Solid weekend movie

Hitman Agent Jun is a solid weekend blockbuster with action , wit and a whole lot of comedy!

The story is your typical usual agent trope of the retired agent with a family being forced back in to the fold by circumstances out of his control etc. Hitman Agent Jun plays on the trope quite well with sincerity and familial bonds galore.

The movie plays as very tongue in cheek which adds to the charm of the whole effort overall.

Maybe some weak parts in the middle but overall, a jolly watch that is really good for those weekend afternoons or nights.

Lire davantage

Its stylishly good but its not great

This movie tried to be a lot of things. Tarantino meeting John Wick but falling off somewhere is how I can describe this.

The story is gripping and can keep you in for the duration of the movie but I personally found the first hour and a half ridiculously slow and boring which I cannot forgive at all. Furthermore, the story resolved into unneeded sappy territory which was disappointing too.

However, the cinephile in me recognizes the artistic winning aspect of this film which is stylishly delivered and that aspect is the only that save this movie from being a non watchable entity.

Lire davantage

Park Chan Wook at his most accessible

Park Chan Wook is responsible for seminal works in the movie industry, and he is known as a plot twist deity .

The genius in his works usually make for an unstable watch and most times an inaccessible moment for moviegoers but in Handmaiden he condescends to make an approachable and accessible watch. The themes of colonial Korea and the tension with Japan are enduring as well as the other themes explored that include feminism ,liberation and sexuality.

Its beautifully shot and wonderfully acted too.

I do find Park Chan Wook a bit of a difficult pill to swallow so if he is your fave then you will surely love this.

If you are just starting out in watching his films , then this is the more accessible he has and great for beginners.

Lire davantage

A cleverly crafted romance that works despite itself.

The Beauty Inside tackles the old adage of “beauty is in the inside” with a compelling and refreshing take well worth its course .

Caution : if you poke at it too much , it will definitely fall apart but for what it’s worth which is : a soft focus on a topic infused with romance ; it nails it .

The Beauty Inside doesn’t aim to be its predecessor as a social commentary and it’s quite clear from the get go that this movie just wants to explore what romance could be for someone who changes their body everyday . You will not get profound quotes on acceptance and image . Far from it . However, one gets a portrait of loneliness from the male lead and a tour de force from the female lead .

And that leads me to the standout here : Han Hyo Joo was terrific in this ! Her character portrait and her portrayal which is refreshingly far away from the infantile rom com woman was astounding ! She helped with the gravitas , nuance and emotional resonance of this movie that this was a total tour de force of talent !

This movie is also very well crafted . The hues and tones were just right and the motif of furniture was cleverly built in with the whole theme . The cameos of top Korean stars makes the movie super cool too.

OVERALL- A cleverly crafted romance that works despite itself. I say “despite itself “ because it really could have knocked it out with a more punchy social commentary and shorter run time . Those were just cons working against the movie. However , if the story compels you , go for it .

Lire davantage

This is my review of all the parts in one review.

Part 1 : 8/10
Part 2 :6/10
Overall : 7/10

Arthdal Chronicles is a cool fantasy drama with vitalizing commentary on what and who can be considered as civilized.

It has a talented cast and amazing visuals but I rate a somber 7 for a couple of reasons.

The good: Great story arcs and great initial fantasy building with the Arthdal world and its surrounding communes. Loved the pull and tension of the different species and aspects and rates of civilization.

Part 1 is definitely the better one and best representation of what Arthdal is.

The poor- 1.I found the continuing story arc of the pull and tension of the main characters very unsatisfactory especially the male lead protagonist . His scenes and story line became rather burdensome for me as a viewer as the main story arc was abandoned for him. We know he is special and was even born on an auspicious day yet his story-line was developed as tiring and lacking pace and vision.

This then affected everyone else and made the lore of Arthdal and its auspices now poorly executed.

2. The pacing and direction or maybe editing was lacklustre . Focusing was off and part 2 just dragged along story line wise. The plot twists became contrived too.

Overall- this show takes a chance and I love shows that take a chance . For what it is , it did okay but not decently if you ask me . It was bursting with potential and slid away .

Lire davantage

Solid trajectory but watches as continuously repetitive and tired .

Doctors is a drama that depicts lots of heart , growth and humanness.

It had a lot going for it with full bodied characters that went through their individual phrasal evolution. That was great to watch until a certain point.

It also had great full circle moments that were great to watch until a certain point.

