Friend 2 Movie Review

Title: Friend 2

AKA: Friend the Legacy / Chingoo 2

Genre: Crime, Gangster, Drama

Origin: Korea

Release date: 14 November 2013

Cast: Yu Oh Seong, Kim Woo Bin, Joo Jin Mo and Jang Young Nam.

After spending 17 years in prison for a murder he didn’t order Lee Joon Suk (Yu Oh Seong) is weeks away from his release. Few days before the actual release, a high school friend of Joon Suks visits him in jail asking him to watch out for her son, who had an incident with Joon Suks gang. The son, Choi Seung Hoon (Kim Woo Bin), is a hot blooded and short tempered twenty-something year-old, who learned that life on the streets is not fixed with words, and is in prison for assault. After spending some time together, Joon Suk starts to like him, and even tell him that when he leaves the joint, he’ll help him.

Although Joon Suk is released, he is surprised to see that the Vice-president Eun Gi (Jung Ho Bi) has risen in power and tries to overtake the gang. So Joon Suk decides with Seung Hoons help, to take back Busans streets, and pay back for the betrayal. But due to secrets hidden, a rift between Seung Hoon and Joon Suk occurs, and that effects more than just the gang…

This movie is the sequel to the first movie - which was incredibly popular. So yeah is very hard to compare, but I think it is very good as a sequel. Though it is much more bloody, violent and grotesque, I kind of found it a bit more realistic than the first one. The first movie is just sad, and the ending shocked me so much that I got chills. This one though, I laughed because of the absurdity, not because it’s ridiculous, but seriously absurd. Like crazy violent people, like freakish violent - and nonstop. It was much criticized, but it was okay if you ask me. Still has the depressing feeling, only the difference that it isn’t two best friends - but something else.

Kim Woo Bin is amazing in this, so much that I was completely at a loss for words when I saw him: he really seemed like a full on actor.

Okay, so do I recommend it? Well it kind of reminds me of Friend and it still has great actors. So yeah: good.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Tough As Iron Movie Review

Title: Tough As Iron
Genre: Drama, Gangster, Action, Romance
Origin: South Korea
Release date: October 2013
Cast: Yoo Ah In, Kim Hae Sook, Jung Yu Mi, Kim Jung Tae, Kim Sung Oh, Lee Si Un,

Gang Chul (Yoo Ah In) was the big shot in high school, the guy nobody would dare take on. Now he is working hard labour while running after his mother (Kim Hae Sook), trying to take care of her. She has Alzheimer's and often gets lost around in town while going around playing and getting lost in past. Gang Chul's friend Jung Soo (Lee Si Un) works with the mafia, as a dept collector. He as well tries to get by, doing any job he can. Unlike Jung Soo, Gang Chul doesnt want to have anything to do with the mafia as he believes they ruin people's life while promising them money. However his mother's state worsens and on top of that he reluctantly gets involved in a case of murder.

As the movie starts, it has that nice feeling of a great movie. The lovely mother-son relationship makes the whole sadness seem just a bit sweeter. There are a bunch of nice scenes and as a fan of Ah In aah I really did enjoy it. However.... the whole mafia story was a bit weak or not so well portrayed. The whole idea makes sense yes but in the end, it didnt feel that well made. Might just be me and my high standards when it comes to action/gangster stuff. The movie though, not bad. But not amazing either. Not the first movie I would recommend but if you are a fan of Ah In then yes go ahead and watch it. It has sweet moments, sad moment (like you really want to cry when it comes to the mother-son thing) and action as well. The friendship though I think it was a "bad" friendship I can pretty much say it is realistic as to thats what would happen most likely.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

The Man From Nowhere Movie Review

Title: The Man From Nowhere
AKA: This Man / Ahjussi
Genre: Action, Drama
Origin: Korea
Release date: 04 August 2010
Cast: Won Bin, Kim Sae Ron, Kim Tae Hoon, Kim Hee Won and Kim Seong Oh..

This story is about a man who had lost everything in his life and lives just every day at a time.
Cha Tae Shik (Won Bin) a former cop owns a pawnshop in a rough neighborhood. Everyday a little girl Soo Mi (Kim Sae Ron), visits him, because she doesn’t like to be home with her junkie mother, who works at night as a stripper and would do anything for money. The two find a mutual understanding: she is the person helping him to stay sane and he treats her as a human being not as garbage.
When her mother gets involved with stolen drugs, Soo Mi and her mother are grabbed by gangsters, who start knocking at Tae Shiks door. At first he thinks it’s a robbery, but shortly after he realizes that they have Soo Mi.
The gangsters run away after finding out that he is ‘a crazy dude’ who beats the shit our of a huge guy they had brought as a bodyguard, but this only makes Tae Shik run after them. This starts the war between a man who has nothing to lose and the underground Korean mob organization.

I stumbled across this movie by accident to be honest, but I remember that it was extremely popular some time back: fans going crazy when Won Bin and Kim Sae Ron came together to the award thingi. Big deal. The main reason for me to watch this was because of the fuss made around Won Bin. Apparently he was a big shot, but I never saw anything of his works, so I had to watch something. The fact that it was one of his most popular ones was not intentional :P And honestly, I get it. He is fine. Loads of mucsles, talent actor, and one good looking fella, A+++!
The movie is not that bad at all. I have to admit, very well executed and amazing cast. Lol, but seriously the one shocking me the most was Kim Seong Oh, the younger brother. My first time watching him was in Secret Garden as this goofy secretary, then suddenly serial killer guy in SIGN followed by a sicko in The Man From Nowhere. I have fallen.. For him..
Okay, back to the movie. Its good, somehow recommendable, I just am not a fan of gangster movies, and the reason it’s not a 5 star, it’s just that this guy played by Won Bin is actually willing to do crazy things for this little girl, but we just don’t get that much ‘connecting’ with them, well not enough considering he declares war against an entire mob family / organization.

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
First of all, this movie is for those who love blood splattering with great exaggeration! Its one of those real, guy movies?. I mean I like gangster fight movies but then again, Im not a fan of body parts being taken out of bodies and put in a truck, nor eyes being taken out of people and played with. The movie itself is not bad, at all, and the actors, wow, about the younger brother, the secretary from Secret Garden, I was trying to convince myself that it isnt the same guy because dayyummmm,, what a difference, he's a really great actor, and Won Bin, wow, I had no idea,, this guy, I dont think Ive ever watched any of his movies before and I didnt realise it was him at first. But Im impressed, really. Its a really sick movie, hahah, not necessarily bad-sick, but just sick people who do sick things like use kids for drug dealing. But then again it seems a bit like its just a movie for its sickness and not for the focus on child workers for drug.. which I wasnt a fan of.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts