ltspada
This review may contain spoilers
Good for what it is., intense but ends happy.
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2011 South Korean action, sports, romance drama with a run time of 106 minutes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Jang Cheol-min/Jang Marcelino (So Ji-sub) was an ex boxer who had given up on happiness in life. He was working multiple low level jobs and just getting by in life. Everything changes for him when Ha Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo), who is a tenant in the building where he is working as a security guard, comes to the security booth to find a friend who used to work there. Jung-hwa was going to watch a movie with her friend so she starts spending time and watching shows with Jang in the security booth. A tragic accident blinded Jung-hwa so she enjoys Jang’s patience and willingness to describe what they are watching. Feelings bloom between the two and Jang now has a reason to improve his life. There is someone he wants to protect. So, he goes back to the fighting world but this time he takes on the more dangerous and intense sport of mixed martial arts. There is more money to be made in that sport and he wants to make enough money to support them both. A condition that Jung-hwa has requires expensive surgery and Jang elects to do something really dangerous to earn the money for Jung-hwa’s surgery. Will he succeed? Can the young couple have a promising future?
Review
Other reviewers indicated this was a heartwarming story with some violent and bloody parts. It has strong “Rocky” vibes with a little bit of “Fight My Way” mixed in. It is easy to understand how two people who have faced so many challenges in life would be drawn to each other.
For what it was, it was good. I don’t often watch movies just because I feel movies are too short to really develop the story. It was still true to some extent that there would have been a lot more depth to the story if it had ran over episodes rather than in movie format. Based on other reviews, I was super concerned it would be a blood fest and was not sure if it would end happy. There is blood, but it is about what you would expect from a boxing or mixed martial arts show. Nothing too excessive. Another thing I could not tell from other synopsis and reviews was whether she was actually blind. She is blind. It seemed like she had an ability to see light and shadows but it was so limited she was fully blind. They meet and fall in love when she is blind. The content would make you worry about the ending but it does end very happy. I might watch it again and would recommend to others. Just have to be aware that it is a movie that is very representative of the period in which it was produced.
Spoilers
Because it was movie length there were so many things I wanted to know that were not covered. What happened after he was stabbed in Thailand? After he was stabbed, next we see him he is back in a hospital in South Korea a couple of years later. Without knowing those details, the viewer must just assume someone found him and rescued him and he spent a long time recovering before returning. But I was curious what happened and I think it would have explained more why he was away so long and then showed up a couple of years later still recovering.
#Always #SoJiSub #HanHyoJoo
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Jang Cheol-min/Jang Marcelino (So Ji-sub) was an ex boxer who had given up on happiness in life. He was working multiple low level jobs and just getting by in life. Everything changes for him when Ha Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo), who is a tenant in the building where he is working as a security guard, comes to the security booth to find a friend who used to work there. Jung-hwa was going to watch a movie with her friend so she starts spending time and watching shows with Jang in the security booth. A tragic accident blinded Jung-hwa so she enjoys Jang’s patience and willingness to describe what they are watching. Feelings bloom between the two and Jang now has a reason to improve his life. There is someone he wants to protect. So, he goes back to the fighting world but this time he takes on the more dangerous and intense sport of mixed martial arts. There is more money to be made in that sport and he wants to make enough money to support them both. A condition that Jung-hwa has requires expensive surgery and Jang elects to do something really dangerous to earn the money for Jung-hwa’s surgery. Will he succeed? Can the young couple have a promising future?
Review
Other reviewers indicated this was a heartwarming story with some violent and bloody parts. It has strong “Rocky” vibes with a little bit of “Fight My Way” mixed in. It is easy to understand how two people who have faced so many challenges in life would be drawn to each other.
For what it was, it was good. I don’t often watch movies just because I feel movies are too short to really develop the story. It was still true to some extent that there would have been a lot more depth to the story if it had ran over episodes rather than in movie format. Based on other reviews, I was super concerned it would be a blood fest and was not sure if it would end happy. There is blood, but it is about what you would expect from a boxing or mixed martial arts show. Nothing too excessive. Another thing I could not tell from other synopsis and reviews was whether she was actually blind. She is blind. It seemed like she had an ability to see light and shadows but it was so limited she was fully blind. They meet and fall in love when she is blind. The content would make you worry about the ending but it does end very happy. I might watch it again and would recommend to others. Just have to be aware that it is a movie that is very representative of the period in which it was produced.
Spoilers
Because it was movie length there were so many things I wanted to know that were not covered. What happened after he was stabbed in Thailand? After he was stabbed, next we see him he is back in a hospital in South Korea a couple of years later. Without knowing those details, the viewer must just assume someone found him and rescued him and he spent a long time recovering before returning. But I was curious what happened and I think it would have explained more why he was away so long and then showed up a couple of years later still recovering.
#Always #SoJiSub #HanHyoJoo
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