And I believe the premise of the main love story was totally cringe with the teacher/student angle and that just brought down the atmosphere of the overall drama in hindsight.

The cast was very underwhelming and I did not like the male lead at all. he was wooden and uninspired . Everyone else was plausibly okay.

I also had a hard time finishing it because everything became so repetitive so I felt less inclined to watch past the 16 eps mark.

However , it was a sweet drama with lots of warmth and cool medical procedures that added to thrill of watching the show.So, if you are trying to enter medical dramas , I suggest this one but I can guarantee you there are probably better ones .

Lire davantage

Personally enjoyable but very bad elements

If someone were to ask me if I enjoyed The K2 - I would emphatically say YES .Unreservedly. Here's why :

1.Great fight scenes
2.Great political angst and villainy
3.Great supporting cast
4.Great intrigue and conspiracy
5. Great melodrama

Wars in the Middle East , espionage , fighting , commentary on AI and surveillance plus political puppets really made The K2 so interesting in a tenacious way. It really tried its darnedest to adhere to the 5 values I stated above . Moreover , the villain Choi Yoo Jin was incredibly exceptionally portrayed and her story arc was super enduring.Including her husband.

So why the 7.5 and not an emphatic 9 ? Here's why :

1. Weak male and female leads ( Ji Chang Wook and Im Yoon Ah)
2.Gormless romance
3. Not taking advantage of opportunities for an enduring story line
4. The character of Annan and her presentation was so UNNECESSARY
5. Loose story weaving

Not gonna sugar coat it but Ji Chang Wook and his insufferable inability to be comedically on point was terribly off putting . He did not do any justice to his character and everything of his just had off timing especially the comedic elements inserted into his character.

Im Yoon Ah was actually more insufferable to be fair , however , I will not persecute her too much because her character was ill conceived and written terribly . The K2 could have really saved itself if it focused on the bodyguard element decisively which is to say that there was no need for a romantic interest in the form of Anna and perhaps she should have been a child that he protects and have more of a ''hyung/brother'' element instead of a romance because THAT was disgustingly flat.

This now brings me to my point of ''loose story weaving.'' Why have romantic tensions between the male lead and the female villain only for it to culminate to nothing? Viewers did not deserve such possibly exciting ambiguity only for it to be thrown out. There are many other instances of loose story weaving but I will be spoiling.

The music was unremarkable and so is the rewatch value and quite possibly , this should score a 6.5 at best but I really enjoyed it and consider it to be a gem despite its flaws and all..

This drama is testament to a mantra I personally subscribe to and that is '' a drama does not have to be good in order for it to be good."

I highly recommend !

Lire davantage

Intentionally high octane crazy draaaama.

Know this is intentionally crazy and you will have a fun time of it! I guarantee it.

The Last Empress is a bold , riveting bat crazy drama that still manages to be intricate and with emotional gravitas.

Its spins a tale of a fictional monarchy in modern times and brilliantly touches on the familial mayhem that could entail in such a family. If you are a student of Shakespeare, you will find the Macbeth -esque villainy in here artistic and very fun.As a K Drama fan, you will find that K CHARM brilliantly woven in by Shin Sun Rok and Jang Na Ra. If you like a brooding male lead too - Choi Jin Hyuk and his deep voice has you sorted and if you like a spunky spicy female lead - they ALL have that covered !

I also liked how involved the drama was . The viewer was in tandem with the drama and was never left behind for a minute . Making the viewer feel like an actual cast member is a lost art these days but Last Empress heartily inserted that .

It scores an 8.5 for two reasons though. The first being that I found components of the female cast particularly grating at times . The face acting on Lee Elijah and Shin Eun Kyung was really annoying and the director faltered heavilly there . The second being that the ending was found very wanting in some aspects for certain characters whilst others got brilliant ends . Inconsistency is the bane of any viewing experience so I had to shave points for that .

However , other than that- its an original story that does not hold back all. With all its melo dramatic madness , a schizy beauty truly emerged !

Lire davantage

An easy breezy thriller great for those weekend blockbuster picks!

If you love a thriller that is making a grand statement , good acting , great visual FXs and a complementary car chase then this movie is for you.

Its very blockbuster and really packs a punch in its set up. It has a great man in the middle character in Kim Woo Bin who quickly turns sides and the menacing performance in Lee Byung Han is what every villain should be . However-I found the other male protagonist in Kang Dong Wan to be rather flat and grossly underwritten , but , hey ! Its not that deep. Its just an entertaining watch with suitable thrills.It won't bog you down at all.

