Korean Movie ~ Sex Is Zero 2 [2007]

I have been absent from my blog for a little while now but during this absence, I had the chance to catch up on some movies and dramas that I have always wanted to watch but could not find the time. See, once I get back into the groove of watching a movie a night, or at least every other night, I would not have the right frame of mind to work on my blogs.

Sex Is Zero 2 movie poster

One of the movies I watched was the Korean American Pie, Sex is Zero 2. This is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Korean sexual comedy, Sex is Zero. I watched that and if you did, you must watch this. I know that Zero 2 has received some negative comments from movie critics for trying too hard to be grossly funny but this kind of mindless comedy is just my kind of movie after a long day at work.

A very drunk Eun-sik

Zero 2 is the kind of movie that works on your imagination yet it is not one that requires you to think too much, or work out the plot or listen too hard to the conversation. It does bring out the laughs and if you have been wondering if the producers could top the fried sperm sandwich scene in Sex is Zero, I am here to tell you that they could.

Eun-sik gives a piggie back ride to Kyeong-ah

The original cast of Sex is Zero is back except for the lead actress, Ji-won Ha, who has been replaced by Sung Ji Hyo, the ballerina in Goong. Ji-won Ha has a cameo appearance in the beginning of the movie, though, which shows how she and Eun-sik broke up.

Eun-sik proposes to Kyeong-ah

Im Chang-jeong, who carries the role of Eun-sik, is actually a popular comedian in Korea, but judging by looks, you would not know that.

The gang having a good time

If you have yet to watch this movie, it was released in December, 2007, by the way, then I will not leak out the storyline. However, watching this video clip that I found on YouTube would give you a pretty good indication of how the movie will be like.

Oh yes, do look out for a cameo appearance by Denis Kang, a French-Korean mixed-martial arts champion, at the end of the movie.

A cameo appearance by Denis Kang

Korean Movie ~ .... ing

My friend, who knows that I love to watch Korean movies and dramas, told me that I just have to watch ...ing. Well, that was like three years ago! So I got myself the movie but I simply had too much things going on that I delayed watching it. Of course, meanwhile, I watched other movies that had more interesting titles, like The Art Of Seduction and Dasepo Naughty Girls.

.... ing is a movie that frankly, after I watched it a couple of months ago, and decided to write a noobie review today, I have forgotten what it was all about. I mean, can you imagine in your mind's eye what "...ing" could mean? I certainly could not match it with any movie that I have watched.

I mean, compared to Men In Black, Batman or even There's Something About Mary, you can associate the title with a story line. But ...ing? My mind drew a blank.

Like I said, my friend told me that I just HAVE TO watch this and so I did, finally. Even though this was a movie released in 2003 while I watched it in 2007, I don't fell like I has missed a great movie. I didn't ask myself, "Aiya! What a great movie! Why didn't I watch this sooner?"

Well, if you read other movie reviews, every other reviewer was saying how great this movie is. I would not say it is great but it was something different. This is a sad movie but it's under the surface. You won't find people [well, there are only THREE principal characters] screaming and shouting with tears rolling down their faces. But it is still sad because the girl has a terminal illness unbeknown to her.

Anyway, the girl Im Soo-Jung as Kang Min-Ah found love in Young-Jae who was played by Kim Rae-Won. I just got to say this. Although many people love Kim Rae-Won, I don't like him at all. I think the first drama I ever watched him in was Attic Cat and his character there was so despicable to me, that he spoilt all the subsequent dramas for me. Well, unless he can change his looks!

Would I recommend this drama? Well, if you love watching Korean melodaramas with a twist [of course there is more to the drama than what I wrote here!] then go for it. I have enclosed a trailer of …ing that I found on YouTube.

Korean Movie ~ The Art of Seduction

*The Art of Seduction* movie poster

For a movie with such an interesting title as "The Art of Seduction", sad to say, it was a major yawn for me. This Korean movie is a 2005 romantic comedy which stars Ye-jin Son as Han Ji-wan, a private banker, and Il-guk Song as Seo Min-jun, an architect.

The movie starts rather slow for the first forty minutes. This movie is about 100 minutes, so there was actual entertainment only in the last hour.

Han Ji-wan gets a red hot lacy thong

Actually, the movie did not only start slow, it was jumpy with no actual plot except that it shows the two leads being "playas" in the dating game and dumping their partners when they became bored.

It shows their conquest with the opposite sex and how irresistible they are.

Han Ji-wan and Seo Min-jun in Cheju Island

Each has a tested and proven game plan that was always well-executed, until they met each other. From then onwards, Han Ji-wan and Seo Min-jun pit their skills in seduction against each other. Somehow, their trusted technique cannot work anymore.

Han Ji-wan participating in a dance competition

There were some funny moments but their love techniques became rather lame after awhile as they do they same things repeatedly.

