Long Live The King: Mokpo Hero (2019)

Hilariously cute with a reasonably sound plot.

Uk those overdone wattpad fictions which have this bad mafia guy who tries to become good for that one girl. Well this was a much subtle and lighter version of that. The focus stays more on the ML's progressive changes in personality. It has a lot of comedic relief. And Kim Rae Won as always delivers whatever be the role. Jin Seon Kyu's character and bits, all witty and funny. And this very special cameo which I personally exclaimed at and enjoyed a lot. I will say that the skinship was a bit lacking but then that was only a subplot, plus the ending leaves you kinda giddy with some feel-good scenes. A very great one -time watch.

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I watched this film twice. That's how much I loved it. If you're looking for a film about local politics that actually isn't too heavy or depressing to watch, I highly recommend "롱 리브 더 킹: 목포 영웅 (Long Live the King: Mokpo Hero)".

I love films and dramas with cold-turned-warm gangsters who were always inherently good but battled with the hardships of life, poverty and being outcasts of society. There is something about changing your old ways, shedding an old, shameful skin and "being reborn" that attracts me. Perhaps, it is a reminder that everyone and anyone can be a better person if they strive to be. This film is reminiscent of that. If you are a sucker for this trope, get onto this movie.

The only thing I would say is that the film is quite mild and predictable. The film does attempt to dissect politics, corruption and "the evils of capitalism" in the two hours it's got, but the coverage is general and only serves to frame the plot (it is really only scratching at the surface of those issues). However, given the style of the film, I don't think the film was designed to really unravel that. I think people tend to forget that it is a story of self-discovery and romance (even if the romance was subtle) so if you were looking for a thriller, this is not it.

While the film was not exactly riveting, the self-discovery and personal development that our main lead undergoes was pleasant to watch. The development did lack some depth but it was heart-felt and for me, that was all that mattered.

Lastly, I was surprised to hear the pop classic and my 십팔번, "사랑한다는 말 (The Words I Love You)" during the film and ending credits (a lovely song for a lovely film).

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Switch out the male lead for someone like Lee Joon Gi and this would be a 10/10 from everyone and overall score would be around 8-9. Typical K-fandom.

Yes the plot was relatively predictable and cliche but the delivery was all that mattered here. The movie didn't start off by pretending to be unique but it capitalized on the natural and realistic delivery of it. The antagonist was my only issue, as he was a bit excessive. Nonetheless, forget visuals and focus on the experience watching this, I'm not saying it's a 10/10 but it's nowhere near a 5 or whatever.

Instead of casting a pretty boy who does nothing but pose and smile, the male lead was a very convincing actor for the role. From his appearance to his acting, switching between his temperamental and kind side without being a douchebag like every other actor that would've played the role, was a huge plus.

The chemistry between leads and their synergy with the cast was good as well, cinematography was also relevant to it's style. Yes this wasn't a one of a kind unforgettable movie, but for the experience overall and seeing a very convincing "thug" with a soft side, stumble and at times embarrass himself trying to become a better person was worth an 8/10 in my opinion.

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Politics is for crooks and liars

I stumbled on this movie on Viki and decided to watch it because of Kim Rae Won. He has proved to be a versatile actor who can play almost anything, from romcom to drama, from tragedy to thrillers, and I wasn't disappointed.

Long Live The King made me laugh out loud sometimes. The story is perhaps plain and simple about a gangster who starts running for local elections of the government, but it has a nice flow that I miss in many k-drama nowadays. Moreover it is rarely seen that both the casting and acting are on point, and I mean not only the main actors but also the supporting cast. The romance isn't boring either, although it is plain and simple from the start. It is the ardent, instant love for a petite female lawyer with balls that makes our hero set on changing his ways.

The outcome of this movie seems to be that politics is for crooks and liars only, as they are both adept at playing the game of power, but I wouldn't mind if people like Jang run the country. So, well done.

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Light Hearted Fun

I ran across this on Viki and decided to give it a go based on the premise alone. I am an absolute sucker for love at first sight stories and I don't mind any of the inevitable cheesiness that comes with it. Thankfully, this is light on the cheese because the ML and FL don't spend that much romantic time together. He meets her and falls in love and then spends the ENTIRE movie trying to prove himself worthy of her love. Whole months elapse during this period, so you can assume this is a long term effort because everyone around him says so. Again, there aren't that many scenes between the ML and FL, but you know the ML is working hard for her love because that's they whole point and plot of the movie. Because this is an an action/comedy/romance then there are some fight scenes, which are surprisingly well done all things considering. Overall, the movie had a nice blend of everything I liked. I wished there was more chemistry between the ML and FL, but again that's not really the point. We aren't meant to understand why this particular woman lights his fire, you just know that she does, so really you don't need that many scenes with her to convey that point. If you're looking for an out and out romance with all that entails, then you should probably pass on this; though, you may want to give it a try. I laughed at loud at certain parts and the ML is quite easy on the eyes. Theres's also a nice height difference between him and the girl, which looks very cute on screen, especially when she calls him a yeti...lol

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it the word 'okay' could be a movie, it would be this one.

there wasn't anything bad or wrong about it. nothing problematic either. but similarly there was nothing really great about it too. it was painfully mediocre.

the actors did a great job with the one dimensional roles they were offered. but the plot was so average, i was bored throughout it. and it wasn't even two hours long. that's a very short movie for someone like me who has grown up watching bollywood.

i think the main issue with this movie was that everything was so surface level, that they all ended up doing nothing for the plot. the things just happen to move the story forward and nothing was given enough emphasis so the watchers could actually connect and empathize with the characters. every side storyline too - like the murder case from the past and his relationship with his mom, felt so small and flat that i didn't care about them.

overall, average.

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