Monster Boy

Director Joon-Hwan Jang (''Save the Green Planet '') is characterized by two things: Excellent filmmaking and graphic violence. Hway is a drama/thriller , revolving about a boy raised by a gang of kidnappers/thieves/killers-in short: Not the most moral people of society. But it's not so simple- there is no black/white -only shades of grey. This is the cornerstone and what carries the film -complex characters and their relationship between each other. Brutality ,compassion , hate ,love , avengement, an so on. I won't go into detail here-see for yourself. All I can say is that this is korean filmmaking at its best- I almost shed a manly tear-isn't that proof enough-And I remind you: This is not some stereotypical sissy drama. Cinematography , acting , sound , action , plot- no shortcomings at all. Looking forward to more works of such an talented director 8/10 Would watch again

Since nobody has reviewed the movie yet, I thought I could share my impressions about this EXCELLENT movie.

First of all, I must admit that it had been quite a long time since I hadn't seen a good Korean movie, thus I was a bit skeptical at first. Fortunately, I immediately got absorbed in the movie. The actors are perfectly chosen, especially Jin-gu Yeo (Hwayi) who makes me think of Byung hun lee.

Now one of the few things I was afraid of was pointless conversations that don't add anything to the story except making it boring. But I'm glad to say there weren't any, and I enjoyed every single minutes of the movie from the beginning to the end. Moreover, I found the fighting scenes really well performed, it was so realistic that I jumped with fright a few times. As far as the story is concerned, it is thrilling, credible and touching.

In short, if you haven't view it yet, I strongly advise you to watch it, you won't be disappointed! 10/10

I would have probably enjoyed this movie when I was in my early teens over now. Despite all the blood and gore in this. The acting is good, but couldn't really get immersed into the characters or the story. I guess they did the best they could with 2 hours and multiple different characters. The rising star Yeo Jin-goo is still rough around the edges but still good for such a young actor. I think his acting chops will continue to grow, plus he already beats out other Korean actors that are older when it comes to acting. Another actor that stood out is Kim Sung-Kyun but that is because he seemed to be impersonating the Joker. The plot is similar to something from a graphic novel which I thought was cool. Unfortunately most of the areas in the movie just seemed so darn underdeveloped and rushed at times. Making certain situations not as gripping or even to the point of not making much sense. The situations could have been more tense if there was more development in the story and characters. It's a good movie to boost Yeo Jin-goo as a rising star, but it's not a thriller that sticks with you like "The Chaser" 2008. The plot is passable and the action for the most part is realistic and good to great acting to go along with it. I give it a 6.5/10.

6.5/10

This was not what I was expecting but it is a decent film. My opinion is that it was more action than suspense. It moves at a decent pace, acting is good and the plot is different. There is a lot emotion in it and the main character really did a great job conveying his conflictions. I'm not exactly sure what it is but it was missing a little something. Not a bad movie at all though. Just be prepared for some highly dramatic action if you choose to sit down and watch it.

The unluckiest one is Hwayi himself, my goodness. The thing about him seeing monsters seemed pretty irrelevant overall, instead the real monsters were his five 'fathers'. Amazing acting by the cast but I felt like there was something lacking about the story.