Neither Park Seong-kwang nor me, ‘Woong-nam’

It wasn't focused on comedy or noir. Trying to kill two birds with one stone was greedy. In the end, comedian Park Seong-kwang's dream was ruined. This is the story of the movie ‘Woongnam’.

'Woongnam' is a comical action film in which a man with a special secret called Asiatic Black Bear uses his unique beast-like abilities to cooperate in an investigation against an international criminal organization.

In 1997, twin black bears were secretly managed at the Jongbok Technical Center. Scientist Na Bok-cheon (played by Oh Dal-su) refers to the twin black bears as ‘my cubs.’ Meanwhile, the twin black bears disappear. Na Bok-cheon, who went on a search himself, found a child wearing a machine attached to the twin black bears.

Na Bok-cheon's wife (played by Yeom Hye-ran) wraps the found child in her outer clothing and takes him home. In this way, the two raise one of the human Asiatic black bear twin brothers. The person who was raised by humans was Woongnam (played by Park Seong-woong). Woongnam has characteristics that rival those of a superhero. He used to be a police officer, but for some reason he is now unemployed. However, Woongnam has friends by his side, YouTuber Malbong (played by Lee Yi-kyung), who only has 10 subscribers, and police officer Nara (played by Baek Ji-hye).

Woongnam's once peaceful life suddenly changes. Woongnam accidentally became entangled with an international criminal organization. Ungnam meets his twin brother, Eungbuk (played by Park Seong-woong), who has grown into the second-in-command under Lee Jeong-sik (played by Choi Min-soo). What will happen to Woongnam, who goes from a Asiatic black bear to a human?

'Woongnam' takes the myth of Dangun as a motif and takes the setting of twin bears who became human after eating mugwort and garlic for 100 days. The myth of Dangun is not a novel subject. It is a story that anyone would have imagined at least once after hearing the myth of Dangun as a child or reading it in a book. The overall story of ‘Woongnam’ is also predictable. Because it depicts exactly what I thought, ‘Is it going to be like this?’

Comedian Park Seong-kwang has expressed his long-standing dream of becoming a film director. The first thing that comes to mind is the comedian’s code of laughter. However, in 'Woongnam', gag codes that do not fit with the current trend of MZ culture appearing one after another. Rather than saying something that makes you laugh because it's funny, there are many elements that make you blush. Maybe it was ‘comedian’ Park Seong-gwang’s arrogant judgment.

Park Sung-woong, Lee Yi-kyung, Yeom Hye-ran, Choi Min-soo, Oh Dal-su, Yoon Je-moon, Baek Ji-hye, Seo Dong-won, and Han Da-sol completed the 'Woongnam' cast lineup. Park Seong-woong was Park Seong-woong, and Lee Yi-kyung was Lee Yi-kyung. The same goes for Oh Dal-su and Yoon Je-moon. However, Yeom Hye-ran's acting skills were disappointing.

In sports where results are important, tactics are important. This tactic is planned by the coach, but I’m not sure what Park Seong-gwang’s strategy is. It's not even focused on comedy. However, it is not focused on noir. Scenes similar to those seen in other movies or dramas appear on the screen. There is not a single error. Because of Park Sung-woong's physical appearance, only the fit of his suit stands out. Even if the running time is short, rather than making you concentrate, it creates a desire to change your posture several times and look at your cell phone.

The comedy of 'comedian' Park Seong-gwang, which raised expectations, was not dramatic. He said he felt burdened by the title of comedian-turned-film director, but people shine even more when they do what they are good at. The function of a movie is to support challenges, but to deliver satisfaction to the audience, whether it be laughter or emotion. It leaves one wondering what director Park Seong-kwang wants to convey. In the end, Park Seong-gwang's long-time dream had no choice but to end as just a dream, and he became nothing more than a 'Woongnam'.

Released on March 22nd. Suitable for ages 15 and older. Running time 98 minutes.

Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr