Feb 18, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Resistance’ an uninspiring story of inspiring heroes

It’s one thing for Jo Min-ho to direct a steaming pile of you-know-what like “A Million” and call it a “thriller.” But when you take a tale of Yu Gwan-sun -- one of the most-recognized independence fighters in Korea, yet whose story has not appeared in many films -- and butcher it like this, it is just unforgiveable.“A Resistance,” the movie about the heroic 16-year-old who died while fighting against Japan’s colonization of Korea, was one that had so much potential and one that I prayed would b

Feb 15, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Innocent Witness(Korea) Opened Feb.13DramaDirected by Lee HanSun-ho (Jung Woo-sung)

Feb 15, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Savaha’ has clever buildup, relevant message, insufficient payoff

In only his second feature-length film, director Jang Jae-hyun cleverly builds up suspense while mixing it up with mystery and a message about religion in “Savaha: The Sixth Finger.” But it takes a U-turn toward the end, which I thought was a strange move.While it is not a bad film, I did not think the payoff was satisfying at the end of such a heart-pumping journey.The film starts with the backstory of Geum-hwa (Lee Jae-in) who was born with a twin sister she, and every member of the family, th

Feb 14, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Creed 2,’ recipe for a classic

What sets a classic apart from a cliche? Both involve a deep sense of deja vu, a time-tested formula, yet the former is like wine that ripens with age while the latter feels repetitive and irrelevant.This is the case with Steven Caple Jr.’s “Creed 2,” which has no real surprises around the corner but manages to create a drama that tugs at the heartstrings with the classic narrative of the “Rocky” franchise.The film begins a few years after the action in “Creed,” with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jor

Feb 12, 2019

Crime drama to delve into Janus-faced ‘Money’

Finance is one of the most crucial elements of today’s capitalist society -- it can mean salvation for some and suffering for others. The upcoming film “Money” will look into this paradox.“Money is a very simple and basic word that has a different meaning for everyone. ... Each person has a different philosophy about it, and their way of life is affected by how they perceive it,” said Park Noo-ri on her directorial debut. “(Money) is the main subject matter of the film, while simultaneously the

Feb 10, 2019

'Extreme Job' a step away from becoming No. 1 Korean comedy film

Having drawn more than 12 million moviegoers so far, "Extreme Job" is just a step away from becoming the Korean box-office's No. 1 comedy film in history, data showed Sunday.The film has attracted 12.18 million moviegoers since its release on Jan. 23, after adding 776,162 on Saturday, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. (Yonhap)The record is close to the performance of the box-office No. 1 comedy, "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which drew 12.81 million moviegoers in 2012. The movie was

Feb 8, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Hit-and-Run Squad (Korea)Opened Jan. 30Action, CrimeDirected by Han Jun-heeLt. Eun

Feb 2, 2019

[Herald Review] Two documentaries to feature belated learning of ‘Granny Poets’

The story of the older generation of women in Korea is one of endless sacrifice that borders on tragedy. While the percentage of women receiving college education has surpassed men since 2005, the post-war and pre-1990s generations in particular have suffered from extreme gender discrimination, the most common of which was receiving little to no education.Upcoming documentary films “Granny Poetry Club” and “The Poem, My Old Mother” features the story of the women in their 80s and 90s learning ho

Feb 2, 2019

'Underdog' director voices disappointment at poor audience turnout

A co-director of the South Korean animated film "Underdog," said Saturday that he is disappointed at the weaker-than-expected public attention to his brainchild produced after seven years of painstaking efforts."I just feel distressed. I've realized the high wall of prejudice against Korean feature animations," said Oh Sung-yoon in a telephone conversation with Yonhap News Agency.The film, jointly directed with Lee Chun-baek for a period of seven years, was released Jan. 16 but has so far drawn

Feb 1, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘The Odd Family,’ a zombie film that should’ve been more

The only thing that is more irritating than watching a film that is a complete disaster is to watch a movie and think “coulda shoulda woulda” throughout. To see the path that the director could have taken to really improve the material, and groan in bitter disappointment.“The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale” (Megabox Plus M)Director Lee Min-jae’s “The Odd Family: Zombie for Sale,” a rare zombie comedy film in Korean cinema, was one with several interesting attempts, clunky delivery and plenty of clic

Feb 1, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hit-and-Run Squad(Korea)Opened Jan. 30Action, CrimeDirected by Han Jun-heePolice lieutenant Eun Shi-yeon (Gong Hyo-jin) is demoted to a hit-and-run investigation squad after her superiors question her investigative methods regarding race car driver-turned-businessman Jeong Jae-cheol (Jo Jung-suk). Working with the team leader Woo Seon-yeong (Jeon Hye-jin) and Seo Jin-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol) a young officer with a keen sense about cars, she soon learns that Jeong is somehow connected to a hit-and-run

Jan 31, 2019

Zhang Lu’s ‘Fukuoka’ to premiere at Berlinale

“Fukuoka,” an upcoming drama from Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu, will have its international premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.According to Lu Films, the movie has received an official invitation to screen at the Forum section of the Berlinale, a noncompetitive section that is open to films of all formats and genres. It is one of seven sections at the festival, the others being Competition, Panorama, Generation, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Berlinale Shorts and Retrospect

Jan 28, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Hit-and-Run Squad’ pretentious and impressively unimpressive

How do they keep doing this? I thought I’ve seen the worst in the recent flop “Drug King” in terms of putting together a group of very talented people, throwing in a complete badass of a subject matter and coming up with an utter disappointment despite a sizeable budget. That is, until I witnessed director Han Jun-hee’s “Hit-and-Run Squad,” which had a promising premise, a top-notch car chase and gifted actors yet completely broke down. Just like “Drug King,” it is more infuriating because the f

Jan 25, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan.23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn that the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when the detectives’ chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission (Korea) Opened Jan. 9DramaDirected by Eo