[movie review + giveaway] PUNCH by YOO AH IN. We loved it!

[turdferguson.livejournal.com]

Presented by: CJ Entertainment
Produced by: UBU Film / Another Pictures
Directed by: LEE Han (Lover's Concerto, Almost Love)
Original story by: KIM Ryeo-ryeong
Screenplay by: KIM Dong-woo
Cast:
KIM Yun-seok (The Thieves; The Chaser; Tazza: The High Rollers)
YOO Ah-in (Sungkyunkwan Scandal; Antique)
PARK Soo-young (Architecture 101; Tazza: The High Rollers)
KIM Sang-ho (Moss; City Hunter TV; The Happy Life)
Jasmine LEE (The Secret Reunion)

Since this is a movie giveaway the only rule really is: comment for a chance to win! Winners will be contacted through private message tomorrow so please turn this on.
First prize winner: Poster (like the one above) + DVD + POSTCARD
TWO Runner up prizes (as in two people will win the following): POSTER + POSTCARD

Here's my review. OVERALL I ENJOYED THIS MOVIE A LOT.

I've only seen Yoo Ah In in one other thing (Sungkyunkwan Scandal) and he was a tough, wisecracking kinda guy. In this one his name is Wang-deuk and it's good to see him balance a weary, sort of vulnerable high school kid who, if provoked, would beat the shit out of you. If it had been a different actor Wang-deuk would have just been this ~EDGY POOR KID WITH A HEART OF GOLD~ type, but his portrayal really draws you in to someone more complex. He's hot, also. Out of all the young actor dudes I've seen, he has a lot of natural talent. Rising star for sure!!! I think I have been converted to his holy light.

Homeroom teacher is Dong-ju (Kim Yun-Seok). He's an asshole-- the good kind though. He cares a lot about the people around him but he's a no-nonsense type of guy. He picks on Wang-deuk at first but he does that because he cares.

The acting here is superb. The cast really gels together, so you can't help but root for them. Not that they need your pity: these people are strong and they look out for each other. I'm not going to get into each character because it's quite a large cast but they are all part of a unit, a disjointed family.

And before I forget: the movie is called Punch because halfway into the movie he trains to be a kickboxer since he's got a bit of a thuggish exterior. Little does he know that fighting in the streets ≠ fighting in the ring. There's a growth metaphor thrown in there somewhere.

I'm not going to go into more detail since I'm afraid I might spill everything. There are a few social justice issues this movie goes into but they handled it with humanity and heart. One thing I love about Punch was how this movie shows how Koreans and other Asians live in working class conditions, something I've never seen before in a Korean movie. So it's a lot more gritty, sometimes sad, but definitely funny in some parts but I had a great time watching it.

100 omona lollipops out of 100 omona lollipops!!

yuukihitohira's review:

My review, I also really, really loved this movie a lot. There's so many different themes and issues touched on that I haven't really seen in other Korean movies such as interracial marriage, being handicapped, living with a single dad, and living in the poorer end of the working class. They were all tied together and shown in such a great way that really pulled at your heartstrings. All the characters are real people with real struggles and it's great to see them work through them to create better lives not only for themselves, but others.. I'd like to say more but I feel like I'd be giving away the whole plot of the movie which, SURPRISE, isn't centered around the main character, Wan-deuk (Yoo Ah In), and his endeavor to become a kickboxer.



Speaking of Wan-deuk, Yoo Ah In totally stole this movie for me. I've seen most of the dramas and movies he's done (shhh shhh Fashion King didn't really happen, okay) and I think that by far, this is his best work. It's amazing the amount of effort and concentration he put into this role from the preparation (he dropped a bunch of weight and I swear, he looks even younger than he did in Antique and THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING) to look and act as a poor, 17 year old high school outcast with a tendency to get in fights. It sounds like the typical high school role, but again, it's hard to get into the details without spoiling the plot (HONESTLY JUST GO WATCH THIS MOVIE, SERIOUSLY. GO.) but YAI's acting is amazing and he plays Wan-deuk in such a way that you feel like you really know him and his life and his struggles. While I already love him, I feel like I've fallen in love with him even more after watching this.



Shout out to the other leading role, Dong-ju (Kim Yunseok) as well. He plays Wandeuk's tough-as-nails teacher than lives across the street and basically acts as Wandeuk's guardian angel when his dad isn't around and for other things as well. As someone about to become a teacher myself, it just makes me love these kind of teacher roles that show that they really care about their students and make sure that they are happy (as well as fed and staying out of trouble). The relationship between him and YAI was amazing and that chemistry really shows on screen.



THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT THE MOVIE BUT SERIOUSLY. JUST GO WATCH IT. NOW.



