Category Archives: Korean

Admiral: Roaring Currents, The (2014) Review

"The Admiral: Roaring Currents" DVD Cover

AKA: Roaring Currents Director: Kim Han-min Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Ryu Seung-Ryong, Jo Jin-Woong, Kim Myung-Gon, Jin Gu, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kwon Yul, Ryohei Otani, Lee Seung-Jun, Kim Gang-Il, Jo Ha-Suk Running Time: 127 min. By Kelly Warner Admiral Yi Sun-shin is remembered as one of Korea’s greatest heroes. In the 1590s, Japan invaded Korea with the intention of conquering the country and expanding its empire. By 1597, the Japanese were winning … Continue reading

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Typhoon (2005) Review

Director: Gwak Gyeong-Taek Writer: Gwak Gyeong-Taek Cast: Jang Dong-Gun, Lee Jeong-Jae, Lee Mi-Yeon, David McInnis, Chatthapong Pantanaunkul Running Time: 124 min. By HKFanatic From the opening of Typhoon, it’s clear that Korea is screwed. A rogue pirate named Sin (Dong-gun Jang) with a grudge against both the North and the South has amassed some weapons-grade plutonium. His big plan is to release it during a typhoon, when the high velocity … Continue reading

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Ode to My Father (2014) Review

"Ode to My Father" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yoon Je-Kyun Writer: Park Soo-Jin Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, Kim Yunjin, Oh Dal-Su, Jung Jin-Young, Jang Young-Nam, Ra Mi-Ran, Hong Suk-Youn, Kim Seul-Gi, Lee Hyun, Uhm Ji-Sung, Go Yoon Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall When a major Korean studio decides it’s time to churn out a crowd pleasing blockbuster for the masses, things normally go one of two ways. We either get movies which aim purely for the … Continue reading

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Gangnam Blues (2015) Review

AKA: Gangnam 1970 Director: Yu Ha (aka Yoo Ha) Cast: Lee Min-Ho, Kim Rae-Won, Jung Jin-Young, Seol Hyun, Kim Ji-Su, Lee Yeon-Doo, Jung Ho-Bin, Eom Hyo-Seop, Yoo Seung-Mok, Lee Suk, Choi Jin-Ho Running Time: 135 min. By Paul Bramhall Former poet turned director and script writer Yoo Ha makes his long overdue return to the gangster genre with Gangnam Blues. Ha, whose 2006 movie A Dirty Carnival is considered a … Continue reading

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Strike of Thunderkick Tiger (1981) Review

"Strike of Thunderkick Tiger" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: My Name is Twin Legs Director: Park Woo Sang Cast: Charles Han, Casanova Wong, Bak Min Wong, Han Jee Ha, Peggy Min, Lisa Lee, Billy Yuen, Alfred Ma, Chan Taiyun, Dragon Lee, Phillip Leung, David Kao Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall The Korean old-school kung fu movie is without doubt the most bastardized genre out there. To this day, the number of legitimate releases of old school … Continue reading

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Girl at My Door, A (2014) Review

"A Girl at My Door" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jeong Joo-ri Producer: Lee Jun-Dong Cast: Bae Doo-Na, Kim Sae-Ron, Song Sae-Byuk, Kim Jin-Gu, Son Jong-Hak, Na Jong-Min Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall Korea has arguably been producing the best movies to come out of Asia for the last 15 years, however one criticism of the industry has always been the lack of lead roles for women, outside of romantic comedies and flower vase roles in male … Continue reading

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Target, The (2014) Review

"The Target" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yoon Hong-seung Cast: Ryu Seung-Ryong, Yu Jun-Sang, Lee Jin-Wook, Kim Seong-Ryeong, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Jo Eun-Ji, Kim Dae-Myung, Jang Jun-Nyung, Yeom Ji-Young Running Time: 98 min. By oneleaf Life is good for medical resident Lee Tae-joon (Jin Wook-Lee). He’s expecting his first child with his beautiful wife, Jung Hee-joo (Yeo-jeong Jo), a psychiatrist, who works at the same hospital. Also, the two have just moved into a new apartment together. … Continue reading

