KFilm to Watch: The Huntresses (2014)

The Huntresses (2014)

Three female bounty hunters from the Joseon era work together to earn a living. Pocket sundials, expert archery, disguises, hang gliders, weaponized yo-yos and daring acrobatics keep these huntresses in business. There is the talkative, crazy, married Hong Dan; the tough and solemn Ga Bi; and the sweet, inventive leader, Jin Ok (Ha Ji-won from “Secret Garden”!). The girls stumble across a plot to overthrow the king while out on a hunt, complete with a mysterious artifact that reveals the enemy strategy. What happens when Jin Ok freezes at the sight of the noble responsible for her father's demise? Will the huntresses be able to save their country, and themselves?

*A little on the bloody side, but otherwise an entertaining movie. Some of the music gave the film a “Charlie's Angels” vibe, despite being set in the Joseon era. There was a little humor, a little romance, but mostly action and fighting. Not bad considering I don't normally enjoy period Korean pieces. Some of the special effects were a bit cheesy, but I'd still recommend watching it.*

InFilm to Miss: Singh Is Kinng (2008)

Singh Is Kinng (2008) 

The klutzy, unlucky Happy is a menace in his local village, constantly creating chaos and new property damage every time he “helps” a neighbor. Meanwhile, the famous gangster king Lucky is in trouble with Australian authorities, and the news causes his villager father to have an asthma attack. The villagers tell Happy it was a heart attack, leading him to believe it is imperative for Lucky to come home. Will Happy be able to convince Lucky to return, or will the villagers finally be rid of their menace? What happens when Happy meets the girl of his dreams along the way? Will Happy be able to change the gangsters' hearts?

*This film has a lot of gun violence and raunchy dance numbers, complete with casino chorus line girls in next to no clothing. Usually the lengthier running times for these films lends itself to writing deeper characters, but the lead female has next to no personality. Lots of hip-hop and rap influenced music, which is not my taste and I don't think it complements Indian culture very well. I won't watch this again, and I don't recommend it.*

KDrama to Miss: Me Too, Flower! (2011)

Me Too, Flower! (2011)

Grade: C+

15 Episodes

Police officer Cha Bong-sun completes her tasks as she should but ultimately is restless and unhappy. She even finds out she has depression, after attending a work-mandated psychological screening. One day, the youthful, exuberant Seo Jae-hee nearly runs over Bong-sun on his scooter. They run into each other again later, where she observes the young man working as a car valet at a high-end department store – a low-paying job with few prospects. Jae-hee teases Officer Cha, but then he overhears her leave a message on the therapist's voice mail. She feels worthless and unlovable. Will Jae-hee's heart be moved for this sad, lonely officer? What happens when Jae-hee's female business partner finds out he might have feelings for the female officer? And what will Bong-sun's non-blood related, gold-digging step-sister have to say about the entrepreneur in disguise?

*This drama really had a promising beginning, with plenty of tension between the main love interests for the first few episodes, but it soon fizzled out. There was a lot of American music, which felt out of place, and then the rest of the soundtrack was slow and sad – fitting for the feel of the drama, but not my favorite. The characters just weren't all that likable, most of their struggles were annoyingly self-inflicted (I think Bong-sun and Jae-hee break up three separate times over the course of the show, for arbitrary reasons they come up with), and the ending was too tidy. It felt like the writers ran out of material for plot so they wrote how every character ended up simply for filler. Definitely not the worst Kdrama I've watched but kind of boring. Also, kind of a weird title that had nothing to do with anything. I wouldn't watch it again.*

KDrama to Miss: Can We Get Married? (2012)

Can We Get Married? (2012)

Grade: D+

20 Episodes

After dating for three years, teacher Hye-yoon and small toy company employee Jung-hoon declare their intentions to marry. Hye-yoon's widowed mother only approves of the match once she discovers Jung-hoon's parents are wealthy, but his parents disapprove of Hye-yoon once they realize she does not live up to their standard of living, unable to gift them with extravagant in-law presents. Then Hye-yoon's mom disapproves because of the way they are treating Hye-yoon and because they plan to give all their wealth to charity, not their only child. Meanwhile Hye-yoon's sister Hye-jin starts the official divorce process with her husband of seven years, finally having enough of his serial adultery once the latest mistress confronts and challenges Hye-jin. Jung-hoon's cousin, chef and restaurant owner Ki-joong, breaks up with his girlfriend of five years, the girl who first introduced Hye-yoon and Jung-hoon, claiming he doesn't believe in it, only to get engaged for a business alliance. Will anyone get married in this atmosphere of posturing, social pressures, and insecurities?

