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Reviews
Ripley (2024)
Tragically ruined by otherwise one of the best actors right now
Beautifully photographed. I watched and watched but only for the same reason I'd sit through a travel documentary. Unfortunately, the cinematography is the best this production could offer. If not for the earlier and far better adaptation of the Highsmith book, I might have actually liked this series. I don't think it's a casting issue - how could it be with such a brilliant ensemble?, but more an acting direction issue. Andrew Scott (I am a fan, believe me) eventually grew tiresome in his intensity. The range of emotion he is well equipped to convey (fear, tension, delusional, frustration, anger, hopefulness,....) got spun to endless repetition in the series. And ultimately in expressing such range, he forgot to be likeable (or at least a character that drew curious interest in his awkwardness) the way Matt Damon managed to do in the 1999 film. That Marge and Dickie take Damon's Ripley in their circle as a friend was thus believable. This was not the case in this 2024 series. Andrew Scott was too sinister and strange throughout that it made no sense for him to have struck a friendship Marge and Dickie (or anyone for that matter) at all. The sexual tension and attraction between Matt Damon and Jude Law (and Gwyneth Paltrow) was also sadly lost. And the levity and flirtatiousness in Gwyneth's portrayal of Marge was replaced by the more sombre and resultingly boring Dakota Fanning. Well acted overall - the actors did their job, but the director took the characters where they should not have gone. So unexpected that acting direction would be the flaw of this series, given the strong cast.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Two stars for the show's capacity to keep my hopes up that it will eventually redeem itself
It's one of those shows that kept me watching until the last episode in the hopes that it gets better (somehow) or otherwise see how much worse it can get. Script and casting were the major fails here. The dialogues made an already ridiculous premise insufferable. Cringe-fest! Eye-rolls to the idea that a group of friends - all very, very young - were somehow the only ones qualified to save humanity from an alien invasion. Eiza Gonzalez was the most unconvincing Auggie (forever dolled up as if about to hit the runway) who was in turn the most unconvincing nanotech innovator. Actor Jess Hong as Jin had potential, but didn't quite get there. Saul was underutilised as a character - until suddenly propelled forward as one of the chosen ones, and for no apparent reason. Alex Sharpe is obviously talented but brought in a pathos and melancholy that seemed rather misplaced next to characters busy cooking up quick calculations and theorems to wage war with aliens as if they were in a YA fictional world. Benedict Wong was probably the only one who pulled off the character of a wry, world-weary detective/ security/body guard (it was never clear what his role was), so I hope he gets a shot at a better show/film in the future. Netflix, why?
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area (2022)
Shoddy adaptation
Unfortunately, to compare an adaptation to the original is inevitable. That's just what happens to adaptations. Compared to the original Spanish TV series, this is sadly way subpar. The backdrop premise of the political and economic repercussions of North-South reunification was very promising. If any strength is to be attributed to the Korean take, it is precisely this contextual backdrop. I wanted to like this series so bad, and it had every opportunity to render a brilliant adaptation. As a late copy, it had the opportunity to pick up on the good and the bad of the original. But it failed on many levels instead.
The casting was so poor. No chemistry between the robbers, and neither with the romantic couples in the series. I can think of so many Korean actors who could have played the characters better. Park Hae-Soo (Berlin), Jang Yoon-Ju (Nairobi) and Kim Ji-Yeon (Seoul) could have been great had they been supported by a good script and direction. Every single one paled in comparison with the depth and layered characters of the original.
The production design was very underwhelming too. The sleek and gritty quality of the original was lost. It was pretty much like a school play version of a Broadway production.
And then of course the plot changes to the original. I have to say that some worked - like keeping Berlin alive. His character was simply too good to lose so soon. But the rest were really just aimed at sanitising the story, like de-sexualising Tokyo and Rio's relationship, for example.
I am a Kdrama fan. I've seen Kdrama get better and better through the years. I think they should stick to original stories, and if they so choose to adapt Western dramas, they should do so with boldness and ambition. Aim a lot higher. I love Kdramas but adaptations only make me realise how far Kdrama still had to go compared to Hollywood and other western productions.
Hwan Hon (2022)
Badly realised, yet entertaining in some parts
I only managed to go through all 20 episodes by fast-forwarding unnecessary scenes (of which there were many), and by dint of curiosity of how the show might salvage itself towards the end. Sadly, the ending turned out to be the biggest of the many failures in this show.
But let's start with the positives: first is ambition. It was apparent that the producers were aiming for big. The production design was good, and the computer graphics sophisticated. Second is the attempt to fashion a 'Harry Potter'-style fantasy film in a historical Korea-inspired set. Although lacking in originality, this was a clever crowd-winning twist.
Sadly, the show was let down by poor acting, not by any particular actor, but generally. Hence, the blame is more on the direction. The only character that managed to display his individuality was Seo Yul. Surprisingly enough his placid and stoic nature (though bland acting for others) remained true to character, and displayed his individuality. Some acting shots were too repetitive and lost their impact as a result, such as close-ups of characters (mostly Mu Deok and Jang Uk) squinting their eyes when expressing suspicion.
