Opening Day: 16 October 2008

Synopsis:

SONG Soo-jung is a producer going on her third year at a small company. Her specialty is human interest stories. She is driven to produce these shallow stories for the sake of her ambition of one day becoming Korea’s own Oprah Winfrey. However, she is reaching the end of what’s left of her pride. One day, after months of not getting paid, she leaves her office with the company camera to produce a story on a lion apparently refusing to eat its meal. On her way, however, she comes across a robber, but she is saved somehow by Superman in a Hawaiian shirt. “Superman” claims he’s unable to tap into his supernatural powers as the bad guys have placed kryptonite inside his head. However, he doesn’t let that get in his way from helping others, from saving the world from global warming to saving a lost puppy. Soo-jung can see this will make a good story and, with a little tweaking and a little fabricating, she produces the Superman Saves the World documentary which goes on to be a ratings hit. However, the true story behind this “Superman,” including the bullet and not the kryptonite that is lodged in his brain, helps the frosty, calculating Soo-jung to awaken to what’s truly important in life.

Movie Review:

A man who believes he is Superman but cannot use his powers because of a bit of Kryptonite in his head may sound like a great premise for a comedy. But in the hands of the Koreans, you can be sure that there will be a fair bit of drama thrown into the mix.

And in many cases, this often means an overly maudlin and sentimental affair. For this latest Gianna Jun starrer however, it is surprisingly for the better. Because contrary to what you would expect, If I Were Superman really takes off more as a drama, than as a comedy.

After a two-year hiatus, the breakout star of “My Sassy Girl” returns as a frustrated television producer at a small production company. Gianna Jun, or Jun Ji-hyun as she is more popularly known in Korea, plays Song Soo-jung, who finds herself churning out trivial human interest stories with little depth. What’s more, her company owes her three months worth of wages. Little wonder why she struts around with a scowl on her face.

To make it worse, she is robbed one day while waiting for the subway. As fate would have it, her almost futile attempt at chasing the robber is rescued by a stranger dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. This stranger calls himself Superman, and immediately her news instincts prompt her to investigate the origins of this person.

Superman turns out to be quite the good Samaritan, going around the city helping anyone in need, from old ladies with a heavy load to schoolgirls harassed by a flasher. Of course, this off-kilter gentleman with his range of quirky to downright baffling habits is not as simple as he seems. And it is in learning about “Superman” that the film really begins to find its footing, eventually also impressing with a strong social message that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

But the trouble is, the film takes an hour to get there, and indeed it is quite a drawn out hour. The antics of “Superman” are amusing to behold at the start, what if him standing on his hands because he claims that he is pushing the earth away from the sun as the polar caps are melting. But Jung gets carried away and inserts many such instances of his idiosyncrasies which can get annoying to watch after some time.

Luckily, Hwang Jung-min’s portrayal of Superman is a delight to watch. He puts in a convincing performance as a man transformed by the events of his life to so adamantly believe that he is the hero in the red cape. Unfortunately, Gianna Jun isn’t given much to do here. Most of the time, she is left watching in bewilderment as Superman goes about his antics. Though her detachment arguably fits her role as a reporter, one wishes that it were more developed in the movie.

What is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this movie is how writer-director Jung Yoon-chul uses this movie as an examination of social milieu and our perennial fascination with superheroes. This he does so from the perspective of a person who regresses to his childhood to assume the identity of a superhero and do what superheroes do best- lend a helping hand to those in need- something as mortals we find so hard to do these days.

Though it may bill itself as a comedy, If I Were Superman is only occasionally so. Instead, it is much more adept at being a social commentary and is best appreciated as such. Be warned: you gotta have patience to sit through some rather unfunny bits before you get to the meatier parts. Pity though, because this movie actually has worth, but it ends up being just a middling affair.

Movie Rating:



(Less satisfying as a comedy than as an inspired social examination of why our society today needs superheroes)

Review by Gabriel Chong