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NUMBER 6 - 2003, January 29th

Welcome to the sixth edition of Koreanfilm Weekly. In this weekly column you can find the latest news on DVD releases from Korea, along with plenty of DVD reviews. For any information, question, complaint or correction, contact KoreanFilmWeekly@hotmail.com.

Note: DVD release dates and specs are subject to change.
Disclaimer: The DVD reviews might contain minor/major spoilers.

CORRECTION: On one of the previous issues, I said the Story of a Man Winson DVD would be 1.33:1, Full Frame. I received the DVD, and to my surprise it's 16:9 Enhanced, and with a good transfer! The other areas of the DVD are highly problematic (looks like they called Mr. Babelfish for the subtitles), but for $4 it's worth a try. Seems like all the other Winson titles in the future will be 16:9 Enhanced, and there's some work behind this since they're remastering all the opening/end credits. Also, Starmax's Sex of Magic DVD released on the 24th, with no Subtitles. Not even Korean.

Space Gundam V  
[1984, Release Date: 1/29]
NeoSense DVD
Running Time: 82 Minutes - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, OAR Full Frame
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: None

Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: I usually wouldn't mention releases like this, because series like Lexa never have subtitles. But, this is quite an occasion. After the release of the legendary Robot Taekwon V (in a quite nice 3-dvd Limited Edition), here's another work from the same director, Kim Chung-gi. While the specs are obviously nothing to scream about --especially considering the age of the show-- this DVD retails for just under 15,000Won, so animation fans will be pleased. Hopefully this is a sign of more older Korean Animation releases.

If The Sun Rises in the West (¾Ö°¡ ¼­ÂÊ¿¡¼­ ¶á´Ù¸é)
["Haega Seojjokeseo Ddeundamyeon" 1998, Release Date: 1/27]
SRE DVD
Running Time: 100 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary, Cast & Crew, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer, Focus on Commentary, Behind The Scenes, Photo Gallery

NOTES: One of '98's most underrated films, Lee Eun's If The Sun Rises In The West stars Ko So-young, Im Chang-jung and Cha Seung-won. Should be similar to SRE's other releases of older films (The Contact, Harmonium in My Memory). With all the postponed titles, here's finally one which is releasing earlier than announced. As expected, the specs are like the other SRE titles, English subs and all. Expect more older releases from SRE, which will hopefully open a trend in the market for 90s films on DVD.

Wet Dreams (¸ùÁ¤±â)
["Mongjeonggi" 2002, Release Date: 2/10]
Bear Entertainment/Starmax 2-Disc Special Edition
Running Time: 94 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
 

Special Features: Interview with Director Jung Cho-shin, Lee Beom-soo, Kim Sun-ah, and the girls of Wet Dreams, Poster Shooting, Making Film, "I've made Wet Dreams, too" interview with Psy, Lee Hong-ryeol, Kong Hyung-jin, Bae Cheol-soo, Kim Ae-kyung, Park Sung-mi, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer, Audio Commentary with Jung Cho-shin, Kim Sun-ah and Lee Beom-soo

NOTES:  From the director of Jakarta, this is one of last year's top box office hits. Yet another dork comedy, which looks absolutely hilarious (and will live up to its title). The extras look interesting, especially that "I Made Wet Dreams, too" section, where they'll probably asks them about their fantasies. Bear Entertainment is a great company, releasing some of the best DVDs of the year, so this has the potential to be an excellent release.

YMCA Baseball Team (YMCA ¾ß±¸´Ü)
["YMCA Yagu-dan" 2002, Release Date 2/4-2/10]
CJ Entertainment/Myung Films 2-Disc Director's Cut Special Edition
Running Time: 108 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: Making Film, Production Note, Cast Interview, Crew Interview, Art Gallery, OST, Still Galllery, Trailer/TV SPOT, Storyboards, Location. Continuity Book (Limited Edition Only)

NOTES:  Quick release for this sports comedy starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Hye-soo and Hwang Jung-min. It did really well at the box office, but seemed to be quickly forgotten by public and critics alike. Quite a few sites report that it will be Starmax to release this DVD. I've seen the back sleeve and there are only CJ and Myung Films' logos. I'll keep you posted on this. This has "major release" oozing from every spec, so I'm betting on CJ. Hopefully it won't be delayed as the other recent CJ titles. Note that the version coming out on 2/10 also has a Continuity Book (like Harmonium in My Memory) and retails for a couple thousands Won more.

K.T.
[2002, Release Date: 2/6]
Intermedia 2-Disc Special Edition
Running Time: 181 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean & Japanese DTS, Korean & Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean & Japanese Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles, Japanese Subtitles

Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES:  A pretty impressive looking debut for Intermedia. This seems like a packed release, both in terms of extras (not announced, but it's a two disc edition), and presentation. And, the film is quite interesting too. While it was quickly pulled from theaters, this Japanese-Korean co-production recreates the Kim Dae-jung kidnapping of the early 70s, a moment when the relations between the two countries were a top issue. Director Sakamoto Junji is a familar face at the PIFF, and Korean film fans will find Kim Gap-su (Four Toes, Bungee Jumping of Their Own), and Kim Byung-se (Champion, Hur Jun) among others.

Phantom: The Submarine (À¯·É)
["Yuryeong" 1999, Release Date. 2/10]
SRE DVD
Running Time: 103 Minutes / Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0/ Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Another chance to catch this blockbuster starring Choi Min-soo, Jung Woo-sung and Sol Kyung-gu (in a small cameo). At the moment the Modern Audio HK DVD is a pretty good option, with an anamorphic transfer and DTS. The Japanese DVD is without subtitles and not much better. No idea if this will be a new transfer, or just a port of the Japanese DVD. Special Features and Audio specs could change.

The Way Home  (ÁýÀ¸·Î)
["Jibeuro" 2002, Release Date: 2/18]
CJ Entertainment 2-Disc Special Edition
Running Time: 87 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles (Normal/For Hearing Impaired), English Subtitles
 
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary, Theatrical Trailer/Tv Spot/Making Of Spot - Still Gallery - Making of Documentary - Cast & Crew - Animated Menus - Game - The Way Home Episode 1 & 2

NOTES: One of the most acclaimed films of the year is finally on DVD, with a packed release. Plenty of extras here, but most interesting will be Lee Jung-hyang's Audio Commentary. The film is already selling well on pre-orders, appearing on Top 10 all over Korean online retailers. This should be one of the best releases of the year. Delayed...again!

Yesterday 
[2002, Release Date: 2/11]
CJ Entertainment 2-Disc Special Edition
Running Time:  - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: Production Notes, Cast & Crew Profiles, Cast Interview & Making Of (Kim Seung-woo, Kim Yoon-jin, Kim Sun-ah) - Crew Interviews - Outtakes - Supporting Actors Behind Story - Art Interview & Sketch - Deleted Scenes - Costume Collection - Still Gallery - CG Before & After - Theatrical Trailer - Teaser Trailer - Tv Spot - Easter Eggs

NOTES: This is a really interesting sci-fi blockbuster, despite its major flop at the box office. The release is not surprisingly packed, and this could be a sleeper hit for Korean film fans.  That is, if they actually release it before 2004...

She Brings Us Danger (À¯¾Æµ¶Á¸)
["Yuadokjon" 2002, Release Date: 2/13]
Bitwin DVD
Running Time: 110 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0 - Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: English Subtitles
 

Special Features: Theatrical Trailer, Cast & Crew

NOTES: This comedy starring Park Sang-myun, Lee Won-jong, and Yain Shidae's Ahn Jae Mo didn't make much money last year, but it looks entertaining. enterOne was supposed to release this, so it might be either a misinformation or they switched rights at the last moment (enterOne's last few DVD inserts still show the film as part of their lineup).

Dooly (µÑ¸®ÀÇ ¾óÀ½º°´ë¸ðÇè)
["Dulli-ui Eoreumbyeol Daemoheom" Release Date 2/3]
Miracle Entertainment DVD
Running Time: 80 Minutes - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, OAR Full Frame
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES:  Is this the famous Dinosaur Dooly from 1996? I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure either. The Korean title of Dooly from 96 is different, so this might just be a straight to video sequel. While mostly for children, this title features both English subtitles and dubbing, so might be worth a look. If I find out this is the real deal (that is, the original Dooly) I'll post a note in the next newsletter.

The Coast Guard  (Çؾȼ±)
["HaeAnSeon" 2002, Release Date: 2/18]
enterOne DVD
Running Time: 87 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
 

Special Features: Director Kim Ki-duk & Jang Dong-gun Audio Commentary, Documentary, Making Of Documentary, Interview, Photo Gallery, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot

NOTES: The long awaited JDG-Kim Ki-duk project fell flat both at the box office, and on the critical side. Nonetheless, every KKD film is an event, for better or worse. Expect the usual "Non-Special Edition" enterOne DVD.

I Wish I Had a Wife  (³ªµµ ¾È¾Ö°¡ ÀÖ¾úÀ¸¸é ÁÁ°Ôµû)
["Nado Anae-ka Isseosseumyeon Jokketta" 2001, Release Date: 2/11]
enterOne DVD
Running Time: 87 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: Making Film, Photo Gallery, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: I don't think I'm the only one who's been waiting months for this release. This romantic comedy starring (my favorite actors) Sol Kyung-gu and Jeon Do-yeon was previously released in HK, in what was a substandard DVD even for EDKO. I wish there were more extras, but I'll happily take 16:9 enhanced and film-sourced transfer in exchange.

Jail Breakers  (±¤º¹Àý Ư»ç)
["Gwangbokjeol Teuksa" 2002, Release Date: 2/14]
Cinema Service Special Edition 2DVD+OST
Running Time: 119 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
 
Special Features: KBS TV Special Documentary, Making Of, Episodes, Ng Cut, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Music Video, Poster Shooting, Premiere, CG Before/After, Interviews with Cast, Still Gallery, Cast/Director's Profile. Original Soundtrack CD

NOTES:  As expected, Cinema Service's next release will feature one of last year's top hits. This release looks to be similar to the Marrying The Mafia limited edition, with lots of extras and the soundtrack CD. Next Cinema Service film will be enterOne's release of Madeleine in March, then I'd probably go with Kwak Jae-yong's Classic, if I had to speculate on their next release.

Can't Live Without Robbery (µµµÏ ¸¶²Á ¸Ú»ì¾Æ)
["Dodook-makkon Mot Sara" 2002, Release Date: 2003, February ] 
Starmax DVD
Running Time: 107 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles

Special Features: Not announced

NOTES: Park Sang-myun's latest comedy hasn't been well received by critics, and disappeared from theaters after a few weeks. Subtitle options are shaky, because the Starmax site is pretty unreliable, but there's a good chance for a release of medium importance like this we'll get English Subtitles. Release date will probably change, too.

H (¿¡ÀÌ:Ä¡)
["Eichi" 2002, Release Date: 2/14 ] 
IVision DVD
Running Time: 107 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: ?Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles?

Special Features: Not announced

NOTES: IVision is finally back! Many sites will mention Cinexus, but since it's a parent company of IVision, and they've been releasing all the newer titles (while Cinexus takes care of older stuff like White Valentine), realistically it'll be them. Full specs haven't been announced yet, but expect the usual IVision release, meaning pretty good presentation and a decent amount of extras. If it's really Cinexus, then the possibility of seeing English Subtitles decreases a little. This is a Tell Me Something-like thriller starring Cho Seung-woo. The film was quickly forgotten at the box office, since it was competing against big titles, but its quick release and stylish atmosphere make this an intriguing purchase.

Calla (Ä«¶ó)
["Kara" 1999, Release Date: 2/27] 
Cinexus DVD
Running Time: 99 Minutes - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: ?

Special Features: Synopsis, Cast & Crew

NOTES: Looks like this won't have English Subtitles, but don't start worrying yet. This is Song Hae-sung's (the director of Failan) debut film, a more traditional melodrama which seems tailor made for TV Drama fans. The ever popular Kim Hee-sun, Song Seung-heon and Kim Hyun-joo star, and while this is nowhere near as good as Failan (and Kim Hee-sun definitely had better days. Song Seung-heon still can't act), it's a pretty good little melodrama with a nice second half. Judging by specs and special features, this will be Cinexus and not its parent company IVision. Expect some delays. This title was previously released in HK by Modern Audio, in one of their infamously terrible releases (unreadable subtitles and Full Frame transfer).

So Close
[Hong Kong 2002, Release Date: 2/21]
Columbia Tristar Korea DVD
Running Time: 96 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed
Audio Options: Cantonese & English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles, Chinese Subtitles, Thai Subtitles
 
 
Special Features: Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: Yes, it's a Hong Kong film, but it has Song Seung-heon! And, he goes all ADR on this. And, they say the film isn't that good. There's Zhao Wei and Shu Qi to look at, at least. Expect the usual quality release from Columbia. Unless you want Korean subtitles, you may wait for ERA's HK release, which could have more extras and cost a little less.

A Single Spark (¾Æ¸§´Ù¿î û·Ã ÀüÅÂÀÏ)
["Areumdaun Cheongnyeon Jeontaeil" 1995, Release Date: 2/27]
Cinexus DVD
Running Time: 96 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles
 
 
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Very early specs for a title which has been delayed for months. Cinexus's release could have English Subtitles, and even anamorphic enhancement, but all this is up in the air, as well as the content of the extra features. Park Kwang-soo's acclaimed film starring Moon Sung-keun has never released before on DVD (and VCD, to my knowledge), so this could be an interesting purchase. Unless they delay it again. There you go..delayed again! I shouldn't write things like that.

Bichunmoo (ºñõ¹«)
["Bicheonmu" 2000, Release Date: 3/24]
Premier Asia 2-Disc Special Edition (United Kingdom)
Running Time: 112 Minutes - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: PAL R2 - Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitle Options: English subtitles
 
 
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Finally! Premier Asia debuts with the Korean martial arts epic from 2000. Special Features were not announced, and it's releasing a month later than expected. But, what's really important, we're most likely getting a great release. There will be English Subtitled extras, and if you've seen Hong Kong Legends (parent company of Premier Asia and Medusa) DVDs before, you know they'll add something unique. 

Future Releases
All the information here is collected from DVD inserts, info from companies, official website announcement, and other info. Titles could change distributor at the last moment though, since production companies and even DVD companies license their rights to smaller companies. Also, we try the 'safest' speculation, like if a company releases a film on Video, it's likely it will be the same company releasing it on DVD.
Film Name [Top Star (Release Year) - DVD Release Year/Month]

ENTERONE

Madeleine  [Shin Min-ah (2003) - 2003/March], Natural City  [Yoo Ji-tae (2003) - 2003], Anarchists  [Jang Dong-gun (2000) - 2003], Plum Blossom  [Bae Doo-na (2000) - 2003], Indian Summer  [Lee Mi-yeon (2001) - 2003], Summertime  [Kim Ji-hyun (2001) - 2003], Chunhyang  [Cho Seung-woo (2000) - 2003], Ghost Taxi  [Im Ho (2000) 2003], Lies  [Lee Sang-hyun (2000) - 2003], Fin De Siecle  [Lee Jae-eun (1999) - 2003], Stuntman  [Cho Jae-hyun (2003) - 2003], Tube  [Bae Doo-na (2003) - 2003]

CJ ENTERTAINMENT

Bus Stop  [Kim Tae-woo (2002) - 2003/March], Who Are You?  [Cho Seung-woo (2002) - 2003/March-April], The Happy Funeral Director  [Im Chang-jung (2000) - 2003], Happy End  [Jeon Do-yeon (1999) - 2003]

OTHERS

Conduct Zero  [Ryu Seung-beom (2002) - 2003/February-March - Released by   METRO] , Sex is Zero  [Ha Ji-won (2002) - 2003 - Released by  METRO], Are You a True Guy?  [Lee Won-jong (2002) - 2003 - Released by  BEAR ENTERTAINMENT], A Bizarre Love Triangle  [Kong Hyo-jin (2002) - 2003 - Released by  BEAR ENTERTAINMENT], Too Young To Die  [(2002) - 2003 - Released by   SRE], Whisper Princess  [Kim Hyun-soo (2002) - 2003 - To Be Released by  BEAR ENTERTAINMENT]

PREMIER ASIA (Medusa - UK)

Musa: The Warrior [Jung Woo-sung (2001) - 2003], Champion [Yoo Oh-sung (2002) - 2003], My Wife is a Gangster  [Shin Eun-kyung (2001) - 2003], Volcano High [Jang Hyuk (2001) - 2003]

WORLD WIDE CINEMA (Future Film - Finland)

The Isle  [Suh Jung (2000) - 2003/3/21], Friend  [Jang Dong-gun (2001) - 2003/4/11], Joint Security Area  [Song Kang-ho (2000) - 2003/5/23], Bad Guy  [Cho Jae-hyun (2002) - 2003/6/11], My Wife is a Gangster  [Shin Eung-kyung (2001) - 2003/7/25]

 
(°¡¹®ÀÇ ¿µ±¤)

["Gamun-ui Yeonggwang" 2002 Taewon Entertainment/Cinema Service ]
CINEMA SERVICE/SPECTRUM 2DVD+OST Limited Edition
Release Date: 2002, 12/27
Running Time: 112 Min
Audio Options: Korean DTS, DD 5.1, DS2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day  2002, 9/13  Cumulative Box Office   5,021,001 Admissions
Directed By
Jung Heung-soon (Wanted)
Starring
Kim Jung-eun  (Fun Movie, Nabi, All About Eve)
Jung Joon-ho  (My Boss My Hero, A Perfect Match, Unborn But Not Forgotten)
Yoo Dong-geun  (Veteran TV Actor)
Park Sang-wook  (A Promise, No Comment, TV Actor)
Sung Ji-roo  (Public Enemy, Kick The Moon, A.F.R.I.K.A., H, Girls' Night Out)
Park Geun-young  (Father, The Rhapsody, Channel 69, Promenade)
Jin Hee-kyung (The Gingko Bed, I Wish I Had a Wife, Holiday In Seoul)
Yoo Hae-jung (Shall We Kiss?, Two Man, Ghost In Love)
Eun Woo-jae (2009 Lost Memories)
Kim Hae-sook  (Autumn Fairy Tale)

THE FILM

A shock for many, this was 2002's top box office hit. At first sight, it doesn't seem to have anything special that would set it apart from the countless similar Jopok comedies the country has seen in the last few years. But, it's exactly for that reason that it was so successful. Marrying The Mafia hilariously picks on some of the biggest obsessions in Korean society, like education and marriage. Structured like the 2001 hit My Wife is a Gangster, it takes the usual entertaining Jopok comedy setup with very little urgency, and lots of gags. But, that's not the whole story. Two other factors contributed to the success of the film: Jung Joon-ho with a good role, and last year's new sensation Kim Jung-eun. It's almost a guarantee that Jung can be a draw with the right character in the right film. My Boss, My Hero was a major hit. With different roles in smaller films, he wasn't able to draw much attention. This kind of fish out of water comedy suits him really well, because he can play the everyday man effectively. 

The other reason, which to me is probably the most important, is Kim Jung-eun. A constant presence on TV over the last couple of years, few expected to see her popularity raise to this level in 2002. Two films, two big hits, two very good performances. She completely rules this film, from her spontaneity to the way her facial expressions add depth to her character. Also, even if she's one of the prettiest actresses in the industry, she still can project a very down to earth image. Without her, this film would simply fall flat on its back. Sure, Yoo Dong-geun has lots of charisma and is consistently entertaining, and the film's many absurd situations lead to many healthy laughs. But, without Kim Jung-eun and her Jin-kyung, both the romantic parts and the comedy wouldn't hold up for repeated viewings. It's important to note that not only she's become extremely popular, but she's already a very good actress. It's just too bad she didn't have much of a chance to show it in 2002. Her next project (Nabi, a more traditional melodrama) will probably give her the opportunity to show her range.

The comparisons to films like My Wife is a Gangster and My Boss My Hero don't stop with simple thematic analogies. Marrying The Mafia, just like the Park Sang-myun/Shin Eun-kyung hit, could lose its audience during the middle arc. Its over-reliance on Yoo Dong-geun's charisma, having him carry subplots which frankly hold very little interest; its abrupt and frankly not effective switch to a more dramatic mood, without much warning; its under-developed chemistry between the two main stars. All of those factors can contribute to the eventual demise of the film. It's a shame, because the first half is hilarious and well made, the music is mostly beautiful (Kim Jung-eun's piano scene is brilliant), and there are some good performances here.

It's difficult to judge this film simply on those terms. There are a lot of good things in Marrying The Mafia. The way the gangs' obsesses over becoming an 'elite' family, the status of the Seoul National University and education in general for Koreans. The hilarious meetings between families, the usual well made slapstick, and some fine gags by Sung Ji-roo and the other supporting characters. Kim Jung-eun is always a pleasure to watch, and this film has good replay value since it's far from demanding. The problem is, all those good things fail to add up at the end, fail to make Marrying The Mafia what we usually call a 'good film.' Fun but forgettable, this is a decent lightweight effort, but given the talent involved one should realistically expect a little more.  [6.5]

VIDEO QUALITY
Housed in a beautiful gatefold Digipack, this is the first collaboration between Spectrum and Cinema Service (sleeve has the usual red background with the company's logo, and only a small Spectrum logo on the side). This could mean two things: either the sub-contract with Fox Korea is over and Spectrum will take care of some of C.S.'s titles in the future --which wouldn't be bad at all--, or simply that this was a one time deal. This is a very nice transfer, and even though it doesn't hold up to some of Bitwin/CS's best works, it still looks fantastic for daylight scenes. The bed scenes at the beginning are a little soft, and there's some more grain than usual, but the overall impression is very, very good. [8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY
This is a pretty quiet film, so don't expect to get much of a workout for your system. Still, the DTS track is very clean and sounds nice, with good separation and ambient surround. The DD5.1 has more background noise, and obviously isn't as good. I expected something more, but this is a good job. [7.5]

SUBTITLE QUALITY
Since I don't really want to become repetitive, I'll keep my rant to a minimum. I feel the replacement of uniquely Korean names, places, companies and the like is ridiculous. We're watching a Korean film, we most likely know about the culture and names of celebrities, so there's no need for silly things like these subtitles do. At the wedding, Yoo Dong-geun mentions a few popular (and not so popular) Korean celebrities, and for some reason the translation comes out as "Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Shaq." This distracts from the film, and is completely unnecessary. If they feel that person is not famous enough, just try to work around it ("celebrities" would work). This might be a non-issue for many people, but it is for me. Other than this problem, the subtitles do an excellent job, except for any occasion that involves a Korean Company or jokes appealing to the locals (AT&T Wireless? 'Getting jiggy with it...like Will Smith" W T F). Great timing, a nice font, no major spelling or grammar mistakes. [8.5]

EXTRA FEATURES

On Disc 1 -

[Funny Movie]
This is an option to rewatch the film, only this time they intertwine clips with interviews explaining a scene, or behind the scenes features. This happens every few minutes, and you can activate it anytime the Korean title of the film appears on the top right of the screen (in yellow). Note that while you can switch audio options (and listen the commentary with this, what I did), subtitle options are locked by default (as completely off, perhaps for the seamless branching feature), and cannot be changed. Here's an overview of the special clips, and when they show up:
[2:10 (Lasts 0'54)] Jung Joon-ho talks about the bed scene with Kim Jung-eun which starts the film.
[7:11 (Lasts 2'25)] Behind The Scenes clips from the rooftop scene, where Jung Joon-ho meets the Jang family. They also show how they did the upside down shot with the stuntman.
[14:28 (Lasts 1'06)] Sung Ji-roo talks about the scene where he eats the piece from the table game (it's called Pado/Take it, I think), and how they shot it. 
[24:43 (Lasts 1'17)] Kim Jung-eun talks about the scene on the train with Jung Joon-ho eating eggs.
[26:07 (Lasts 1'06)] Jung Joon-ho talks about the welcome they get from the family at the station, with the brass band and all.
[32:17 (Lasts 1'15)] Sung Ji-roo again, about the first meal between JJH and the family.
[44:36 (Lasts 1'35)] Making Of from the hilarious meeting between the two families, where 3J offers his help with knives.
[48:54 (Lasts 2'01)] Kim Jung-eun talks about her character's meeting with JJH's girlfriend.
[56:54 (Lasts 1'04)] Clips from the Karaoke Room scenes, where JJH uses the advantages of being part of a 'family' like his.
[65:33 (Lasts 0'37)] Park Sang-wook about how the brothers work together to save their sister.
[68:14 (Lasts 1'04)] Sung Ji-roo talks about the cute exchange of presents between the two main characters.
[73:40 (Lasts 134)] Making of from the elevator scene with the snake. All in one take, and Kim Jung-eun didn't seem scared at all of having a real snake wrapped around her arm.
[83:45 (Lasts 2'47)] Clips from big fight scene.
[88:42 (Lasts 1'35)] The piano scene. Kim Jung-eun sings well, conveys her character's state of mind and looks realistic playing the piano, at the same time. All in one take, no NGs. Need any other proof she's the real deal?
[102:27 (Lasts 0'44)] Park Sang-wook about the final fight.
[110:39 (Lasts 3'01)] The complete 'Don't Know Why' Music Video. Note that, in a cool addition, this version of the film features the original version sung by Norah Jones, not Leeds' cover in the film.
This is something I'd like to see for more films. It's actually very entertaining to watch along with the commentary, because sometimes you don't remember exact details during the interviews. Here, as soon as something important happens you get the icon, and can learn more about that particular scene right on the fly. I advise you to watch this with the commentary turned on, because if you don't you'll have to watch the film once again.
[Audio Commentary (Director Jung Heung-soon)]
While the first half of the commentary was very disappointing, it turned into a pretty good experience around the middle portion. Maybe it was because I watched it with the 'Funny Movie' option so I had pauses. First half is mostly devoted to the different locations and sets of the film. He also talked a little about the CGI scenes, like the Hyundai Card one (there's some very subtle product placement here, most of the cars are Hyundai, too). He talked about this being Park Sang-wook's first film (A Promise in 98 was actually his debut, but this film is his first significant role) and Yoo Dong-geun's first big role after countless years on TV. After a few minutes of silence, the second half becomes much more informative. He explains where they got the 3J name from (Jang Jung-joon, one of the director's ex-schoolmates' name), explained a bit more in depth the relationship between the school teacher and Yoo Dong-geun's character (she was his first love). He also talked about the switch to more traditional dramatic scenes towards the end, and why he needed to so in a film like this. He followed talking about Kim Jung-eun's piano scene and how they did it all in one take. Overall, a good commentary. If you're willing to wait for the better second half, it could prove informative.

On Disc 2 -

Making
This is 7 Minutes of Making of clips. Most of them were already shown with the Funny Movie option, but the final scene shows new footage from the marriage. Only watch it all if you didn't see it with Funny Movie, otherwise skip to the last portion.
Interviews
[Park Sang-wook - Lasts 3'26] He starts talking about how he felt working on his first film, and the transition from TV to the big screen. He then talks about his character, and working with Kim Jung-eun (along with his impressions about her as an actress). When asked what the toughest scenes were, he mentions the few fights, since he got a few bruises.
[Sung Ji-roo - Lasts 4'01] Sung talks about his other films and his roles, then about his character Suk-tae. He talks of his image and personality, and that it was fun for him portraying a character so out there. Asked to recall some of his favorite scenes of the film, he mentioned the exchange of presents between Park Dae-suh (Jung Joon-ho) and Jin-kyung (Kim Jung-eun). He concludes about his character meeting Dae-suh for the first time in the rooftop scene.
[Yoo Dong-geun - Lasts 3'11] Among other things, he explains his 'special move' used to convey sexual relationships (one of the most hilarious parts of the film), and how he learned it. He also talks about the role of marriage in the film.
[Jung Joon-ho - Lasts 9'51] He starts introducing the film, then talks about his impression of Park Dae-suh as a person. He makes a comparison between his character in My Boss My Hero and Park Dae-suh. It's a complete 180¡Æ turn for him, but still respecting the 'fish out of water' formula. He talks about Kim Jung-eun and his past experiences with her on TV Dramas, praising her talent and dedication. He talks about some of his favorites scenes, including the opening bed scene with KJE. They conclude the interview asking him if he wishes one day to become a director, and if he had to choose his next partner, who would he pick (he picks many, including some big names like Kim Hye-soo).
[Kim Jung-eun - Lasts 5'31] Like the other interviews, she introduces the film and talks about her character Jin-kyung. She talks about how she'd feel living with many brothers like Jin-kyung does, and about Yoo Dong-geun's charisma (which is repeated about a million times between Production Notes, Cast & Crew Profiles and interviews. We get it already.). She talks about the first dinner with her Jopok family and Jung Joon-ho's performance on those scenes. She concludes talking about the director.
[Director Jung Heung-soon - Lasts 2'01] He talks about his decision to make a comedy even though there are so many nowadays. He explains once again the reason behind 3J, and concludes talking about his two main leads.
Very good interviews. Long enough, and informative.
Music Video
Leeds' cover of 'Don't Know Why.' This is a cool song.
Hot Clip
Basically a 1:00 teaser.
C.G Clip
Two sections, both around the 40 seconds. Both pretty much useless. They only show the end result.
Outtakes
Divided into 8 sections, the first is a pretty decent 12 Minutes collection of outtakes during the Jin Hee-kyung/Yoo Hae-jung fights. This eventually becomes similar to Song Kang-ho's training footage for The Foul King. Sadly, the remaining 7 Sections are a mess. Yes, we see the time counter, but it's just clips from the film, with no audio. Screw up or simply an useless feature?
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
Tv Spots 1 (20") & 2 (15")
Cast & Crew
Profiles for Kim Jung-eun, Jung Joon-ho, Yoo Dong-geun, Park Sang-wook, Sung Ji-roo, DP Kim Yeon-soo and Director Jung Heung-soon. Not very informative.
Production Notes
Storyboards
These are some of the most creative and beautiful continuity features I've ever seen. The screen is surrounded by strips of film (with the continuity sketches replacing film frames), and while these three keep scrolling (horizontal top and bottom, vertical right), in the middle the same scene from the film is played. Four sections, showing the opening bed scene, the rooftop meeting, the 3J fight and finally the family meeting. Eye candy, but so beautiful!
Enjoy The Game
Exactly the same as the My Boss My Hero game. You guess right=you go ahead (with soundbite from the film). You guess wrong, you start from scratch (with an insult or two from the film). Questions are pretty easy, so I won't spoil them. If you need the answers really badly, here they are (highlight to read) 2 - 3 - 3 - 4 - 2 - 3 - 1. The prize is a Music Video with Kim Jung-eun's beautiful "Na Hangsang Geudereul".

Soundtrack CD
Since it's free, I always welcome additions like this, but I wouldn't pay 7-8,000Won if I had to buy it. There are 15 tracks, but it's mostly soundbites from the film. The real songs are only 5 or 6. Those at least are very good. There's Leeds' cover of 'Don't Know Why' and both versions of Kim Jung-eun's 'Na Hangsang Geudereul". First is the 'good' one, second is the screwed up one from the film where she ends up crying and can't hit the right notes. The rest is all forgettable background filler.
** The Cd raises the rating by half a vote. While the commentary is very good, and the interviews excellent, the rest is rather useless. Storyboards are fantastic, though. All considered, with the Funny Movie option and the CD, these are very good extras. Just not what I expected from a 2-disc Edition plus a CD. [8]

VALUE FOR MONEY
7.60
Considering this was a Limited Edition, I definitely expected more. Marrying The Mafia will follow the same road as forgettable but entertaining Jopok comedies like Guns & Talks and Kick The Moon. If there's anything memorable here, it's Kim Jung-eun, who in just a year has become popular enough to bother the 'big three' (which should be upgraded to at least big five now. Ha Ji-won's track record is hard to argue this year, and Kim Jung-eun's two films were top hits). Very good presentation and extras, and there's even an extra CD. Recommended

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

(ÃëÈ­¼± - ö­ûþà¹)

["Chihwaseon" 2002 Taeheung Pictures/Cinema Service]
CINEMA SERVICE 2-DVD Special Edition
Release Date: 2002, 12/21
Running Time: 119 Minutes
Audio Options: Korean DTS, DD 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day 2002, 5/10  Cumulative Box Office 1,056,670 Admissions
Directed By
Im Kwon-taek  (Sopyonje, The Taebaek Mountains, Downfall)
Starring  
Choi Min-shik (Shiri, Failan, Oldboy, The Quiet Family, No. 3, Happy End)
Ahn Sung-ki (Nowhere To Hide, The Romantic President, Art Museum By The Zoo)
Sohn Ye-jin (Classic, Lover's Concerto, Dae Mang)
Kim Yeo-jin (Girls' Night Out, A Perfect Match, Peppermint Candy)
Yoo Ho-jung (Promenade, Chunhyang)
Ahn Byung-kyung (Sopyonje, Downfall, Summertime)
Ahn Myung-gu (Indian Summer)
Park Ji-il (A Promise)
Hong Kyung-yeon (Chunhyang)
Lee Jung-hyeon (Chunhyang)
Choi Jae-jin (Hoodlum Lessons 2)

THE FILM

[Read Darcy's review of the film here]  

Chihwaseon has all the makings of the classic Im Kwon-taek historical drama: fantastic scenery and superb cinematography (by veteran Jung Il-sung). Extremely realistic costumes, impressive attention to detail in the recreation of the period, both visually and in terms of cultural setting. It's an incredible spectacle, no doubt. But it lacks something: a soul. Retelling the life of infamous Chosun painter Jang Seung-ub (Choi Min-shik), director Im ambitiously covers 50 years of one of the most turbulent periods in Korean history, trying to develop the life one of the most peculiar painters of the era.

Maybe that's the problem. The film often jumps 2-3 years to show how Jang's career evolves, and how his personality shapes his future. Personally this doesn't come off too well. Choi Min-shik tries hard to make Jang memorable, but as great as he is, he can only do so much. It seems like Im doesn't allow him to display his full range, and only shows us snippets of his life, hoping to draw a bigger picture. The film has a rather detached, almost cold approach to the character's evolution. We're shown Jang's flaws and how they drive his amazing talent. But it's all a work of assumption. We get to know the character mostly thanks to what we hear from others. With the exception of a few fits of rage, the life of Jang Seung-ub seems almost an excuse to show how the nation evolved during those tumultuous years. Also, one gets the impression Im uses Jang for something bigger, in the same way he used Korea's legendary love story of Chunhyang to show 'class warfare' and the importance of p'ansori in Korean culture.

Even if Choi Min-shik is excellent, this is not one of his best performances. I always expected him to burst with emotion like only he can do, and given this type of character this should have been a realistic expectation. Maybe he's not the type of actor whose talent can be confined by the directorial style of someone like Im. In fact, a less instinctive performer like Ahn Sung-ki seems born for his role. The best scene of the film, when master and pupil meet after a decade, shows how Ahn can morph into any character of this type looking perfectly comfortable. Also, while the women are little more than flower vases here (mostly kisaeng), Kim Yeo-jin is terrific, and Sohn Ye-jin not surprisingly looks stunning.

What is keeping Chihwaseon afloat, then? The biggest reason why I was still intrigued by the film was probably Jung Il-sung's amazing cinematography. This film looks marvellous: from the natural landscapes to the paintings, from the locations to the costumes. Many scenes are simply there to let us contemplate the beauty of nature. What keeps me, and probably many other viewers, from getting into the story is the film's rather episodic nature. What we get is a pastiche of effective historical recreation, incredibly beautiful images, and a slightly disappointing account of the life and personality of an unique artist. It makes for interesting viewing, but it's not the vibrant, hard-hitting masterpiece I expected. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY
Wow! What a gorgeous transfer. I suspected this film would look good, but this is one of the best transfers I've seen in a while. Colors look amazing, black levels and shadow detail are top notch, and there's no sign of edge enhancement or major DNR. The only reason why I don't give it a 10 is because, like a few other Korean DVDs, between a scene and the other there's a slight trembling of the image. I only noticed it on third viewing, so you might not even notice, unless you're on a projector. [9.5]

AUDIO QUALITY
Fantastic range and fidelity here. Even if the film seems quiet at first, it's like being in the middle of a village, near a river. This is some of the best, most enveloping ambient sound you'll hear for a Korean DVD. I didn't notice any background noise or hiss, and dialogue is loud and clear. It won't rock your system, but it's a pleasure to listen. [9]