*This was basically a plain old boring American soap opera, in Korea. No supernatural spin, just normal life and normal shortcomings, pride, arguments – SO MUCH YELLING – and misunderstandings. The only story line I enjoyed was the single 50-year-old aunt who lived at home with Hye-yoon and finally found love with a younger man after a test ride on a motorcycle. I would have watched a series entirely about that character. The music was boring, too. Really, I was just annoyed with how petty and mean everyone was to each other, as well as all the sleeping around. Lots of swearing, pre- and extramarital affairs with virtually no regret – none of the usual build up I expect and enjoy in kdramas. Don't waste your time. I won't watch this again or recommend it.*

InFilm to Watch: Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)

In a retelling of the classic tale “The Prince and the Pauper,” average, happy-go-lucky stage actor Prem Dilwale has a dream to someday meet and woo the princess Maithili, after witnessing her charitable endeavors once in earlier years. Meanwhile, the somber and doleful prince of Prem's own land, Vijay Singh, has his coronation coming and an engagement to that same princess Prem adores, all while dealing with family turmoil. The prince has 3 half-siblings, one half-brother and two half-sisters, who want nothing more than the prince's demise after what they perceived as unjust treatment of their mother from the queen when they were all children. Just days before his coronation, Vijay is thrown off a cliff and sent into a coma. What happens when the head of security catches a glimpse of Prem, the perfect princely doppleganger, at a local market? Will Prem finally meet his beloved princess and mend the broken ties between the prince's relations, or will Prem meet the same fate as the prince?

*This movie is close to 3 hours long, but the setting and costumes are absolutely stunning. I even enjoyed the many musical numbers, possibly because they were shorter than most musical numbers – only one or two minutes – and spread throughout the film, rather than 10 solid minutes of a dedicated song and dance every few scenes. There is a scene that shows a defenseless, frail 80-year-old man being hanged, which is very sad and disturbing, and it doesn't seem like the villains are punished for their despicable acts. The palace scenes are gorgeous, though, and it has a decent pace for such a long film. I'd watch this again, even though there is NO KISSING, but definitely skip the scenes with the poor guard being killed.* 



Here are a couple music videos to watch from the movie - the first one, "Jab Tum Chaho," is the princess replying to Prem what she dislikes about the prince. Basically she calls him out for making the relationship one-sided, with him in charge, always getting his own way. And the way the singer's voice trills is mesmerizing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib75N9WDOd8 

The second video, "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" Title Song, is a magnificent culmination of everything this film has to offer: gorgeous sets, intricate dance numbers, and amazing costumes.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPk9bSvQQoc 

InFilm to Watch: Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)

Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)

Lower middle-class Prem Prakash Tiwari owns a small cassette tape shop in the local market in the year 1995, living at home with his parents and aunt, with little ambition to do anything with his life. He is a high school dropout and his family struggles to make ends meet, until one day Prem's father comes up with a plan to arrange a marriage for Prem to a well-educated middle class woman. She has credentials and plans to become a teacher, thus providing more stable income for their whole family. Prem is reluctant, and even more so when he meets his bride, Sandhya, and sees she is overweight. What happens when an acquaintance makes a bet with Prem's family over who will win the local wife-carrying race? Will the new couple be able to accept their arranged marriage, or will the immature Prem ruin his chances at a loving relationship?

*I liked the transformation Prem experiences as he grows to appreciate his wife, show his vulnerable side, and as she too learns to support and love him. There is a scene where she slaps Prem (a well-deserved hit for calling her a fat cow in public while drunk), but he immediately slaps her back. That was hard for me to watch, since in America it is culturally unacceptable for a man to strike a woman, ever. Prem was chastized and beaten by his father afterwards, but there didn't seem to be as much shock over his behavior as I was expecting. It was also interesting how relatable this film was on several levels, since most people are virgins in the Indian culture when they marry, just like in the LDS culture. (It doesn't show anything, just a little kissing). I would say this film is close to a mild PG-13, simply because of some of the subject matter which included talk of suicide and marital relations. I might watch this again.*

TDrama to Watch: Fated to Love You (2008)

Taiwanese Drama

Fated to Love You (2008)

Grade: B

24 episodes, about 75 minutes each

Meek office worker Chen Xin Yi has a very kind nature that everyone takes advantage of, giving her extra work and menial tasks to do instead of her own job. She doesn't think much of herself, and even her boyfriend ignores and mistreats her. Chen Xin Yi is determined to make that relationship stick, though, so she buys the two of them passage on a romantic cruise. Meanwhile, CEO Ji Cun Xi has plans to woo and propose to his ballerina girlfriend on the same cruise. There is also a father-son duo that sneaks on board in an effort to drug and blackmail Ji Cun Xi – the CEO just bought their small island factory and has plans to lay off everyone, destroying their island's economy. What happens when the ballerina girlfriend doesn't show, Chen Xin Yi takes some powerful cold medicine and wanders into Ji Cun Xi's room, and Ji Cun Xi is tricked into drinking the islander's secret fertility moonshine? Will the “sticky-note girl” be able to handle life attached to an arrogant, temperamental CEO? Or will she find a different destiny?

*I saw the Korean version of this show first, but I think I like the original Taiwanese version better. It's a lot longer, so there is more time for deeper, more meaningful character development. Ji Cun Xi really has the chance to grow and mature, and while there is some “fast-forwarding,” it doesn't feel like a “cheat.” I didn't like the extra screen time the ballerina girlfriend received; it felt like the writers were really trying to justify her behavior, exploring her past, when she was absolutely responsible for *spoiler alert!* Chen Xin Yi's miscarriage, no matter what drove her to do such a despicable thing. Ji Cun Xi had no reason to keep going back to the ballerina, no matter how “broken” she was. Aside from that, and how some of the scenes were almost too goofy, this was a high quality production for a Taiwanese drama. As long as you don't mind the initial, risque premise (promiscuity leading to an unexpected pregnancy and a resulting shotgun wedding), then this is a fun, albeit long, show to watch. I might watch this again.*