did this power come from (an other worldly stone, an angel or demon, etc.)? Why did the guy off himself? And how did his body not disintegrate from the moment he died, rather than after the organ donation? Also, HOW was he able to off himself since he was pretty much invincible?? What was that demon thing trapping the villain when he gained more powers? None of that made sense.
Also, them portraying Park Wan-Seo as a middler schooler vs. a high schooler was a bit of a stretch; the character was too mature and confident and lacked the juvenile tendencies of a typical middle schooler. She'd also have normally been in school, right? Unless, the villains creeped only on the weekends. 😂 😂 😂 Not sure why the character was set up that way. Also, how in the world was Park Wan-Seo able to have an all-out epic brawl with villain Seo Yeong-Chun all over the warehouse and her dad not get severely injured in one of those earthquake landings??? 🤦🏻♀️ I guess that's just minor unimportant details to filmmakers. Lol.
Bonus thought: the reference to Exo ex(?)-member Doh Kyung-Soo in the meeting at the pub seemed counterproductive after reading other reviews about the villain who's actually a real-life member of another band (GOT7), I'm confused as to why they didn't use that (Park Jin-young's "real" identity) as a pun instead. (I also looked up to see if Lee Jae-In and Doh Kyung-Soo were together but that produced no results; plus, they're significantly different ages. So why in the heck would they include that useless info in the dialog? 🤦🏻♀️😂 Unless it's a secret message? Now the wheels are turning...)
Ads: At first, I was surprised to find that this production didn't seem to advertise but realized it was just super quick. During multiple replays, I caught the brands: Brionvega, Dyson, Ceragem, Blue Microphones, Canon, 13 De Marzo clothing? (department store); Supreme clothing (street catwalk with Yoo Ah-In looking so cool!); Oakley or Ray-Ban (?), Ferragamo, BVLGARI, Gucci, Ray-Ban (second catwalk). Later in the movie, there was Ediya Coffee (car chase) and Sparkle water (power plant meltdown). There's probably more but that's gotta be a record for most ads in a matter of 60 seconds! 😵💫😵💫😵💫 I guess that's also a superpower. 😂
Soundtrack: They showcased some awesome throwbacks to 70s, 80s, and 90s hits like Snap! "The Power" at the department store, the Corey Hart "Sunglasses at Night" at the pub restaurant, and the Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" background during the car chase scene. Loved the Sister Sledge "We Are Family" outro.
Another thing I also appreciated was that the Prime ads weren't overwhelming, just one at the beginning and two spaced out in the middle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this action-fantasy-comedy (actfancom?) that gave a simple storyline and really cool visuals. You don't have to do much thinking with this and it's an easy re-watch, if you need a something to space out on.
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Oh Jung-Se & Lee Jae-In shine in this campy old school action comedy
This has a campy old school flavor & a cast of familiar faces. The Older American pop music they use in the OST was alot of fun & works well with what's going on! I wasn't much interested in the plot, but I was curious to see Oh Jung-se do something different than the villain stuff he's been doing lately.I gave it a rather low score because it's just not the genre that I really enjoy. That said, I did watch it once by myself & then a second time soon after to share it with a friend. There is nothing "sloggy" (draggy) about this as it moves along at a good pace, that sacrifices a bit of continuity if you aren't paying attention. The father daughter duo are the most interesting to watch & really Lee Jae-in as the daughter really stands out as she channels her inner effervescent middle schooler .
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Dont hae high expectations.
This was a decent watch not too bad or too good....i watched it for two specific reasons,Yoo Ah In being in it,i sincerely hope he comes back to the entertainment scene like he never left and my second reason Park Jin young playing a villain.The movie left me with one major question, If all the recipients received their donated organs from one body....How could the donor body die despite having healing abilities? Also what was the vision all about Park Jin Young saw? Did an evil being want to decend/assend on earth? Or did it want to posses him?
Would have loved to see Tank man get justice from his plagiarism allegations.
Fresh girl/woman at least got her closure with the fireman healed.
The special effects to me seemed abit animated...all in all,like i said...not too bad or too good.
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Cool superpower fantasy drama with GOT7’s Park Jinyoung as a baddie
I am a massive fan of GOT7 so when Park Jinyoung announced his involvement in this movie, I was game to watch it with my ahgase friends. We watched on 12 June and my seat no. was G7 ;). Overall I enjoyed this movie.What I liked:
1. Supernatural power - I liked the idea that supernatural power stem from donated organs. Their powers were cool - I especially liked the magic eyes!
2. Wan Seo characterisation - It's wonderful to see a teenage girl given powers of superstrength & agility. I loved her action scenes.
3. Yoo Ah In - I have read stories of his scandals but never watched his work until this movie came out. I must say that he had great stage presence. I was drawn to his performance even though he had lesser screentime than Ahn Jae Hong.
4. Park Jin Young - Jinyoung teased ahgase about his body at GOT7 NESTFEST Concert in Bangkok. Damn, those abs! Anyway Jinyoung did well as an antagonist even though he didn't have much screentime.
5. Dynamics - There are 2 father-daughter dynamics in this drama: 1) between Wan Seo (protagonist) and her father, and 2) between Yeong Chun (antagonist) and his daughter. Contrasting dynamics that were fascinating.
What I disliked:
1. Antagonist arc - I felt that they could do more with this arc if the running time had been extended. It's fascinating because it is related to cult and its leadership.
2. Screentime - With a big cast, it is hard to give equal screen time to the leading superpowered characters. Nyeo (yoghurt lady)'s power seemed the least useful in the group imho that I still couldn't figure out the relevance / importance of that superpower.
Favourite scene
When the team defeated antagonist
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