Hae-jeok: Do-kkae-bi gis-bal

This is what you end up with when you mix up the scripts of Pirates of the Caribbean with the 70s trash 'Monkey' (or the Water Margin, which was even more unfathomable). Somebody might be able to make some sense of this but I couldn't. It's overacted to the nth degree, which just gets tiresome; even Jim Carrey can't compete with range of idiot facial expressions on parade here.

For all that, it does have its charms, and managing to get to the end of it felt like a triumph of sorts. Not recommended, but not dismissed either.

I'll keep it short:

If you're looking for a pirates movie with excellent production values and set designs, great visuals and camera work, some sillyness and funny (perhaps a little bit annoying) character dynamics, nice cast, good amount of fast-paced, comic book action, some historical period setting in South Korea and just get excellently entertained, then this movie is recommended for you.

Somewhere between Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and a Screwball Comedy, this movie is a good watch.

Because of some back and forth time jumps in the storytelling that got me confused, some too silly silliness and some all too well known tropes, I've got to deduct some stars, but still: A highly entaining, greatly crafted action adventure comedy Pirates movie.

Recommended.

Silliness and action galore if that's what lights your fire. This forgoes some of the strengths I usually associate with Korean drama (deft plotting, strong rounded characters, great acting) and just about gets away with it. That's partly because it is not trying to be anything other than what it is: an action comedy. And both the action and the comedy scrape over the bar.

I had completely forgotten about the other Pirates movie. No not Jack Sparrow - the other Korean Pirates movie this is a sequel to. Now that may not say a lot about the movie, but it is rather saying something about me remembering stuff. And again that is not being mean to the movie - it was nice, as is this.

The effects are more than decent, the story is fine ... and there are Penguins in this one. I mean, what more could you ask for? A bit of inclusivity, like a strong female character? Check on that too ... or is it check ... mate? Not even sure that would count as pirate pun, but here we go.

Korean cinema has really produced some great movies - either dramas or in genre fare. And in this case it is genre, suspend your disbelief, get on board and ... float with the flow.

Not up to Korean standards. Good cast, but mediocre writing and sloppy directing with inexplicable scene shifts that break attention. It has a few enjoyable moments, but the first film with Son Yi Jin is far better.