SUBTITLES QUALITY
One word: perfect. Great translation, down to the Chinese names and deferential speaking. Not even one spelling mistake, near perfect timing, a nice font which is easy to read throughout the whole film. Everything from the text in Hanja to the historical 'intertitles' is subtitled, leaving nothing out. Also, it doesn't get unnecessarily vulgar even when the characters swear. Hats off, this is an incredible job. [10]

EXTRA FEATURES
All on Disc 2 -

[Making Of Documentary]
A mammoth 70 Minutes Documentary encompassing the various stages of production. Deviating from the usual TV style Making Of, while this still has a narrator it's structured much differently.
June 2001 
The cast (Choi Min-shik, Ahn Sung-ki, Sohn Ye-jin, Kim Yeo-jin, Yoo Ho-jung) and crew (Director Im Kwon-taek, DP Jung Il-sung, Lee Tae-won of Taeheung Pictures) discuss the themes of this film in a roundtable (literally) debate. Intertwined with the discussion, the cast talks about the film and the director. 
July 2001
Shooting starts. This is the biggest part of the Documentary. Director Im talks about why he chose this film after Chunhyang, and then we move to the setup of the film. Professors Lee Jong-sang and Kim Seon-doo talk with the crew about the style to use in painting (they actually got permission to show Jang's real work in the film). They teach Choi Min-shik how to hold the brush properly, how to paint with realistic strokes, the posture. There's also a clip with the girls learning proper kisaeng 'etiquette.' They're taught how to sit, move and even drink like a kisaeng from the period. Jung Il-sung talks of shooting the paintings, the framing and angle, and obviously the use of light. There's a scary scene when Jang jumps in the water, and it's clear here Choi Min-shik couldn't swim and they had to pull him out. They show how the impressive open set was built, and the sex scene between Jang and his kisaeng.
December 2001
Footage from the party with the staff and cast. The MC calls Sohn Ye-jin to sing, and later even Director Im and Lee Tae-won (who gets misty eyed singing a folk song) join.
February 2002
The latest scenes. They show Choi Min-shik making pots, and the assistant director adds her thoughts on the production
2002, 10/27
Commemoration to honor Jang Seung-up, with Director Im, Lee Tae-won and Jung Il-sung joining the celebration.
Lots of great material here, but it's a little overlong. At least 10 minutes could have been cut here, since there are a few holes with nothing much happening.

[Telecine]
20 Minutes special dedicated to the Telecine work. Jung Il-sung sits with the technician to change the look of the film before the transfer to DVD. It's just like the Se7en DVD, with lots of small changes which will be hard to notice for the non-videophiles. Most of the time it's just a small change of contrasts and brightness, but Jung's inputs give a nice insight into the style he wanted to achieve with the DVD presentation. Jung also talks about the benefits of having a medium like DVD, opposed to VHS where he couldn't do much. The second part of this feature shows the image fullscreen while the two manipulate it. It can get tiresome for those who can't understand what the two are saying (and subsequently understand what they're changing), but it's an interesting feature.

[C.G.]
Divided into 6 Sections, this is a Before/After comparison of the CG Scenes. The benefit is that you can use the Angle function on your DVD Player to focus on one or the other. The one you select plays on top, the rest stay under with a smaller P.I.P. It's mostly backgrounds for the open set, the view outside the royal room, and the final scene.

[Interview]
Director Im Kwon-taek, DP Jung Il-sung and Producer Lee Tae-won are featured in this interesting 30 Minutes interview. They start half jokingly talking about cigarettes (!) and their use of them, then they move to more serious matters. Among other things, they discussed the decision to focus on this particular story after Chunhyang, about the pre-production work with painters and professors to make the film as realistic as possible, and the look of the film. DP Jung talked how they achieved the temporal change (the film follows Jang over almost 50 years of his life) both visually and with the use of historical events. He talked about the experience they made through working on The Taebaek Mountains and Sopyonje and how that influenced their work in Chihwaseon. They also talked a little about the film's reception and the Cannes Film Festival. Overall, a very good interview, but it's not consistently interesting.

[Promotional Material]
Two trailers for Chihwaseon, and the three Posters. Plus, in the Other Trailers section, the Theatrical Trailers for Ardor (the 'light' version, not the 19-Only one), Jail Breakers and LOTR: The Two Towers.

[Cannes Film Festival]
12 Minutes I'll probably never get back. Unlike Oasis, Nabi, Address Unknown and many other DVDs, this doesn't show the awards the film got, or the ceremony. It's just the crew arriving at the premiere, watching the first 5 Minutes of the film (complete with audience reaction. Creepy), then as the 'polite' standing ovation ends, they go out. On second thought, maybe this was useful to remind me why I hate festivals like this, where glitz and glamour have replaced what really matters, films. Considering the film won the second most important prize (Best Director), they could have at least shown the awarding ceremony.

[Synopsis]
[Production Notes]
[Cast & Crew Profiles]

[Image Gallery]
This is divided into a few sections. There's a 'Painting' section which shows all the original paintings in the film. Also, Professor Kim Seon-doo analyzes a few of Jang's paintings, along with the Sohn Ye-jin portrait. Second section is full of nice photos from the shooting. Third section is a dozen or so beautiful stills from the film. Fourth and Fifth sections show sketches and plans for the open set.
[Awards]
Self Explanatory. All the awards the film won.
** A great wealth of extras. I must admit it was a bit draining because of the style of most of the features, but it's nonetheless informative and interesting material. Perhaps an Audio Commentary and some outtakes could have improved the experience. [8.5]

VALUE FOR MONEY
8.50
While the film will find its admirers and skeptics, there's no denying this is perhaps the finest DVD Cinema Service has ever made, at least on a technical level. Great Audio and Video presentation, perfect subtitles, and a huge wealth of extra features. Personally I felt Chihwaseon was a stunning visual spectacle, but left me rather cold in regards to its main character. And since it involves amazing talents like Choi Min-shik and Ahn Sung-ki, I can't call it anything but a disappointment. The cinematography deserves all the awards it won and will win, though. Highly Recommended, this is the type of film which can generate polarized opinions, but you still have to give it at least a chance.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

(Æйи®)

["P'aemilli" 2002 Beaumaeul ]
BITWIN DVD
Release Date: 2002, 12/20
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Audio Options: Korean DTS, DD 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R0

Opening Day 2002, 8/23  Cumulative Box Office 481,458 Admissions
Directed By
Choi Jin-won  (New Nonstop)
Starring
Hwang Shin-hye (Love Bakery, Incredibly Story, Bedroom & Courtroom)
Kim Min-jong (Out of Justice, Holiday In Seoul)
Yoon Da-hoon (Tearful Story, Jakarta, Sky Doctor, Seoul Evita)
Hwang In-young (Dance Dance)
Lee Kyung-young (Again 2002, The Beauty In Dream, Hallelujah, Holiday In Seoul)
Lee Dong-gun (Ruler of Your Own World, Friends, 3 Friends)
Kwon Hae-yo (Winter Love Song, Last Present, A Day, Tie A Yellow Ribbon)
Choi Eun-joo (My Wife is a Gangster)
Cho Deok-hyun (No Comment, Shiri, Legend of Gingko)
Kim Bo-sung (Oh! Lala Sisters, Two Cops Series, Boss X File, Hoodlum Lessons 2)
Jung Eun-pyo (The Happy Funeral Director, Bet on My Disco, Breakout)
Kwon Yong-hoon (Two Cops Series, Dig or Die)

THE FILM

As one of the top actresses of the 90s, Hwang Shin-hye has performed in a great variety of films and TV Dramas, and her return to the big screen was anticipated by fans. After watching Family, perhaps she should have waited a little longer to come back. While 2001's crop of Jopok comedies offered good to very good films and an impressive track record at the box office, 2002 didn't go as well. With a few exception (Marrying The Mafia, Breakout, Boss X File) the films didn't make much money. And, even worse, most of them weren't that good either. Family sadly joins the ranks as the worst Jopok entry of the year. Considering the talent involved, the disappointment is even stronger.

Director Choi Jin-won worked on one of the top comedies on Korean TV, New Nonstop. So, realistically, one could expect a good comedy out of him. He does try, but the result is far from effective. There are several funny scenes, but as a whole the film suffers from terrible blandness. Of course, once you've seen the gags the first time, it's not likely you'll enjoy them on second viewing. The usual elements of the genre -- lots of cursing, violence on women, varying degrees of nudity, toilet humor, peculiar supporting characters, and so on-- are there, but there's no rhythm. Hwang Shin-hye basically sleepwalks through the film, carrying on only with her charisma and beauty. The 'tough broad' tirade could be entertaining if taken in the right direction, but the film never takes advantage of her character. Also, while at the beginning Yoon Da-hoon's antics can be quite funny, long term they start to annoy. Same thing could be said for Kim Min-jong, who once again doesn't do much other than look tough. It's a mystery to me how one can be so good on TV, and constantly underwhelm in movies.

The film centers around two brothers (Kim Min-jong & Yoon Da-hoon) who come to Incheon to conquer the territory with their gang. That includes Madam Oh's (Hwang Shin-hye) room salon 'Familia,' which was once protected by Lee Moo-young (Lee Kyung-young), the leader of the rival gang. But, the girls at Oh Madam's seem to be uncomfortable with the new bosses around, especially the most beautiful of the bunch, No Panties (Hwang In-young). While a battle for the leadership of Incheon ensues between the two gangs, the two brothers try to follow Madam Oh and No Panties to their secret hideout. While many Jopok comedies often mix different genres and rapidly change mood, Family seems to give the impression the director never knows when it's the right time to change. The film becomes dramatic all of a sudden, then moves to action, back to goofy comedy, all in a very uneven manner. In films like My Boss My Hero  or Kick The Moon it worked, here the result is a disaster. Instead of keeping track of plot, you'll most likely lose interest altogether.

Unlike other 'bad films' which were somewhat funny anyway, Family doesn't have anything to compensate for its flaws. With the exception of Yoon Da-hoon, most of the cast gives uninspired performances, and this will probably affect the viewer the same way. Family  is rather dull, not particularly well made, and unless you're just asking for some decent jokes and attractive women in skimpy clothes, it's likely you'll be bored to death. [5]

VIDEO QUALITY
Bitwin's first Korean film in a while. That is, under the Bitwin label. They've been authoring Cinema Service's DVDs all year long. Just like many Cinema Service releases, Family presents a great transfer. Attractive colors, excellent black levels and shadow details. No major edge enhancement or blurs. Night scenes look near perfect, and with the exception of a few soft scenes, this is a rather impressive job. [8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY
Excellent, so much that sometimes the DTS track becomes too loud. The action scenes are a pleasure to listen, the soundtrack uses the bass a lot, and surround speakers will have a good workout here. [8.5]

SUBTITLES QUALITY
The first half of the film's subtitles feel like Mei Ah hijacked the production and started going berserk with grammar and spelling mistakes. Thankfully things get back to normal rather quickly. While the second half still features errors, these are decent subtitles. They lack polish, and a bit of creativity in terms of subtitling curse words would be better, but it's not a bad job.[6.5]

EXTRA FEATURES

Audio Commentary (Director Choi Jin-won)  
I'm probably a little biased since I didn't like the film, but this commentary was rather insignificant. Long silences, and on many occasions it's just discussion about locations, a few snippets on wrong takes, character talk. There's nothing here that is worth 2 hours of your time. Most of the time the director would react to a scene, talk a little about the location, or add a comment about a particular plot development. You can pass on this and live happily after.
B-Roll  
Divided into 4 Episodes, this is a pretty good Making Of feature. At around 20 minutes, they show a mix of behind the scenes clips, outtakes and actors fooling around on set. Pretty funny, and rather interesting.
Highlight  
Twenty minutes of highlights from the film. DD2.0, no subtitles, letterboxed. What's the point here? Don't we have the film already? I never understood --and probably never will-- the use of features like this. The Skip Chapter button on your remote is there for a reason.
Gallery
Cast & Crew
Theatrical Trailer
**The Making Of saves the day. Commentary is one of the dullest I've heard in years, and the Highlight is a big waste of space. [6.5]

VALUE FOR MONEY
6.65
Family is one of the worst films of the year, but Bitwin once again gives us a nice presentation. Subtitles should have been better, and the extras are almost a non-entity. Only for die-hards of the Jopok genre, and for those who want to watch all of Hwang Shin-hye's films (that'd be me). Marginal Recommendation, just for the A/V Quality.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

  (º¹¼ö´Â ³ªÀÇ °Í)

["Boksu-neun Na-ui Geot" 2002 Studio Box/CJ Entertainment]
CJ ENTERTAINMENT  2-DVD Special Edition
Release Date: 2002, 8/6
Running Time: 121 Minutes
Audio Options: Korean DTS, DD5.1, DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day 2002, 3/29  Cumulative Box Office 345,000 Admissions
Directed By
Park Chan-wook  (Joint Security Area, Oldboy)
Starring  
Song Kang-ho (Joint Security Area, No. 3, The Foul King, Memory of a Murder)
Shin Ha-kyun (Joint Security Area, Surprise Party, Save The Green Planet)
Bae Doo-na (Take Care of My Cat, Plum Blossom, Barking Dogs Never Bite, Tube)
Ryu Seung-wan (Oasis, Die Bad)
Ryu Seung-beom (Conduct Zero, Die Bad, Dazimawa Lee, Loneliness, No Comment)
Lee Dae-yeon (Joint Security Area, Camel[s], The Harmonium in My Memory)
Ki Ju-bong (Public Enemy, Chow Yun-fat Boy Meets Brownie Girl, Nowhere To Hide)
Kim Se-dong (Rainbow Trout)
Im Ji-eun (Rainbow Trout, Vanishing Twin)
Jang Kyu-soo (The Spy, No Comment)
Jung Jae-young (No Blood No Tears, No Comment, Guns & Talks, Dazimawa Lee)
Lee Geum-hee (Radio DJ)
Han Bo-bae (R. U. Ready?)

THE FILM

[Read Darcy's Review Here]

One scene in the first 20 minutes of Park Chan-wook's follow up to JSA sums up pretty effectively why he's one of strongest filmmakers of his generation. In a masterful pan, he shows teenagers masturbating to the sound of a woman moaning. When we get to see what's behind that noise, we experience a combination of feelings: irony and shock, contempt for the victim, and a sense of desperation. It's Ryu's (Shin Ha-kyun) sister, fatally ill, screaming in pain for help. While she tries to grab her brother's attention --who's comfortably sitting in front of her, happily eating noodles, unable to see her sisters' attempts. This scene, more than any expository trick, establishes both the characters, their helpless nature and state of mind. And the film is full of scenes like this, never taking the easy route in elaborating on its fascinating premise.
 
Those who feel surprised at such a change from Park's previous film need only to look at what he's done before: politically, socially involved small short and feature films, which eventually enabled him to do something like  Joint Security Area. If anything, the 2000 blockbuster was his way of earning the investors' trust for this project, which he had been preparing for the past five years. And, while in JSA he hid his political message under heartwarming humanism, it comes out full force in Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance. Taking the concept of Hard Boiled Noir to an extreme, he presents a world full of victims. Be it because of their disadvantaged social or economical situation, or for their inability to feel happy even when they have everything. You can feel sympathy for them, but there's no cutesy or charm in these characters. Ryu is deaf, mute, naive, and highly impressionable. Young-mi (Bae Doo-na) is so politically radical that she fails to see the big picture. Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho) is so blinded by the corporate world, and the facade of the life he wanted to live, that he forgets about what he's doing to other people. Only thinking about money drives him away from his family. His only form of affection for his daughter is buying her new toys every day, driving her at school, forgetting about the important things.

It's a world of extreme measures for extreme problems. Ryu gets fired for simply taking care of her sister, and with the severance pay tries to buy her a really expensive kidney transplant. When the blood type doesn't match, he opts for the black market, who screw him even worse than he was before. His only alternative, as Young-mi suggests, is to kidnap a rich executive's daughter, and get enough money to save her sister. It seems fairly simple, but when Ryu's handicap leads to a tragic mistake, what was a relatively painless operation becomes a mess for the couple. Dong-jin becomes like a shark smelling blood, trying everything to catch them and avenge their sins. As the film descends into an even darker mood, the shock value and socio-political commentary increase exponentially. JSA featured a not so thinly veiled rant against the NNSC and US presence in Korea, and the nature of the countries' division. But, Sympathy is much more ambitious. It's not simple class warfare, or potboiler political radicalism like some critics argue. Director Park's message is striking in its depiction, almost painful in its uncompromising frankness, and not at all superficial.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a very hard film to swallow. It's never obvious, never falling into dogmatic, flag weaving political BS. It takes Ryu's handicap seriously, and uses it to deliver a message in a stronger way. Sometimes Park becomes even too realistic, such as the sex scene between Ryu and Young-mi. I don't think I've ever seen two people having sex while using hand signs on film. Also, if one goes beyond the themes and storytelling structure, you can find many other things to like in this film. The cinematography by Kim Byung-il, underlining the director's bleak atmosphere (and some virtuous shots, like the Kubrick-esque stair shots in the black market building). The minimalist soundtrack, emphasizing silence to make sound more important. And, of course, the acting.

All three leads crush their previous image in this film. Song Kang-ho often played characters with a child-like innocence (like in The Foul King, The Quiet Family and to an extent Shiri), but his portrait of Dong-jin is completely different. Cold, able to go from sweet affection to ruthless fits of rage. His emotional change throughout the film is almost painful to endure. Just take a look at his reaction after seeing her daughter, and the cold gaze in his eyes while he tortures his victims. Shin Ha-kyun always played brilliant, lively characters with lots of hope. His Ryu is completely devoid of such feeling, trying to live following his instincts. Just for the physical and mental complexity of the role he should be commended, but he adds a further layer by giving Ryu this air of desperate innocence. Last but not least, Bae Doo-na.

