Category Archives: Korean

Ninja Champion | aka Poisonous Rose Stripping the Night (1986) Review

Director: Kim Si-hyun Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Choe Eun-hye, Im Ja-ho, Dragon Lee (Mun Kyong-sok), Baek Hwang-ki, Richard Harrison, Bruce Baron, Pierre Tremblay, Yoon Yang-Ha, Park Se-bum Running Time: 87 min.  By Paul Bramhall There are only 2 types of people in the world who’d want to watch Ninja Champion – those who enjoy cut ‘n’ paste Godfrey Ho ninja flicks, and those who want to check out an obscure … Continue reading

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Deliver Us from Evil: Final Cut (2020) Review

Director: Hong Won-Chan Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, Lee Jung-Jae, Park Jung-Min, Park So-Yi, Choi Hee-Seo, Park Myoung-Hoon, Oh Dae-Hwan, Shim Young-Eun, Kim Sung-Gon Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall Seven years have passed since Korean thespians Lee Jung-jae and Hwang Jung-min starred together in 2013’s New World in which they played sworn brothers, with one a no-nonsense cop deep undercover, and the other a live wire unpredictable gangster. In 2020 … Continue reading

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Keys to the Heart (2018) Review

Director: Choi Sung-Hyun Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Park Jung-Min, Youn Yuh-Jung, Han Ji-Min, Choi Ri, Kim Sung-Ryoung, Moon Sook, Hwang Suk-Jung, Lee Joo-Young, Baek Hyun-Jin Running Time: 120 min. By Paul Bramhall Stories about washed up boxers have been around for almost as long as cinema itself, and the Korean movie industry is no exception. From Choi Min-sik in Crying Fist, to So Ji-sub in Always, and more recently Um Tae-goo … Continue reading

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Night in Paradise (2020) Review

Director: Park Hoon-Jung Cast: Um Tae-Goo, Jeon Yeo-Bin, Cha Seung-Won, Park Ho-San, Cho Dong-in, Lee Ki-young Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall The Korean gangster movie that was such a consistently entertaining part of the countries output during the 00’s and early 10’s has largely dropped off in recent years, with genre efforts these days more likely to be low budget productions lacking the creative spark of those that … Continue reading

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Eagle vs. Silver Fox | aka Flying Martial Arts (1980) Review

Director: Park Yun-Gyo Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Hwang Jang-Lee, Gwak Mu-Seong, Sarah Sit Chi-Lin, Nam Chung-Il, Chiu Chun, Kim Yu-Haeng, Pok Chung-Sit, Choe Mu-Ung, Kim Gi-Jong Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall If there’s one aspect of the kung fu world that’s more deadly than any secret technique, it’s the IFD Films distributed kung fu movie. Virtually every readily available Korean kung fu movie from the 70’s and 80’s … Continue reading

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Revenge of Drunken Master (1981) Review

Director: Gang Beom-Gu Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Johnny Chan (Wang Dae-wi), Bruce Cheung Mong, Kwon Sung-Young, Eagle Han Ying, Lee Mi-Ji, Han Myeong-Hwan, Kim Ki-Ju, Eom Ju-Hyeon Running Time: 82 min. By Ian Whittle As if all the many weird and wonderful Bruceploitation films weren’t enough, the Koreans (and consequently Asso Asia/Godfrey Ho and Tomas Tang) also tried their hand at JackieChansploitation. Following the cross-over with Dragon Lee; Golden Dragon, … Continue reading

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Space Sweepers (2021) Review

Director: Jo Sung-Hee Cast: Song Joong-Ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Sun-Kyu, Yu Hae-Jin, Park Ye-Rin, Richard Armitage, Kim Moo-Yul, Oh Ji-Yul, Kim Hyang-Gi, Nas Brown, John D. Michaels Running Time: 136 min. By Paul Bramhall The marketing material for Space Sweepers proudly boasted the production to be “Korea’s first sci-fi film project”, a claim which does somewhat of a disservice to the film industries frequent dabbling with the genre during the … Continue reading

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Great Battle, The (2018) Review

