Ice Bar (2006) poster
7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 54 users
# of Watchers: 173
Reviews: 1 user
Ranked #21094
Popularity #99999
Watchers 54

1969, Korea. Ten-year old Young-rae lives alone with his mother in the countryside. Life is difficult for them and his mother is forced to sell illegally imported cosmetics on the street. But Young-rae is plucky and can stand up to anything including defending his mother — anything except when other kids call him names for being "fatherless." So when he hears that the father he had only dreamed of is alive and living in Seoul, he makes it his life goal to get to city and find him. The only way to get there, however, is a long and expensive train ride. To raise money, Young-rae starts to sell ice cream bars. As his goal nears, will his dream come true? Edit Translation

  • English
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español
  • magyar / magyar nyelv
  • Country: South Korea
  • Type: Movie
  • Release Date: Aug 24, 2006
  • Duration: 1 hr. 35 min.
  • Score: 7.5 (scored by 54 users)
  • Ranked: #21094
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

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Ice Bar (2006) photo

Reviews

Completed
The Butterfly
7 people found this review helpful
Jun 2, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers
Ice Bar delivers a nostalgic, joyful story that goes down like a soothing ice bar on a hot summer day.

Enthusiastic ten-year-old Young Rae and his single mother struggle to make ends meet in 1960's Korea. His mother sells smuggled cosmetics and gets into fights using most of her money on fines and not on Young Rae's tuition. Young Rae is often the target of harassment because he's a fatherless "brat" though he can give as good as gets. His best friend, Dong Su, is an orphan who hustles to make money anyway he can, and during the summer it's selling ice bars. The summer starts off with a bang when Young Rae hears his mom's drunk best friend tell him that his father is not dead, but alive and well in Seoul. His mother denies it, but Young Rae determines to make enough money to take the train to Seoul. Dong Su hooks him up with a job selling ice bars through his shady boss at the factory and that's when the fun begins. Young Rae struggles with ice bar turf wars and bullies and written and unwritten rules about where he can and can't sell. Finally, with some help from Dong Su and a young man, In Bak, the son of a "commie", who works at the factory he starts to figure out how to successfully sell the frozen treats.

The boys get into and out trouble, with no severe consequences for the most part. The biggest hurdle for Young Rae aside from earning the money is his mother who is firmly against him finding his father for fear he will take her son away from her.

Ice Bar is a lighthearted comedy that occasionally dips its toe into melodrama only to rise to a bubbly surface once again.
Park Ji Bin's bright performance as the young entrepreneur was the heart and soul of this film. His laughter and tears were infectious and touching. Future ahjumma Shin Ae Ra as his mother managed to turn what could have been a shrewish role into a sympathetic one, never letting you doubt her love and devotion for her son.

The pace of the story kept the events moving forward, tying together small side stories in aid of Young Rae's goal. Much of the action was child high, taking us on their adventures running through the streets and down to the train station. There was a real feeling of community among the regulars in the scenes as they interacted with the boys. Certain sets could feel artificial, but the characters' interactions made up for the almost play like settings.

Though a largely child friendly film, told through Young Rae's eyes, it does have the typical bullying and hitting so many older Korean movies and dramas have. There is also a disturbing incident in the last quarter of the film. Despite those detriments, Ice Bar is a feel-good movie with an effervescent score and delightful performances. Though narrow in scope, it's big in heart.
If the ending felt a bit contrived, that's okay, ice bars during childhood summers are meant to be enjoyed and not suffered through.


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Details

  • Movie: Ice Bar
  • Country: South Korea
  • Release Date: Aug 24, 2006
  • Duration: 1 hr. 35 min.
  • Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

Statistics

  • Score: 7.5 (scored by 54 users)
  • Ranked: #21094
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Watchers: 173

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