It took me a while to get into this drama as I felt that it dragged in its early episodes. But as I went through viewing it, there is no doubt that this is a CLASSIC DRAMA. The First Shop of the Coffee Prince provides refreshing themes about homosexuality, self-sacrifice, hard work,dreams,ambition,success,emotional and psychological issues that one may face in life. Yoon Eun Hye, playing the tomboyish Eun Chan, played her role extremely well. Her chemistry with Goong Yoo, who played the confused Choi Han Kyul,is commendable too. Their chemistry was excellent.

When Han-gyul finally allows himself to love Eun-chan regardless of gender (episode 10) it is the best moment of the drama and truly touching. <3

Gender confusion is nothing new, but in too many cases, people have a tendency to overdo it-- drawing things out and overdramatizing it for either hyberbolic comedy, or ridiculous melodrama. Thankfully, Coffee Prince uses at least a bit of discretion and ends up as a fun romantic story that tries to take a more reasoned look at gender roles. It challenges the idea that strength and responsibility are masculine traits and really does a good job at poking fun at gender stereotypes. The men tend to be very faithful, nurturing, and rather bashful, while the women tend to be strong, willful, and intelligent.
In addition to the gender-bending, there is a very touching examination of a heterosexual man being forced to examine his own sexuality as he realizes he is attracted to someone he believes in another man.

Each character has a story, and each story is touched on. This gives the sense that the show is not a one dimensional storyline, it has depth. And then as far as scenery goes, it is beautiful. I love the backdrop of Seoul, the mountain tops wreathed in mist... the artistic touch at Coffee Prince... You can see the stark difference in Eun-chan's home and Han-gyul's apartment.

I really wish they will make a part two for Coffee Prince because it was so well made. A big applause to the creator of this magnificent drama.

Makes me want to drink coffee, too!

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Edmond Wong, the writer of Ip Man movie series, is back again with this classic Action Comedy. The production value is very high - set in Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Japan. Not only because it is needed for the story, but also the fact that the movie is released as bilingual (Chinese & Korean).
Ordinary Plot, but the way the script was written and screenpaly will hook the audience to the screen for the whole 2 hours. Lee Min Ho, Tiffany Tang (ACTIONS) and Wallace Chung, Louis Fan (COMEDIES) played their role to the full. Tiffany Tang's stunt is sturdy and her pair with Lee Min Ho is eye candy. Comedy - is the main reason why you must watch the movie. Starting from the opening, in equal intervals, there are scenes which makes you to burst in laugh.I think this is possible only by Hong Kong film makers. I personally feel that this is not a Lee Minho movie or Tiffany Tang movie, but it is a Edmond Wong movie. His work is astounding throughout the movie. It reminds me of the Stephen Chow movies. It is a perfect blend of Action - Comedy which is a trademark of any Hong Kong Blockbusters. A complete entertainer to watch with family.
This is the first Asian movie that I watched in Big screen, waited so long so that it would be a Lee Min Ho's one. :)
If you are in Canada, Ontario province, Toronto/nearby cities, the movie is screened in Cineplex cinemas @ Yonge Dundas from July 1. Watch it before it is stopped from screening, because, I hope you know that Asian movies hardly last 3-4 weeks, not more than that.

9/10

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Hwayi is about a boy who is kidnapped as a toddler and subsequently raised by a group of five criminals. Hwayi's relationships with his dads should form the backbone of the story. That isn't the case as their personalities are so hazily drawn even when reaching the hour mark. Rather the backbone is Hwayi discovering a dark truth and his transformation into a world he tries so hard to separate himself despite having been raised in it. There's more to it than just pure revenge often considering the ramifications of such actions on both side. The kidnappers all desire a different life for Hwayi from desiring Hwayi to follow in the criminal lifestyle or making an honest living. Each of the five kidnappers each differ in how they see Hwayi, but underneath the rough shell all share love for the child they raised. As determined as Hwayi is on his goal he's emotionally distress at the situation at hand. Morally correct he feels justifies towards his vengeance, but emotionally pulling the trigger on those who raised him is not a simple concept to convert into. It cares about the characters and their complicated relationship for one another allowing time to make it core character relationship have value to its action scenes.