Director: Kim Kwang-Sik Cast: Jo In-sung, Nam Joo-Hyuk, Park Sung-Woong, Bae Sung-Woo, Um Tae-Goo, Seol Hyun, Park Byung-Eun, Oh Dae-Hwan, Jung Eun-Chae, Sung Dong-Il, Jang Gwang, Stephanie Lee, Yeo Hoi-Hyeon, Jung In-Gyeom Running Time: 135 min. By Pau Bramhall The Korean historical blockbuster became particularly heavy handed under the years Park Geun-hye was president, with her policies and influence on the film industry resulting in a number of jingoistic productions … Continue reading

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Bloody Mafia (1994) Review

AKA: Red Mafia Director: Casanova Wong Cast: Casanova Wong (Ka Sa Fa), Choi Byung-cheol, Cha Ryong, O O-seop, Kim Du-han, Yoo Seong, Lee Sang-ho, Kim Chang-won, Kim Yeong-uk, Lee Jeonggu  Running Time: 95 min.  By Paul Bramhall By 1994 the kung fu golden era of Hong Kong that dominated the mid-70’s through to the early-80’s was well and truly over, and with it work also dried up for the Korean boot masters … Continue reading

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Swordsman, The (2020) Review

Director: Choi Jae-Hoon Cast: Jang Hyuk, Kim Hyun-Soo, Joe Taslim, Jeong Man-Sik, Lee Na-Kyung, Lee Min-Hyuk Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall The swordplay genre has fallen largely out of fashion over the last decade in Korean cinema, after it spent most of the 00’s being a regular fixture on cinema screens thanks to the likes of 2003’s Sword in the Moon, 2005’s Shadowless Sword, and 2010’s Blades of … Continue reading

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Fist and Furious (2020) Review

Director: Ha Won-Joon Cast: Jung Doo-Hong, Ryu Deok-Hwan, Seo Eun-A, Jung Eui-Gap, Kim Hae-In, Choi Je-Heon, Yoon Seung-Hoon, Lee Hae-Young, Kwon Hyeong-Joon, Choi Ha-Na Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall Coming with possibly the most ridiculous English title since Wheels on Meals, director Ha Won-joon’s sophomore feature Fist and Furious probably has the guys over at The Asylum kicking themselves for not coming up with such a title of … Continue reading

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Derailed (2016) Review

"Derailed" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seong-Tae Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Minho, Kim Jae-Young, Jung Da-Eun, Lee You-Jin, Baek Soo-Min, Kim Won-Sik, Park Ho-San, Park Sung-Il, Han Soo-Hyun, Seo Ho-Chul Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Derailed had a pretty bumpy road to the screen, as the story which takes place in the world of runaway teenagers was turned down by every investor it was pitched to, for reasons which become apparently clear once … Continue reading

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Me and Me (2020) Review

Director: Jung Jin-Young Cast: Cho Jin-Woong, Bae Soo-Bin, Cha Soo-Yeon, Jung Hae-Kyun, Jang Won-Young, No Kang-Min Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always interesting when an actor decides to try their hand at directing, and in the Korean film industry there’s been no shortage of examples. From Ha Jung-woo’s Airplane! styled comedy Fasten Your Seatbelt in 2013, to Cho Jae-hyun’s rather Hong Sang-soo-esque take on the folly of … Continue reading

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Gingko Bed, The (1995) Review

Director: Kang Je-Gyu Cast: Han Suk-Kyu, Jin Hee-Kyung, Kim Sun-Kyung, Lee Beom-Soo, Shim Hye-Jin, Shin Hyeon-Jun, Kim Myeong-Kuk, Kim Hak-Cheol, Choi Hak-Rak, Yoo Yeon-Soo Running Time: 88 min. By Paul Bramhall The Gingko Bed is often spoken about in the context of it being the first Korean production to make significant use of CGI. It wasn’t the first, that honor belongs to The Fox with Nine Tails from the previous … Continue reading

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Divine Move 2: The Wrathful, The (2019) Review

"The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful" Theatrical Poster

Director: Khan Lee Cast: Kwon Sang-Woo, Kim Hee-Won, Kim Sung-Kyun, Heo Sung-Tae, Woo Do-Hwan, Won Hyun-Joon, Park Sang-Hoon, Jung In-Gyeom, Stephanie Lee Running Time: 106 min.  By Paul Bramhall Since Korean cinema started to gain international recognition in the late 90’s and early 00’s, sequels have never really been a part of the industries repertoire, and when they have, they’ve mostly felt unneeded. It’s safe to say nobody was really … Continue reading

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