The monologues to verbalise the characters' thoughts were also unnecessary, as many were too obvious. They only served to distract from the pace of the story. Pace is the second flaw in the show. Some dialogues were yet again unnecessarily long. Not only dialogues in fact, but entire side stories, such as the awkward, predictable and cheesy love story between Park Jin and Maidservant Kim. Master Lee's unrequited crush on Maidservant Kim was also inserted to no good effect. If anything, it just undermined his character.
There were also several missed opportunities, such as to add more substance to the Dang-gi and Cho-Yeon love story beyond the cutesy comedic relief. Master Lee's role was rendered superfluous despite his immense powers, and thus was also a missed opportunity. Besides dropping a helpful hint or two, and occasionally deciding to play part-time mentor to Jang Uk, he was pretty much demoted to a spectator for everything that was unfolding around him.
The ending to part 1 was however the biggest disappointment. It undid everything that the previous 19 episodes sought to do, and brought the story back to square one. Perhaps to justify extending the show for another short season? Nothing seemed to make sense. How is Jin Mu still able to exert influence to the Crown King, is the latter suddenly so naive?? This contrasts with earlier episodes that present him as imperfect though otherwise quite perceptive and fair-headed. And who on earth will still fall prey to Jin Mu when his wrongdoings have been exposed?
All in all, had the producers kept the script tight, weeding out unnecessary sub-plots and extended dialogues, allowed the actors more naturalistic acting, and toned down on the convoluted story, this could have been a great show.
Seulgirowun Gamppangsaenghwal (2017)
A fresh take on prison drama
The series was enjoyable, and both funny and heartwarming in turn. The main character Kim Je-Hyuk (baseball player who ended up in prison) and his inmate 'friends' formed an entertaining ensemble, for the most part. Oddly enough, I personally found the character of Yoo Han-Yang irritating and overly done. I thought the idea of putting in the mix a drug addict battling his addiction and struggling through withdrawal symptoms a good idea, but ultimately, the premise was drawn out far too long - pretty much throughout the entire series! His quirkiness and the constant bickering eventually got tiresome. This was a shame. The comedic elements were hit and miss, though more often hit than miss. It failed when comedy veered into slapstick moments (often yet again involving Han-Yang's character), accompanied by her icky comedy sound effects ('boing' and such). The 'brotherhood' theme worked really well, and I like that it downplayed the prison yard clashes trope (although there was of course some of this) more in favour of prison friendships. The phased exit of key characters (as inmates were released from prison, or moved from one prison to another) worked really well to highlight the bonds formed between the characters, but also introduced a measure of realism in the show (people after all move in and out of each other's lives). It was unfortunate though that Dr Ko (portrayed excellently) was the first to leave, but I suppose this allowed Jailbird to move back in to the position of sidekick to the main character. Overall, a good k-drama with plenty of touching moments.
Him-ssen yeo-ja Do Bong-soon (2017)
Wasted potential
This show had some funny and effective scenes, such as the contract negotiation scene, but generally full of unnecessary segments and sub-plots. Baek-Soo Tak and his gang were totally unnecessary and un-funny. Their revenge attempts were pointless and stupid, not adding much at all to the main storyline. They could have done better developing Bong Soon's high school fan groupie as a proper sub-plot had they taken it to a different direction. (As an aside, why do these high schoolers look like near middle-aged men?). The scenes with Oh Dol-ppyeo from episode 10 were again only irritating distractions. What was the point of him?! And the whole neighbourhood campaign involving Bong Soon's mom and her friends dragged on throughout the show, and ended with well, not much.
The supporting characters were bland overall. The love triangle between the brother Do Bong-ki, Kook-Do In and Jo Hee-ji fell so flat. Secretary Gong's character was badly acted (too forced and again un-funny). The friendship with Na Kyung-Sim was very superficial for most of the show, and was suddenly dramatised to death in her abduction later on in the show. The relationship with the twin brother was sadly undeveloped (a lot could have been done here). I can just go on.
The main characters had some strong points. Kook-Do In performed his role well. Bong Soon and Ahn Minh-Yuk were wasted for much of the show. Too much emphasis on 'cuteness', to the point of being ridiculous. Bong Soon acted like a 12 year old crushing on Kook-Do In. Bong Soon and Ahn Minh-Yuk together were the same... as if they were in some puppy love scene... strange for characters in their late-20s.
The outfits were amazing, I have to admit, but were chosen without much thought of the character types. Gamers and game techies don't tend to dress like An Minh-Hyuk. (Ok, so maybe he was special). Do Bong-sun's seemingly big wardrobe, though very very appealing, did not match her background and overall character trait. If anything, the outfits deprived the leads of substance. It was all about the visuals.
It is typical of k-dramas to often 'infantilise' women leads (sorry, I know this is a controversial statement, but I stand by it). Shorter female characters are casted (opposite usually very tall male leads) and made to act childish. This is seen as cute in k-culture, which I respect and appreciate, but was overkill here. Take for example how Bong Soon was set up with a work desk inside Ahn Minh-Yuk's office that looked like a girl's doll/house or play area. This betrays the sexist undertones prevalent in the show: a girl can be strong BUT still to be treated as silly or inferior or immature. By and large, Bong Soon was an object of amusement to the dashing and successful CEO.
Having said this: Given a lot of fans liked it, and that such infantilised female/ and male couple representations is so normalised in k-dramas, then this show delivered exactly what fans have been used to and have come to expect.