Okay! Madam (2020) [Film Review]

Okay! Madam; or, National Lampoon’s Airborne Vacation
     We have to go on this trip!
It has been a while, but I am getting back into Korean movies again. I am not sure if this is a long term thing or a passing mood, but I decided to check out some Korean comedies. My obvious first pick became Lee Chul Ha’s Okay! Madam from 2020. I admit that the movie would have totally missed my radar had it not been for a recommendation post made by my friend @penel over at MyDramaList.

Release Info

Directed by: Lee Chul Ha Starring: Uhm Jung Hwa, Park Sung Woong, Jung Soo Bin

Language: Korean Original Title: 오케이 마담 Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Mi Young (Uhm Jung Hwa) and Suk Hwan (Park Sung Woong) are a middle-class family. She runs a shop at a traditional market, and he is a technology wizard who fixes computers. All of a sudden, it turns out that they win a trip to Hawaii. The couple together with their daughter (Jung Soo Bin) board an exclusive plane. Nevertheless, family happiness is quickly disrupted when a group of terrorists takes over the plane. The assailants are looking for a former spy from North Korea who is allegedly on board. Mi Young and Suk Hwan step into action to save their daughter and the rest of the hostages.

High Anxiety
When I saw @penel’s feed post for the first time, I thought to myself, “Oh cool, it's a plane movie!” It was only later when I realised that Okay! Madam is also a comedy. Indeed, it is very hard to make a successful comedy set on board of an aircraft. However, there are a few noticeable examples, such as Airplane! (1980) and Happy Flight (2008).

Okay! Madam is a very light-hearted and briskly paced fun entertainment. It even manages to conjure up a few plot twists along the way. Consequently, I am very grateful I checked out the film without paying attention to the plot synopsis or watching a spoiler-charged theatrical trailer. I suggest you do this as well in order to get full enjoyment out of the movie.

I realise that some demanding viewers may be put off by the film’s low production value. Evidently, it was made on a tight budget, which can be seen in many CGI shots of a plane in distress, whereas all the interior shots were shot in studio conditions. Still again, the greatest advantage of the movie is the script and great performances of the leads.

Speaking about performances, Uhm Jung Hwa is having such a field day in this movie! I mainly know the actress from her dramatic endeavours, but in Okay! Madam she clearly demonstrates her comic abilities. Park Sung Woong is also funny as the geeky husband. Lee Sang Yoon makes a standard appearance as your ordinary Mr Tough Guy, but he does well with his role. The rest of the supporting appearances are fine, but do not particularly stand out.

Recommendations
Even though the film is a Korean production, it makes me wonder if the title is actually a witty reference to Corey Yuen's action-packed Yes, Madam! (1985) which jettisoned Michelle Yeon into stardom. All in all, I greatly enjoyed Okay! Madam. The movie is available on numerous streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime. Overall score: 8/10

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The Captain (2019) [Film Review]

The Captain; or, Into the Storm

     Attention passengers, I am the purser of this flight. The pilot and flight attendants are trained day to day, in order to ensure everyone's safety. That is our purpose on-board this aircraft. Please trust our captain. We will go home together.
After Operation Mekong (2016), Operation Red Sea (2018), and The Bravest (2019), the Chinese cinema industry continues on with the series of epic tales about infallible servicemen. Andrew Lau’s The Captain is such a movie and it was inspired by a true story of the Sichuan Airlines flight 3U8633 incident.

Release Info

Directed by: Andrew Lau Starring: Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan, Ou Hao, Du Jiang

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 中国机长 Runtime: 111 min

Synopsis

The story takes place on the 14th of May, 2018. Captain Liu Chuanjian (Zhang Hanyu) prepares for a standard flight from Chongquing to Lhasa together with his two co-pilots as well as the flight attendants supervised by a Chief Purser (Yuan Quan). Passengers board an Airbus A319 plane and everything seems to be in order. Forty minutes after take-off, on the altitude of 32,000 feet, the windshield blows out, sucking one of the co-pilots halfway out of the cockpit. The plane is now depressurized and with inoperative radio communication. To make matters worse, the flight is cut off on the Tibetan Plateau from the nearest emergency landing site because of the raging storm. The only hope for the survival of 119 passengers are Captain Liu Chuanjian and his crew.

 

Plane vs. Nature

The Captain is a fascinating disaster movie which, instead of descending into slow-paced American procedural dramas like Flight (2012) or Sully (2016), goes all action and throws callbacks to such memorable motion pictures like Airport (1970) and Miracle Landing (1990). Even though Zhang Hanyu dominates the screen with his charismatic presence, The Captain is not a one-man show because it strives to faithfully retell the tragedy of Sichuan Airlines flight. The movie goes to such an extent on this matter that it even pays a beautiful tribute to the real heroes in the end credits.

