For the Emperor

Movie: For the Emperor
Romanization: Hwangjereul Wihayeo
Hangul: 황제를 위하여
Writer: Lee Yong soo, Kim Sung dong
Genre: Ganseuteo
Set: Busan
Release Date: June, 2014

Cast

Plot

Yi hwan (Lee Min ki) is a former professional baseball player. He was involved in fixing games and lost everything. Gang boss Sang ha (Park Sung woong) runs a money lending business and a gambling parlor. He makes Yi hwan work for him. Yi hwan falls for bar owner Yeon soo (Lee Tae im). ~ AsianWiki (with changes)

Review

Mixed messages about Lee Min ki and his military requirement. If he enlisted in August of 2014, then he'd be away until August of 2017, right?

dwaesseo

For the Emperor was a bloody and violent depiction of kang pae life in Busan, and Lee Min ki's Yi hwan makes it all the more so after he's busted and has to forfeit his baseball career.

Lots of knives, sound effects, blood and gore to keep me averting my gaze every few scenes, but I made my way clean to the end and still liked what I'd just watched.

The inevitable ending was weird, and with a touch of poignancy that would have made me laugh if it wasn't for Min ki's being there.

I love him.

Honestly, truly, and faithfully adore this guy and his work.

Oh, and because this was a MOVIE and not a drama, there were some sex scenes,

and I do mean sex SCENES.

after

Gotta love it!

But, this post is more about Lee Min ki and not so much this particular movie.

I've been binging on his art lately, having missed him for so long, and it strikes me as very odd that he looks different every time I see him.

Long and lean here, and if I'm not mistaken, he's 86'd the lisp, too, sad to note.

I watched this at Dramanice, but I think it's also available at YouTube (just not with English subs?)

Next on my watch list is Booyong of Mt. Kyeryong -- probably quintessential Min ki -- and I'm looking forward to seeing him again, but it would be nice if he signed on for a period drama since I'm curious about his depth of range.

Also, what I wouldn't give to see him in another romantic comedy!

He seems to prefer movies over dramas, but something along the lines of  Dal jah's Spring would be nice, too.

Maybe I've seen too many of his serious works and want to have some of that silly Min ki magic back, who knows.

I recommend this one; just be prepared ;-)

Read More

Monster

Movie: Monster
Romanization: Mon-seu-teo
Hangul: 몬스터
Director: Hwang In-Ho
Genre: Horror, Suspense, Comedy
Released: March, 2014

Cast

Plot

Bok soon (Kim Go eun) lives with her younger sibling. She runs a street stand. Bok soon is slow, but when people anger her, she goes crazy. That's why she is known as the "crazy woman".
One day, cold-blooded killer Tae soo (Lee Min ki) appears in front of her.
Filmed in May, 2013, in Chuncheon, South Korea.

Review

Crazy sh*t!

But, Lee Min ki never looked more fine

Lee Min ki

He should be wrapping up his military duty about now, I hope.

Anyway, this is about a mentally challenged young girl living with her younger sister in a rural village, and Bok soon sells vegetables to help the two parent-less siblings survive.

Tae soo is a psycho living in a beautiful house on the mountainside in this village, and his hobby includes pottery (l'ing ol for a reason).

He's the youngest of three brothers, and as a child, the two older brothers manipulated and lied their way into adulthood, leaving little Tae soo to take the blame and get punished (meant to explain his psychotic mental state as an adult).

The oldest brother asks the middle brother to retrieve a cell phone from one of his female employees.

Tae soo is ordered to retrieve the phone, and he kills her in the process before discovering she has a ten-year old sister inside the house.

He kidnaps the girl, takes her back to the lovely chalet, and tells her that she has until he finishes a glass of wine to run and hide. If he finds her, he will kill her, and if she tries to enlist the aid of anyone, he'll kill them as well.

The girl runs to Bok soon's house and the girls keep her there, but the next day, on their way into town, they bump into the inevitable and the story takes off at a gruesome yet fast pace.

We learn more about Tae soo and discover just how feisty Bok soon can become (to explain the 'comedy' aspect -- that isn't a type-o).

Lots of gore and violence in this one, but with just as much terrify to make this a good one if you're really into this kind of thing.

I'm not, but when I saw Hotty's name on the playbill, I had to watch!

Read More