A subplot that involves a detective searching for the criminals doesn't impact the film in a meaningful way. All the subplot does is reinforce how intelligent the criminals are as a team and reiterate information characters already figured out on their own. After a series of twists and a couple dead bodies later it reaches a climax that overstays its welcome. It's subtext is underlying a nature vs. nurture view as the protagonist feelings are complex and to a degree no better than from those he wishes to avoid.

The five fathers quickly establish their respective characters right from their first appearance. As an innocent who's sheltered, duped and pushed over the edge, Yeo (Hwayi) sometimes overstates his character's pain and bafflement. Lim Ji-eun is pitiful as a woman confined in her hopeless position by her men and then by herself, Nam Ji-hyeon is a plucky high school girl who happens to begin a tentative relationship with Hwayi, and her scenes with Yeo jin-goo are a few precious warm spots in the movie.

Korean cinema is the go to for the thriller genre. As saturated as it might be no other film industry has quite nail the genre quite perfectly as Korea bringing in new twists on familiar setups and avoiding any unneeded melodrama among other reasons. Hwayi is another one of those stellar action/thriller that succeeds giving high focus on the human side of its story giving the old revenge set up a revitalizing fresh take.

Hwayi is a very unique action/thriller with an original and exciting take on the father and son dynamic. It's more than a film about revenge more so than it is the delicacy of parenthood and how damaging it can for both sides. Cold and gloomy as it might be it's also a great action/thriller that offers a unique story and good set pieces.

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The other reviews for this movie are very well written, cleverly and in-depth. But, still I would like to share my views.

Rough Cut - can't say this as an action movie, neither a gangster movie. This movie is neither The Man from Nowhere type nor A Dirty Carnival, but you will see the mixture of both, with a completely different storyline.
An Actor who behaves more like a Gangster and a gangster who loves to watch movies (have more passion for movies). What happens when their life intersects at one point, forms the rest of the story.
The main plot deals with 'making of a movie'. The Director was meticulous in differentiating the 'real life' scenes and the 'movie' scenes when the film goes around. 'A movie within a movie' concept sets a complex screenplay to handle, but the Director must be credited well enough to coin each frame of the movie to fit in a great way. The character development in Korean movies are always very good. This film is no exception. The main leads wishes to live a contrasting life, and when it happens, things goes wrong, unable to get a hold to that life from there.
I felt shades of Kim Ki duk style of movie making in some of the scenes, later I came to know that he is the original script writer for this movie. The script was edited once again by the Director Jang Hoon to make it more polished. His other 2 works namely, 'Secret Reunion' is a class movie and 'The Front Line' is in my watch list.
Both the leads (So Ji-sub, Kang Ji-hwan) played their role exceptionally well, either it may be a fight scene or acting scene. More or less, they both played the role of protagonist as well as antagonist, which is a quite rare phenomenon in a multi-starrer movie. So, the viewers can see the four different faces of the two hot leads.
The brutal stunt scene between them in the climax was very well choreographed. The Co stars performance was very good too. The movie length of 1 hour 50 minutes removes the necessity for any filler scenes. This movie sets a Benchmark for the future Korean Gangster movies. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wish to see a perfect blend of Action-Gangster genre.

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"Secretly, Greatly" tells a captivating story of three young man, trained to be killing machines, sent to South Korea as spies and assimilate into the local society. While they await further instruction from the party, they forge a friendship with the local community.

The first half of the film is comedic, with the lead character acting foolish and funny. Kim Soo-hyun has a natural gift for slapstick, and director Jang Shul-soo and his co-writers make great use of it: Not only will Kim gamely throw himself down a set of stairs, but he'll shift his body language and motion from capable super-spy to doofus and back again. And for as mean-spirited as the gags where folks torment Dong-gu might be, the voice-overs of how he could snap these brats like twigs or how this would never happen in the North are great responses, with two years of pent-up frustration hitting the ears even when just reading subtitles. Park Ki-woong and Lee Hyun-woo are nearly as much fun as the laid-back guy discovering that the army doesn't really teach you how to rock and the grimly lethal kid. The ensemble around them gets both laughs and affection, especially Park Hye-sook as the outwardly cranky convenience store owner who took Dong-gu in when she saw him on the street.

