Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman(천박사 퇴마 연구소: 설경의 비밀) Korean Film Thoughts

 

   Directed by Kim Seong Sik, Dr, Cheon was a huge hit at the South Korean box office during the holidays last year, The film was based on the popular webtoon of the same name. Superstar actor, Gang Dong Won comes back infront of audiences as the leading man once again with a raising star cast. 

     Con artists play the role of shamans to trick wealthy families into giving them money. Everything is going well until they meet a girl who can actually see spirit possession, causing the underworld to come after her. These events also connect to the past as things always happen for a reason.....

    Dr. Cheon is a fun film with a plot just solid enough to not be on the edge of a mindless viewing experience. Most of the comedic timing hits right and the action comes as a good way to balance out the mystery. There aren't too many other South Korean films that handle spirit possession like this film since you see multiple possessions as once. Also, The supernatural elements tie into the cultures folklore dealing in swords, items, etc. Nothing here is a hard watch. You can just chill out and let the film take you along for the ride. All the plot points are concluded well and enough room is left for a sequel.

    The acting was popcorn flick level mostly. Some moments in the film are serious, however, not serious enough to give an award winning performance. The goofiness wasn't over the top. Thats all I can ask for.

     Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman is a film that can be enjoyed for people who don't want to think too hard about the story. You can relax with the family and enjoy some fun Korean folklore for an hour or so.     

The Moon(더문) Korean Film Thoughts(2023)

 

 

      The Moon is a 2023 South Korean film that was directed by Kim Yong-hwa(Along With The Gods, 200 Pound Beauty). Doh Kyung Soo(D.O.) and Sol Kyung Gu star in the survival drama. Ticket sales indicate that this film was a success at the Korean Box office. D.O.'s fame from his music career also caused international interest. He won awards for his performance. 

  Three friends train as astronauts missioned to travel to the moon. Most nations want to race to the moon's surface before anyone else. Disaster hits the crew during orbit and people on earth more come together to rescue the one lone survivor.     

    The Moon's reviews are not positive for the most part. I can kind of understand why, however, I don't agree with everything that others have to say. Here we have the simple idea that less is more. Yong Hwa overcomplicates the script when he didn't need all the extra layers. The main character being trapped on the moon is the most compelling storytelling of the whole film. When we as the audience get sucked into the story of this one man's survival in terror, we click over to family drama on earth. These scenes aren't interesting in the least but, they do tie the story together well for the conclusion. Some of the deaths happen too quickly and stereotypically. Sometimes Koreans will try to add emotional drama to every story that they create. When they do this for some scripts, it can be overkill. The Moon didn't need all the extra drama that was happening on earth. All we needed was what we came for, which was cool scenes on the moon in space. We get this during the final half and hour or so. The drama only flows during these scenes  because it's needed for character progression. Everything ties in nicely with the main characters getting the closure they needed. Some people might say it's a bit Korean drama-esc. 

     D.O. gives a wonderful performance in his solo scenes. He shines the most in this film as the center of the action as well as the emotional drive for all characters. He also adds a prompt of terror for the audience through his facial expressions. The english language scenes were a bit awkward on the foreigners and Koreans side of things. I'm not a fan of how stiff white characters tend to act in Korean films/shows. Even the way they speak never feels natural. Koreans speaking english who you know don't speak english in real life, sound like that when they speak english lines in movies. Enough said. 

    The scenes in space look great. I just wish we had gotten more of this. A more immersive view into space would have made this film a masterpiece. 

     With all of my thoughts out on the table, I still enjoyed watching The Moon. I've been a fan of Castaway for years and The Moon would have done well to have followed the same formula. Still, happy watching everyone. 

The Ghost Station(옥수역 귀신) Korean Film Thoughts

 

   The Ghost Station is a 2023 film that is based on of the manhwa of the same name. The film was a success due to the connection to the online comic series and Korea's horror doom in popularity. Reviews for the film have not been favorably online. 

