SSunday Seoul DVD Region 3

The English title of the first main story is "Teen Wolf," which immediately draws connections to the identically-titled 1985 Michael J. Fox werewolf flick Teen Wolf and to a lesser extent, the 1957 Michael Landon film, I Was A Teenage Werewolf. Sadly, neither is surpassed by this Korean re-imagining (or should I say rip-off?). This tale stars Bong Tae Gyu as Do Yeon, a meek bully magnet who spends most of his time fantasizing about Ji Yeon (Ko Eun Ah), the sexy "bad girl"-type who sits in front of him in class. As can be expected from the short film's title, Do Yeon finds himself going through all sorts of changes, including sprouting hair in weird places and developing some razor sharp fangs all on his way to full-fledged lycanthropy. Even though using the werewolf as metaphor for puberty is as obvious as it is cliché, if one considers the change of setting to Korea, there seems like a whole lot more could be mined from this well-traveled idea.

To its credit, "Teen Wolf" adds a romantic twist: just as Do Yeon learns of his heritage, he also discovers that he can only settle down with another werewolf. This revelation proves disappointing as he only has eyes for Ji Yeon, but then again, there's something about his dream girl that's a little "off," too - a reveal that will come as a surprise to absolutely no one in the audience. When all is said and done, "Teen Wolf" is an adequate, sometimes amusing interpretation of the werewolf legend, but it falters considerably due to its lack of any substantive conclusion - what happens to Do Yeon and Ji Yeon? The film doesn't say, instead settling for an ending that isn't really an ending at all. Even worse, despite what looks to be the beginning of An American Werewolf in London-style metamorphosis, complete with an elongated wolf nose, "Teen Wolf" doesn't even deliver a full-on transformation scene! When Do Yeon finally "wolfs out" he just has wild anime hair and fangs. Ho hum. Even 1941's The Wolf Man did better than that!

Although the second story, "The Visitor," maintains the supernatural vibe of "Teen Wolf," it's tonally inconsistent, as it is a bit too grim considering the more comedic touches of the other two stories in the anthology. The premise is simple: a serial killer (Park Seong Bin) makes a pit stop at a spooky-looking house after his car breaks down. Staying true to his nature, he murders the young woman inside. However, he soon discovers that the family is not at all what they seem. "The Visitor" is definitely Tales from the Crypt material in terms of premise. However, as with "Teen Wolf," it's no surprise what happens in the film, and it's a shame the writers didn't play the formula more for laughs. Instead, what you have is a tedious recitation of a horror cliché - a bad guy gets the tables turned on him by supernatural forces - without any innovation whatsoever. Unfortunately, "The Visitor" ends up bringing the film down even further from its so-so beginning.

Luckily for the filmmakers, the third story is undoubtedly the strongest of the bunch. Entitled "Young Blood Taepoong," it stands out in a different way, since it has nothing to do with horror at all - it's a martial arts-infused revenge film. Kim Su Hyeon plays Taepoong, a young man seeking the wisdom of a fabled master of the martial arts in the hopes that he will train him. His mission? To avenge his father's death! Of course, "Young Blood Taepoong," like the previous two stories, is a ridiculously clichéd storyline, but director Park actually gets this one right - he milks the formula for every conceivable laugh. Whether it's the exaggerated performances (Taepoong's memory/re-enactment of his father's death is hilarious, as is his father's nonsensical true identity), the Shaw Brothers parodies, the Kill Bill and Spaghetti Western references, or the general likeability of its characters, "Young Blood Taepoong" is what the other stories in Ssunday Seoul should have been. Short stories in these types of narratives always contain a twist, but this story is the first one that's actually a fairly funny surprise, although it makes you wish they had more time to develop the budding romance between Taepoong and the master's daughter (a charming Lee Chung Ah). Of all the films, this is the one that had the most potential to be a standalone feature film - an all-out martial arts parody flick that would put Kung Pow: Enter the Fist to shame.

Ultimately, there's not enough going for Ssunday Seoul, for me to give it a recommendation. However, if you're a fan of Shaw Brothers-style revenge flicks, the comic strengths of "Young Blood Taepoong" might be enough to merit a look. And despite the lackluster conclusion to "Teen Wolf," Bong Tae Gyu and Ko Eun Ah turn in fairly engaging performances. Still, the shoddiness of the scriptwriting and the over-reliance on clichés cannot elevate Ssunday Seoul beyond what it is - a passable diversion on a lazy Sunday.

By Calvin McMillin