The second half of the film turns into a adrenaline fuelled action film, with much brutal fist fights and valiant defiance of orders. It is presented so well, that it keeps people captivated with the three men's psychological struggle and physical struggle. They manage to take down tens of tough guys in fist fights normally is unrealistic and even annoyingly silly, but in "Secretly, Greatly" their seemingly omnipotent fists provide something for viewers to marvel at. Maybe it is because they are not just fighting for the sake of fighting, but fighting for survival, both physically and ideologically against a tyrannical regime.

The interspersed subplot about the idiot's longing for his mother is very touching. In the three men's native country, people are brainwashed to believe that the party is way more important than their blood family. Hence there is a constant deep seated struggle; and their longings could never be fulfilled. The plot is profoundly powerful towards the end of the film, when everything culminates to an emotional and action climax.

The humor in the dialogue is sometimes unexpected, which is another plus. The parkour-style action scenes are short but thrilling, and the fight choreography are exciting to watch. Stories involving the different characters are told within the main story, creating subplots which are heartwarming and interesting for the most part. When the final order comes, the internal and external conflicts over it drive the 2nd half of the movie. And I loved and hated the ending for being so good and being so good it hurt that it didn't end any other way.

Admittedly, one of the exciting things about Korean films is that genre lines are often in different places and they can surprise in ways that Western films often don't. "Secretly, Greatly" is a great gem that deserves to be seen. I enjoyed watching it tremendously!

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Flower Boy Next Door is the deceptively thoughtful story of a lonely, damaged girl who re-enters the world with the help of a quirky new acquaintance, panda-suit wearing, scene stealing, heart-exploding Enrique Geum. Its characters are Flower Boy Next Door’s greatest strength. Even though most of them are slightly exaggerated in the way of Korean comedies, they’re charming and wonderful and utterly sympathetic, and as the show progresses the viewer is completely drawn into their lives.

It also doesn’t hurt that they’re portrayed by a group of incredibly likable actors, led by the lovely, expressive Park Shin Hye. A longtime veteran of dramas like You’re Beautiful and Heartstrings, Shin Hye is able to convey with a single look what would require a thousand lines of dialogue to say. She takes a journey with Dok Mi—from the beginning of the drama to its end, her bashful, downward-staring attitude evolves into the straight-backed posture of someone who knows her own worth.

The ever-handsome Yoon Si Yoon as Enrique proves to be her perfect foil: his childlike candor and propensity toward panda suits is tempered with a powerful sense of empathy and tenderness. He’s an utter contrast to the typical male lead in Kdrama romcoms—instead of being distant and cold, he’s like a burst of sunshine in a dark room. He isn’t prickly and doesn’t withhold his emotions; he gladly shares his heart and his mind with everyone he meets.

The webtoon artists next door were adorable and just really good guys, not to mention totally hot. I'm not really sure why the Japanese guy existed since he kind of appeared out of nowhere, did not push the plot forward at all, and then made an odd exit, but at least he was cute and added to the number of flower boys next door.

Another of Flower Boy Next Door’s primary charms is that it’s not afraid of emotion, much like Enrique. The best of its episodes spend more time on characters talking about their feelings than they do on things like narrative or plot development: emotions serve as the show’s spine and its unifying principle. Most dramas revolve around circumstances that change—Amnesia! Cancer! Birth secrets! Corporate jockeying for power!—but Flower Boy Next Door is so very rewarding to the receptive viewer because it revolves around people that change.

Flower Boy Next Door does an amazing job on the micro level: it creates lovely moments and its characters are lavished with development. From Dok Mi going against her frugal nature to turn up her apartment’s heat whenever Enrique visits, to the evolution of the dark circles under the webtoon editor’s eyes, its meticulous attention to detail and the building-blocks of atmosphere make the show a transporting delight.

Everything about Flower Boy Next Door is beautiful and striking, from its blue/grey/orange color palate to its perfectly chosen props and cadre of dreamy flower boy leads. Throughout, developments in the characters are reflected perfectly in their surroundings. Early on, the drapes in Dok Mi’s apartment are like another character in the show: they’re always present, dark and heavy and made for blocking out the world. But when we’re reintroduced to Dok Mi after the time jump in episode 16, we see that the forbidding drapes are no more. In their place are a set of sheer, floaty curtains that let the daylight stream into her apartment—and into her life.

