Papa Loves You (Hong Kong 2004)

The movie poster for Papa Loves You (這個阿爸真爆炸) should have been a dead give-away that below-average quality was rearing it's ugly head. Surprisingly, there are some slightly entertaining and even heart-warming moments to be found here. However, don't let those few moments fool you into thinking this is a great movie, cause boy howdy it ain't!

Yam (Tony Leung Ka Fai), is an over-protective single father to his teenage daughter Ellen (Charlene Choi), who happens to be at that age where she wants nothing more than to resist her obsessive fathers ways. Having to come to terms with the fact that his daughter is growing up, Yam continues to grow concerned about Ellen's behaviour and begins following her around to see just what it is she's up to. While dining in a cafe, Yam just happens to stop an attempted hit on Triad boss leader Hung (Eric Tsang), with his "shadowless hands" technique, a move that he only seems to use in cleaning up around the house. This fateful turn of events changes Yam's life considerably. Not only is Hung indebted to Yam, but Yam also develops a reputation around town as being the legendary Mo Ye Fei Ying, an assassin who supposedly took out over 100 men during a knife fight. The boys at Ellen's school, Orange (Kenny Kwan), and Fung (Steven Cheung), become obsessed with Yam, thinking he's a hardcore assassin, and want to learn how to fight from him. Of course, Yam has nothing to teach these boys, but he makes them believe he does and will teach them everything if they promise to keep an eye on Ellen to make sure she stays out of trouble. Things don't end up going so well when Ellen actually does get involved with the real Triads and Yam has to face their leader down, fronting as the legendary assassin. It's definitely not a good thing to be known as an exceptional fighter and triad member, when in reality you just teach piano. That type of reputation eventually creates a problem when Yam is forced into having a showdown with the real Triads in order to protect his daughter.

Let me be as frank as possible by saying that Papa Loves You is a ridiculous film. I know it's meant to be a comedy, and there are a few scenes where that genre label actually seems to fit. However, most of the film is so absurd and even downright cheesy, that you feel embarrassed to be watching it at all. This movie came out when popstars were still running rampant throughout every movie in Hong Kong, so the overall feel of the film has that artificial, childish vibe to it that only those who are familiar with the EEG films will know what I'm talking about. Tony Leung, as many know, is a more than adequate actor and his role here seems shockingly out of place, but he pulls it off to some charming extent. Eric Tsang, who I hold in pretty high esteem in the HK cinema ranks, turns in a "what was he thinking" cameo as triad leader Hung. Honestly, the whole movie will leave you scratching your head with it's questionably entertaining content.

I know my words seem incredibly harsh, but Papa Loves You is mostly deserving of those words. It's complete throw-away, teeny-bopper entertainment that really only serves that one specific demographic. Everyone else should probably steer clear, because calling the movie cute is about the best compliment I can muster. (Lee)

Grade: D

 

My Wife Is A Gangster 2 (Korea 2003)

The sequel to the highly-enjoyable My Wife is a Gangster, My Wife is a Gangster 2: The Return Fable (조폭 마누라 2 : 돌아온 전설), sadly, isn't nearly as entertaining as the first. However, Sin Eun-kyeong, as our beloved protagonist, is still interesting to watch. It's everything you would expect from a sequel...which isn't much.

Gang boss Cha Eun-jin (Sin Eun-kyeong) is up to her usual activity when the film kicks off with a major rooftop brawl with her gang mixing it up with another group of thugs. During the melee, Eun-jin is knocked off the roof of the building and is, understandably, knocked senseless. A very drunk Yoon Jae-choi (Park Joon-gyu), notices Eun-jin laying in the gutter and ends up carrying her off to his neighborhood where he runs a small Chinese restaurant. Eun-jin's crew assume the worst, and every attempt to contact their boss doesn't seem to pan out, yet they continue to search for her. Why the police aren't involved in the search is anyone's guess, but I imagine gangsters don't work with the police on any level. Regardless, the story picks up months later, and Eun-jin is working as a delivery girl for Jae-choi at the Chinese restaurant with no memory of her former gangster life. Jae-choi is aware of the fact that she doesn't remember a thing, but she's so good at deliveries, even going so far as to invent a delivery box for serving, that he is in no hurry to help her regain her memory. Eun-jin genuinely seems to be happy with her new life, working and living with her new boss and his teenage daughter. However, little-by-little, Eun-jin begins to piece parts of her former life together, not to mention the fact that she really knows how to fight, when new situations in her life bring out that side of her. White Shark, the gangster whom I believe is from part one, returns, albeit it with a new wig and vocoder on his throat. He plans to finally seek revenge against Eun-jin, and even though she can't remember who he is, White Sharks threats against her and her bosses family prove enough in getting her to take action.

Sequels...what can I say? Love 'em or hate 'em, they can either be seen as a genuine extension of a story created in part one, or simply as a way to cash in on the name. My Wife is a Gangster 2 unfortunately falls into the latter category. As much as I enjoyed certain aspects about this film, it just couldn't match up to the level of it's predecessor. The biggest smack in the face comes from the fact that Eun-jin's husband from part one is nowhere to be found in this film, and they don't even mention him, so you're left wondering what became of his character. Park Joon-gyu, serving as the male comedy relief this time around, does an admirable job filling those shoes, but it definitely isn't the same feeling that Park Sang-myeon provided. It's a shame he was written off. The relationship of the characters is completely different this time around, and when you have a character as cool as Eun-jin is, that isn't necessarily a good thing. She's definitely more amusing in part two, but I missed her character from the first film. That isn't to say that everyone will feel the same as I do, because these changes might please a lot of viewers out there, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. For example, White Shark, while feeling like an actual villain and threat in part one, was portrayed as an incompetent goofball in the sequel. It's creative decisions like this that take away from the feeling and overall vibe created in the first film, ultimately making it feel like an unbalanced sequel.

There are laughs and good times to be had in My Wife is a Gangster 2, but like most sequels, as a whole, it isn't as good as the first. It feels more light-hearted than it's predecessor and that could be an intentional move by the filmmakers, but for me, it took the series in the wrong direction. If you loved the first one, by all means check part two out, but by all means, lower your expectations. (Lee)

Grade: B-

 

My Wife is a Gangster review

My Wife is a Gangster 3 review

My Wife is a Gangster (Korea 2001)

My Wife is a Gangster (조폭 마누라), holds a special place in my heart because it played such a big part in getting me interested in Korean cinema. It has action, comedy, and drama, and while all of these elements don't always mix together perfectly, the end result stills makes for a highly entertaining film. I promise to remain objective.

Eun-jin (Sin Eun-kyeong) is anything but the typical woman. In fact, she just so happens to be the boss of a major gang who has worked her way up to legendary status. Out of the blue, one of her minions receives a phone call and tells Eun-jin the news she's been waiting so long to hear; the sister she was seperated from as a child has been found. Sadly, their reunion is hampered by the fact that Eun-jin's sister (Lee Eun-kyeong) is dying. She tells Eun-jin that her dying wish (literally) is to see Eun-jin happily married before she passes. Feeling as if she has no other choice, she orders her gang to find her an eligible bachelor for a shotgun wedding. Eun-jin's right-hand man, Romeo (Ahn Jae-mo), brings in a woman (Choi Eun-joo) to help the boss become more lady-like, albeit with mixed results. By coincidence, her gang finds a suitable match in Soo-il (Park Sang-myeon), an ordinary civil servant who also hasn't had much luck in love, which makes him all the more willing to go along with the arranged marriage to Eun-jin. The two are soon married and naturally don't see eye-to-eye on almost everything. Soo-il wants to have an intimate relationship, and Eun-jin promises to break his fingers if he touches her without her permission. However, it's all to please Eun-jin's sister who is beyond thrilled to see her sister so "happily" married. Meanwhile, things are getting more dangerous in the gang world as Eun-jin's boss (Myeong Kye-nam) returns to check on his gang, annoyed at the news of his second in commands marriage. He feels that her marriage and new lifestyle are going to weaken the image of the gang, and the leader of the opposing gang, White Shark (Jang Se-jin), plans to exploit this new-found weakness in Eun-jin and her gang. To make matters more complicated, Eun-jin's sister informs her that she would love to see her have a child!

That is definitely a wild plot, and even a bit preposterous, but above all else, My Wife is a Gangster seems to present itself as a comedy above all else. That fact alone would make the proceedings more forgiveable, but the problem is, that while the film is humorous for the most part, there are many elements of drama and even some tragic scenes that make things seem unbalanced. Aside from the mild case of schizophrenia, I can't help but love this movie, mostly due to the outstanding performances by Sin Eun-kyeong, and Park Sang-myeon. While they may be the ultimate odd-couple, they definitely are amusing together and play their parts exceptionally well. This movies excels due in large part to it's wonderful casting, with a cast of characters that are always entertaining to watch. There are some action/martial-arts scenes, and most of them look good, but there are occasions of way-too-obvious wire use that detracts from these moments. The real goldmine here lies in the characters and their interactions with each other.

I can't say that My Wife is a Gangster is anywhere near perfect, but it is a great movie that is highly entertaining for many different reasons. It was a huge hit in Korea when it was released and when you start watching it, it's easy to see why. There is an undeniable charm and uniqueness to the film that made it, and makes it, so great. (Lee)

Grade: A