   A reporter and a subway station staff worker come together to find out the cause of mysterious deaths that have happened in a subway station. As they come closer to the truth, they uncover a curse that may be more terrifying than they know......

   A lot of viewers will be disappointed if they expect Ghost Station to be a strict horror thrill ride.  This film has horror elements, however, the plot isn't really scary. Most of the jump scares can be predicted and who hasn't had enough of black long haired female ghosts with demonic looking ghost kids? It's a concept that has been done multiple times.... maybe it could be done a couple more times if the script can breath new life into the idea. Ghost Station thrives more in the thriller mystery department. One solid conclusion really makes all the filler content worth wild. I just wish that the overall story could have connected the horror in a more cohesive way. 

    The best kill was in the opening scene. The director should have done more with the idea of a haunted subway station where the machines can kill people. Other films have done the haunted train theme before but, they have never expanded to the whole subway station. A great opportunity was missed big time in my opinion. 

    I enjoyed Ghost station for all the things shown outside of the horror. There was revenge, abuse, and betrayal shown in this film. One might be too distracted by how bad the horror is to notice though. 

The Childe(귀공자) South Korean Film Thoughts

 

    The Childe is a South Korean film  released in 2023. The film stars Kim Seon Ho, Kang Tae Joo, and Kim Kang Woo while being directed by Park Hoon Jung. Most reviews for the film have been positive since the film managed to be a break out hit despite the rated R rating world wide. 

    A half Filipino Korean man travels to South Korea to search for his father.  The man's mother needs an expensive surgery and the man's father is wealthy. Soon the guy, is swept up in a family drama over the father's estate. An assassin is the guy's only ally in this war...... Or is he?  

    The Childe is a family gangster drama that brings a new aspect to mobster genre. Some of the plot deals with the issues of being mix heritage and multicultural in South Korean society. Then another side of the plot is an all out bloody brawl that disturbed me in a thrilling way. I liked how the different genres are balanced really well with a hint of a comedic vibe to the story. There's a mystery to what character connects where or also who is who? I'm not going to give away any spoilers however, the reveal is common Korean cinema at it's finest. This film is in two languages.... unfortunately. 

    Kim Seon Ho shines in his role as the wacky killer who has a mysterious personality. He has great chemistry with Kang Tae Joo from the beginning. There's first scene together was so funny. The english in this movie is bad- some lines are decent but, you won't understand a lot of the lines. Kim Kang Woo is in another stereotypical gangster role. I've seen him play diverse roles though. He's a good villain here. Even though you don't really know who the true villain is. 

    I really enjoyed The Childe. This was the first Korean thriller that I felt satisfied with in a long time. Make sure you watch past the final scene. 

The Wondering Earth 2(流浪地球2) Chinese Film Thoughts(2023)

 

   The Wondering Earth is a 2019 (announced for 2023) film that is direct sequel to the first film of the same name. The film was based off the novel by Liu Cixin who also acts as the films producer. Wu Jing and Andy Lau star in the blockbuster hit as the release was met with huge success as well as rave reviews from critics. 

    In a futuristic era of the earth, the human race does whatever they can to save the earth during a time that the solar system is on the verge of collapse.  

    The original story this film is based off was a short story of sorts. The story is a connection in a bunch of other story that make up the Wondering Earth novel. That novel is big with a a lot of scientific information woven into emotional storytelling. Knowing this information would give an idea what The Wondering Earth 2 was about. The plot doesn't follow the book detail by detail but it does use feature from all of the stories. I never watch the first film because it wasn't available. You don't really need to watch the first film to enjoy this sequel since the film does a good job building the world foundation for the viewer to understand. Make sure you have two hours and a half of time because you will feel like you're in a long time loop when this film seems to drone on and on....  A lot of emotional drama happens in the mist of the scientific space events thats happens. The affects of how the earth was spiraling out of control presented in the special effects were so disheartening due to the human connections formed between the characters. You would think that the bread and butter of this film would be the intergalactic battles however, it was not. The survival of the two main characters was some of the most nail bitting entertainment I've experienced. Then there was also a mystery that pulls the rug out from under you by the end of act 2. There's going to be a third film which actually surprised me when it was announced. I don't know why because The Wondering Earth 2 ends on a very good cliffhanger. 