Ask anybody to name the first impressions upon viewing Bae's previous works, and you'd hear things about her expressive eyes and subtle facials to convey a character's state of mind. They'd mention her energy and incredible raw talent. But most of her previous roles were quirky characters. This was a strong challenge for her, portraying this extremely radical femme fatale. She bares herself to the camera in many ways, changing between the silly and deadly serious in an instant. While performances in Barking Dogs Never Bite and Take Care of My Cat showed her already considerable maturity, this is a stepping stone of her young career. Hopefully it's a sign of even better things to come.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is an amazing ride, from its almost Sam Peckinpah-like finale, to its memorable performances. From the shocking images down to the visual style and the use of sound. It's a confirmation of Park Chan-wook's incredible talent, and the sign that money and fame didn't soften his touch. [9]

VIDEO QUALITY
Two stories here. If you have a projector, you might be a little annoyed by this transfer. If you don't, you'll only see the good things. It's not even 100% sure that you'll have problems with every projector, because so much depends on what kind of DVD Player you use, the settings (de-interlacing feature for example), and many other things. There is a little authoring flaw with the flags, which makes the background colors pulse every once in a while. But, if you have a normal TV, even a big one, those problems won't bother you at all. Usual great transfer by CJ, with excellent colors and skin tones; impressive black levels and shadow detail. No noticeable blurs or major edge enhancement. There are a few soft looking scenes, but given the nature of this film, it's often likely that the grain and different contrasts come from the print rather than authoring flaws. [8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY
Audio is essential here. Even when there's 'silence,' a constant and almost creepy use of the bass and surround speakers create a great atmosphere. This is a really sophisticated work in a way. It won't shock you with power like 2009 Lost Memories, but subtly reveals itself when you don't expect it. Clear, crisp dialogue, great directionality. [8.5]

SUBTITLES QUALITY
With the exception of CJ's usual few punctuation problems, these are very good subtitles. They tend to get lazy in terms of subtitling text on screen, but thankfully the intertitles are subtitled (even in Korean. The smaller the screen, the harder it will be to read without, even for Korean speakers). The scenes left unsubtitled aren't crucial. If you're following the film, you'll understand. Plus, I don't think the last note was meant to be subtitled: it's upside down, bloody, and seems put there only to read the name of the accused, his crime, and punishment. You can't do much else in the second or so it appears, so it would be futile to rush 3-4 lines of subtitles at once. The first note, more than anything, introduces Young-mi's radical views with her manifesto, but you can live without it. Ryu's sister note is important, but also rather obvious. The usual very good job. [8]

EXTRA FEATURES

On Disc 1 -

Audio Commentary (Director Park Chan-wook, Ryu Seung-wan)
This is one of the finest commentaries I've heard in a while, just like you could expect given the 'cast.' The two clearly show good chemistry, and there's a nice atmosphere where discussion reigns, instead of trying to cram more information that's really needed. The two often go off on a tangent completely unrelated to the scene, talk in depth about technical issues, plot and characters, and never do so with that formal style which often ruins many commentaries. During the first half, they talk about the style of the film, its message and the sentiments it provokes, like the many scenes which feel ironic and sad at the same time. Second half is more focused on the behind the scenes work, the supporting characters, the art direction, cinematography and lighting. Also, they talked about Ryu's contribution to the film other than his role as a Food delivery guy. He choreographed the Ryu/Young-mi bed 'fight.' They addressed another ironic moment of the film, when super radical left-wing Young-mi sings an anti-communist song. There's a lot of nice material here, covering most areas of the film, with a few interesting anecdotes into the making of the production. The two never rush and there's a nice relaxed mood which will help you enjoy this commentary. Really good.

On Disc 2 -

[In Process of Mr. Vengeance]
Dactytology
An interesting 5 Minutes feature about the training Bae Doo-na and Shin Ha-kyun received for their hand sign dialogue. They show the two talking and learning from the instructor, and then some parts of the shoot where they had to use it. This is the first instance where Bae Doo-na starts crying. She seemed frustrated because of the difficulty of talking and at the same time fluidly make the hand sign as realistically as she could. The instructor then talks (with Korean Subtitles) about working with them.
Star Review
8 Minutes of interviews with the three major stars, giving their thoughts about the film, its message and what they felt working in it. There are some fun outtakes here, like Song Kang-ho almost slipping while trying to enter the window. Or again one of the most brutal scenes of the film, the electrocution, where Bae Doo-na does a few NGs because of the way Song Kang-ho tries to lick her ears (one of the crew actually threw a joke that if it was Shin Ha-kyun she'd need no second take. It's been widely reported the two started dating while working on this film). They also show some of the bed fight sequences where she hurts herself and Shin Ha-kyun, and starts crying again. This clearly was a difficult role for her.
Special Makeup
This is a 7 Minutes section showing the work behind some of the scenes which required prosthetics or special makeup. They show how they made the prosthetic for Ryu's leg at the end of the film, the little corpse for the autopsy, the whole process behind the neck stabbing scene (CGI included), and the final scene of the corpse burning inside the coffin. This is great stuff, focusing a lot on small details, and also understandable by everybody since there's no dialogue.
Cameo Role
A 11 Minutes interview with Park Chan-wook about the various cameos in the film. He first says he chose Bae Doo-na after her role in Take Care of My Cat, then moved to Ryu Seung-beom. He's almost unrecognizable as the handicapped kid at the river. His brother, Director Ryu Seung-wan talks about his performance, and they show clips from the shoot of Seung-beom giving input and ideas on how to portray the character physically. They also talk about casting popular Radio MC Lee Geum-hee. Ryu Seung-wan then talks about his role in the film, and his latest project No Blood No Tears. They show clips of his cameo, with several funny outtakes. The longest segment involves Ryu directing the traffic during the Ryu/Young-mi bed fight. He goes as far as getting beat up to show Bae Doo-na how to effectively show her rage. This is a pretty funny scene. Ryu finally talks about his next project Oasis, and Director Park concludes with a few words about Jung Jae-young's cameo.
Easter Egg
Highlight Special Features and press the Down Button on your remote. Director Yoo Jung-hyun talks about his short film 'Four Million Blows' and a short clip from the film is shown.

[My Boksu Story]
Song Kang-ho Interview
5 Informative Minutes with Song, about the film and the change of theme since JSA. He talked about how he accepted the role based on reaction to the scenario, talked about his character, then concluded with a premiere of his next works (YMCA Baseball Team and Bong Joon-ho's Memory of a Murder).
Shin Ha-kyun Interview
Shorter --3 and a half Minutes-- interview with SHK, who mentions his next project Save The Green Planet. He talks about Ryu, and working with Park and the cast.
Bae Doo-na Interview
Same length as the Shin interview. She previews her latest work Saving My Hubby, then talks about working with the director and cast, her character, her best memories from the shooting. She leaves with a message for the fans.
Im Ji-eun
Im talks about choosing to accept this role based on the people who were working on it, then talks about her relationship with her partners, and working for the first time with an important director like Park Chan-wook. She, too, mentions her best memories from the shoot.
Han Bo-bae
Little Bo-bae introduces her to the viewer listing her career appearances (R.U. Ready?, and a few TV Dramas) then follows her colleague's path. This is much more fun, though. She talks already like a grown up.
Profiles
This is some fantastic stuff. Not only they list their filmography and notes about their career, but also give separate pages to the films they appeared in. And, on certain occasions (like Kang Je-gyu, Kim Ji-woon, Jang Jin), even directors get a profile. Just click the parts highlighted in green.  There's even a definition of 'femme fatale' with examples and info on how the name got started. Excellent.

[Staff Interview]
Director - DP - Lighting Director
A joint 12 Minutes interview with Director Park Chan-wook, DP Kim Byung-il and Lighting Director Park Hyun-won. While the Director focuses a little on Ryu and Young-mi, this is very much about the visual style of the film, with discussion on different framing, lighting, different setups and contrasts. Also, everybody lists his favorite scene. Park Chan-wook mentions the finale with the terrorists. Most interestingly, Kim Byung-il chooses a scene which is remarkable from a framing point of view. It's a particular, complex shot including three characters at once doing different things. 
Art The Gasum
Art Director Oh Jae-won talks about how the visual style Park wanted affected his way of building the sets (very monotonic in color), and Ryu's apartment (which was created in a way so that the various pans would be possible). Ahn Sung-hyun then talks about the lead's hair and makeup.
Profiles
To round up the section, profiles for all the major cast members.

[Moving Continuity]
Storyboard sketches. Seen one..seen 'em all. That's what they say, and it's usually true. But, this is much different. They take the continuity sketches and use them with the film's original audio to make some kind of hybrid manhwa. It's a fascinating experience, especially after seeing the film. Some of the strongest scenes are presented, from the black market murders to the memorable finale. Two sections here (Ryu's Revenge and Dong-jin's Revenge), lasting a combined 10 Minutes

[OST & Photos]
4 Sections in which Director Park Chan-wook talks about important pieces of the soundtrack, followed by the song and clips from the film. Last section is a photo gallery.

