Reviews

any one of these three story lines would have held up on their own just fine, and they probably would have been the better for it. i think the writers chose to combine them in an attempt to over come the 3 rather ordinary and almost cliche plots. problem is they never come together in any meaningful way, and the third really only exists to add drama, drama that never really goes any where or develops, it just sort of sits there, waving at you occasionally. at the end you're left feeling like you watched the extended higlights of 3 movies instead of all of one.


the acting was well done all around and it was well shot. the music went well, usually just blending into the back ground. if you like romance the two younger couples are fun to watch.

Leia Mais

i LOVE this MOVIE... especially Joon-Soo ^^

the baby was really cute :) LOVE IT...

Kim Byeol, was really smart, i adore her...
i hate Joon-Soo "friend" because he choose to give up than to raised his on child...

however (don't mind that guy) ^^ peace ^^
...
Joon-Soo give all his best to fullfil his responsibilities even though he don't really have to!!! (because Han Woo ram is not his child) but inspite that... he accept Woo ram as his own child and sacrifies all what he have for the sake of Woo Ram...

"and i adore him for that..thumbs up (he's cool even he has a baby or not ^^)"

in the end...

Joon Soo ran towards the airport to get Woo Ram and the best friend reunited, the baby is back and lastly Kim Byeol kiss Joon-Soo and he likes it

(^_^) thank you (^_^)

Leia Mais

This movie gave me butterflies in my stomach, which is kind of rare in romantic dramas and movies nowadays.

While the story is more of a "slow burn" in romance, the chemistry between the actors is STRONG and gives the film its intensity. The Holly Golightly-type heroine is slightly more vulnerable than you’d expect, which makes her more likable as you watch the film than maybe you would on paper. Definitely watch for Liu Ye’s discreet facial expressions of a reserved man who has fallen head-over-heels in love and desperately trying to hide it.

This film seems like two movies in one, but they both seem like such great stories, that you don't feel too much disconnect once the first set of plot points are completely abandoned. Very rewatchable.

Leia Mais

After thoroughly enjoying Death Bell I had slightly lower expectations for Death Bell 2 simply from previous experiences with sequels (especially horror sequels). However I needn't have worried because this film is just as good as the first one.

It took quite a long time for the killing spree to start but no second leading up to it was wasted. This film had a brilliant story behind the horror and whilst most horror films are more sadism than substance, Death Bell 2 had a great balance of both. In fact, the deaths were so imaginative and disturbing I hope never to meet the writers behind the script!

I was interested in seeing Ji Yeon in a horror role after only seeing her as catty Rian in Dream High 2. I expected her to be ok but she surpassed my expectations. She had the same shy, slightly twitchy yet 'tower of strength' personality I loved in Nam Gyu Ri's character from Death Bell 1 whilst being completely different, and most of the boys were easy on the eyes (the ones who managed to stay alive long enough to get a good look at anyhow).

The music's hard to comment on as the film was so intense I barely noticed it and the most effective scenes were the killing ones where silence or indescribable music boosted the scary atmosphere. The music I did notice at the beginning though was great for setting the scene.

Overall the film isn't too gory (although there's a lot of blood) and not that scary so if you're a human jelly, like me, then you won't need to find anything to hide behind before you watch. I've given Death Bell 2 a rewatch value of 8 just because I feel once you've worked out who's behind the killings and who's going to be killed, the element of surprise might be lost and make rewatching less enjoyable (but am going to rewatch anyway!)

A great film!

Leia Mais

this should have been a 4.4 but i rounded up.

I wont say I wasted my time watching the Naked Kitchen because Joo Ji Hoon is hot and the number of times you get to see him topless well makes up for the movie not making sense. Now on to the movie review.
I would first like to poo poo anyone who told me that this was a great watch. It’s a hot watch but the whole movie makes no sense. In the short time span of the movie they attempted to squeeze in too many concepts and did not develop any of them. There was no character growth and instead of the plot progressing forward, more issues were added. I didn’t like how there was no sense of time, you had no idea how much time was passing throughout the film. I also didn’t like how things were not implicitly stated, i.e. Mo-Rae’s final decision. To make things even more complicated, some concepts just didn’t seem too add up. (i.e. if you are going into a gallery to buy something, why would you sneak in? you cant buy anything if the gallery is closed!)

In the end I liked the acting, I liked Ji Hoon topless, I liked Ji Hoon singing (awesome!!), and I thought they had pretty colors and great scenery. I really felt like I was watching a poorly constructed indy film with a great budget. There were so many loose ends left in the story at the end but I really don’t care. I couldn’t feel invested in the characters because they were not written to follow logical or common behavioral patterns, meaning I couldn’t even fathom relating to them. Still to be honest I cant blame Mo-Rae for cheating because if I haven’t mentioned it yet Ji Hoon is hot!!

Leia Mais

Never judge a book by its cover... Well in this case you`re allowed to do that! The story was as bad as the poster of the film. The story lost it halfway, no focus on the supporting roles neither on the main characters. It had a lot of potential, but didn´t use it at all! The script was really bad writen- there was practically no interaction between the actors. They just put together some scenes, some flashbacks of the dramatic past mixed together with some songs instead of dialogs.I`m still not sure what the film was finally about. Guys following their dreams? A love story? A " declaration of war" against bad management and music companies? Just to find that out i would rewatch it. But i could ignore a pointless story if at least the acting would have been good. But it was even more disappointing. Just because an actress doesn`t show any kind of emotion doesn`t mean she is acting. Same applies to the rest of the cast. They tried, but trying isn`t enough. If you don`t mind these points- the lack of story, the unfeeling shooting and the lack of acting- then you can go for the appearence of the four guys and the music. At least they put in some effort in the songs.
In the end i just got through the movie because i always finish the stuff i started.

Leia Mais

Il Mare is a truly unique love story, that shows romance in a refreshingly different light. Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae are good playing two lonely people who find comfort in words shared with a stranger, but there was honestly nothing extraordinary about either performance. The true star of this movie is the story itself.

The plot takes the idea of long distance romance to the extreme. It's written so well that the fantastic concept seems perfectly plausible. I loved how their shared moments were shown. The director did a great job of making sure the time difference never felt like a cheap gimmick. The movie is also visually stunning, especially the house itself ("il mare") which I absolutely loved. This movie is not fast paced, nor does it have cute moments full of chemistry/sexual tension. Instead, it's about watching two people become close although they can't be together. Showing that connection is hard, but I think the movie pulls it off well.

The American remake of this film is "The Lake House" staring Keanu Reeves, & Sandra Bullock. I actually liked the remake as well, but one doesn't cancel the other out in my opinion. At the very least, the korean house is MUCH cooler!

I think the key to this story's appeal is the question of whether or not they will ever meet in the future, and have a true romantic relationship. Once that mystery was resolved, rewatching was a little less exciting, but It is still very interesting to watch the story unfold while knowing the outcome. If possible, avoid reading the synopsis, which gives way too much of the story away. I also wouldn't be concerned with how old this movie is. Like the relationship between Eun Ju & Sung Hyun, this movie is timeless.

Leia Mais

Just from my first impression i expected a crazy, loud and chaotic movie. But i watched it anyways because of the two main actors and, what to say, made the right choice. I was hocked from the start. The topic may seem a bite unusal, but that`s exactly what i liked about it.
Both actors were showing great acting skills and you could actually feel the chemistry between them. I like it when you can´t quite grasp a character in the beginning and the actor is able to change this feeling during the movie and you can feel how you get closer to the character. Both actors defenitely accomplised this task.
The sript was well writen, the right words at the right time, not too much drama or never ending dialogs. Same goes for the music. Quiet, smooth, necessary but without getting on your nerves.
In the end the movie tourned out to be realistic, sad, life-affirming and quiet, but still chaotic and a tiny bit crazy. The right amount of everything, well composed and put together. And even the ending matched.

Leia Mais

First and foremost, go watch "Avalon" before watching "Assault Girls". Avalon was the movie the director came out with before "Assault Girls" and it makes you understand why the movie was made in this way to begin with.

With that said, "Assault Girls" was lacking as a movie in writing. The Story failed the visuals. We did get a few funny lines at the beginning, and if you are a gamer, you'll get why it's funny. We've all been around to witness dumb gamer banter on PK servers. But the story in its entirety fell short, or rather it felt like there wasn't a story at all, it was more like watching someone's 3D game play. Fun for the user, not always fun for the observer.

Yes, it was filmed in a desert, but that was the gaming environment... get over it.

I hate to refer back to something not everyone has seen, but with "Avalon" they did the reverse. They tried to show equally the in-game and off-game environment.

It showed the universe that the writer of the script wanted to portrait while also, curiously, their choices in unrealistic colors for the real world and realism for the game world gave you a sense that for the player portrayed in "Avalon" the real world held no luster. It's as if her reality wasn't real enough for her.

While with "Assault Girls", the lack of off-game time in the movie was it's downfall because it left us with no real insight into character development. They made a sad attempt with the opening sequence but that was... what? About 15 minutes in or so compared to how long the movie was? There was a shot at working together and collaborating as an undertone at some point too, but because the story was so underdeveloped it either went unnoticed by most or just made any viewer that noticed confused.

In Summary, go watch "Avalon" first if you felt like the movie would have been worth your time with more story in it. Watch "Assault Girls" if you have watched "Avalon" and get the meaning to the long ass written intro in the beginning of the movie. If you get that, watch the rest. You might not think it was worth the time after but you'll understand where the direction went wrong and at least won't think that the movie was a complete waste of time.

Leia Mais

My Mini Back-Story:

It was late and I was bored, so I didn't have time for a new drama. Hence, I went ahead and looked for a movie in my "to watch" list. Ta-dah!

Storyline:

The storyline is in no way original. I've seen this happen in several melodramas before. It felt like a deja vu. Nonetheless, it was heartfelt and touching overall.

So if you're ever in a mood for another melodrama-I've-seen-it-before with good acting, then here is what Only You has to offer...

a) Looking for cute couple or nice feel romance? Here is the right place! I thought our OTP worked really well together. I've long overused the phrase "they complement each other". Though, it's true! That phrase applies here too. I also loved our two leads' complexity, but I wish they delved more into their dark pasts.

b) Sports/Fights. Want to see some MMA? Check this out. There are quite some worthy cringing gory scenes.

c) Willpower. I love how Han Hyo Joo's character, Jeong Hwa, is always so optimistic/cheery despite her circumstances. It was inspiring. Han Hyo Joo always lights up my mood.

d) Good pacing. I didn't find that it was too slow at any point. I wouldn't say perfect pacing either, but it never bored me.

e) Funny moments. Not laugh out loud moments, but I did chuckle a few times at the beginning from our OTP interactions.

If you're an avid drama watcher like me, then you've probably seen this storyline from somewhere before. Though, it's not done badly. It just wasn't something that blew me away.

Acting/Cast:

Great acting from Han Hyo Joo and So Ji Sub. Actually, the movie's strongest point goes to the acting.

This is the first time seeing Jyo Hoo in a movie and she gave a good impression like always. Though, I hope she won't stop acting in tv series.

She acted really well as a blind person. The way she looked at Ji Sub's character, Cheol Min, was really expressive. The same applies for Ji Sub. The way he marveled at her makes me believe that he truly loves her. They're both very expressive actors.

Though, the acting wasn't phenomenal. I've seen them act better in previous projects. Not to say that they didn't excel here, but it wasn't anything new.

I wish they delved more into the main characters' minds. I felt like I never understood them inside-out. I still had some lingering questions at the end about our main characters.

Music:

The songs were pleasing to my ears/heart while watching the movie. I especially liked the instrumental ones playing during the scenes where Cheol Min was boxing.

Truthfully, I don't remember much about the songs as soon as the movie ended.

Bonus:

Puppy/Dog!!!

Overall:

Nothing jaw-dropping or mind-blowing.

If you want something simple/slightly tearjerking/enjoyable then watch this. Other than that it's not a must-watch. If you're a fan of Han Hyo Joo (like me!) or So Ji Sub then this movie will definitely not disappoint you.


Overall rating for review: 7/10

Purely for entertainment: 8.5/10

My Dramalist rating (avg): 7.75/10

Leia Mais

My Mini Back-Story:

I watched A Moment to Remember for the third time yesterday. The first time I stumbled across it was by accident. The second time I told my parents that they should watch this, since I thought it was incredible. And now for the third time, I watched it with them again after 4 years.

Storyline:

The storyline is quite simple, yet the amount of emotion it magnifies is beyond words. I'm afraid I won't do it justice. I'll just dive right into what you should be looking out for when watching this movie.

a) Definitely pathos driven. Compare our OTP's meeting from the first 20 minutes to the scenes near the end. I felt so bittersweet at the end. It's no sarcasm. I love how they transmit such raw emotions.

b) Pay attention to details. I really loved how they incorporated scenes that happened at the beginning to the latter part of the movie. There's a lot of foreshadowing too.

c) Unique couple. It's a wonder how such a man can love his woman this dearly (I sound so pessimistic about reality haha). They share a lot of tender moments with moments of struggles that you can't help, but root for them. I loved the baseball scenes.

d) Simple, yet gorgeous. I've already said how this story is simple, but the way it touches upon such a hard topic such as "Alzheimer" and make it interesting is flawless.

e) Major tearjerker. Don't say that I didn't warn you. I usually don't cry or even shed a tear for movies/tv series, but this one, I just couldn't hold back. I didn't cry for the main couple, but I rather cried for Su-Jin's situation.


Acting/Casting:

If you've ever read my other review, you'll see that I'm a huge fan of Jung Woo-Sung and it definitely sprung from this performance of his. He always plays his role sublimely without hesitation. In other words, he never makes the scenes feel uncomfortable for the audience. It really shows in the way how his co-stars seem genuinely comfortable with him.

I love how he transitions from an aggressive/troubled lad to a heart-warming and forgiving man. He has a lot of facial expressions which proves that he's one of the higher/experienced actors.

Moving on...

Even though it was just a film and not a mini-series, I thought Jung Woo-Sung and Son Ye Jin had a lot of chemistry on their limited time. Well doesn't he have chemistry with all of his female counterparts, anyway haha?

Son Ye Jin's role, Su-Jin, reminds me of Ji Na from Padam Padam a bit. I think it's just me watching one melodrama after another haha. Though, Woo-Sung's character, Cheol-Su, also reminds me of Kang Chil from Padam Padam. Perhaps, it's due to him being an architect in both melodramas or how he's aggressive with everyone except to his woman (Yes, we can all swoon)?

Anyway, Ye Jin looks so young here. She's definitely a natural beauty. Aside from that, I thought she was also on par with Woo-Sung. Loved how her character didn't hesitate to make the first moves. They truly complement each other through their differences.

I'm sure the men who watched AMTR want a woman like Su-Jin similarly to how the women who watched AMTR want a man like Cheol-Su.

On another note, I also liked how they added family members and friends from both sides. Even though they didn't appear all the time, they gave more character backgrounds/information on our OTP. In this case, not developing their characters worked perfectly, since the movie clearly focuses on Su-Jin and Cheol-Su's lives.

Music:

The music worked well with the scenes. Though, not my type/cup of tea. I don't think I'll ever remember the songs played in the movie. But it did give a good feel in the moment I was watching.

Bonus:

Beautiful cinematography. I loved the details in the scenery, such as the one where they were strolling in the sunset (I believe it was sunset?). I won't mention others in case I ruin anything, but you'll know what I mean after giving it a shot (you should if you still haven't!).

Overall:

Even though this movie was released in 2004, it feels rather fresh and new.

What more should I say? It's not a mini-series, so there are no excuses on time limitation.

I have watched this three times, so shouldn't that summarize my entire review already?

A Moment to Remember is without a doubt my favorite Korean movie. I just wish they would make more movies like this!


Overall rating for review: 10/10

Purely for entertainment: 9.5/10 (Why not 10/10? I'm not always in the mood to cry when watching anything, be it movies or dramas.)

My Dramalist rating (avg): 9.75/10

Leia Mais