Fate (Sookmyeong/숙명-2008)

AKA: Destiny


Starring:
Seung-heon Song - Woo-min Kim
Sang-woo Kwone - Cheol-jeung Jo
Supporting Cast
In-kwon Kim - Do-wan Jeong
Nae-sang Ahn - Kang-seop Cha
Han-byeol Park - Eun-yeong
Min-ju Kim - Min-ju Kang
Jeong-woo - Jeong-hak Choi
Won-seok Yun - Man-gil Yun
Hye-suk Park - Woo-min's mother
Seong Ji
Soo-hyun Hong

"Don't be mislead. I never intended to pursue happiness." ~Woo-min

Four friends plot to steal money meant for the rival gang leader with hope of starting new lives. They follow through and succeed in taking the money but eventually get caught by the gang when one of the friends betrays. An arrangement is made so that the leader of the four goes to prison for the rest. However, when he gets out, he finds that the lives of the friends have turned for the worst. He wants to forget about the past and move on but finds himself left with no choice but to revenge.


OMG! I have been waiting for this movie since conception! My two most favorite men in history are in this movie.......

I loved it! I won't lie it wasn't their best but it was worthy. There isn't nothing wrong with this movie. Great action, acting, fighting. God, it had it all. I live and breathe these two men. When apart they stand out in their own right, but when put together on the screen......the film explodes into oblivion because these two are power packed actors who never leave me in doubt.

Must see! Fate is awesome. My only regret is that my Kwon Sang Woo was actually the bad guy in this. Usually these guys are put together and fight together not against each other. It was strange. Hey! And what was the deal with how Cheol-jeung was killed? That was a crappy way to put him out. That was Woo-min's job...gosh darn it!

The two finest Korean men I've ever seen!
Song Seung Hun/Kwon Sang Woo

My Tutor Friend (Dong-gab-nae-gi Kwa-oi-ha-gi, 동갑내기 과외하기-2003)

Starring:
Ha-Neul Kim - Su-wan
Sang-woo Kwone - Ji-hoon
Il-seob Baek - Ji-hoon's Father
Ji-woo Kim - Ho-kyeong
Yu Kong - Jong-soo
Dong-won Seo
Hyo-jun Park
Hye-ok Kim
Jeong-woo
Ja-ok Kim

Su-wan is a sophomore in college, and she works part-time as a tutor to cover her tuition since her father lost his job and started a small chicken eatery. Tutoring is a tough job, especially since basket cases are more curious about what's underneath her skirt (The mirror is the most commonly employed device in satisfying this curiosity.) than what's in the books. Again for the zillionth time, she couldn't hack it. It's been only 7 days since she started teaching her new student, and already she's been sacked. "No tutoring, no tuition," declares her mother to make sure she understands she has no choice. So Su-wan is back on the market, and meets her next challenge -- the impossible, the unconquerable and the unreformable Ji-hoon.

He's the eldest son of a wealthy upstart. At school, he's a well-known fighter and the king of troublemakers. And what's more, he's repeating his senior year for the third time. Ji-hoon, who boasts such an impressive school record, becomes a very unwilling student of Su-wan, who's the same age but in college. She is flabbergasted by his careless manners and speech, and his incessant smoking during the lesson. Extremely tempted to quit, Su-wan is determined not to lose this job since she doesn't want to disappoint her Mom. Yes, she'll bring him down on his knees and under her control, so as it may seem as she tries to convince herself, but Ji-hoon tramples on her courage with his bluntness:

"Hey babe, just sit over there for two hours and then leave. I'll make sure you get paid." "Oh, sure, why not."

That's how their lessons began. And from then on, things started happening one after another.



God, I really love this movie. This is my second time watching it. LOL! The first time I watched this, I had no clue who Kwon Sang Woo or Kim Ha Neul was. Watching this again, as I've become more familiar with names and faces, surprises me. Kwon Sang Woo, I will never get tired of looking at. He can play comedy, drama, action in the blink of an eye. He does them so well.