[International Trailer]
With English Subtitles for the intertitles, this is a pretty impressive Trailer, with great music and enough rhythm to make you want to see the film
**Fantastic extras. Exhaustive, entertaining, well put together. With the exception of some more NGs and maybe a mini Documentary, there isn't anything that isn't covered here. [9]

VALUE FOR MONEY
8.65
While enterOne, Starmax and Cinema Service might be superior in terms of A/V presentation, CJ Entertainment is still the best in terms of contents and catalogue. Given the quality of 2002's releases, one wishes they'd be more prolific. This is a fantastic release, ranking up there with the best of the year. A memorable film, with striking visuals and an intelligent use of sound. Top notch presentation, and a few hours of excellently made extras. Highly Recommended.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

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["Raiteo-reul Kyeora" 2002 AStars Entertainment/Cinema Service ]
CINEMA SERVICE 2-DVD Special Edition
Release Date: 2002, 10/10  
Running Time: 102 Minutes  
Audio Options: Korean DD5.1, DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day 2002, 7/17  Cumulative Box Office  1,293,827 Admissions
Directed By
Jang Hang-joon (Wrote Screenplay for The Adventures of Mrs. Park, TV Writer)
Starring  
Cha Seung-won (Kick The Moon, Jail Breakers, Ghost in Love, Holiday In Seoul)
Kim Seung-woo (Yesterday, Ghost Mamma, The General's Son, Secret Tears)
Park Young-kyu (Attack The Gas Station, A.F.R.I.K.A., Season in The Sun)
Lee Moon-shik (Hi Dharma, The Happy Funeral Director, Public Enemy)
Yoo Hae-jin (Kick The Moon, Public Enemy, Musa, Jail Breakers, The Coast Guard)
Kang Sung-jin (Attack The Gas Station, The Humanist, Fun Movie, Hi Dharma)
Bae Joong-shik (Die Bad, Real Fiction, The Spy, No. 3, The Opening )
Lee Won-jong (Kick The Moon, Nowhere To Hide, The Foul King, Four Toes)
Sung Ji-roo (A.F.R.I.K.A., Kick The Moon, Marrying The Mafia, Whisper Princess)
Kim in-moon (Hi Dharma, My Wife is a Gangster, Bet on My Disco)
Kim Ji-young (Failan)
Jung Eun-pyo (Bet on My Disco, The Happy Funeral Director, Four Toes)
Jang Hyun-sung (Nabi: The Butterfly, stage actor)
Park Sang-myun -uncredited- (Nowhere To Hide, The Foul King, No. 3, Just Do It)

THE FILM

Ever had one of those days, when everything goes wrong? That's Hur Bong-gu's (Kim Seung-woo) life, every day. A longtime loser for his classmates, a good-for-nothing for his parents. Always broke, with no job and no women in his life. This particular day is even worse: he has to answer the reserve training call, but he doesn't even have money for lunch. He gets beat up by his parents (veterans Kim In-moon & Kim Ji-young in a hilarious cameo) mistaking him for a burglar. When he gets to the military camp, old schoolmates recognize him and treat him like a stool. Some menacing looking gangster (Cha Seung-won) makes him fall during lunch and waste the money he spent on noodles. He even falls asleep and loses most of the day. All he can do now is buy a lighter with his remaining 300 Won, and enjoy a cigarette.

It's not over. After a particularly annoying reserve trainee (Kang Sung-jin) offers him a ride to the Seoul station, he loses his precious lighter in the bathroom, and sees the same gangster steal it from under his eyes. The man is trying to force congressman Park Young-gap (Park Young-kyu) to pay him for the 'services' he gave him on the road to his election, and plans to hijack the train he's staying in to get what he wants. All Bong-gu can do is follow him. He has to get his lighter back!

From Attack The Gas Station and Kick The Moon's writer Park Young-woo, Breakout is one of the few successful Jopok comedies of the year. With the return of Kim Seung-woo to big screens after a few years, and the popular Cha Seung-won, along with the usual array of quirky supporting characters, it's easy to see why this film made money. It's not particularly smart, relying on the same joke from start to finish, but it's fun. A lot of fun, actually. It develops almost like a stage play, since for more than half of the film the actors are confined on the same train. This allows a good interplay between longtime character actors like Lee Moon-shik, Kang Sung-jin and Park Young-kyu, allowing them to flesh out their 'comedy muscles.'

Kim Seung-woo and Cha Seung-won do a good job here, but it's the supporting characters who take the cake. Lee Moon-shik is a riot, Park Young-kyu is very effective as the stubborn politician, and Kang Sung-jin is so annoying that he inevitably becomes sympathetic. There's basically the whole Attack The Gas Station/Kick The Moon crew here, with the obvious exceptions of Lee Sung-jae and Yoo Oh-sung. Actors like Lee Won-jong and Sung Ji-roo can sleepwalk through little films like this and still be entertaining, and there's even an uncredited cameo by Park Sang-myun which only made the Trailer and Deleted Scenes.

No need to tell you that if you don't enjoy this type of film, which puts everything in the hands of its performers, you'll be disappointed. The plot here doesn't move forward too much, it's just a collection of sitcom-like scenes which could entertain you or not, depending on your tolerance of this type of comedy. I personally found it hilarious, and one of the few 2002 Jopok comedies which was entertaining without descending into vulgarity or womanizing. It's 2 hours of pretty lightweight comedy, but it's fun. Asking anything more from a film like this would be foolish. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY
An almost flawless transfer. The few soft-looking scenes might be the result of adding CGI. It's mostly during the scenes on top of the train, and all the background there is CGI. Those surprised to see a 2.35:1 print for a Korean comedy shouldn't forget who lensed this film, Kim Seung-bok of JSA, Shiri, The Contact, Public Enemy and Tell Me Something. The cinematography is beautiful for the outdoor scenes, and when they're confined to the train, there are some creative shots. Colors are beautiful, black levels excellent. There's a little grain here and there but I assume that's not an authoring flaw (many great transfers exhibit some grain). Another top notch job by Cinema Service.[9]

AUDIO QUALITY
Quite good. Being a comedy, the surround speakers are mostly used for ambient sound, but there's effective directionality. The soundtrack sounds great, and there's no distortions or dropouts. Excellent [8.5]

SUBTITLES QUALITY
Save for the usual punctuation problems and a spelling mistake here and there, this is a good job. Sometimes the translation gets a little colorful and creative to convey the verbal comedy, but most people won't notice it. The subtitles often try to follow the timing of the actors' delivery, which is something not all DVDs do. This helps, not spoiling the comedy for both the people who need subtitles, and those who don't and might be distracted. Font is, as usual, a little soft. Korean subs are excellent. [8]

EXTRA FEATURES

On Disc 1 -
Audio Commentary (Director Jang Hang-joon, Producer Lee Kwang-soo, Writer Park Young-woo)
A fun, interesting commentary. The three effectively alternate the discussion between production --and its various stages (CGI, sets, soundtrack, lighting, etc.) and anecdotes from the shoot. They also are able to comment on the scenes and at the same time deviate from the film to add more insight. They start by introducing the prologue and epilogue setting which is the same. This shows the change the character makes throughout the film, from a loser who nobody cares about, to the most popular of the group. They then move to the hilarious scene featuring Bong-gu with his parents, and talk a little about Kim In-moon and Kim Ji-young's cameos. They comment that Kim Seung-woo was shooting this film and Yesterday at the same time, and go in depth about the reserve training shoot, and the preparation behind it. The rest of the commentary keeps this nice balance between an informal discussion, and a more insightful delve into the various elements of the film. They talk about the supporting cast, the extras, the connection between this film and Kim Sang-jin's Kick The Moon. Also, they often stop to analyze various different locations, and how they shot those scenes. It's not consistently informative, but they make just a few pauses, and it's pretty entertaining.

On Disc 2 -
Making Of
Lasting 26 Minutes, this is pretty good material. It's not the usual TV Style documentary, at least not the ones Cinema Service used for previous releases. It's a good mix of behind the scenes clips (with a few outtakes, NGs), short interviews with the director and the cast, and clips from the film. They also show how they built the train from scratch (for the inside shots), surrounded by the usual blue screen for the CGI. Art Director Kim Min-ho talks about the lighting and the different camera techniques to achieve the final result, then a few of the supporting characters (Kim Chae-yeon, Jung Eun-pyo) talk about their role in the film. Good stuff.
Cast & Staff
Profiles for Cha Seung-won, Kim Seung-woo, Director Jang Hang-joon, DP Kim Sung-bok, and Editor Shin Hak-sung.
Interview
Pretty disappointing 1-2 Minutes interviews with the director, Cha Seung-won and Kim Seung-woo. Nothing very insightful or surprising here. The usual discussion about their character, working with the staff and cast, and thoughts on the film.
CG Before and After
3 Minutes of Before/After clips showing how they used CG. It's mostly for the train background scenes, giving you the sense that the coach was actually moving.
Music Video
Yoon Jong-shin's "Dambae Han Mogeum." Trying to get a little creative, it would mean "A fistful of cigarettes." Pretty funny lyrics.
Production Notes
Commentary: Behind The Scenes
I don't see the use for this, other than showing what people usually do when they sit down for a commentary. We get two P.I.P of the original film, and the three doing the commentary. It lasts 13 Minutes and covers some important scenes. Actually, if there was a way to record a full commentary like this, it would be much better than the regular ones. Especially for people who want to see others in the face when they're talking.
Deleted Scenes
About 6 Minutes worth of material. First scene is the Park Sang-myun cameo, which was taken off the film (this was discussed in the Audio Commentary). He was the officer supposed to answer the phone with the news about the Soccer match. Even for a few seconds, his facial expression is still picture perfect. Second scene has Kim In-moon and Kim Ji-young fighting. Third has Kang Sung-jin giving a prep talk to the passengers before raging "war" against the gangsters. In the fourth scene, Kim Seung-woo meets someone on top of the train, while he tries to reach the driver's cabin. Fifth scene is the funniest, and probably should have been left in the film. It's the part when Park Young-kyu tries to distract Cha Seung-won so that he can open the door for Kim Seung-woo. Unlike the film, here he sings! An obvious pun on his continuous Attack The Gas Station film references (also appeared in A.F.R.I.K.A.)