Give it a watch for those weekends when you need an entertaining , crime obsessed thriller.

Lire davantage

A fiery drama that had an identity crisis

This drama depicts a game of life and love and had such a good mix of swoony but serious.Jang Ok Jung is portrayed as King Sukjong's first love twice in all the iterations she came into his life. It doesn't get more beautiful than that. But watch them throw away such pathos.

What was initially the story of an ambitious woman who was born in the wrong time and the story of a passionate romance in a very chaste time made for an unbelievably delicious and satisfying watch. Moreover, the knowledge of the inevitable fate of these two historical characters is remarkably effective for the viewer to tune in.

Its clear to the viewer that the corrupt world they live in will eventually make them villains but not of their own making but just because they are the way they are. I thought that was so skillful of the writers to portray in the convincing manner they did in the first half but then things went awry.

Perhaps the story was too dynamic to handle because the show ended up delivering cheap makjang gimmicks from what was otherwise good pacing and fluid watching . My gripe is how thoughtful the drama was in its metaphors and then they literally threw that away . It should have watched as a political romance instead of delving into the hysterics of a makjang.

The drama literally had an identity crisis . It did not know what it was in the end .

I think I will watch Dong Yi.

Lire davantage

This is for the people who didn’t enjoy My Mister

I write this review amongst the glowing 9's and 10’s. I really do come in peace to just say that this is a very strong cup of tea that may not be a preferred cup as I have unfortunately found myself.

It is a hectic watch . It is a tough watch . It is also a pouty watch. All these attributes are also the charms of the drama but are also the aspects that make it a pungent tea to some. Two things can be true at the same time and that is okay too .

Unfortunately, the former overwhelmed the other . It truly is the drama I couldn’t love even though I wanted to . And I can see what everyone talks about , I’m sure it inspires personal healing and human warmth and everything a slice of life should be but it just was not a slice of life I wanted to have . The tea leaves of Lee Jee An with her pouty grimace and the dry lips of the male lead and the pitiful brothers and mother were not sifted through the drama sieve well enough .

And those are the redeeming charms to some but it’s a no from me .

Lire davantage

Neo Noir done in a pop culture friendly way

"A Pyrrhic victory is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress."

The Worst of Evil is truly a study of the psychology of a Pyrrhic victory.

It is a very , very, good watch and nothing to sniff at. I applaud the ease of the theme presentation and the accessibility of the watch , something that is very hard to do with morally ambiguous characters but this drama nailed it .

The watch is strenuous and far from a kick back watch . It is unrelenting in its brawn and dark in its resolve . I highly appreciate how all that unflinching and unrelenting darkness never let up for a second and was beautifully woven in the music , the acting and the dialogue.

I rate it an 8.5 because its definitely more than good but there is really nothing new being explored here. Its exploration is also not that novel but for what it is- its a wonderful drama worth a watch with standout performances by Ji Chang Wook, Bibi and Im Se Mi. I was not particularly blown away by Wi Ha Joon as I should have . I think he doesn't have the depth just yet to handle 4D characters like the gangster Jang Gicheul. I think a Woo Do Hwan (since they have a similar look) would have delivered that heart wrenching humanity coupled with a searing darkness. Wi Ha Joon made it very obvious he was playing a role.

Other than that - a very enjoyable drama with a lot of tension and thought provocation and soul stirring moments.

Lire davantage

Truly is MOVING

I really thought that this was going to be your typical high budget super-hero drama. The high profile cast ahem Han Hyo Joo , Zo In Sung and co definitely must have cost a lot , and like many big budget shows – Moving was probably going to have typical poor writing with big special effects. Probably some formulaic hero show that we’ve seen before a la Heroes or Marvel/Dc vibes.

Boy was I wrong !

For sure its got high powered fight scenes but this show is more than that.This show prioritizes character development. Motifs galore with beautiful imagery and meaning too. The writing is excellent . The production and visual FX are crazy good too. It’s tugging on all the emotional strings with emotional bonds that are truly MOVING.

Now, some may be put off by the gritty violence . It really does get in there that a fast forward button may be needed for more sensitive viewers but I am one of those sensitive viewers and I can tell you that the violence has a sincere necessity contextualizing the gore. They fight for love and fear of loss .Everyone of them do this that it cancelles out any sense of gratuity .

Now why do I score it a 9 and not a 10? Theres something I cannot forgive about this really great show and that is the focus balancing .

Focus balancing is when there are plots and subplots and the editors , directors et al balance them .i.e - the main plot has the adequate focus that a main plot should have and a sub plot is noticeably sub to a main plot.

Now , Moving understandably has a holistic take on the anthology and all plots are actually main plots but I couldn't shake the feeling that there were plots that were better done and in hindsight ,too consummate to be a parallel to the one I felt the problem lay with . Just so you are not in the dark , theres a man whose backstory was waaaaay too much and killed the balance for me so no perfect 10 from me.

That aside , this show truly is something special .Its grounded in realism because well and truly , if superpowered people existed ,the trials the show explores would be the exact thing happening to them with governments using them etc. That is so self aware and brilliant of the script.

Also ,shout out to the best romance I have seen in drama land in a loooong time acted out by Zo In Sung and Han Hyo Joo and which also culminated in the BEST episodes of the show. They resonated with pure sincerity, cutting through misunderstandings and doubts, showcasing the genuine feelings between two people and successfully evoking deep emotions in the viewers . What Moving did with two episodes of romance is something that 16 episode dramas routinely fail at.

The highschool children were amazing too!

Overall- I highly recommend especially to those who like grit mixed with slice of life showcased in almost anthology style.

Lire davantage

Now this is how you do a disaster movie!

The headline says it all. One of the best disaster movies in the entire game!

Emergency Declaration is an outstanding film that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. With a gripping storyline and exceptional performances by the cast, it's a must-see for any fan of suspenseful thrillers.It is well acted , well produced, screenplay to die for and pacing that is heartracingly sublime! I was a total sweating mess watching this and thats exactly what a disaster thriller should do!

On top of the thrills- it delves into complex moral dilemmas and the human psyche under extreme pressure. The movie does commentary and thought provocation searingly well and that is so amazing to pack in the high stakes of everything.

The visuals are striking, and the use of sound adds an extra layer of intensity to the viewing experience.The cast delivers outstanding performances across the board. Everyone is phenomenal and all convey the desperation,determination or greed of their characters brilliantly.

Overall - its a must watch. Truly a top contender in the disaster movie game because of its ability to create a palpable sense of urgency and emotional connection with the characters.

I can see this being a future cult classic of the genre.

Lire davantage

A very warm drama that touches on elemental themes in an encouraging way.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is first and foremost a youth drama . Its intended age group is definitely 16 - 25 years old but that should not deter anyone from watching this warm drama. Because of its context and set up , Weightlifting should be thoroughly excused for being juvenile in set pieces and the like.

One of things that make a drama great is when a drama takes a chance and authentically lives out its set pieces without added soapy angsty drama that has no place being there. This drama is all that and more. Its the only drama I have watched so far where I thoroughly enjoyed the couple BEFORE they got together. Usually, I am in a huff and puff for them to get together or annoyed at the detractors of the Main Leads love but that was not the case here . Everything progressed in a warm and realistic manner that was quite encouraging .

I especially loved the sports element and the commentary on doing what you love because you can and why not ?The juxtaposition of the insanely talented Bok Joo and Joon- Hyung and their averagely talented friends was quite special on the commentary of 'you shall surely succeed if the work is not heavy on the heart."

There were also beautiful specks of mental health commentary and I particularly loved how Weightlifting aimed to be corrective on usually stigmatized issues . The portrayal on visiting doctors and psychiatrists was positive and the overall message that its fundamentally okay to not be okay was also gratifying . The insertion of bulimia , pressure from parents and peers and corruption was also good food thought which removed all shallow marks from this youth drama.

The acting was great especially by the main cast . The main leads are amazing OTPs and I will struggle to see them with other pairings in other dramas.The messaging of friendship being supportive and inspiring was particularly heart warming and I appreciated all the friendships in the drama.

The reason why this does not get a 10 is because I found certain elements of this drama a tad bit too draggy . I fastforwarded some scenes I found repetitive . This drama could have been helped by a better editing team but other than that - I have no qualms and its pros seriously overwhelm its cons.

OVERALL- Go into this appreciating that this is a youth drama .No need for Cannes critique and you will enjoy. I really think its worth the hype. Aaaaad I say that as someone who has a list on MDL of dramas not worth the hype . Sooooo ;-)

Lire davantage