 

The movie’s primary assets are awesome visuals, evidently improved with decent CGI effects. In addition, elaborate action sequences will certainly keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. However, some should prepare for a little dose of clichés (flashbacks about loved ones, passengers having panic attacks) and pathos (trusting the crew) which are, in a way, obligatory for this kind of movie.

 

With regard to performances, Zhang Hanyu is obviously too cool for school as the captain saving the day. Second best performer, and a true highlight of this picture, is Yuan Quan as the Chief Purser. There are also some really good performances from the actors and actresses playing the passengers in distress.

 

Recommendations

If you have a chance, then get on board with The Captain, fasten your seat belts, and experience the worst case scenario with a miraculous ending. Apart from being an informative account of the crew’s heroism, it is also one gripping story. The Captain will keep you entertained from beginning to the end.

Overall score: 9/10

The Negotiator The Movie (2010) [Film Review]

The Negotiator The Movie; or, This is NOT a Bayside Shakedown Spin-off!

     What I hate the most are people who subdue everything with strength!

During my search for a police procedural drama, I have found a conspicuously-looking show from TV Asahi called Koshonin (2008). I gave the first episode a go and the drama looks pretty solid; however, it turned out all of a sudden that there’s not only a second season to the series, but also a theatrical film called Koshonin The Movie: The Fight at 10,000 metres! Wait a minute, I think I’ve heard a similar title before... Anyways, I just had to check out the film about Ryoko Yonekura in a hijacked plane! This is my review of The Negotiator The Movie.

Release Info

Directed by: Toshio Terada Starring: Ryoko Yonekura, Takashi Sorimachi, Toshio Kakei

Language: Japanese Original Title: 交渉人 THE MOVIE〜タイムリミット高度10,000mの頭脳戦 Runtime: 122 min

 

Synopsis

Reiko Usagi (Ryoko Yonekura) is a member of the SIT (Special Investigation Team), which handles the most difficult cases as they happen at the crime scene. 260 million yen were stolen from an armoured vehicle. The robbers bust into a shopping mall and take customers hostage. Reiko tries to negotiate, as she was professionally trained to do so, but suddenly, a large explosion takes place. In the moment of chaos, customers rush out of the mall in panic and the criminals blend into the crowd. Only the head of the gang, Mido (Masahiko Tsugawa), is apprehended. Sometime later, Reiko intends to go on vacation. At Haneda Airport, she spots one of the hostages, Yusuke Kimoto (Kento Hayashi). Suspecting that something may be going on, Reiko follows the man. It turns out that the airplane they boarded is hijacked shortly after take-off...

 

“Watashi Shippai Shinai No De”

I have checked out The Negotiator quite spontaneously and without any high expectations. It was quite entertaining and well made, but if you expect to see a non-stop action in the style of Die Hard (1989) then I suggest watching Air Force One (1997) instead. In fact, The Negotiator is a slow burning suspense thriller, and its only fault is the reliance on the overused “hijacked plane” motif.

 

Evidently, the screenplay tries to move away from the standard terrorists-plotline by introducing a whole new subplot with a twist(!) which, unfortunately, is not all that breathtaking. By fiddling with the formula and trying to cram Law Abiding Citizen (2009) into Turbulence (1997), the story of The Negotiator, at best, passes as a mediocre idea, taken out of Security Police's in-joke, which would do better as the special episode of the drama.

 

Apart from this issue, there are only advantages. The cinematography is great, the music score quite distinct and catchy, but the ensemble cast is what makes this particular movie a fun to watch, especially if you are into J-dramas! I spotted so many familiar faces that I just couldn’t help myself and made the “Starring section” inspired by Honest Trailers at the very end of this review.

 

Ryoko Yonekura is wonderful as Reiko Usagi, but in my eyes she will always be the unbeatable Daimon Michiko-sensei. Sadly, The Negotiator to date remains Ryoko’s only theatrical effort. The supporting characters are awesome as well. Takashi Sorimachi deserves the highest praise as the main bad guy who takes over the airplane and keeps his cool at all times. In addition, it’s quite hilarious to see Toshiro Yanagiba and Toshio Kakei back in action together, even though this is most certainly not a Bayside Shakedown spin-off.

 

Recommendations

Safely recommended to anyone who likes the original Koshonin drama. The movie is A-okay to watch for one time, but it won’t leave a lasting impression on you. However, it has a lot of fun stuff to offer, in spite of an underdeveloped storyline. I am secretly hoping for a new theatrical feature with better material for Ryoko to work on. Maybe... Doctor X: The Movie? Please...?

Now, here comes the Starring Section:

AND

Trailer:

Overall score: 6/10