    Both Andy Lau and Wu Jing both did an amazing job in their roles. They killed their roles which proves that both as now legends at their craft.  Remember when I said that the drama drives the film? Well, both men's performances are the reason why. 

     

    The Wondering Earth 2 has much going for it. Some of the layers might be a little confusing to people and they may need to do a second watch. 

   

    China normally doesn't do a good job on special effects. Wondering Earth is the exception to the rule. I only saw one scene with the yellow spaceship that looked a bit wanky. Other than that, the film looks great.   

    

P1Harmony(피원하모니) - Killin It(때깔) AlbumThoughts (K-pop)

 

  P1harmony is a boyband from South Korea that is signed with FNC Entertainment. They've had a number of mini albums as well as singles. Many Koreans see them as one of the best rookie idol groups to debut. Finally, the guys have released their first full length album called Killin It. 

Tracklist

1. Killin’ It (때깔)
2. Late Night Calls
3. Everybody Clap
4. Love Story (꿍꿍이)
5. Countdown To Love
6. Emergency
7. 2Nite
8. Let Me Love You
9. Street Star
10. I See U

   

     Killin It is an album that feels like their debut mini albums as mixed together into one style. They guys are more heavy handed on the hip hop element this time around. The title track named after the album, is a pop infused Hip Hop tune that has a stand out flute sequence that makes the production even more bad ass. I also noticed how there wasn't any really slow songs on this debut. Some strictly pop songs are there for the girls but, all the album flows through an upbeat motion that doesn't slow down at all. Tracks such as Countdown and Emergency showcase a rock pop grove that was uplifted by the guitar playing under the beat. My favorite song is Everybody Clap with it's Clap Your Hands song influence. Killin It was a fun album that didn't bore me to death in the least.  

    None of the vocal performances are really stand outs to me. You get a lot of attitude from the rap bars. P1Harmony is known for their sassy cool vibe..... Yes, I'm looking at you Keeho. 

     Killin It will satisfy fans of their pervious releases.  It's a solid first album that has a solid message. These guys will be around in the industry for awhile, I'm sure. 

Bray Me(ブレイミー) - DUH Album Thoughts(J-rock)

 

   Bray Me is a Japanese band that is from the underground indie scene. They have been releasing songs as singles for over a year. I originally found them online when they weren't very well known. Now, they have grown a steady fanbase as their first full length album called Duh has been released. 

01. 30’s
02. イエスタデイ
03. Seeker
04. サイダー
05. Awaking
06. 人間らしく
07. エビデンスロード
08. 青い炎
09. シンシア
10. 曖昧な日々だ
11. あの街の行方
12. 魔法のように
13. 明日になれば
14. Sing to Myself

    Duh is the kind of album that I enjoy. The tracks keep the same musical formula all throughout the album. These girls music reminds me of youth confined in the walls of society. I also think of the scenery inside a school as the afternoon sun hits the desks in an empty classroom. Bray Me's music has a truthful emotion that connects using the rhythm of the music with lyrics longing for something more in life. I didn't think that I would enjoy the tracks all the way to the end of the album but, I did. Bray Me reminds me of the older all girl bands from the early 2000s in Japan. I'm glad that these girl bands are slowly coming back in style again. 

    Their lead front woman has a rock vocal type of voice. Raspy when it needs to be but soft when you want it to be. She could work on being a little more in control of her voice. There's a wiggly vibrato behind some of her notes that she sings.

    Duh is a good album overall. I'm proud of them for sticking to one sound without trying to conform to what is popular right now in Japan. I can these girls being around for awhile. CHECK THEM OUT: