Hearing all the talk about “Captain Marvel” prior to its release, I was concerned about one thing: Would this film, which depicts the power of women, be so hung up on being a politically correct “feminist film” that it would forget to be an actual film?My concern was unwarranted, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest movie not only delivered a relevant message, but was also fun to watch. While it did have some shortcomings, the film lived up to the standards the audience has come to expect f

The bitter irony of the film franchise unofficially called DC Extended Universe is that most of its star players have been throwing up bricks while those initially thought of as backups have been slamming it home. It is now up to “Shazam!” a superhero film based on a character of the same name, to pump life into DC in what has been a losing battle against the far more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe.Warner Bros. Korea on Tuesday announced the new comic book-based film will be released here

"Captain Marvel" has already sold 240,000 tickets two days ahead of its theatrical release in South Korea, data showed Monday.The advance ticket sales of the Marvel superhero film recorded 245,880 as of 7 a.m. Monday, topping the ticket presale chart for the ninth consecutive day, the data from the Korean Film Council showed. (Image captured from Marvel`s website)This exceeded the number of advance tickets sold for other Marvel solo superhero films: "Black Panther" (180,000), "Doctor Strange" (1

A Resistance(Korea)Opened Feb. 27Drama, HistoryDirected by Jo Min-hoAfter the iconic March 1 Independence Movement of 1919, one of its leading figures, Yu Gwan-sun (Go Ah-sung), is sentenced to three years in prison and sent to the infamous Keijo Prison, now known as Seodaemun Prison. But being confined to a tiny cell with dozens of inmates does not hold back Yu, her unconquerable spirit seeping out from behind the locked doors.Savaha: The Sixth Finger(Korea)Opened Feb. 20Mystery, Horror Directe

With his mild demeanor and low baritone voice, Lee Sun-kyun has the look of a gentle soul. This is ironic given that he is playing a police officer that he describes as “a total scumbag” in director Lee Jeong-beom’s upcoming crime film “Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage.” “(My character) is a police officer, but he really is trash,” said Lee in describing his character Jo Pil-ho, during a promotional press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. “He doesn’t compare to other characters that I have

The cast of “Sun-Kissed Family” emphasized that the upcoming comedy film defies expectations by straying away from the formula for Korean family flicks. “Most family films play by the book, but this one destroys the existing format and was very open sexually. It depicts things that would happen in a European country in a fun way,” said Park Hee-soon, who plays the lead role of Jun-ho, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. “Sun-Kissed Family” / Megabox Plus M The poster for “

Innocent Witness (Korea) Opened Feb.13DramaDirected by Lee HanSun-ho (Jung Woo-sung) is a former human-rights lawyer who has given up on his dream of helping the little guys, in exchange for fatter paychecks. He takes on the case of an alleged murder of an old man, in which the only piece of evidence is testimony by autistic 15-year-old Ji-woo (Kim Hyang-gi), who witnessed the entire incident across the street from her window.Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA te

While the “Fantastic Beasts” series has been achieving its own success, the spinoff has us missing the original “Harry Potter” series even more. And now there is good news for fans: “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” has returned after nearly 20 years -- in 4DX. House elf Dobby (Warner Bros.)The motion picture technology 4DX has been developed by CJ CGV and stimulates the senses with special effects such as motion seats, wind, water, lights and scents.When this roller coaster of a cinema

It’s one thing for Jo Min-ho to direct a steaming pile of you-know-what like “A Million” and call it a “thriller.” But when you take a tale of Yu Gwan-sun -- one of the most-recognized independence fighters in Korea, yet whose story has not appeared in many films -- and butcher it like this, it is just unforgiveable.“A Resistance,” the movie about the heroic 16-year-old who died while fighting against Japan’s colonization of Korea, was one that had so much potential and one that I prayed would b

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Innocent Witness(Korea) Opened Feb.13DramaDirected by Lee HanSun-ho (Jung Woo-sung)

In only his second feature-length film, director Jang Jae-hyun cleverly builds up suspense while mixing it up with mystery and a message about religion in “Savaha: The Sixth Finger.” But it takes a U-turn toward the end, which I thought was a strange move.While it is not a bad film, I did not think the payoff was satisfying at the end of such a heart-pumping journey.The film starts with the backstory of Geum-hwa (Lee Jae-in) who was born with a twin sister she, and every member of the family, th

What sets a classic apart from a cliche? Both involve a deep sense of deja vu, a time-tested formula, yet the former is like wine that ripens with age while the latter feels repetitive and irrelevant.This is the case with Steven Caple Jr.’s “Creed 2,” which has no real surprises around the corner but manages to create a drama that tugs at the heartstrings with the classic narrative of the “Rocky” franchise.The film begins a few years after the action in “Creed,” with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jor

Finance is one of the most crucial elements of today’s capitalist society -- it can mean salvation for some and suffering for others. The upcoming film “Money” will look into this paradox.“Money is a very simple and basic word that has a different meaning for everyone. ... Each person has a different philosophy about it, and their way of life is affected by how they perceive it,” said Park Noo-ri on her directorial debut. “(Money) is the main subject matter of the film, while simultaneously the

Having drawn more than 12 million moviegoers so far, "Extreme Job" is just a step away from becoming the Korean box-office's No. 1 comedy film in history, data showed Sunday.The film has attracted 12.18 million moviegoers since its release on Jan. 23, after adding 776,162 on Saturday, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. (Yonhap)The record is close to the performance of the box-office No. 1 comedy, "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which drew 12.81 million moviegoers in 2012. The movie was

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Hit-and-Run Squad (Korea)Opened Jan. 30Action, CrimeDirected by Han Jun-heeLt. Eun