5 LOLLIPOPS/5 NOW GO WATCH IT OR SHISUS WILL SMITE YOU!

COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT. Talk about an important mentor in your life. Or about a group of people you consider a family and what you love about them. Or if you've seen this movie we can talk about it~

5 Points Pictures - site, youtube

Comments

[shintotchi.livejournal.com]

My most important mentor was my grandaddy. He told me something at 6 years old that determined my entire career-path. I was spending my summer with him and was just lazing around watching Nicktoons. He comes in and sits in his chair, newspaper in hand. He clears his throat and says " Hmm, this little girl here got in the paper for writing a book. She's younger than you."

I was immediately impressed and amazed that someone so young could actually do something important like that. I asked if I could write a book too, and he told me I could do whatever I wanted. Age had nothing to do with it. From that point on I became obsessed with writing, drawing, and even trying to create board games. I tapped into my creativity and pursued it until I got to the point where I am now.

I have alot of kind and helpful people in my life, but none have left such an impact as the one my grandfather did. Maybe because of the effect he had, no one else really had the chance to. I don't know, but that's my story. :)

And I totally want to see this movie. I've had it on my Netflix Instant Queue for a while, but haven't had the time yet.

[honeyfunnybunny.livejournal.com]

omg this movie ;___;
Wanted to watch it for so long, and when I saw it was on Netflix I was ready to flip shit.. However, there were no subs, so I only watched the first 10 minutes and decided to wait OTL.. But already 10 minutes in I really enjoyed it, so I'm hoping ill get the chance to finish it soon!

An important mentor in my life... I guess that would be my homeroom teacher in 3rd grade. Back then, I was attending public school, and because of cut-downs they wanted to split my class into two and have us join two other classes instead since there were only 14 students in my class. The split would be decided by our homeroom teacher, but he had personally contacted my mom and step dad, and asked them to enroll me into another school. He said that I needed intellectual challenges that they couldn't offer, and that I'd be better off in a school where the standard is higher. My mom decided to follow through, and because of his words, the biggest change happened for me. I honestly doubt I would have gone as far as I have without his advice. He actually named his youngest daughter after me, and invite me over frequently for dinner and fondly talks of me as his "prodigy" after all these years... It's nice you know, when you think back and realize that someone saw something in you, that you didn't even know you had. Someone who believed when no ones else cared, and regarded me as something special despite how young I was. I'm eternally grateful that he did what he did, cause it made me become a pattern-breaker and I'm the first one in the family to actually finish highschool and go to university - and it's a huge deal especially because the thai community here barely even make it to highschool because of the social ~trends~ going on. Now that I finish writing, I think I'll give him a call tomorrow... All these feelings just came back again, and I think I just reminded myself how much I appreciate his influence on my life.

[asth77.livejournal.com]

"and I think that by far, this is his best work."

Have you seen Boys Of Tomorrow?
To me it's his best performance and my favorite korean movie.
But I didn't see PUNCH yet so...

An important mentor in my life... One day, I discussed with my cousin's friend who's done lots of studies. She sounded like a big sister to me I guess, she seemed so mature and nice.
Basically she just told me how to make it in high school and at that time, I was in a terrible shape because I just got out of a (quite) oppressive school system in junior high school where the pressure was really high and it almost destroyed me, honestly it left scars on me.
But anyway I just talked to her and she gave me two advises : work your ass off the 2nd year of high school and you'll be fine the next year (we have one big exam at the end of high school that you HAVE to get if you want to make it in this society). Idk the way she said it was so clear and simple. She told it as if it was totally possible to achieve anything if you are well prepared.
And so I did exacly the way she said and I studied a lot to build my future. And now I'm about to graduate of the college and I got an intership in the oldest and one of the most prestigious hospital of my country (yaaay).

I really want this movie btw, love YAI.

[yuukihitohira.livejournal.com]

Boys of Tomorrow has been on my list but I haven't gotten around to it!! I'll be bumping it up on my watch list after watching this because I honestly want to go on a YAI spree


Also congrats on your internship, that's awesome!!!

[gyudon.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I've been meaning to watch this movie for a while!

I'm in college right now, and this year, I decided to live off-campus. While there are some good things about it, such as not being forced to pay for board and not having to deal with loud people at 3 AM on a weekday, it can also get really lonely, especially when work starts accumulating, which, in my university, is almost all the time. However, there's these three guys I found myself hanging out with quite often, and though I've never told them this, I'm really thankful they're around. They've become somewhat like a family to me: through the last two quarters, these guys have made me laugh way too many times at 2 AM with their (either really intelligent or really inane) conversations and have kept me sane whenever I was close to giving up on whatever set I was working on that night.

[zombiechick815.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to watch more Korean movies and this sounds like one I would really love!

