Korean Movie and Drama reviews

Smile,You

2009-10-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

Alternative Title: 그대, 웃어요 / Smile, You
Genre: Romance
Film Date: October, 2009
Korea Casts:
Choi Bool Am, Lee Kyu Han, Lee Min Jung
Description:

Lee Min Jung is a the daughter of a chaebol family, however, their financial status declines and they are forced to move in with their longtime chauffeur's (Choi Bool Am) family. The once rich and spoiled daughter must learn how to adapt and live as a commoner.

Antique

2009-08-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

Television heartthrob Ju Ji Hoon of Princess Hours fame leaps to the big screen in 2008 with the delicious blockbuster Antique. Based on the best-selling Japanese comic Antique Bakery, this
delectable crowd-pleaser revolves around a cake shop run by four dashing patissiers who drive both men and women wild. Winner of the Popularity Award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards, Ju Ji Hoon stars as the cake shop proprietor, along with Yu Ah In (Boys of Tomorrow), Choi Ji Ho (Time Between Dog and Wolf), and Coffee Prince's Kim Jae Wook who gives an eye-catching performance as a gay pastry chef. Directed by Min Kyu Dong (Mementor Mori), Antique was an instant hit with audiences thanks to its irresistible cast and feel-good tale of friendship and pastries.

Well-known music directors Jang Young Gyu and Dalparan, who did the music for The Good, The Bad, The Weird, are in charge of the Antique soundtrack. The OST includes the fun musical numbers featured in the film, like Come On, Antique! and Cake Paradise.

Romantic Island

2009-08-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Hitting Korean theaters on Christmas Eve 2008, Romantic Island escapes to a beautiful tropical island for fun and love in the sun. The all-star cast of Eugene (Unstoppable Marriage), Lee Seon
Gyun (Our Town, 1st Shop of Coffee Prince), Lee Min Ki (A Day for an Affair), and Lee Soo Kyung (Rainbow Eyes) cross romantic paths on the southern Philippines island of Boracay. Directed by Kang Chul Woo, who previously assisted on the comedies My Boss, My Teacher and My Boyfriend is Type B, Romantic Island lives up to its title with a lighthearted love story backdropped by beautiful blue seas and golden sands. Also co-starring Lee Moon Sik (Public Enemy) and Lee Il Hwa (Iljimae), Romantic Island takes viewers on a tropical vacation full of laughter, romance, and sunshine.

Office worker Soo Jin (Lee Soo Kyung), convenience store clerk Jung Hwan (Lee Min Ki), CEO Jae Hyuk (Lee Seon Gyun), and pop singer Ga Young (Eugene) are four very different people who are equally stressed out from their current lives. In need of a break, they all end up on the same tropical island as Christmas nears. Crossing paths in bumbling serendipity, these four young urbanites find that new and unexpected adventures await on the Romantic Island of Boracay.

Triple

2009-08-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

The latest series from Coffee Prince director Lee Yoon Jung, 2009 MBC drama Triple takes viewers into the world of romance and figure skating. Cutie singer and CF
queen Min Hyo Rin makes her drama debut as a young figure skater with big dreams in this fresh drama that brings together sports, romance, and family genres. Though Min Hyo Rin is a newcomer to acting, she is surrounded by a hot and experienced trio of co-stars - Lee Jung Jae (Air City), Lee Seon Gyun (Coffee Shop), and g.o.d's Yoon Kye Sang (Crazy for You). Popular actress Lee Ha Na (Alone in Love) plays her coach and former sister-in-law.

Teenage figure skater Haru (Min Hyo Rin) moves to Seoul to pursue her ice dreams. In the city she reunites with her stepbrother Shin Hwal (Lee Jung Jae) whom she hasn't seen in years. She ends up living with him and his two roommates - sensitive and old-fashioned Hae Yoon (Lee Seon Gyun) and sincere and outgoing Hyun Tae (Yoon Kye Sang) - who all work at the same ad agency and send her heart and life aflutter in different ways.

Boys Over Flowers

2009-08-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

After inspiring an anime series, hit TV dramas in Taiwan and Japan, and a blockbuster movie, Kamio Yoko's immensely popular romance manga Hana Yori Dango comes to Korean television! KBS's
highly anticipated Boys Over Flowers spins the modern-day Cinderella tale of a poor, but spunky schoolgirl at an exclusive academy who attracts the interests of the four ultra-rich and ultra-handsome princes of the school known as F4. Ku Hye Sun from The Strongest Chil Woo and The King and I stars as the tough-cookie heroine of the drama. As for the male leads, meet Korea's F4: breakout star Lee Min Ho from school dramas I Am Sam and Mackerel Run, idol heartthrob Kim Hyun Joong from boy band SS501, rising star Kim Bum (East of Eden), and Kim Jun of pop group T-max.

Tough, hardworking Geum Jan Di (Ku Hye Sun) attends an exclusive school, but she finds her shallow, privileged classmates unbearable, especially the notorious F4. Rich, handsome, and arrogant, Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho), Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong), Song Woo Bin (Kim Jun), and So Yi Jung (Kim Bum) are the kings of the school and no one, not even the teachers, dare challenge them. No one, that is, except Jan Di. Angry at their rudeness, Jan Di tells off F4 leader Joon Pyo, bringing a world of trouble upon herself. The proud and persistent Joon Pyo falls hard for feisty Jan Di, but she shares a connection with the quiet, sensitive Ji Hoo. Caught between the two friends, who will Jan Di choose?

The runaway hit of 2009, Boys Over Flowers attracted high viewership ratings and buzz throughout its broadcast, turning its young cast into household names and starting off a Kgotboda Namja trend in Korea. Lee Min Ho, Korean entertainment's newest poster boy, won the Best Newcomer Actor award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards, while co-star Kim Hyun Joong took the Popularity Award. Boys Over Flowers also features supporting appearances from Han Chae Young (Tale of Autumn) as Ji Hoo's first love, Kim Hyun Ju (Glass Slippers) as Joon Pyo's sister, and Kim So Eun (Sad Love Song) as Jan Di's best friend.

Frozen Flower

2009-08-29T23:00:00.002-07:00

One of Korea's most talked about films of 2008, A Frozen Flower goes behind the royal curtain to unveil an emotionally charged saga of love, sex, politics, and betrayal during the final days
of the Goryeo Dynasty. Like The King and The Clown, A Frozen Flower tore down taboos to blockbuster reception with the depiction of homosexual love between a king and his bodyguard. But A Frozen Flower takes it many steps further on an erotic level, making headlines for its nudity and explicit sex scenes and setting a new box office record for adult-rated films. Teaming up again with A Dirty Carnival director Yoo Ha for his last film before entering military service, Jo In Sung delivers the boldest performance of his career as a warrior torn between the bedchambers of the King and Queen. Ju Jin Mo (200 Pounds Beauty) won Best Actor at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards for his magnificent turn as the King in love with his general, while Song Ji Hyo (Sex is Zero 2, Jumong) makes her big-screen breakthrough as the Queen doomed by her own sexual and romantic awakening.

Under the thumb of the Yuan Dynasty, the Goryeo King (Ju Jin Mo) is pressured to either produce an heir or name his cousin the Crown Prince. The King's true love, however, is his chief bodyguard Hong Lim (Jo In Sung), and he has never so much as touched the Queen (Song Ji Hyo). The King instead asks Hong Lim to sleep with the Queen, believing his problems to be solved as long as a son can be produced. But Hong Lim and the Queen's sexual encounter marks the beginning of a dangerous and passionate triangle of forbidden love, jealous rage, and heartbreaking betrayal.

Also known as : Ssanghwajeom
Artist Name(s): Ju Jin Mo (Actor),Jo In Sung (Actor),Song Ji Hyo (Actress), Shim Ji Ho, Im Ju Hwan

Marine Boy

2009-08-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

A swimming instructor Cheon-soo loses everything on gambling. It also leaves him with huge debt to pay off for the rest of his life. His moneylender, Kang approaches
him with a dangerous proposition. He invites Cheon-soo to become a ‘marine boy’ – those who swim across the ocean to smuggle drugs. Cheon-soo decides to take the chance and puts his life at stake for the last time. Together Kang and Cheon-soo come up with a matriculate plan. Yoo-ri is the daughter of Kang’s best friend. Since her father died, Kang has been looking after her in his friend’s place. Yoo-ri believes that Kang is responsible for her father’s death and secretly waits for her chance to revenge him. Oblivious of this, Kang grows affection towards her which leaves him feeling guilty. Yoo-ri and Cheon-soo develops feelings towards each other and plot to go behind Kang’s back and take the drug money for themselves.
Cast :
Kim Kang-woo as Chun Soo
Park Si-yeon as Yu Ri
Jo Jae-hyeon as Mr.Kang
Lee Won-jong as Mr.Kim

Mandate

2009-08-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Whagoklee village, there has been a continuous serial rape murder cases in the past decade. The police has not yet outlined any of it and villagers have left one by one, the town is
almost now in ruins. The police abandoned the case and nothing was happened for two years, the town became peaceable again. Then one day, the fear swept over the town with the result an incident that two college women were raped and murdered. CHOI Kang a ghost hunter insisted that it was not by a man but by an evil spirit, as opposed to a police. Another ghost hunter Mr. SHIN that is a press man also came to the village for being after it. The evil which is only visible to CHOI Kang and Mr. SHIN committed a murder by having a string on people. Guess who the real criminal is and what's going to happen next.
Title translation : "Mandate: Mission from the Gods"