Spin Kick

Actors:
Kim Dong Wan
Jeon Jae Hyun
Hyun Bin

A group of misfit Manesh High school students get arrested for getting into a fight on a bus by challenging anyone who dares to cross the line they have drawn. In order to stay in school and out of jail, the principle made a deal with the misfits to join the tae-kwon-do team. The challenge is to reclaim fame to Manesh High school , find a coach and keeping the misfits in the team without killing each other first. Yong Gaek (Kim Dong Wan) is the leader of the misfit gang leader who initially decides to stay in the team to win over a girl Seong Wan (Jeon Jae Hyun) but quickly found another reason to pursuit tae-kwon-do. Yong Gaek immediately clashes with the team captain Min Gyu (Hyun Bin) and tries to claim the title of the alpha male. Each member on the team has each of their own reason to win the competition.

The movie opens with a tone setting itself to be a comedy action film which quickly fades away and shifts into a more serious tone. Korean movies are known for spicing the movies up with a hint if not drown by comedy. Spin Kick is just like "Bad News Bears" where you take a bunch of amateurs and try to turn them into pro; no new concept here. Kim Dong Wan is originally a singer with boy band Shinwan and started venturing out to the acting world with "Spin Kick" being his first leading role. Hyun Bin is the reason why I decided to watch this movie because of "A Millionaire's Fist Love" and because he's cute. Actually I wanted to watch a comedy to relax on a Sunday and was disappointed I was not laughing out loud but digging into the sensitive side.

Spin Kick is a light movie you can enjoy with a decent not-so-fresh story with some eye candies. There's nothing particularly special about the movie, but if you're bored like me on a Sunday evening with nothing better to watch, give Spin Kick a chance to occupy your evening.

Merry-Go-Round (東風破)

Directors: Mak Yan Yan | Clement Cheng
Actors:
Teddy Robin (泰迪羅賓)
Nora Miao (苗可秀)
Ella Koon (官恩娜)
Lawrence Chou (周俊偉)
Denise Ho (何韻詩)

Merry-Go-Round, featured in Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, follows the story of three lost souls in Hong Kong. Merry (Ella Koon) is a terminally ill patient who goes to Hong Kong from San Francisco to find an internet friend Allen (Lawrence Chou) to confess her love out of loneliness. Eva (Nora Miao) is a Chinese herbal doctor going back to Hong Kong to stop his nephew from selling the herbal shop which has been passed down for generations. Allen is a man who's trying to find redemption by selling the herbal clinic to obtain a sum of money to help the wife of a co-worker.

After being rejected by Allen, Merry wonders to a coffin house, which stores coffins with the dead until claimed and shipped back to their hometown, meets Uncle Hill (Teddy Robin) who offers her a job as an assistance. While working at Tung Wah Coffin House and getting acquainted with Uncle Hill and learning his past, Merry desperately tries to win Allen's heart. Eva tries desperately to save the shop by peaking Allen's interest in herbal medicine. Allen is so filled with guilt he is willing to do anything to make sure his co-worker's wife and son is well taken cared of.

Merry-Go-Round maintains a good melancholy tone throughout the film. There were areas of the movie where the visual cinematography is beautifully done, but I didn't feel it was consistent throughout the film. The movie jumps back and forth from present to the past telling the love affair between Eva and Uncle Hill. It's always interesting to see the contrast between past and present and see how characters develop into who they are by getting a glimpse into their past. Merry-Go-Round moves in a decent pace which kept me engaged with a decent assembled cast. I didn't find anyone particularly standing out in the film, but it was definitely going down memory lane seeing Teddy Robin in films again; known to be a comedic actor in films such as "Three Against the World" and "Working Class." Lawrence Chou may not be a household name, but definitely recognizable from films such as "The Eye" and "Recycle." He can be seen dropping his trouser in "Dream Home." Merry-Go-Round is worth watching for the enlightening soundtrack by Hong Kong musician Ketchup and somewhat engaging story of lonely souls trying to find their root in Hong Kong.