Oh! Brothers (2003) - 오! 브라더스 (O! Beu-ra-deo-seu)

[DVD Review] 'The City of Violence': Lean and Mean

2008/02/05 | Source | Permalink |

Ryoo Seung-wan's action extravaganza draws upon classics of the genre

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

A Seoul cop, Tae-su (Korea's top action choreographer/stunt artist Jeong Doo-hong), receives the shocking news that his childhood friend Wang-jae (a Ryoo Seung-wan regular, Ahn Kil-gang), a retired wise guy, has been stabbed to death by a handful of punks. Tae-su goes back to his hometown, On-sung, to attend Wang-jae's funeral. He immediately smells a rat.

The town is under the thumb of their old buddy Pil-ho (Lee Beom-soo, "Oh! Brothers", "Superstar Mr. Gam"), now a big shot gangster and involved in a citywide real estate development scheme. Tae-su reluctantly teams up with the short-tempered Seok-hwan (director Ryoo Seung-wan) to avenge Wang-jae's murder.

Ryoo Seung-wan, one of the most talented Korean directors and an action film maven, hit the jackpot last time by branching out into the sports drama in "Crying Fist". For the latest endeavor, he consciously returned to his cinem...| More

[DVD review]Third wife fails to give any pleasure

2007/04/18 | Source | Permalink |

There is undeniably a guilty pleasure in turning off one's brain and soaking up a mindless action/comedy, but sometimes a movie is so pointless, mind-numbing and idiotic that it not only makes you want to demand a refund, it also inspires the desire to somehow be reimbursed for the two hours of your life that were wasted.
"My Wife is a Gangster 3", the third (yes, the THIRD) installment of this declining franchise, successfully evokes the latter emotion as it takes the thinnest of storylines and combines it with a cliched comic premise, to produce a painful-to-watch piece of cinematic trash that should have you running back to the video store in search of something that at least pretends to be a decent film.
This is an action movie in which the running time seems to be a lot longer than the plot, so thin is the premise. The film does have the undeniably striking triad gang member Aryong, played by Taiwanese actress Shu Qi (of 2002's "The Transporter"), who is sent to Seoul from Hong ...| More

200 Pounds Beauty Weighs in at the Box Office

2007/02/02 | Source | Permalink |

Month-end box office tabulations for January, according to Film 2.0, have placed local comedy 200 Pounds Beauty past 6.23 million admissions, making it a major sleeper hit. The film has become the most successful Korean comedy of all time, edging past My Boss, My Teacher, which sold 6.1 million tickets earlier last year. 200 Pounds Beauty has also passed Shiri (1999)at 6.21 million, making it the eighth biggest box office draw in Korean history.

The comedy about plastic surgery has attracted appearance-conscious Koreans with its humorous tale of an extremely overweight singer, the 'ghost voice'behind a lip-syncing pop star. Fed-up of being ill-treated due to her weight, she hasdrastic full-body surgery, reappearing as a slim and sexy sensation. The film is based on a best-selling Japanese comic book series by Yumiko Suzuki and directed by KIM Yong-hwa who previously revealed his talent for comedies with his feature debut, Oh! Brothers (2003).

Actress KIM Ah-joong, who, at 16...| More

'200 Pounds Beauty' reveals its beauty at the box office

2007/02/01 | Source | Permalink |

Kim Ah-joong emerges as a big-time actress thanks to success of plastic surgery story

By Yang Sung-jin

A transformation story, if well crafted, can produce an impressive box-office result. Add to that Korea's raging obsession with plastic surgery, and the outcome will be truly life-changing, a scenario that has played out nicely for actress Kim Ah-joong

Kim stars in the romantic comedy "200 Pounds Beauty", and as the film has become a surprising hit across the nation. Meanwhile, Kim's career is going through a drastic transformation, just the way her character trims out her extra fat overnight through full-body plastic surgery.

Kim used to be one of the up-and-coming actresses that deserved a medium level of attention from media and fans. The commercial success of "200 Pounds Beauty" has redefined and rediscovered her charm, and she is now definitely an A-list star who is being wooed by top-rated filmmakers. The question is why and how the film has become such an emotional ...| More

On the big screen, being thin still rules

2007/01/25 | Source | Permalink |

'200 Pounds Beauty' sets new record for romantic comedies

He is noted for his heartwarming comedies. One second you're laughing your head off, and the next you're grabbing a tissue. But that's not all.
Director Kim Yong-hwa has tried to challenge the bias against various "physical disorders" in Korean society, whether it was a young man with a physical disability in "Oh! Brothers" or a young obese woman in "200 Pounds Beauty", his latest film.

But Kim's works aren't all about social justice.
After all, he makes "modest commercial movies" intended for the general public, as a local critic once put it. Publicity for the director's new film so far has been overwhelming.
It has drawn over 5 million people, breaking box office records for the romantic comedy genre. Critics are expecting it to pass the 6-million mark achieved by "My Boss, My Teacher" the biggest hit in the history of Korean comedies.
His latest film may lack the intricate plot twists of the original story, which is...| More