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Pirates, The (2014) Review

"The Pirates" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seok-Hun Cast: Kim Nam-Gil, Son Ye-Jin, Yu Hae-Jin, Lee Kyung-Young, Oh Dal-Su, Kim Tae-Woo, Park Cheol-Min, Shin Jeong-Geun, Kim Won-Hae, Jo Dal-Hwan, Jo Hee-Bong, Jeong Seong-Hwa, Sully, Lee Yi-Kyung Running Time: 130 min. By Kelly Warner Sometimes a movie surprises you. As I sat down to watch the South Korean adventure The Pirates, I expected a silly headache of a movie that existed just to cash-in on the … Continue reading

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Divine Move, The (2014) Review

The Divine Move | Blu-ray & DVD (CJ Entertainment)

Director: Jo Beom-Goo Writer: Yu Seong-Hyeop Cast: Jeong Woo-Sung, Lee Bum-Soo, Ahn Seong-Gi, Kim In-Kwon, Lee Si-Young, Ahn Gil-Gang, Lee Do-Kyung, Choi Jin-Hyuk, Jeong Hae-Gyun, Ahn Seo-Hyun Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall The gambling genre seems to come in and out of fashion in Asian cinema. The early 80’s gave us Shaw Brothers gambling flicks such as Challenge of the Gamesters, by the early 90’s we had Chow … Continue reading

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Hard Day, A (2014) Review

Director: Kim Seong-Hun Cast: Lee Seon-Gyun, Jo Jin-Woong, Shin Jeong-Geun, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Gang-Hyun Running Time: 111 min. By oneleaf Nothing is going right for ill-tempered, single parent Detective Go today. Driving to his mother’s funeral, he receives a call from a colleague informing him that the precinct is being raided by agents from Internal Affairs who are armed with ledgers of corrupt officers taking bribes. Fazed and distracted by … Continue reading

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Man on High Heels (2014) Review

"Man on High Heels" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jang Jin Cast: Cha Seung-Won, Oh Jeong-Se, Lee Som, Go Kyung-Pyo, Shin Sung-Hun, Jo Bok-Rae Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall In many ways the gangster genre is to the Korean movie industry what the heroic bloodshed genre was to the Hong Kong movie industry of the 90’s. Ever since Korean cinema gained international recognition in the late 90’s, every year we can be guaranteed a hard hitting … Continue reading

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Traffickers (2012) Review

AKA: Traffikers Director: Kim Hong-Sun Producer: Won Hyun-Jae Cast: Im Chang-Jung, Daniel Choi, Jo Yoon-Hee, Oh Dal-Su, Jo Dal-Hwan, Jung Ji-Yoon Running Time: 111 min. By Kelly Warner They say that truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense. What they left out is that films based on a true story also have to make sense, regardless of whether that ruins the truthiness of the tale (my … Continue reading

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No Tears for the Dead (2014) Review

"No Tears for the Dead" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Jeong-beom Cast: Jang Dong-Gun, Kim Min-Hee, Kim Hee-Won, Kim Jun-Sung, Go Woo-Lim, Ju Young-Ho, Jang In-Seop, Lee Seung-Chan, Park Sang-Hun, Brian Tee Running Time: 116 min. By Paul Bramhaull Director and writer Lee Jeong-beom quickly came to the attention of action movie aficionado’s in 2010 with the release of The Man from Nowhere. A Korean movie starring Won Bin as a mopish pawn shop attendant with a tragic … Continue reading

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Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014) Review

Director: Yun Jong-Bin Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Kang Dong-Won, Lee Kyung-Young, Lee Sung-Min, Jo Jin-Woong, Ma Dong-Seok, Yun Ji-Hye, Ju Jin-Mo, Song Young-Chang, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Byung-Ok, Kim Jong-Gu, Kim Seong-Gyun Running Time: 137 min. By Kelly Warner I went into Kundo: Age of the Rampant expecting something like a Korean take on the Robin Hood tale. What I got was a Tarantino-infused post-modern historical action movie that tries to be … Continue reading

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Flu, The (2013) Review

"The Flu" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Sung-Soo Cast: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Park Min-ha, Yoo Hae-jin, Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Ki-hyeon Running Time: 121 min. By Kyle Warner Films about deadly outbreaks are cinema’s new favorite kind of disaster movie. I guess it’s easy to understand why. Movies about floods and tsunamis remind us too much of the recent disasters in New Orleans and Japan. Earthquakes make for grim stories, not blockbuster entertainment, … Continue reading

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