Through it all, this show is consistently funny and charming, and, its biggest attribute is that it never loses sight of the fact that this is where its heart lies. The other thing going for this series is that it's sixteen 40 minute episodes…Love This Format!!!...Very little time for filler or dragging things out, and everything's usually pretty snappy as a result…Get in, get out, move on to the next scene, episode, series, etc… I wish more K-dramas utilized this format actually.

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The ultimate revenge drama, starring the most popular Korean male actor in the world, is a bit flawed in the beginnning few episodes but anyway, the rest are powerful episodes which boasts one of the most dramatic K-drama I've ever seen. I say the drama is "flawed" only because, after creating unbelievable dramatic tension in the first episode with a shocking - and very hard to watch - mass assassination scene, the drama then focuses more during the next four to five episodes on the lead male character's attraction to a girl who is a bodyguard at the "Blue House" (the Korean equivalent of the U.S. White House). I think that was a mistake: if you are going to write a revenge drama then revenge should be the main focus of ALL the episodes. A romance is fine but it should be woven into the story lightly as a true backdrop to what's really going on in this story: two men's thirst for revenge against the people who ordered the mass assassinations of their fellow citizens. To be fair, after about the fifth episode, the drama gets back on track on the revenge theme, and by the end that theme delivers in spades. Any lag in the story at the beginning was the writers' fault, not the actors' fault - they all delivered fine, unforgettable performances, especially the actor who plays Lee Min Ho's adoptive "father" in the story, actor Kim Sang-joong. He blew me away with his intensity, perhaps because in real life he has been a Marine and a cop, as well as an actor. At least his character never loses focus on his ultimate goal of revenge, which is far more believable than Lee Min Ho's character's obsession with a girl.

There’s something about Kim Na Na’s solemn and innocent face that keeps Yoon Seong want to ward off any trouble and stand protective. As time passes he gets drawn to her but his goals prevent him from being open with her. Stolen glances, silent exchanges are all they can afford for the time being. I really like Kim Na Na’s character. Its well drawn out and Park Min Young plays it perfectly, right down to that sweet smile which hides all her worries and troubles.I really liked her acting

When his adoptive father finally has had it with Yoon-sung's interference in his plans to execute the Council of Five, they possibly try to kill each other at the same time. It is not a pretty sight, in fact it's one of the most compelling and mesmerizing scenes in K-drama history. One of the things that make this drama worthwhile are the tension filled fight scenes. Well set and choreographed, the battle sequences are charged and exciting, perfectly displaying our feature character.

Prosecutor Kim Yeong Ju who plays a vital role in this revenge. As a prosecutor he strives hard to catch the corrupted politicians before City Hunter (an alias given by the public to Lee Yoon Seong). But unfortunately he falls short and is always a step behind the mastermind, Yoon Seong. His will and determination to serve Korea justly is commendable.

Another character is Jin Sae Hee, who is a vet and Kim Yeong Ju’s ex-wife. She is played by Hwang Sun Hee, another beauty. She is like an elder sister to Kim Na Na and is very helpful. Throughout the season she shares a cordial relation with Kim Yeong Ju despite their divorce. It gives you hope again and I kept on wishing that they would mend their broken relation. 1 thing I so so so so badly wanted to see/ wished was that they would focus more on Kim Yeong Ju and Jin Sae Hee. Though they were part of the main cast, I feel they didn’t receive as much attention as they should have.

Anyway, all in all, its a very enticing, revenge-scheming, thriller with a dash of romance.

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A fox turned human loving a human is not a common plot that is handled in every K-Dramas.Writers Hong MiRan and Hong JungEun have a clever way of wiggling and twirling a seemingly simple story into something completely unexpected and untrodden.

I don't know how many actors can portray being a wild animal so perfectly while still being absolutely loveable at the same time. I never once forgot that Shin Min Ah's character Mi Ho was a fox-in-human-form, and yet I was always rooting for her.

I was fascinated by an interpretation of a fox not as a sly, cunning, thieving and wicked beast, but as a curious, naive and playful creature who wanted to be loved as much as she wanted to be human. She can also be menacing at times, but it's judiciously used, and almost always for comedic effect. Also, I love Mi Ho's delight in eating beef and that her favorite color is brown because it's the color of cow.

Another thing I loved about this series was the secondary couple of Cha Dae Woong's spinster aunt Cha Min Sook and his boss Ban Doo Hong, who have so many awkward encounters, and are extremely dorky at times. They own it. Another great moment involves Ban Doo Hong thinking he knocks down a brick wall just by peeing on it, and how the owner of the wall has him arrested for being a pervert.

When Shin MinAh’s window of time with Lee Seunggi begins to close, she tells herself, “I don’t need five hundred years or fifty years. Fifty beautiful days is good enough.” She is an old creature, but she has never truly lived, only existed. This gumiho had lived 500 years but she had never truly felt alive until meeting Lee Seunggi. He, likewise, found real meaning and selfless love while at her side. Just thinking about it makes me weepy. The length of time, centuries or days, is less important than the way one spends it.

I bet you will like Shin MinAh after watching this great rom com drama.

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The slight narrative, about human love being superior to a fallible machine run world without love, is able to deliver many moments that are tender and humorous, some flights-of-fancy that are beautifully photographed, and showoff throughout the filmmaker's great technical skills and inventive originality in storytelling. Chan-wook Park's style seems to lend itself well to violent action films, so it is nice to see him try something a little more tender and accomplish at it. That's not to say there isn't any action or violence but it is done with the right tone, context and with lots of humour. I absolutely loved it from start to finish, it's original, colourful and completely nuts (well, it does take place in a mental institution). I loved the ending too. You'd be 'nuts' to miss it! Just look at the pretty colours.

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We have seen many High School/Teenagers movies. But, what makes this movie more special and highly recommended by all? The way the script was written and executed by the Director is to be much appreciated. The focus was completely on the four girls' life. There was not a single scene in the movie wasted for secondary characters (other than the 4 girls).

The re watchable value is linked to the pace of the screenplay, non-boring elements in the visual, peppy music, comedy, where all these facts are synced together forming the core of this movie.
The performance of the lead actors is very very good.

This is my first Thai romantic comedy movie (watched many Tony Jaa action movies.) I am satisfied much with this movie which has made me to explore more on the Thai romantic comedy movies.

9/10

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IRIS drama is about a National Security System agent who attempts to take down a secret organization. After the introductory opening episodes, the missions are similar to what one would find in the American "24" series (excluding the "real time" element), with agents attempting to stop terrorist attacks with the use of satellites and information support technicians.

Of course, this is in the Korean style with some romance and melodrama blended in. Acting is top notch, with Byung-hun Lee in the lead role and a very good supporting cast: Tae-hee Kim (his love interest and fellow agent), Seung-woo Kim (a North Korean agent) and So-yeon Kim (as the gorgeous North Korean sniper). Production values are slick, the scoring is great at times, and the pacing is very fast for a K-drama with plenty of shootouts (a few of which are fantastic) and suspense. Storyline is cliched but the secret organization is intriguing and represents a brilliant little twist on the North/South Korean conflict. Consequently, the relationships between the characters change significantly in exciting ways and the viewer will have an emotional investment in the protagonists. Highly addictive stuff.

Production values are through the roof; various exotic locales, terrific cinematography, blazing gunfights and action scenes…they spared no expense here (for a TV series), and it definitely shows on screen.

Two marines who are friends get recruited by the NSS (National Security System). While there, they meet the primary love interest who is their sub section chief responsible for training them. The 2 friends quickly take to their new jobs as secret agents, and are soon deployed in the field. The NSS is primarily engaged with dealing with their North Korean counterparts, but, it soon becomes apparent there is a shadow organization at work behind the scenes known as Iris…the goal of Iris is too pretty much pit the 2 Koreas (and other nations) against each other, so they can profit and rise to world power.

After the botched mission by the 2 friends/leads, this show basically boils down to a matter of slowly uncovering what everybody's motives are, who's working for whom, who's ultimately good and who's ultimately evil, etc…Along the way, there's your main love interest storyline, the main friendship storyline, people being good and people being evil, characters reconciling with themselves and others over time in regards to what they believe is right and wrong, etc.

This show is very entertaining and highly addictive. I would also like to note that I've always loved the fact that there seems to be no clear delineation between "movie star" and "TV actor" in Korean productions. Main actors and actresses go back and forth between the 2 mediums seemingly at will, and that makes for some terrific performances when you might be inclined to expect less since "you're just watching a television show".

Highly watchable…whether it be for the typical melodrama & intrigue inherent to this Koren Television genre, or for the electrifying gun battles in the rush hour streets of downtown Seoul, or for the story & performances, or for just about anything and everywhere in between.

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Dream High - one reason why you must watch this drama is because of Kim Soo Hyun, Ok Taec Yeon, Suzy, Ham Eun Jung, Jang Woo Young,IU, Ahn Seo Hyun (the small kid!). I dont think you will get to see these many BIG stars casting in a drama. I must say the fact that this drama gave a big break through for the most of the leads' career. The drama's story set up has concentrated mainly in drawing the teenage audiences likes. Even though the drama was aired in 2011, it was in my planned list for a longer period and finally got a chance to see it recently, which was not a disappointment but regretted for not watching it sooner.

Kim Soo Hyun as Sam Dong, has portrayed his character very well when compared to his other competitors in this drama. He has delivered his acting skill exceptionally well during the scenes where he need to express his innocence on the stage while his Mom watching him,or express his love to his lover,hide the pain from his lover or bear the loneliness after he succeed. That could be one of the reason why he was chosen for the blockbuster movies like 'The Thieves', 'Secretly Greatly' or the drama 'The Moon that Embraces the Sun', even though these roles would have been apted for some other leading Korean actors.
Taec Yeon, the rapper of the 2PM Band group, is the another main lead of this drama. He has also given his best not only in the acting but also in the songs that were sung by him in the drama OSTs. I believe his performance was more liked by the viewers than the other casts.
Suzy - Her performance was at 'the best'. Her portrayal of an arrogant, rude, cunning, high ambitious teenage girl is much appreciateable.
Ham Eun Jung - as Yoon Baek Hee has lived as the character on this whole drama. All the scenes between her and Suzy are very noteable which makes draws the viewers attention everytime, which indeed increase the Drama's pace.
Jang Woo Young,IU,Ahn Seo Hyun are the other noteable performers of this drama.

The drama is all about how the teenagers acheive their dream of becoming K-pop idols, which deals with:

How can a normal person turn into a star if he/she possess the talent, skill, enthusiasm, perseverance, hard work.
While travelling in the path of success, the different kind of obstacles that one come across and how it can be overcomed.
During this battle for success, what kind of emotional pain one suffer, the changes in well bonded relationships, the art of giving up/not giving up during the crucial moments.

The director chose 'Music' as the core element of this drama through which all the characters portions are threaded. Drama concentrates more on the emotional bonding between the school friends, their dream to succeed in the field of music, than describing their normal school life, which we have seen in many dramas. Some 'common boring mandatory' elements such as Rich Guy Poor Girl Love, Finding the lost sibling, Guy or Girl with super natural power falls in love with the other, Amnesia - missing here which has added a huge advantage to this drama.

The setting is good, in particular the underground set where Taec yeon stays and Suzy's house. The dollar chain which is rotated among each other during their hard times is a such a nice concept. Each time they bounce back and stay focussed on their ambition, and give a better come back. The teenagers who dream high must watch this drama and learn that even though the world is not fair on them on most of the occassions, they should never give up and keep trying!

Music is a big boost to this drama, where the OSTs were performed by the main leads themselves. "Dream High", "Someday" are my favourite of all 12 Sound tracks. The music was composed in the same way how an upcoming artist will compose the song rather than an experienced composer.

I like the 2 below quotes very much and it will be in my WhatsApp status atleast for a week till I find an another nice drama quote.

“They say that there are two types of happiness. One is a happiness that you realize after the fact and the other is a happiness you feel in the moment. That happiness you feel in the moment is so precious that they say that the memories of this kind of happiness can stay with you and enlighten your life. Maybe we’ll go on remembering this moment today, like that kind of happiness… that we can remember for the rest of our lives, the moment when we shined.”

“Do you know what it means to become an adult? It means there’s less and less to smile about. So we’ll have to smile even more, even if we have to force it.”

Han Ji Hoo as the Dance Teacher, Park Jin Young as English teacher (His comedy portions reduce the tension/seriousness that arises through out the drama, also makes you to laugh loud!), Uhm Ki Joon as Music Teacher (He has played a very vital role, which involves most of the heavy scenes), Ahn Seo Hyun as Suzy's little sister (I must agree the fact that this kid is sooooo cute that you will give her a big hug and kiss on her cheek when you get a chance to meet her in person.), Ahn Kil Kang as Doo Shik (Comedy lights up whenever he appears on the screen) has played a very noteable performance.

And the most noteable point in this whole drama is, not only in their drama characters where everyone will challenge each other, but also, in the way they all played their roles/performed to challenge each other's acting skill. All the 6 main leads have played their roles with healthy competition among each other!

One can find very minimal (ignorable) flaws in this drama.

A Big, big applaud to the Director and the off screen technicians to make this 'Dream High' to Fly High!

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Hong Kong director Dante Lam has a sturdy reputation in his action-packed thrillers in recent years (THE VIRAL FACTOR 2012, THE STOOL PIGEON 2010, BEAST STALKER 2008), this time around, he opts for another kind of action, the point-blank MMA fighting. The director summons a multi Nation cast. (Hong Kong - Cheung, On and Keung. Taiwan - Peng, Kao and Liu. China - Mei, Li and Wang. Malaysia - Lee.) It also imposes a daunting challenge for two leads Nick Cheung and Eddie Peng, especially for Cheung, at the age of 47 he works extremely hard to gain a brawny figure to play the washed-out former boxing champion. There aren't a glut of hot-blooded hand-to-hand combats (4 is the exact time), instead Lam and his screen writer team manage to consolidate the context of these two fighters' characteristic backdrop stories and furthermore justify their own causes to fight, Peng is to prove himself in front of his life-beaten and alcohol-abusing father and Cheung is to reinitiate his own potentiality and farewell to his squandered youth. Those are the perpetual themes of sport films, they are soul-inspiring and heart-touching at their best, but over-elaborated and shortchanged for its reality at their worst. Other than the white-knuckle combats in the cage, which has been recorded faithfully with swift and precise camera-work to achieve the sensational appearance (and very impressive pre-fighting training sequences). The entanglement between Cheung and a pair of mother-daughter (Mei, a single mother who is mentally unstable due to a past trauma and Lee, her premature daughter whose optimistic nature under an impoverished situation does strike a chord to any soul with a tender spot) occupies the majority of the narrative, the function of main female characters in the male-driven genre always recedes to either a frail victim (Mei) or a redeeming touch of guilelessness (Lee), the shackles need to be innovated, yet it is a long way ahead. The MMA serves as one of the other main attractions of the film. The liberal use of kicks and holds make the fight scenes more intense than the average boxing film, especially in the bouts featuring Andy On as an arrogant fighter. Noses and shoulders are dislocated, and the script constantly reminds us that people can die in MMA matches. While it’s the drama and the characters that lift Unbeatable beyond an average action film, action fans should be pleased by the film’s brutal MMA fights.

'UNBEATABLE' - conquering life’s hardships as a battle.

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"Poongsan" is the first action movie that I have watched from the veteran "art-house" Director Kim ki Duk, where he has only written script for this movie and produced it. Directed by one of his assistant. It would have been completely different if he himself had directed the movie because of the dark theme, heavy plot, border-tensions handled in the movie.

While I was watching this movie, I felt the movie was directed by Kim ki duk. Because of few factors like, the main lead's scope of acting is only through the body language thereby not speaking a word, a kind of silence maintained through out the movie, the music was very mild & used only in some portions of the movie, the realistic characters/relationships/situations adding more weightage to this dark movie.

My other thought is, this script should have been given to some other director and made as a full fledged action movie instead of watching it in Kim ki duk's style type of motion picture portrayal. Overall, I recommend this movie to all who expects a different story/theme.

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