Seo Min-jun being auctioned off as a slave

So there can only be ONE master in the art of seduction, who will be the one?

Han Ji-wan and Seo Min-jun in bed. This always happens!

One thing I have to mention is that I dislike Ye-jin Son's portrayal of Han Ji-wan. Some people think Ye-jin is cute here, some adore her and some even fall in love with her. But me, I really can't stand her pretensions.

Also, although Ye-jin Son and Il-guk Song look good together, there was no chemistry. I do not recommend this movie even if you are so bored with no movie to watch.

Korean Movie ~ Love, So Divine

*Love, So Divine* movie poster

"Love, So Divine" is a 2004 Korean romantic comedy staring Kwon Sang-Woo whom I watched in "My Tutor Friend" and Ha Ji-Won whom I watched in "100 Days With Mr. Arrogant" and "Sex is Zero", and will watch in Ditto.

The cause of banishment

Peter Kim Kyu shik (Kwon Sang-Woo) is a seminarian about to be a full-fledged priest when he accidentally dropped a sacred item during Mass, no thanks to his buddy and fellow seminarian, Seon-Dal (Kim In-Kwon whom I watched in "My Wife Is A Gangster").

As punishment, both of them are banished to a small church in a remote town and upon good conduct only will they be able to become priests.

The sassy Ha Ji-Won as Yang Bong hee

Upon their arrival, they meet Yang Bong hee (Ha Ji-Won), a sassy and sexy girl like no other girl they have known before. The following morning, Kyu shik and Bong hee got into a compromising position and it is seen by the Sister.

Kiss (oh oh!)

Bong hee was then ditched by her boyfriend and wanted to fly back to America, where she came from, but her uncle, the resident priest has no personal funds, so Bong hee works for the church for one month to save up on her plane ticket.

Bong hee's trial baptism

Kyu shik, on the other hand, is given the task of getting Bong hee to baptise, or else he won't be able to graduate.

Temptation

However, Kyu shik finds Bong hee so irritating that it brings out the dark side of him that he has to keep making confessions.

Entertaining the kids

Slowly, but surely (this is a romantic comedy), Kyu shik finds himself falling in love with Bong hee, but she is forbidden fruit, while Bong hee continues to pine for the ex-boyfriend.

Quiet chat

Anyway, to keep the story short, Kyu shik is torn between God and girl. Who will he choose? It is not an easy decision for him, obviously.

Tears

Korean Movie ~ My Tutor Friend

*My Tutor Friend* movie poster

"My Tutor Friend" is a 2003 Korean action romantic comedy based on a series of story published online by Choi Su-wen, an English literature major.

"My Tutor Friend" later became a a popular monthly printed comic series and from there, resulted in this movie.

If I were to sum this movie up in one sentence, it would be "Not-so-young spoilt rich brat unexpectedly falls in love with country bumpkin." Don't be misled by the movie poster above, though. There definitely wasn't a "Mike Tyson" situation.

Korean heart-throb Kwon Sang-woo

Kwon Sang-woo is Kim Ji-hoon, the spoilt rich brat recalled from America, who is two grades down, and still trying to complete high school at 21 years old.

Tuition time

Already a truckload of tuition teachers have given up on him, when Choi Su-wan (Kim Ha-Nuel), a second year university student majoring in English takes up the task at the insistence of her mother, to lessen the family's financial burden. Su-wan's job is to make Ji-hoon study for two hours a day for three months. And that pay will be enough for her fees for the new semester.

A posse of highschool airheads

As if being bullied and intimidated by Ji-hoon is not enough, she has to deal with Ji-hoon's airheaded high-school girlfriend who thinks Su-wan is out to hook up with Ji-hoon.

After running in to a lot of trouble and threatened to be deported to America by his father, Ji-hoon strikes a deal to score a minimum of 50 point average in the finals. That is a daunting task when his average has been 8 only all these while.

Choi Su-wan dancing in the annual festival

Even his tutor, Su-wan doesn't think he can do it, and bets to dance in the school's annual festival IF Ji-hoon can score above 50 points.

All's well ends well. Su-wan and Ji-hoon get together finally, after all the cat and dog fight. No tragic ending, thank god!

Trivia: Choi Su-wan's mummy was also the mummy of Kim Sam Soon in My Name is Kim Sam Soon and Nam Jung-eun in Attic Cat.

Korean Movie ~ Take Care of My Cat

*Take Care of My Cat*

This is a 2001 Korean movie with a lady director, which is rare in Korea. It's about five girls from the port city of Icheon, Korea, who after graduation, struggle to fit into society.

Only one of the girls managed to get a fairly good job in Seoul, presumably due to connections, and that also a low rank position in a stock brokerage firm, but still better than the other girls, or so she thinks.

The Five Friends

From being the best of friends in high school, they became estranged, yet they try hard to stay together as a group but people change, circumstances change and definitely, life moves on.

This movie is a character movie and it takes time for each character to grow on you, but it's so slow and dreary, the approximately 110 minutes runtime felt like an eternity. In fact, I couldn't even finish watching it in one sitting.

I wouldn't say that this is a bad production or a waste of time to watch. It's just not my cup of tea.

Korean Movies ~ "My Wife Is A Gangster" & "My Wife Is A Gangster 2"

*My Wife Is A Gangster* cover

"My Wife Is A Gangster", a 2001 Korean action-comedy movie, starts off with beautiful cinematography of Cha Eun-Jin, the protagonist, engaged in gang fight at night in the rain along with her henchmen.

Opening scene

Cha Eun-Jin, known by the codename Mantis of the Scissors Gang, is actually the right hand (wo)man of the big boss, who has gone on an overseas trip, and hence, the men and the territory are in her charge during his absence.

She is an orphan separated from her older sister when they were children and so roughed her way up to be No. 2 (Dr. Evil also has a No. 2).

The humour starts when she finally found her sister, who unfortunately is dying of cancer. Her sister had a favour to ask, and that is to be able to see Eun-Jin get married and settled down with a nice man.

Unsuspecting groom

And so, Eun-Jin gets her men to arrange blind dates in the hopes of getting a husband as soon as possible. She finally managed to find one unsuspecting man (Kang Su-il) to marry.

The blur husband

Soon after, Eun-Jin's sister has another request, that is for Eun-Jin to be a mother as soon as possible. In the following scenes, Eun-Jin, who has yet to consummate the marriage, suddenly becomes this sex-crazed nympho who couldn't take her hands off Su-il

One to one close combat

Meanwhile, her enemies try to muscle their way into her territory and she has to fend them off and not surprisingly, her dual role was discovered by Su-il soon enough.

Stylish cinematography

The movies goes on with Eun-Jin getting pregnant, her sister dies, Eun-Jin being involved in a fight and received such a trashing that she miscarried, of Su-il discovering about the dead baby, of Su-il taking revenge on behalf of his wife and accidentally sets fire to their enemies and Eun-Jin securing her territory, with Su-il joining the gang, in this order.

***********************************************

*My Wife Is A Gangster 2* movie poster

"My Wife Is A Gangster 2: Return of the Legend" is the 2003 sequel to "My Wife Is A Gangster" which also starts off with an intense fight. Unfortunately, Eun-Jin takes a fall from a high building and subsequently suffers from amnesia.

Meanwhile, the good Samaritan who saved her that night, took her back to his town where he operates a Chinese restaurant, and Eun-Jin works as the delivery lady for him.

The first half of the movie focuses on Eun-Jin trying to recover her memory and to find true herself. Only later did someone discover her and contacted her men back in Seoul and they came to claim her back, but not before the Snake gang nearly laid their hands on her.

Naturally, there are more fight scenes near the end of the movie, but as a comparison, the sequel is so much milder than the original movie. Her husband, Su-il has no screen time at all. At least, I did not notice him.

Oh yes, how can I NOT mention that Zhang Ziyi has a cameo role in "My Wife Is A Gangster 2"?

Zhang Ziyi in red

Somehow, watching these movies, especially the fight scenes in the first movie, I get a sense of deja vu of watching Kill Bill. Maybe it's because of the choreography or the soundtrack, I'm not sure.

"My Wife Is A Gangster 3" stars the luscious Shu Qi.

Korean Movie ~ Attack the Gas Station

*Attack the Gas Station* movie poster

"Attack the Gas Station" is classified as "Comedy" but seriously, there's nothing funny at all about four young men who hold grudges against society and have hang ups about some past in their life that they find it fun to wreck havoc in a gas station in Korea one night.

At first, these guys successful robbed a gas station, Oilbank, in Seoul.

Then while having ramen as supper, and being bored out of their minds, they decided to rob the same gas station just for the heck of it.

First group of hostages - the boss and three employees of Oilbank

However, after the first robbery, the boss no longer keep cash at the station. As the four youths wait for their loot, they held the boss and the employees as hostages.

To while away their time, they tortured the hostages

Played at their expanse

Playing "Link the Syllable Game"

Bulldozer - one of the youths

Subsequently, due to some misunderstanding, there was gang fighting.

Riot!

More fighting

Most of the film was shot in and around the gas station only and everything happened within one night. What a looooong night it was.

*Attack the Gas Station* Cover

I watched this movie with a sense of indifference. I dislike such nothing-better-to-do youngsters in real life, and there's nothing endearing about them in a movie either. Only watch this if you have nothing better to do, like the protagonists, and if you like random, senseless street fighting.

Finally leaving with their loot.