I guess I really needed to watch this because I'm feeling so down. My husband is in the US Army and has left for the "sandbox" (Iraq) again for the 3rd time. Ugh. Today, I'll be watching lots of romantic comedies to get me in a better mood. No sad, tragic romances...that would just make me suicidal. That means no Koizora for a long, long, long, long, long time.

So back to a better note...sorry there.

I think this was my very first Korean movie. I can't think of any that would pre-date this one. Anyway, this is one of my favorites and one of many that I have downloaded via internet!

For those of us, who are military dependents (U.S. or any other nation)................HUGS!

Kwon Sang Woo


Gong Yoo

Once Upon a Time in High School (Maljukgeori janhoksa, 말죽거리 잔혹사 -2004)

AKA: "Spirit Of Jeet Keun Do"


Starring:
Sang-woo Kwone ... Hyeon-su
Jeong-jin Lee ... Woo-shik
Ga-in Han ... Yu-jin
Hyo-jun Park ... Hamburger
Jin-ung Jo
Won-kwon Kim ... Jiksae
Jong-hyeok Lee ... Jong-hun
Dong-won Seo ... Seong-hun
Byeong-chun Kim
Bu-seon Kim
Han-seok Yang
Nae-sang Ahn
Ho-jin Cheon
Yeong-im Kim

In the spring of 1978, Hyun-soo transfers to Jungmoon High School in Kangnam where his mother thinks the land price will skyrocket due to the development of the area. Yet, Jungmoon High School is notorious for its severe corporal punishment by teachers and power struggles between school gangs. On the first day, he gets spanked with an aluminum baseball bat for violating the school¡¯s dress code. Then, one day, he plays basketball with his classmates and brings his team a victory, which allows him to become chummy with Woo-sik, a kingpin of the school. Before long, they find out that they both are huge fans of Bruce Lee and become best friends.

After school, on the bus, Hyun-soo and Woo-sik see a girl who resembles Olivia Hussey, the most popular foreign actress in Korea at that time. Her name is Eun-ju, a senior at a nearby girls¡¯ high school. Both fall in love with her at first sight. Hyun-soo is gentle and kind, while Woo-sik is tough and charismatic. Knowing Woo-sik is so different from her, she can¡¯t help but becomes attracted to him.

Hyun-soo endures the pain of his secret love for Eun-ju. However, Eun-ju and Woo-sik begin to bicker over petty things. While she¡¯s in pain over Woo-sik cheating on her, Hyun-soo sees a chance to win her heart. In the meantime, Woo-sik and Jong-hoon, a student patrol captain, get into a fight. In the duel, Jong-hoon cheats and beats up Woo-sik, who leaves school in the aftermath of his defeat. With Woo-sik gone, Jong-hoon abuses his power as student patrol captain and bullies whoever gets in his way. Hyun-soo falls into an Inferior Class, and Jong-hoon keeps bullying him. The corporal punishment and favoritism by the teachers gradually become worse. To make matter worse, Eun-ju chooses Woo-sik over him. Driven to the wall, Hyun-soo explodes. With nunchakus tucked in the back of his pants, he goes up to the roof after Jong-hoon.



OMG! Another freakin' good movie. I wasn't all that impressed with the ending...kind of left me with a "WTF?" But 99% of the movie rocked. OMG! Watch out for Kwon Sang Woo training for his big fight. I'm still in a dizzy after seeing him able to do some reverse crunches from hell that a normal person in their right mind could or would never do. I wanted to reach out and touch that stomach. OMG! I'm falling in love............

I was happy to see Lee Jong Hyuk (Powerful Opponents). Okay, he wasn't a good guy in this one...KSW kicked his butt and took some names. Whew!

This wasn't really a comedy by far. Definitely serious but some cute parts especially when they imitated Bruce Lee. This movie was inconjunction with Bruce Lee's life. Not a movie about him but about his famous martial artwork. Really good.

