Customer Reviews

The Foul King

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I ordered this movie and it is a Chinese dubbed version of the Korean movie. Now that is great for someone who speaks Chinese, but if you are looking for the Korean version Amazon is defrauding you. For those of you who like foreign films, you need to urge Amazon to do the right thing and tell us what we are getting.

Being a huge admirer of Asian cinema and pro wrestling, I picked up "The Foul King" with few expectations; I was curious how a comedy about pro wrestling in South Korea would play out, especially years after South Korea's glory days of the pop-sport have come and gone.

For many of us Americanos who love Asian flicks are aware, comedy can get lost in translation and/or different cultural tastes. I found the comedy in The Foul King outright funny, with no humorous blockades or borders. The actors have a unique spontaneity, delivering physical humor that doesn't go too "over the top." The comedy is just shy of being typical sophomoric humor, but they pull in the reigns before they cross the line from comedic to buffoonery. Good dramatic performances are an effective contrast to the silliness, and these element make for one of my favorite DVD surprises in the past year.

We have seen similar premises since the silent movies: Dae-Ho is a mediocre performing office worker in a mediocre office, brow-beaten by an abusive supervisor, and pretty much a loser outside the office. He chances upon a pro wrestling gym, suffering in both the talent pool and the economic side, and whose owner is looking for potential students. Dae-Ho dreams of following in the footsteps of Korea's wrestling icons like Kim Il. The road to his fantasy has multiple snags & bumps, with organized crime and day-job conflicts jumping into the mix to keep this a fresh comic caper.

I recommend this DVD whole-heartedly. The protagonists are refreshing, the heels are loathsome. An age-old plot, yes...but an irresistible age-old plot!

Foul King is a Korean comedy about a [guy] stuck in a dead end job. He constantly daydreams about becoming a professional wrestler and manages to fulfill his dreams. You don't need to be a wrestling fan or Korean (or both) to enjoy this film. Even with the subtitles, it's funnier than most Hollywood "comedies" of recent years. I consider myself very picky when it comes to films..very few I like..esp comedies. But this one had me laughing out loud.

The movie overall is a bit slow, and lacks structure (and for this, I subtract one star). However, some of the moments in the movie are simply hilarious. I watched it in Korean without any subtitle, and am not sure how the humor would be found by non-Korean-speaking audience, but speaking for myself, I was gagging for breath at some scenes. I don't want to ruin the movie by giving you spoilers, but strongly recommend that everyone sees the movie at least once.
The actor who plays the main character for this movie (Song Kang-ho) is a very fine actor; see "joint security area" to witness him at the peak of his powers.

Ok, Kim Jee-Woon is no doubt talented and the film has a style and whimsy that seems to transcend cultural boundaries. Yet none of the film's plot strands coalesece into a coherent ending... well, because there is no ending! I find it interesting that not a SINGLE review mentions this, perhaps because the glossy exterior keeps us from pinpointing some of the glaring structural problems. Still, before everything leads to the inevitable and cliched final battle, FOUL KING is a rarity-- a comedy that is actually funny.

My school had a Korean film festival and this was one of the movies chosen to play. I really enjoyed it, as did the entire audience as evidenced by all the laughing. You can't help but like the main character and feel sorry for him. He gets himself into some interesting situations and at times this movie is very funny. I think in a way, the foreign culture contributes to the humor. Some things are just a tad off kilter from the perspective of the average American, which perhaps contributes to the playful atmosphere in ways the creators did not intend or expect.

The Foul King is an enjoyable movie whose main character (Dae-Ho)feels trapped in a job that he doesn't want. He may lack ambition, but this is do to he feeling of helplessness that many people feel in a profession they do not care for.

Dae-Ho is assulted my his manager at work, and is pretty much a loser, but you can't help but feel sorry for him,...even his father feels he is pathetic. One day while heading home he spots a gym and sees a poster advertising wrestling. Thinking about how he can learn to defend himself (he can't even escape a feeble headlock) he thinks about becoming a wrestler,or at least, learning how to wrestle. We come to lean he loved wrestling growing up and even mentions some true life Korean pro wrestling legends, Kim Il and Ultra Tiger Mask (who came before the Japanese Tiger Mask). Dae-Ho also finds out that his trainer was the original Ultra Tiger Mask, and he develops a sense of respect and responsability he has not shown in the movie prior . He learns the silly theatrics of pro wrestling but also learns the true athleticism that pro wrestling can require(more commonly found in Korea and especally Japan). The lead actor even does most of his own stunts.

The movie is serious about providing laughs but never takes itself too seriously, which is the secret to its humor. I've spoken to many who are not wrestling fans who but who have seen the movie and enjoy it for what it is, lighthearted, livley and most importantly...funny. And that is something that is missing from so many so-called comedies today.

This movie went on to become the all time top grossing Korean comedy and the second highest grossing Korean film over all. It is also what the American film "Joe Somebody" starring Tim Allen, was loosely based on.

If you can, rent it, and if you enjoy it half as much as I do, you may want to consider owning it. It gets better with each viewing.