[HanCinema's Film Review] Korean Weekend Box Office 2012.01.27 ~ 2012.01.29

HanCinema's Korean Box Office Review

(2011.02.03 ~ 2012.02.05)

Korean films held the top five spots as the local hits dominated the box office this past weekend. Chung Ji-young's "Unbowed" surprised with its thus far successful entry into the commercial circuit, but was trumped by Yoon Jong-bin new crime drama "Nameless Gangster". Korea's latest gangster flick stars Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo as a corrupt customs official and a gangster with ties to the Yukuza. Their mutually beneficial relationship begins to fall apart as the government declares its war on crime. The film held 38.90% of the tickets sales, which amounted to just under a million admissions.

Despite slipping one place back into second, "Unbowed" still captured 16.40% of the sales with 406,984. Chung Ji-young's film first premiered at last year's Busan Film Festival and has thus far earned a surprising 2,642,678 admissions. "Dancing Queen" is still doing well with 322,987 as it approaches the three million mark. Korean animations have become increasing popular, especially since the local and international success of "Leafie, A Hen Into The Wild". Han Sang-ho's "Speckles: The Tarbosaurus" is picking up the slack as it rides the animation wave as it taps into our fascination and love of prehistoric lizards.

Han Ji-seung's "Papa - Movie" is one that I am looking forward to watching. With its international flavour and situational humour, "Papa - Movie" looks to be both an unlikely Korean comedy as well as an outright hilarious ride. "Papa - Movie" has thus far earned 292,414 admissions since its release at the beginning of February. The foreign animation "Happy Feet 2" is next and marks the first foreign film entry into this week's top ten. At seven is "Puss in Boots" with has just amassed 2,005,898 admissions.

 "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" and "I Don't Know How She Does It" follows with just under 70,000 admissions between them. And if you can believe it Tom Cruise's latest film "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol" is still here at ten with 17,472 admissions, bringing its total to a whopping 7,538,585 since its released late last year.

Korean Box Office - Admissions for the Week-end 2012.02.03 - 2012.02.05 (www.kobis.or.kr)