Lee Jeong Jin

Running Wild (야수, Ya-su-2005)

AKA: Wild Beast


Starring:
Sang-woo Kwone ... Jang Do-young
Ji-tae Yu ... Oh Jin-woo
Kil-Kang Ahn ... Yang Ki-taek
Seok-hyeon Jo ... Instructor
Jung-Hee Moon
Byung-ho Son ... Yu Kang-jin
Ji-won Uhm ... Kang Joo-hee
Yun-seok Kim
Han-wi Lee
Ju-sil Lee
Sung-ha Cho

"Jang Do-young is a tough, short-tempered, somewhat jaded homicide detective. Most members of his department regard him as a troublemaker and he has lost faith in the system. Jang has been struggling to nail Yoo Kang-jin, a notorious crime boss, with little success so far. Jang crosses paths with Oh Jin-woo, an elite prosecutor who graduated at the top of his class and who lives his life by the letter of the law. To Oh there would be no civilization without rules. Oh is also on a mission to bring Yoo to justice. He had managed to get Yoo put in jail some time ago, but the gangster got out early and is now preparing to run for political office. Oh thinks he ought to re-investigate Yoo; he's convinced there is enough evidence to put him away for good. So he and Jang form an uneasy alliance. When Yoo learns of this new threat, he decides to show them what they're up against. He gets his henchmen to attack Jang's family and he arranges to have Jang and Oh arrested for police harassment. The fight has now become personal. For Jang and Oh, it is no longer a matter of simple justice; whether they're prepared to admit it or not, the war with Yoo has become a matter of survival and revenge."



This was GRADE A, kick-ass! Kwon Sang Woo rocked my world! Damn, he's good. The best. This movie was just freakin' awesome. SUGOI!

From the beginning to the end, you couldn't wait for Do-young to kick bad-guy butt! With many poignant moments in between, the love he had shown his mother, girlfriend, and brother was gut wrenching and heart clenching.

The karma between Do-young and Jin-woo was amazing. Their characters were total opposites....one by the book and the other did what he had to do to get the answers he needed. They complimented each other rather well. Kind of like good cop, bad cop. One was almost angelic in his way of thinking where as the other was rather hell bent and was almost on his way there. But in the end, sometimes in everyday life the good guys don't always win....or do they?

Yu Ji Tae

Make It Big (Ildan dwieo, 일단 뛰어 -2002)

Starring:
Seung-heon Song - Sung-hwan
Beom-su Lee - Jin-won
Sang-woo Kwone - Woo-sup
Yeong-jun Kim - Ji-hyung
Jeong-eun Lim - Yu-jin

Three high school students - Sung-hwan. Woo-sup and Jin-won are on their way back from a birthday party for Sung-hwan's father. Several minutes later, a huge lump of cash and a bloody corpse crash on top of their car. With only a split second to decide, there is no option left for them... Meanwhile, a dedicated young detective named Ji-hyung, suspects Sung-hwan, Woo-sup and Jin-won of hiding the money, and watches every move they make. In the meantime, the real thieves and a ruthless gang are looking to get their money back. After the case gets terminated, Sung-hwan, Woo-sup and Jin-won secretly go to the place where Sung-hwan stashed the money. They look inside a pit to discover a new surprise waiting for them.



Can you say "double heaven"? Kwon Sang Woo and Song Seung Hun......HEAVEN!

This movie was a fun flick of 3 high school guys (I think they should have found younger characters because it was hard to believe these three were seniors in high school! All 3 of the guys are my age and in 2002 they were in their early 30's or upper 20's. Hello?). But.....the characters they played fit them all so well. I laughed so much because Kwon Sang Woo's character was a boy whore. LOL! Just the eye candy alone will keep you interested but their chemistry as comedians was superb. Kwon and Song are so well matched! I can't wait to see their new movie Fate once it makes it on the big internet fansub rush. Whew!

Kwon Sang Woo


Song Seung Hun


Both!

Love So Divine (Shinbu sueob, 신부수업-2004)

Starring:
Sang-woo Kwone - Kim 'Pedro' Gyu-shik
Ji-won Ha - Yang Bong-hie
Supporting Cast
In-kwon Kim - Shin Seon-dal
In-mun Kim - Father Nam
Seon-hwa Kim - Sister Kim
Hye-jin Jeon
Jae-hyeon Jo
Hye-na Kim
Hyo-jun Park
Hwan-jun Choi
Cheol-min Park

After getting into trouble at their seminary, seminarians Gyu-shik and Seon-dal are sent into the country for a month of service under the elderly Father Nam. Upon their arrival, Gyu-shik meets Father Nam's niece, Bong-hie, who has flown across from the United States to see her boyfriend. However, when her boyfriend ends their relationship, Bong-hie finds herself stranded at her uncle's church with nowhere else to go. At first she and Gyu-shik struggle to get along, but eventually they become attracted to one another, and Gyu-shik is forced to question his commitment to the priesthood.



I loved this movie. I loved Kwon Sang Woo. I just plain loved this movie.

I've read other reviews about this about how it disrespects the Roman Catholic religion. I didn't see it that way at all. I saw it as how God presented him with a present and that was Bong-hie. He was a faithful servant to the Lord. And what better present than a gift of "Love". He proved himself time and again to Him. And at that last moment right before he was to become a priest, I cried along with him. That was a poignant moment when his faith to God was tested. I have to believe God has a plan and to that end in the movie, that was a proven.

In all, this movie was very funny and beautiful and so fun to watch. It'll make you feel good, that is for sure.

Kwon Sang Woo

Volcano High (2001) - 화산고

Starring:
Jang Hyuk - Kim Kyung-Soo: Main character whose powers caused him to get kicked out of school. Volcano High is the last school that will accept him.

Shin Min-a - Yoo Chae-Yi: Nicknamed and described as "Icy Jade". Captain of the Kendo team and love interest of Kyung-Soo.

Kim Su-ro - Jang Ryang: Nicknamed "Dark Ox". Leader of the Dark Oxen and captain of the weight-lifting team. One of the most powerful and feared fighters at Volcano High.

Kwon Sang-woo - Song Hak-rim: Described as "Elegant Crane in a Pine Forest". The most powerful martial artist in Volcano High. He is imprisoned after being framed by Jang Ryang for trying to steal the Manuscript.

Kong Hyo-jin - So Yo-seon: Described as "Single Hearted". Admirer of Song Hak-rim and co-captain of the Kendo team.

Kim Hyeong-jong - Shimma: Captain of the rugby union team.
Huh Jun-ho - Mr. Ma: Leader of the 5 Teachers who are sent to discipline the students. He has a history with Kyung-Soo.

Byeon Hee-bong - Vice Principal Jang Hak-Sa: Enlists the help of the 5 teachers and is angry due to the fact he isn't the principal.



High school has always been a problem for Kim. Having gone through eight in his short life because of his inability to control his supernatural powers, Kim isn't too excited about his next one. Transferred to the mysterious Volcano High, Kim arrives only to find that he may have found a place where he belongs. There, teachers, students, and some athletic clubs are engaged in a race against one another to find a secret martial arts manuscript...

Before I go into my high-and-mighty review, I must mention that Shin Min-ah is in this. Go Min-ah. She was in A Love to Kill with....you guessed it....my Jeong Ji-Hoon....my Rain!!!! Woo-hoo! Damn woman has kissed those ever lovin' hot man's lips. *sigh*

Other than the hot looking Jang Hyuk and Kwon Sang-woo, this movie was the stupidest movie to the highest power. The only thing it had going for it, besides the afore mentioned men, the fighting choreography was pretty cool. That is it. Nada, zero, nothing, nai. Too much jumping around in the story. It made my brain short circuit. Aaagh! Definitely a teen movie, I guess. But then I don't think my kids would watch it either.

Jang Hyuk

It was so hard to find pics of him. What is it about Korean men and six packs! DAMN!! Holy Enchilada!!

Jang Woo Hyuk overtook the photobucket tag space. Geez. Let me add that JWH is a hottie too. Maybe he'll be in a few dramas or something. LOL!

Kwon Sang Woo

Again...six packs? I first saw Sang-woo in the movie My Tutor Friend. That was such a sweet movie. Loved it. Most of us girls will relate. *sigh*