Once Upon a Time in Corea 원스 어폰 어 타임 by Jeong Yong-ki (정용기) [2008]
24 April 2008A wacky romantic action film set during the period of brutal Japanese Oppression of Korea that never really seems to know where it is going, or what it is about. It has some impressive set pieces and looks great, but never delves too deeply into fact that many of these characters are turning against their open people, but then it is a silly caper type flick. It just seems that it doesn’t walk this edge to well. The film looks slick, but is not too impressive over all, a very very light popcorn piece set during much more serious times.
The film takes place during the end of World War 2 in Japanese occupied Korea, turning many Koreans into Japanese sympathizers with Japanese names who turned their back on their own people. The head of the Japanese occupation is obsessed with finding the amazing 2000 carat diamond called the Light of Dong Bang, which they have finally located, and plan on sending back to Japan, but 2 thieves are after it. One is a Jazz Singer names Choon-ja [Lee Bo-yeong (이보영)] a Japanese business man called Yamada [Kim Su-hyeon (김수현)]. Of course this puts the two butting heads, and running along side two idiot freedom fighters who are trying to take out the head of the Japanese occupation.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS….
When the Japanese decides to show off his new gem, both Choon-ja and Yamada go for it and but heads, but Yamada turns out to be Bong-ku a freedom fighter.
The head Korean working for the Japanese decides to kill 100 men who haven’t taken Japanese names unless the gem is given up, so Bong-ku goes to give it up in exchange for Choon-ja who has been taken and a ton of gold. And he makes the trade, but the gem turns out to be a fake, and was just used to get the Japanese gold to help the freedom fighters.
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Popcorn idiocy all the way around. Just a silly film with no meat whatsoever.