Canine movie star breaks more hearts in sequel

A scene from "Maumi (Hearty Paws) 2." The canine film sequel is in theaters July 21. /Courtesy of Fine Works

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff reporter

Imagine all the spunky tail-wagging, perky woofs and irresistible puppy eyes of “101 Dalmatians’’ ― but live. Korea’s canine heroine Dal-i, better known by her screen persona Maumi, has returned after four years with three puppies, offering quadruple the ``aww’’ factor in ``Maumi (Hearty Paws) 2.’’

It’s even alright if the film is, like many mainstream family movies, cookie cutter formulaic; sure, it’s programmed to hammer out specific emotions in the viewer to the point of being manipulative, but Maumi will keep you on the edge of your seat. Unlike its Hollywood or other international counterparts, no computer graphics were employed to render the million-dollar facial expressions of the furry protagonist; with such an Oscar-worthy dog, Disney animations no longer hold the monopoly on friendly animal characters.

The first installment was a groundbreaker in Korean cinema’s virtually non-existent animal movie genre, and attracted a sizeable audience with Maumi becoming a recognizable household name. It was thus the only film in the variety with hope for a follow-up story ― ``Paws 2,’’ much like its ``Tom and Jerry’’-esque triumph-of-the-underdog (mind the pun) storyline, symbolizes promise for minor genres in the local entertainment scene.

It is important to note that four years, particularly in dog years, is not a short amount of time. Dal-i had proven her acting skills in her big screen debut, where the drama was centered on her friendship with a boy. The passage of time has made our heroine a mother, both on and off screen (which explains her most natural portrayal of maternal instincts and her ``voluptuous’’ physique) as well as an actress with a greater burden on her shoulders: She dominates much of the film’s running time, being challenged to appear more than cute and domestic like typical pet movies ― appearing solo to express moments of despair and pensive reflection, provide nimble, exhilarating action sequences and even refrain from devouring sumptuous sausages.

The baby-faced Song Joong-ki has replaced Yoo Seung-ho in the role of Maumi’s beloved owner. But the humans are rather forgettable in the film, which is perhaps most appropriate for a movie in which the dog receives the highest paycheck among the cast members.

Dong-wuk is now a high school senior, but his reputation as a talented fighter always gets him into trouble, resulting in three transfers to different schools. Yet Maumi has stayed by his side as his loyal best friend. Dong-wuk’s mother, however, becomes concerned when he starts cutting classes to spend time with Maumi. The dog and her three pups are thus placed under the temporary foster care of Dong-wuk’s uncle at his video store.

One day Maumi’s three pups are spotted by a couple of jewelry thieves, Hyeok-pil (Seong Dong-il puts a more PG spin on his noted comic villain in the TV series ``Slave Hunters’’) and Du-pil (Kim Jeong-tae plays his first non-R rated film role). The duo are fugitives on the run after the heist and are scheming of ways to export the loot they stole. They think of the most heinous plan since perhaps Cruella de Vil, to kill a cute Labrador retriever pup and make him into a stuffed piece of taxidermy as a foolproof jewelry carrier.

Hyeok-pil and Du-pil manage to kidnap Jang-gun, the youngest of the three puppies. But Maumi is not about to let her child get away, and stages a face-off with the bandits by swallowing the diamonds and making a run for it.

While Maumi’s knack for breaking hearts remains the same, the sequel has gotten more humorous. It features ``Home Alone’’-style dynamics between Maumi and the ``Dumb and Dumber’’ bandits and will keep both kids and adults laughing out loud this summer, not only in Korea but for slated releases in China in August and Japan in the near future.
Hearty Paws 2 is in theaters from July 21. Distributed by Fine Works.

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