The group I consider to be my family even though they aren't is my Disney family! I worked at Disney World for a little over three years, and the friends I met during my college program are my best friends! I don't get to see them very often, but they know me better than anyone else. They also give me the best advice. I can turn to them with anything and I know they will be honest with me. We keep in touch mainly with kakaotalk, but in September one of my friends is getting married and all of us who met in Orlando are going to be bridesmaids! I can't wait to see them again since it will be over two years since the last time we were all together. I love those girls and I can't wait to see them again <3

[turdferguson.livejournal.com]

you work in disney world? how lucky. i've always wanted to visit.

[weerainbow.livejournal.com]

Oh I remember when this was just about to get released I was instantly drawn to the story on watching the trailer but I haven't seen it yet. I really have to see this one. I think all Yoo Ah In needs to really shine is a good story and a role that he can sink his teeth into. If he's working with something solid he can make it come out gold!

[palebluedot09.livejournal.com]

I watched this movie awhile ago on netflix and I really loved it. It was so touching.

Mentors? Well I guess you could say that I had a professor in college where I really loved taking his classes. I took every class he taught. He taught political science and everyone generally loved taking his classes. He somehow managed to get everyone involved in the discussion even though not everyone was interested in the subject. He was probably my most favorite teacher I have ever had and in a lot of ways he inspires me.

I also had a history teacher I really liked in college. He was in his late 70s. He gave me some advice in regards to what I wanted to do in life and was also encouraging in ways that a teacher was never before to me. Unfortunately he passed away halfway through the semester. A part of me wants to make him proud.

[punkovie.livejournal.com]

the story really touching.....
and i realize despite of many discriminations towards disables there are always people with angel's heart..... i

[tofu-akira.livejournal.com]

Rather than talk about an important mentor in my life, I would like the pine over somebody like that teacher. If I had somebody like that teacher in my life, rather than the dishearteningly apathetic teachers that I had, I might not be such a mess (although with all the mess comes the fun and interesting stuff as well so...)

But funnily enough, there was a period of time (a.k.a. now...) in my life that looks poignantly similar to the one of Yoo Ah-In's character and what I would have given to have somebody that cared enough to pester me D:

On a happier note, I have had teachers that I was particularly fond of, and stuff :D although that was about as far as it ever went for me OTL fuck I'm getting depressed now...TOFU MAKES ME HAPPY :D:D:D:D:D::D:D:D:D:D

FUCK IT ALL :D

[mikilove13.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of sad that I didn't know this movie existed. I love Yoo Ah In as an actor and his character sounds like the kind of character I like. His teacher sounds interesting, too. I'll def watch this when I get the chance.

[linzer-jello.livejournal.com]

I loved this movie!!!
It's a mix between happy, sad, funny, and serious. I loved the teacher/student relationship.
Everyone should watch it!!!

[fallingcinders.livejournal.com]

Been meaning to watch this but never got the chance. People who've seen it here seen to have really enjoyed it, so I'll bump it up on my list of Korean movies that are musts.

[love4movies.livejournal.com]

This looks interesting! Must admit haven't heard of it before, but the cast looks promising.

My biggest mentor? In school my music teacher. She inspired us to think for ourselves. RIP. In RL my husband, because he completes me.

[a-perfect-shade.livejournal.com]

i really love yoo ah in as an actor (ignoring his reality show douchiness) but i haven't heard of this movie! would love to see it~~

[merely-a-facade.livejournal.com]

I know you commented a few months ago so I really hope Omona doesn't have a necro!rule. I just watched Punch and fell in love with Yoo Ah In; then, googled its Omona reviews... so I'm just curious what kind of reality show douchiness you were referring to? If you don't mind explaining... thanks :)

[a-perfect-shade.livejournal.com]

lol np. he had a reality show called launch my life. if you like him, don't watch it. i was happier when i was his fan lol

[merely-a-facade.livejournal.com]

Gotcha. Thanks for the response :)

[steelsigns.livejournal.com]

A group of people I consider my family would probably be my youth group, CFC-Youth for Christ. I've just been with them for so long. Been in the community since I was a kid and joined YFC when I was 12 and, I'm turning 21 now. 9 years is a long time to be with a group of people. I love that we have the same beliefs and we all share a hope in getting through the bad times. Recently, they've been making me really sad (my own brain's fault, not theirs) but I guess only the people you love so much can affect you that much. Sometimes, when the going gets really tough and I stick around, I feel like I'm still in yfc because I've invested my whole adolescence into it and I can't bear to leave that behind. But then I remember that I'm with people who love me in spite of all the shitty things I do, such as having an irrational hate for them even when they've done nothing wrong. And even with my insecurities and all the bad thoughts in my head, I just have to remember that "just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, it doesn't mean they don't love you with al they have."

Actually, I didn't comment to participate in the giveaway hahaha. OP's question just struck me and I wanted to write about this 'family' of mine who I love-hate-love. Nonetheless, I would like to watch this movie!