Lifting King King Movie Review

Title: Lifting King Kong

AKA: Lift King Kong

Genre: Sports, Drama

Origin: Korea

Release date: July 2, 2009

Cast: Lee Beom Soo, Jo An, Byun Hee Bong a.m.o.

Lee Ji Bong (Lee Beom Soo) a former 1988 Summer Olympics heavy lifting bronze medalist was forced into a an early retirement when he was injured and broke his arm. The injury would have healed, but while being examined it was found out that he had a chronic heart condition which would incapable him to continue his career. While working odd jobs he is visited by former coach who insists on him becoming a coach at a high school weight-lifting team for girls. He reluctantly agrees and is surprised to see that the team hasn’t even been made yet, and to make matters worse the group that forms is a group of outcasts. Here he also meets Park Young Ja (Jo An) a poor girl with lots of ambition but no one to turn to. At first he doesn’t seem to care, but as time passes he starts to open up to the girls, and makes up his mind to make the girls winners..

While watching this I was somewhat happy about the storyline, and it made me kind of giddy because of the humor. But it somehow became a bit too typical and the cinematic made me know what was going to happen in the next few minutes. I know that is why they are there, but I was a bit bored by it dragging itself in the usual Korean drama stories. And every scene seemed to end abruptly; it kind of freaked me out. BUT I have to admit I was crying like a baby at the end. For some reason the acting just made me believe it completely and I was SOLD. The cast was chosen wisely and the actors where really good at their acting, so it does make it worth a while.

I would recommend it to people in general, just because it is a heartwarming story.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of  5 hearts

Special Affairs Team TEN 2 Review

Title: Special Affairs Team TEN 2

AKA: TEN 2/ Special Crimes Force TEN 2

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Episodes: 12

Broadcast period: 2013-Apr to 2013-Jun

Cast: Joo Sang Wook, Jo An, Kim Sang Ho and Choi Woo Shik.

The second season continues with the search for the Tape Bound Killer, and the search for their Team Leader Yeo Ji Hoon (Joo Sang Wook) who disappeared when the killer had re-appeared. The team now disbanded due to the warrant search of Ji Hoon, secretly decide to find the team leader who has been accused of being the Tape Bound Killer. When they find the evidence left by Ji Hoon they all realize that all of it points at him being the killer - even when re-investigating the case. Confident in his innocence they continue to search desperately, but no matter what they do every piece they find points directly at him. And when they find out that Ji Hoon had been in the victim’s house few hours before her death, they become more and more suspicious…

I can’t say it’s bad, but I wasn’t exactly what I expected. I know this drama being amazing to begin with, having to compete with that and making it more; I have to say they didn’t really manage. It is very much like season one with the sad stories and all, but they really try to make the killer either so sad or pathetic that you immediately know who the killer is. Though the pace and the strong acting is the same, the overall just seems like a repeat. The only thing that saves this drama is the beginning, and the ending.

But I do recommend for those who have watched season one, just because of the last two episodes.. Much worth all the episodes..

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Special Affairs Team TEN Review

Title: Special Affairs Team TEN

AKA: TEN / Special Crimes Force TEN

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2011-Nov to 2012-Jan

Cast: Joo Sang Wook, Jo An, Kim Sang Ho and Choi Woo Shik.

Baek Do Shik (Kim Sang Ho), better known as “Baek Dok Sa” (White Venomous Snake) for his clean cut cases, is a man with sharp eyes and a great instinct for finding evidence and clues. As he is called on a case to investigate a suicide, he immediately notices that it isn’t the case, and finds out that he is a big gambler. That habit leads him to a near casino, where he finds out the victim has a sister, no one knows about.

Nam Ye Ri (Jo An) is Phycology graduate from Seoul University, and works in the Crime Victim Support Center. Though she has a great sense of noticing when people are lying or hiding something, she tries hard to pretend she doesn’t know most. When a known police officer tells her boss to make Ye Ri find a missing person, even though she isn’t qualified she takes it, and her traces take her to a house which seems as an empty house.

When a hostess is found dead in her apartment, taped up and with fingers cut, the Korean Police Force is called into a meeting due to the suspicion that the murder is the famous Tape Bound Killing which happened years ago. The person introducing the case is Yeo Ji Hoon (Joo Sang Wook), known by “A monster hunting monsters”, who once before had encountered these killings. He is informed that he will be the Team Leader of the new unit called Special Investigation Team, a group with aces with the goal to find the serial killer.

Joining him is young blooded Park Min Ho (Choi Woo Shik), and by a twist of fate both Ye Ri and Do Shik appears at the crime scene as their cases are somehow strangely connected…

 Okay so out of all the crime dramas out there this one most defiantly is the best ever made, and is so believable it gave me chills. And damn it’s both creepy and scary. When you have spent a lot of time seeing fake blood and badly made wounds, this one is groundbreaking, mainly because is so greatly made. Also the stories are so sad oh my God, like many of them are so upsetting. And realistic.

I have only seen Joo Sang Wook and Kim Sang Ho before, and I have to admit I really like them for those roles. Somehow the cast seem to fit every character well, even though I had my doubts along the line.

So do I recommend it? Well I don’t hate it, but I am not sure if everyone would like it, since it’s not that pretty classical Korean romanticized drama style, but a more honest realistic story. That means, you decide.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Go Go Sister Movie Review

Title: Go Go Sister
AKA: Project Makeover
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Origin: Korea
Release date: 2007-Jan-04
Cast: Ko So Young, Lee Beom Su, Jo An, Yu Geon, Kim Jung Min and Lee Jung Mun.

Na Jung Ju (Ko So Young) is an assistant designer, who still suffers under the rejection of her first love, Jo Hani (Kim Jung Min) who dumped her right after he slept with her. Ten years have passed, but not only is it that she cant forget him, the fact that he is a superstar makes things even harder.
One day, at a fashion show, where Jo Hani is guest, she by accident drops a pencil making him fall, angering her boss, not only that; she meets her old high school friend, the one she used to call geek, Oh Tae Hoon (Lee Beom Su) who has become a millionaire. He then tells her that she was his first love and that he wants to meet up with her, only for it to be ruined by memories of Jo Hani. When she returns home, the death anniversary of her mother is at the same night, making Jung Ju feel miserable. But something magical happens that night: her computer starts to act weird and asks her ’to turn back time’. At first she’s sceptical, but after returning to the time where she drops the pencil, she decides to go back to 1994, the year in which she met Jo Hani, and make her younger self reject him, and fall in love with Tae Hoon.

Hmm, how can explain this movie? It’s good, but slow. It’s fun, but typical, and it’s sweet, but tiring. Okay, that didn’t make sense.. No seriously, it is a good movie, one of the few good ones, where the dialogues aren’t all melo(dramatic), but noting is really happening. I think if they made a love story with Jung Ju and Jo Hani alone, and not having that ’player’ part in it, it would be a hit, cause he made me nervous! Lol, that stare and those words! GAAH! On the other hand, I was rooting for Tae Hoon, hot..!!!! Anyhows, it’s good, not a waste of time, but don’t expect the world.. : D

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts