andjel

Victory in Life

I miss movies like this. The martial arts genre is the genre of my youth that I enjoyed the most. Movies of this type have moved into the genre of thrillers, bloody gore or superheroes, but they have never been as good, and that's why I was both surprised and delighted by how much I liked this movie. It reminds me of the golden age of Korean cinema, which for me was from 2005 to 2010 when I was watching Korean movies every day, and in a way this film also belongs to that time.

Actually, I started watching the now movie because it wasn't on my "already seen list", but as soon as the movie switches to the youth of the main characters, I remembered that I had already seen it. I would even say that now, 10 years later, this movie is even better for me than when I watched it for the first time.

The film shows three friends who meet again in the ring after 25 years. The film briefly shows the days of their youth, but the main part of the film is the present time and these actors did the best job. I'm especially glad to see Hwang Jung-min, who is one of my favorite actors, and here he shows how skilled he is in fighting, and also in singing, since we hear his voice in the closing song of the film. The fight choreographies are very good, the story has enough plot and drama to justify the long duration. I have no complaints. A 10 for me.

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Smuggling is not for everybody

Another one of those Korean films that is impossible to place in a specific genre. The atmosphere is a comedy, and the plot is a thriller, with elements of action, drama, and adventure. The film is at times casual and relaxed, and at times bloody brutal, as if I am watching two movies at the same time. In my opinion, the comedic elements are misused and prevent the viewer from enjoying the seriousness, tension and twists in the plot. The plot has a lot of twists and turns and thus constantly makes the movie more and more interesting.

The actors are very good and special praise and respect should be given to the female actors and stuntmen who spent a large part of the film diving underwater.

I also really like the choice of music. At times, the musical numbers seem forced as if they were selected on a jukebox, but I'll forgive that because I like the style of the music and even wish there was more of it. Actually, now after the movie I'm going to listen to some Korean trot and evergreens from the golden seventies.
And yes, one spoiler, at the end I even noticed some dolphins 😊

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What is the GOAT life

There is a saying: Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. Well here in this short one hour comedy-romance-drama we have a student who wants to trick another student into love only to experience how love works in mysterious ways.

We indeed live in a society that promotes success more than love and it is hard to just take your time with life. Underneath the silly premise of this drama there is an important message about life. Maybe we don’t need to submit ourselves to the system, maybe we should change the system with a better life.

I enjoyed this drama a lot, the actors were cute, the scenes were funny and emotional, the production on a high level and the message is great. Maybe a little cheesy at the moments but still so adorable, even for me as a 40 year old guy.

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All Actions have Consequences

This show started perfectly and it managed to stay fresh and interesting until the end. I couldn't stop thinking about it for two days until i finished it. I did took a break after every episode.

The style is a little bit quirky and even though this is an action thriller with a hint of supernatural, it also had some comical moments. I was bothered with some unnecessary scenes like for example two short nude scenes, but the biggest issue is that in the second half of the series the main character, Lee Tang paradoxically only has 5 minutes of screen time per episode since the story expanded to other characters. So the drama loses/changes it's original identity. All in all this was an exciting watch with great characters and actors who gave them life.

A great small detail in the drama is a book "Crime and Punishment" which must have inspired the creators and, after finishing this drama, i feel a desire to read the book also.

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Everyone has a chance

I saw this movie by a chance so I would say that the director succeeded even though the main character in the movie tries to succeed with, what seems like a bad idea. He dreams of a blockbuster but insists of doing an erotic B-movie and is disappointed with constant failures. It is true that no achievement can be accomplished without failures. It is said that Thomas Edison produced 2000 bad lightbulbs before achieving success. So all those failures were necessary to discover a right way to do it. In this movie, a movie-director Seung Hoon fails at many steps but somehow he goes on and that is a good message.

The movie also reminds us of the limitations a problems caused by to Covid. The acting could have been better. I was surprised to see some American people here. The jokes weren't very funny to me but I will remember the movie in positive light because i enjoyed the selection of songs played in the background a couple of times.

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There is a fish

Why does the synopsis reveal the entire plot of the movie? Luckily there is a fish in the movie that can be related to our main character, the mysterious woman Ji-soo who collects and examines garbage from other people, and this comparison is the most interesting thing about the movie.

The idea to be able to know other people through their garbage is not bad but it is highly unrealistic from the perspective of this movie. The main character, Ji soo has only around 10 Folders but she documents every trash piece of every tenant?! If I knew someone with this kind of "hobby" I would surely think that this person is crazy although it could be a product of an introvert person who is interested in other people but is afraid to approach them directly. This is where we as viewers can sympathise with our main character and wish her to open up for the real human contact. The movie is good for what it is and it manages to emotionally connects us with the story and characters.

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those final punches

If you are on Twitter (X) you can see many instances where students dare to provoke teachers and even fight with them. This movie is, of course, a fictional story about something similar, a teacher who if provoked into fighting with a student. The story is quite simple but unexpected, and the resolution is well prepared and realized. There is action, comedy, drama, all mixed into a cute and yet brutal high school experience. Boy, I am so happy that i am not in high school anymore.

This movie is not a super hero blockbuster, even though at one moment it seemed to be going into superhero direction. I am glad it didn't and that the women strength is depicted as realistically as possibile in the logic of the movie. Also, i just read here on the site that this is based on a webtoon and i must say that the movie gave me that vibe and reminded me on "Lookism" and "Moving". And yes, those final punches were straight from the comics.
.. 요 or should i say Meow!

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meet the members

I am writing this review while watching Tomorrow x Together Live Concert at Lollapalooza 2023, which is very energetic and exciting watch.
as for the documentary, it did make me go and explore more about the band but i would say that it didn't have enough music. the director gave to every member a few minutes to say a few things which was good to meet the members and have a glimpse of what is on their mind. all in all this is a backstage footage of the band preparing for concerts and trying their best to overcome the challenges that can come like sickness, missing the moves, tiredness, pressure, etc... so i would say that this isnt as exciting as watching the concerts, for the real fans (MOAs) this is a great way to see what happens behind the stage and how the members are slowly growing as performers.

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unexpected religious experience

As a Christian i am not very familiar with Buddhism but i admire the life of Buddhist monks and this movie more than anything shows the human and spiritual side of them. also the differences between them. No one is perfect but everyone has his purpose.
it was a very enjoyable production for the reason that the movie offers a 2-hour escape from every day life and makes you think about living in simplicity in the monastery and with the nature.
I was expecting a light comedy drama but this movie made me think about my life vocation and the meaning of life and death.

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great documentary. it has a big artistic and documentary value.
I couldn't understand everything because i saw it in korean but i understood enough to follow the emotional and dramatic narrative of this unique natural territory - the Saemangeum tidal flat that was almost destroyed. The effort put into making this documentary is extraordinary. i enjoyed seeing birds and other small water animals living here and also the humans trying their best to protect the nature and exploring it.
this documentary is a testimony to the beauty of life and truly a love song to the subject it presents.

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Pyongyang Yes or No

The description puts this movie into the genres of Action, Thriller, Mystery, and Crime, but it is actually an artistic comedy in the style of Wes Anderson. So it is quite unique for Korean cinema.

In the plot, the hijackers want to go to Pyongyang, but it seems like no one really knows what to do. Director Byun Sung-hyun took a strange historical story and turned it into an absurd and satirical comedy where all the ridiculous things you could think of find their place. This is good news if you enjoy this kind of comedy, but bad news if you expect something serious and realistic (like the “news” in the movie’s title). For me, the jokes were interesting, especially the intellectual ones, though a few gags felt cringy. Still, once or twice I did laugh out loud.

I appreciate the movie’s artistic style and the detailed production — even the insert shots or flashback scenes that last only a few seconds clearly took effort. (Were some of them maybe made by AI?)

As a religious person, I didn’t like how the movie portrayed prayer, but I admit that it fits the tone of this kind of satirical cinema, which offers viewers a bit of light-hearted escape from a boring reality. Overall, this movie is a good choice for when you have some spare time or want something different.

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Fictional story / real life

This drama has some my favourite ingredients: simple honest people, countryside, beautiful women, a lot of emotion, fairy-tale appearance. It is almost as if a traditional folk tale has come to life. Everything here worked for me, except maybe the final touch where the producers wanted to direct the relationship of two main women protagonist into a romantic sphere. First of all, I instantly fell in love with these two women who find themselves in a complicated relationship. The story is very emotional and interesting with a well chosen settings in the specific place and time which adds a lot not only as a background but is nicely connected with the story. I don't want to be specific because i don't want to spoil the story.

I would recommend this "movie" to everyone, it is full with heart and noble intentions. It often fails when a movie wants to please everyone, but i think this story succeeded in that regard.

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Who deserves to die?

I was eagerly waiting for the chance to watch this movie, and it did not disappoint. Admittedly, the movie is a bit uneven—it starts as a silly action comedy but later turns into a serious action thriller. It also felt odd that the movie clearly hints at the villain from the beginning. However, this was executed quite well, even better than having a shadowy figure revealed only at the finale. So, watching this movie from start to finish, it gradually became better and better. The final scene of the movie adds the icing on the cake, helping us viewers to put our emotions in the right place as we follow the plot. This comment may sound abstract, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

The action is very well executed, and the actors did an excellent job in their roles. There are a few brief disturbing scenes, almost horror-like, but ultimately, this is an entertaining action movie. I wouldn’t have given it such a high score if it didn’t have a meaningful message and some food for thought, particularly regarding taking justice into one’s own hands. The best scene in the movie is the moment when the main character, veteran detective Seo Do Cheol, addresses the bloodthirsty onlookers.

The movie is great on its own but even better in the context of the original "Veteran (2015)" because it ties into many details, especially when you grow attached to the main characters. In my opinion, this sequel is even better than the original, and it seems to have the potential to become a full-fledged series.

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Rule of Dance

Surprising and fun. This short movie, shown as the third part in the Love Track series, started off very confusingly, mixing relationship drama with horror and thriller elements, but the blend was very satisfying in the end. We also get a bit of comedy, even parody — a classic Korean mix of genres — all packed into a quick 30 minutes story.

I liked the couple. I can't believe that I had never seen this actress, Kim Ah-young, before. As the couple falls into the hands of a serial killer, we even learn the most important rule of dance: to trust your partner, because you don’t dance alone. This becomes an allegory for life and for any love relationship. You should trust that even when your partner doesn’t fulfill your expectations, he is trying his best. Watching this, you will be entertained but also come to respect your partner a bit more.

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