Spanish Film to Miss: Instructions Not Included (2013)

Spanish Film: Instructions Not Included (2013) 

Sleazebag Valentin Bravo spends his entire life sleeping around with women, not even bothering to learn the tourists' names who visit Acapulco. Then one day one of them returns, a baby in tow. Julie hands Valentin the baby, telling him she just needs to pay the cab fare, but she never returns. Valentin takes the baby Maggie to California in an attempt to locate the baby's mother. Maggie crawls into a pool while Valentin is asking around for Julie, and he jumps 10 stories down to rescue the baby. A movie director just happens to watch the jump, and Valentin is hired as a stuntman. Fast-forward six years, and Valentin is a devoted, doting father, spoiling his daughter with every pleasure possible. Suddenly the birth mother Julie shows up, wanting to meet and subsequently fight for custody of Maggie. Who will end up with Maggie?

*I didn't like this film, especially the beginning when it shows just how gross this man is sleeping around so much. I understand it was to help illustrate just how much Maggie changed him, but I don't think his change was evident enough. I also HATED the ending, but some people like sad endings, so there you go. I will NOT watch this again.*

KDrama to Miss: Dr. Jin (2012)

Dr. Jin (2012)

Grade: C

22 Episodes

Surgeon Jin Hyuk is a successful doctor dating a pretty and gentle doctor Yoo Min-ah. He is planning on proposing when they have an argument and Min-ah storms off. She gets in a terrible car accident, and as Jin is operating, he has sudden flashes of intense pain. He manages to finish the operation, but then sees a patient on the roof – a man he had operated on earlier that day. He confronts the man and falls off the roof and into the Joseon era. While there, he meets a noblewoman who looks just like his Min-ah, as well as historical figures like the Prince Regent Lee Ha-eung (a man who, according to history, set his son on the throne and helped bring young Korea into a golden age). Jin keeps interfering, however, saving people's lives who turn out to be a threat to the Prince Regent's ability to gain the throne, as well as introducing modern medical techniques before their time. Will Dr. Jin figure out how to get home before he completely rewrites history?

*I've realized I am not a fan of the historical Korean dramas. It probably has to do with the fact it's not my own country's history, so I don't have any sense of pride or connection when watching it. This drama was also highly political (as in strategies and plotting), and while some of the medical practices were interesting to learn about, it wasn't very romantic (NO KISSING). And the means whereby the doctor can travel through time wasn't believable. The plot had interesting turns about every other episode, so it was well-written for keeping a viewer's interest, but I just didn't like the characters. I probably wouldn't watch this again.*