Spy Girl

Wow. Not even Gong Yoo could save this movie. The story was sooo boring… and there wasn’t even one real conflict throughout the entire movie! Even the way it was narrated was disappointing: it begins from Go Bong's point of view, and not even half-way through the movie, suddenly switches to the spy’s perspective instead. (You’d think it would be more interesting that way… but surprisingly enough, it's not!)

Normally, I'd be okay with this type of shift, but these characters are both so dull that jumping between their narrations is unnecessary, distracting, and pointless.

And, really! How can a spy be so uninteresting? Even her mission lacks everything that makes a spy intriguing... there's no danger, no mystery, no suspense. This is a movie, isn't it? Even if spies aren’t that interesting in real life, writers and directors are allowed to ‘spice it up’ for entertainment’s sake, right? I mean, there’s only so much espionage that can go down at a Burger King...

For a majority of the movie, she’s so wrapped up in her boring undercover-role that we rarely get to see her being kick-ass and cool (something She's On Duty accomplishes continuously and without effort). I think she goes into spy-mode perhaps once or twice throughout the entire film… and even then, its not impressive. She’s a good actress (I’ve seen her in several other things—including the drama, Taste Sweet Love/ Snow White) but in this movie, she really doesn’t have much to work with.

(If spy movies were always depicted this way, I think the espionage profession would dry out.)

As for the romance… I’m truthfully at a loss… there was no chemistry whatsoever. This alone is very rare, since Gong Yoo is known for making his co-stars shine when it comes to romantic scenes (of course, this film didn’t really have any, so it’s not really his fault). We’re talking about a character whose entire idea of romance involves buying his girlfriend a tube of lipstick… and then telling her shyly that he wants her to put it on and then kiss him. I just found that weird and almost fetish-like: next thing you know, he’ll tell her he just wants to smell her feet…

Gong Yoo is SOOO much better when he’s playing a cool character, like in She’s on Duty. Here, Go Bong (his name being one of the only funny jokes in this movie) is so average and uninteresting that anyone could have played him. Don’t get me wrong, the acting here was still great… but the characters, the script, the directing… everything was so bland, it didn’t matter. Nothing could have saved it!

It’s a great concept… just horrible execution.

So in conclusion, don’t waste your time with this movie.

There are many more just like it that are better written, have interesting characters, and involve an actual plot. If you’re a fan of Gong Yoo and just want to watch this for him… go ahead, but don’t expect to be constantly swooning. The opening scene alone shows him on a toilet, taking a dump—and not many of his other scenes will make your heart race, if you know what I mean. Though he does look cute when he's dressed like a spy. ^_^

My Rating:

Coffee Prince (17 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-17)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?  

She's on Duty!

This movie is just as awesome the second time around. I just love it to death! It has the perfect blend of action, comedy, and romance, and I just can't seem to get enough! Of course, I'm probably the only who thinks this, but I don't care. I can watch this over and over again and never get bored. Bare with me, as I try to figure out what it is about this movie that I like so much... ^_^

Yes, it is very cliche, and the plot resembles just about every other movie in this genre... but it just blends it all together so perfectly, that I don't seem to care. Think Miss Congeniality meets Never Been Kissed, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what this movie is like. But at least in this version, there's no cheesy message at the end that's supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

The acting, of course, was top-notch. Then again, Kim Sun Ah is one of my favorite Korean actresses, so I knew she wouldn't disappoint. Plus, as an added bonus, she's one of those actresses who isn't afraid to kiss on screen, and make it look realistic. I don't know how many movies and dramas I've seen where the main characters are supposed to be sharing this passionate, intimate kiss... and the girl is just standing there, looking uncomfortable, lips tightly closed. Grr, it completely ruins the moment. Kim Sun Ah is one of the rare exceptions, so I always know that at least as far as romance is concerned, I won't be disappointed!

And I never even realized that Gong Yoo played No-Young! That made me like that character even more! (As if I needed a reason to like him more than I did, lol). He was awesome in Hello My Teacher, so now I'm curious to see him in other roles.

Another thing I loved about this movie were the fight scenes. Honestly, I don't know much about that sort of thing--what constitutes a good fight scene, as opposed to a bad one--but I LOVE the ones in this movie, regardless! Maybe it's because the main character is a female protagonist, as opposed to a male, so you get to see a girl kicking butt for a change. haha, and she just does it so well--she's very nonchalant, and almost business-like. I guess there's just something about a girl taking on 10-15 guys at once (and winning!) that makes it all the cooler.

I also have to point out how awesome the music is. Any movie that has the guts to play an Irish song during a big, pivotal fight scene, has my respect. And I really liked the ending song... and since there are very few movies that can keep me listening throughout the credits, I felt I had to mention it.

The only problem I had with it, was the fact that we never really got to find out the name/history of one of the main characters. I would say their name, but I don't feel like putting up a spoiler warning for something so small, lol. Besides, anyone who watches it will know who I'm talking about...

Jane is just an awesome character... and I think that's the reason I like this movie so much. She's very no-nonsense, and just very, very cool. And her chemistry with No-Young is fantastic... them together, is the other reason I liked this movie. ;)

Anyway, to sum up, I adore this movie. It has the perfect balance of everything I love, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. This isn't the type of movie that will hook everyone-- especially if you're looking for something original or artsy. But if you're just looking for something fun, entertaining, and funny, to pass a couple hours... well then, you can't go wrong with She's on Duty. Either way, there are definitely worse things you could be watching. Plus, this is actually the second time I've watched this, and I'd happily buy it/watch it again, so I simply must give it top marks.

For me, this is another version of a perfect movie. And I don't care if everyone else thinks I'm insane for thinking so (which many probably do). She's On Duty is awesome... and nothing they say can make me change my mind. So there! :P

My Rating: