Early Return of the 'Holiday Box Office Guarantee', What is the Production Team's Hidden Intention? At some point, a formula was established: "Kwon Sang-woo for the Holidays." Movies starring Kwon Sang-woo have typically been released during holiday seasons like the Lunar New Year or Chuseok, sweeping up family audiences. His unique friendly and comic action acting played a major role, making it burden-free for the whole family to enjoy. However, his new film Heartman took an unusual path by releasing a full month ahead of the Lunar New Year peak season, although it is still during the school vacation period. Some analyze this as a desperate measure to avoid competition with blockbusters during the peak season. It raises a reasonable suspicion that perhaps the production team lacked confidence in the movie's completeness or box office power, so they chose a niche strategy targeting a less competitive period. I am curious to see what results this strategy will bring.
Reliving the Glory of 'Hitman'? The Optical Illusion and Anticipation Caused by the Title The movie title Heartman naturally reminds us of Kwon Sang-woo's previous work Hitman, which was a box office success mobilizing 2.4 million viewers. In fact, it is a work created by director Choi Won-seop, who directed Hitman, teaming up with Kwon Sang-woo once again. Therefore, many audiences likely visited the theater expecting a "Comic Action" genre combining Kwon Sang-woo's signature satisfying impact and belly-aching comedy. As Kwon Sang-woo has recently been enjoying a second heyday focusing on physical action comedies rather than melodramas, this expectation seems natural. As he has gained the power to lead a movie with just his name, his acting career looks much freer and more comfortable in movies than in dramas, stimulating curiosity about how it manifested in this work.
Action is Just a Side Dish, The Essence is 100% Romantic Comedy However, when you open the lid, Heartman shows a texture quite different from the audience's expectations. The nuance from the title and poster feels like a comic action movie without a doubt, but shortly after the movie starts, you realize that the identity of this work lies in 'Romance', not action. While maintaining a cheerful comedy tone and manner from the beginning, instead of Kwon Sang-woo swinging his fists, an emotional Kwon Sang-woo holding a guitar appears. The character 'Choi Seung-min', played by Kwon Sang-woo, is set as a former vocalist of a rock band that was popular during his college days. The eccentric yet serious appearance shown by the former rocker captures the audience's attention sufficiently without action, proving that he is still a competitive actor in the romantic comedy genre.
First Love Reunited After 10 Years, The Prelude to Crossed Fates The story goes back to the past. During his college days, Seung-min, who was looking for performance members, coincidentally meets 'Han Bo-na', played by Moon Chae-won, and invites her to the performance, starting a fresh fling. However, like a prank of fate, an unexpected accident occurs on the day of the performance, and Seung-min faces a breakup without being able to sing the song he prepared for Bo-na. Leaving behind regrets and lingering feelings for each other, more than 10 years pass, and Bo-na emigrates abroad, losing contact. This introduction follows a typical first love cliché, but the visual harmony and fresh acting of the two actors add up to build a persuasive narrative.
Divorced Dad and Successful Career Woman, A Realistic Reunion Years pass, and Seung-min has become a 'returned single' (divorced) dad raising a daughter alone after a failed marriage, living an ordinary life running an instrument shop. One day, he reunites with Bo-na like destiny; she has become a successful photographer abroad and briefly returned to Korea for an exhibition. Despite the 10 years, the two recognize each other as soon as they meet and feel the past emotions reviving. However, the situation is very different from before. Seung-min is a head of a household with a dependent, and Bo-na is a career woman enjoying a glamorous single life. This gap acts as both an obstacle and a fun element for the romance that will unfold.
"I Hate Kids!" The Ripple Effect of the 'No Kids' Declaration The two reunited people get close rapidly as if they fell in love at first sight, but a huge mountain appears that must be crossed. It is the fact that Bo-na is a firm believer in 'No Kids'. She is not just a DINK (Double Income, No Kids) who has no intention of having children, but a person who dislikes the existence of children itself and believes that children also do not like her. Seeing Bo-na disgusted by children during a date, Seung-min cannot bring himself to reveal the fact that he is raising a daughter. Seung-min's lie, started from a desire not to miss out on love, snowballs, and the chaotic episodes that occur to hide his daughter's existence trigger the movie's main conflict and laughter.
Remake of the Argentine Film 'Sin hijos', Variation with Korean Sentiment In fact, Heartman is a remake of the popular Argentine film No Kids (Sin hijos). Since the original work itself was praised for its solid story and ingenious setting, the Korean remake can also be seen as having guaranteed basic fun. For those who have seen the original, comparing the two movies will be quite fun. Personally, I think Heartman, with the visuals of charming actors Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Chae-won and the addition of Korean comedy sentiment, has equipped itself with a slightly more mass appeal than the original. While pleasantly unraveling the somewhat sensitive subject of 'No Kids' within the genre of romantic comedy, it realistically portrayed the joys and sorrows of a divorced person conflicted between parenting and love.
Is Romance in the 40s Different? Hot and Honest Adult Dating The point where this movie differentiates itself from general romantic comedies is the age range of the protagonists and the speed of their relationship. Rather than the push-and-pull or 'some' (flirting phase) of the fresh 20s, it shows the unhesitating and honest love method of adult men and women in their 40s. The development leading straight to a bed scene as soon as they confirm each other's feelings shows a speed worthy of the title 'Adult Romance'. Of course, there are no erotic or sensational scenes at all, but compared to other Korean commercial romance movies, quite active skinship and bold expressions of affection appear, adding reality. This gives viewers vicarious excitement while suggesting that middle-aged love can be sufficiently hot and passionate.
Welcome Face Moon Chae-won, Presence Lighting Up the Screen Above all, the reason this movie is welcome is because of actress Moon Chae-won, who returned to the screen after a long time. Having caused fans' regret due to her recent lack of activity, she displays her lovely and charming appearance without regret in this movie. She perfectly digests the role of 'Han Bo-na', who looks haughty and prickly but is infinitely honest in front of love, showing off perfect chemistry with Kwon Sang-woo. Her unique elegant yet cute image made the atmosphere of the movie much brighter, making me want to see her in more works in the future. If you are a fan of Moon Chae-won, this movie will be a gift-like work that you must watch.
A Cheerful Killing-Time Movie That Washes Away the Concerns of a 'Warehouse Movie' Heartman is actually a so-called 'warehouse movie' (shelved movie) that finished filming in 2021. It is a case where it was kept in storage for a long time without being able to set a release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic and saw the light of day late. Usually, movies delayed like this tend to face prejudice that they will be behind the trend or lack completeness, and in reality, box office results were often poor. However, Heartman provides decent fun enough to dispel such concerns. If you visit the theater with a light heart without great expectations, it is a movie where you can immerse yourself in Kwon Sang-woo style comedy and sweet romance and come out laughing happily for 2 hours. It is a cheerful killing-time movie worth recommending to audiences who want to find small but certain happiness amidst the gap of holiday blockbusters.
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