The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Senior US general warns of possible looming war with China

  • 3

    BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records

  • 5

    TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride'

  • 7

    Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities

  • 9

    National pension anticipated to be fully drained in 2055: NPS

  • 11

    Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula

  • 13

    Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term

  • 15

    SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia

  • 17

    12 websites still unavailable after Chinese cyberattacks

  • 19

    Wall Street climbs to hit best level in nearly eight weeks

  • 2

    People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions

  • 4

    Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'

  • 6

    ENA's new dating show to spotlight young adult's romance

  • 8

    Bad weather disrupts operation of Jeju airport again after 3 days

  • 10

    More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality

  • 12

    Korea's rice consumption hits another low in 2022: data

  • 14

    Opposition leader Lee claims innocence in corruption probe

  • 16

    Police to build disaster prediction system to prevent recurrence of Itaewon tragedy

  • 18

    Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event

  • 20

    LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sun, January 29, 2023 | 04:15
Films
Dachimawa Lee Straddles Homage, Mockery
Posted : 2008-08-07 16:12
Updated : 2008-08-07 16:12
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

In Ryu Seung-wan's larger-than-life retro action film "Dachimawa Lee," Lim Won-hee, center, plays the role of the "handsome" spy while actresses Kong Hyo-jin, left, and Park Si-yeon are his sexy partners.
/ Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Hip young director Ryu Seng-wan (``The City of Violence,'' 2006) brings the big screen edition of an Internet flick that he calls ``abnormal.'' But the retro spy story ``Dachimawa Lee'' is so faithful to its own internal logic that it makes sense in wonderfully wrong ways, and its fine cast makes the larger-than-life story all the more endearing.

Dachimawa Lee, a character who can be described in Western parlance as a cross between Austin Powers and Mr. Bean, seems tailor-made for eccentric screen persona Lim Won-hee (``Le Grand Chef,'' 2007). The homely actor plays the role of the ``handsome'' and suave master spy ― and everyone, from love struck damsels to Japanese foes, reminds you of his good looks by swooning ``oh how handsome he is'' every other minute. He dodges bullets for the independence of his motherland and banishes his evil enemies on ``a fast train ride to hell,'' but he's also sensitive, and swallows back tears over women who break his heart.

Set during the 1940s in the last years of Japanese colonial rule, the film traces the whereabouts of a stolen national treasure, a golden Buddha statue that also contains a list of Korean freedom fighters wanted by imperial authorities.

Lee, however, fails miserably, and to add more woe, his ``Bond girls'' or sexy partner spies Yeon-ja (Kong Hyo-jin) and Mary (Park Si-yeon) perish in the process. The road to recovering his pride, however, becomes complicated by a Chinese merchant, quirky Korean vagabond (played by director Ryu's younger brother, popular actor Seung-beom) and a Japanese spy with a knack for magic tricks and his retinue of colorfully dressed ninjas.

Ryu walks a fine line between reverence and mockery of retro Korean action films ― a product of what he calls ``an ambivalent, love-hate'' sentiment toward his predecessors. The dialogue, all dubbed the old-fashioned way, is over the top, while action sequences are packed with Bruce Lee-style martial arts. The so-called Japanese and Chinese, with no offense intended for either of the languages, are, in fact mock jargon ― Korean spoken with Chinese intonation, by adding a ``la'' to every word. The Korean subtitles also ridicule the amateur translations in local pirated movies, where people often claim credit to their work using their Internet user ID.

The movie is light and entertaining enough, but a closer look shows the basis for serious analysis as a cinematic venture. The mock Japanese for example, is not simple comedy. In the 1970s, when there was an official ban on things Japanese in Korea, veteran directors like Im Kwon-taek had to deal with the situation by having so-called Japanese characters speak in Korean with a Japanese intonation. The old becomes new, and in this case, cause for big hearty laughter.

Renowned film critic Chung Sung-ill always says that movies are about watching the process of filmmaking, and the means for reaching the end becomes all the more relevant. The film takes the audience on a breathtaking run with the spies from Shanghai and Manchurian deserts to Princeton, New Jersey and the Swiss Alps. But believe it or not, the movie was shot 100 percent in Korea.

``Dachimawa Lee'' is a product of simultaneous combustion among the creative cast and crew. Kill preconceptions of what is appropriate in a movie, and be ready to laugh your heart out. It will also be an interesting compliment to the other, more ``serious'' and truly cross-border, multilingual film ``The Good, the Bad, the Weird.'' The costume design is by the same artist, who whips up more modern looks for ``Dachimawa Lee.''

In theaters Aug. 14. 12 and over. 99 minutes. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions
2Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities Cabinet ministries turn deaf ear to watchdog's advice on sexual minorities
3More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality More Korean manufacturers enjoy Georgia's hospitality
4Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula Seoul to work with Hanoi to pursue peace on Korean peninsula
5Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term Superintendent of Seoul Education Office gets suspended jail term
6SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia SK E&S retains gov't support for Barossa gas project in Australia
7Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event Indonesia celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Korea via virtual event
8LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings LGES to capitalize on US IRA, Tesla partnership to continue record earnings
9KT&G aims to become global top-tier company KT&G aims to become global top-tier company
10Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed Middle East 'sales diplomacy' picks up speed
Top 5 Entertainment News
1BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records
2Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait' Jang Keun-suk steps out of his comfort zone with 'The Bait'
3Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film
4TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride' TXT brings together 'pansori' and fairy tale in new song 'Sugar Rush Ride'
5Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E' Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

wooribank
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group