KMK: Woochi Movie Review

A couple of weekends ago I took in a korean movie with my friends. This was a rare occasion because I haven’t seen a Korean movie since last years the Good, the Bad and the Weird. It’s not for lack of interest. I’m keen on Korean movies, but it just so happens that the majority of them are not shown with English subtitles. I’m sure I could follow along well enough in an action movie, but I really am a movie goer concerned with things like dialogue so I don’t bother.

I’m happy to let you know that Woochi can indeed be seen with subtitles and that it’s well worth it to go and see it. It’s a rip roaring fantasy adventure complete with humor, action, and a touch of romance. The story begins in medieval Korea and centers on the title character, Woochi, a cocky Taoist wizard in training who terrorizes his kingdom trying to get the better of arrogant kings as well as bloodthirsty bandits.

He’s helped by his sidekick, Chorangyi, a dog who can assume other animal forms who dreams of being turned human. Woochi becomes embroiled in a plot by a band of demons, who resemble the characters from the lunar new year calendar, who desperately want to retrieve a golden flute once played by the one god to keep them at bay and now loose in the world.

The flute is also being pursued by a trio of immortal demigods who are charged with keeping it safe from the demons. Due to their own mishap the flute becomes lost in the world and they decide the best way to set things right is to recruit the most powerful wizards to reclaim it. To this end they approach Hwadam, one of the great wizards of the land, to find and retrieve the flute that has fallen into the hands of Woochi.

Hwadam follows Woochi to his hideaway hidden in a painting and confronts both the wizard and his master. The master decides to split the flute which can then only be reattached by the three demigods, thus keeping it safe from the demons. All seems well but Hwadam still desires the flute. You see the demons can assume human form and in that disguise can forget that they are even demons until the prospect of retrieving the flute becomes possible. He realizes he is one of the demons and plots to frame Woochi for his master’s murder.

Woochi and Chorangyi become trapped in a painting, along with the flute that, due to a fluke, ends up being split in two thereby denying Hwadam, for 500 years, the chance to repair the it.

In present day Seoul the trio of bumbling demigods find themselves on the hunt for the demons once again. The wizard Hwadam is no where to to be found and so, desperate, they release Woochi who is understandably unconcerned about their plight until they convince him on the untold honor to be had for vanquishing the demons. He agrees, unfortunately his talismans remain in the painting with Horangyi.

The demons once again make their move to reclaim the halves of the flute and it becomes a race to free Horangyi, get the talismans, and once again vanquish the demons. During all of this there are fish out of water scenes of the duo trying to understand the new modern Korea. Along the way Woochi encounters the reincarnated spirit of a princess he once saved who has a mystery all of her own to unfold. Needless to say Hwadam returns to make a bid for the flute and its an all out magic duel to save the world.

I have to admit that at first I just couldn’t get into the movie. The beginning sequence is long and drawn out, but as the movie kept going I began to fall under its spell. It really is a good fun time even though it probably could be thirty minutes shorter. The performances are all solid and the special effects are top notch.

If you’re dying to see a Korean Hit Movie then this is the one. The CGV at yongsan station is showing it with English subtitles. Check it out.

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