YESASIA: YumCha! - Asian Entertainment: Editor's Picks, Articles, Professional Reviews, News

Public Enemy Returns (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Sol Kyung Gu (Actor) | Jung Jae Young (Actor) | Kang Woo Suk (Director) | Moon Sung Keun (Actor)

Public Enemy x Jang Jin
December 11, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Detective Kang Chul Jung is back, and he's a lot more likable this time. After drifting to an alternate story with Another Public Enemy - which was essentially an average crime thriller with an above-average lead - director Kang Woo Suk wisely returns to the more compelling premise and protagonist of the original Public Enemy for third installment Public Enemy Returns. Wiser yet, he brought on Jang Jing as screenwriter and Jang Jin regular Jung Jae Young as the baddie, turning Public Enemy Returns into the hands-down strongest entry of the franchise. Franchise man Sol Kyung Gu reprises as aggressive, law-breaking, washed-up cop Kang Chul Jung, who's softened up considerably since the first... [read more]
Nell - The Trace (Special Limited Edition)
NELL

Traces of Nell
December 30, 2008 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Though the price tag is hefty, the Special Limited Edition of Nell's The Trace is very much worth the splurge as it comes with both the band's latest EP and concert DVD, plus various goodies to accompany the great music. Nell may not have the dreamy looks of the idol bands, but one would be hard pressed to find a Korean act that puts out dreamier music. The band's moody progressive alternative rock cuts from the same cloth as Brit-rock bands like Coldplay, Placebo, and Radiohead, but delivered with a more balladic softness that brings them closer to the tastes of the K-pop mainstream. The crowning glory of this release is Nell's July 19, 2008 Seoul concert. Other than the idol standards,... [read more]
Bullets Over Summer (DTS Version)
Francis Ng (Actor) | Louis Koo | Wayne Lai | Luo Lan Law (Actor)

Not your typical cop movie
December 19, 2008 Picked By dian See all this editor's picks
Compared with the explosive Chinese title that literally means "Cracked Cops", the more poetic-sounding English title Bullets Over Summer may be a better match for Wilson Yip's 1999 film, which ably mixes ingredients of romance, comedy, action, and thriller with the character-driven drama for a real winner. In typical buddy cop movie fashion, this movie stars the great Francis Ng and Louis Koo as a pair of cops of contrasting styles and personalities who often clash but complement each other perfectly, as exemplified in the convenience store robbery sequence that opens the film. Koo's Brian is the laidback, wisecracking rookie that seems more interested in wooing women, but is still dashing... [read more]
Rule#1 (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Ekin Cheng (Actor) | Shawn Yue (Actor) | Stephanie Che (Actor) | Fiona Xie (Actor)

MAD about Yue
December 13, 2008 Picked By dian See all this editor's picks
On the upper deck of a bus sits a sexy and alluring woman. When her lipstick drops to the floor, the only other passenger, a man sitting across the aisle with desires raging in his eyes, picks it up and, slowly, reaches his hand out to hers. Just as their hands are about to meet, a guy with a gun (played by Shawn Yue) pops into the scene and bang! He shoots the woman right in the forehead. This opening sequence is crosscut with a scene showing a policeman chasing a man, overlaid by Shawn's narration saying, "the truth is not what it seems". Now when a ghost movie defies genre convention by starting more like a cop/killer actioner, the director is either very confident or just utterly... [read more]
Enchanted (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Susan Sarandon (Actor) | James Marsden (Actor) | Patrick Dempsey (Actor) | Amy Adams (Actor)

Still Disney after all these years
December 30, 2008 Picked By Ceriseno See all this editor's picks
Been there, seen that? Fortunately, these are none of the expressions that come to mind for Enchanted, Walt Disney's latest live-action movie with inserted animation segments. As an ardent fan of the Disney family, I couldn't get around this one and dragged my friend to go see it with me. And to our pleasure, we soon got caught up in the magic. No doubt, everyone who has seen his share of Disney films, sometimes thinks, "If only we could switch off the cheesy over-long songs..." Well, they are alive here from minute one but are inserted in an endurable degree, and to the film's credit, with a sort of wit amiss in some of Disney's earlier offerings. With that in mind, you may back off a... [read more]
Last Christmas DVD Box (Japan Version)
Oda Yuji | Katase Nana | Chiriko Sakashita | Yada Akiko

Fuji TV's festival favorite
December 30, 2008 Picked By dian See all this editor's picks
Inspired by Wham!'s classic holiday anthem Last Christmas, Fuji TV's 2004 drama of the same name captured the original's lyrical presentation of bittersweet romance, catchy tune, and festive mood in a neatly wrapped package that viewers can easily groove to. Oda Yuji (Bayside Shakedown) had established his J-drama king status with Tokyo Love Story 13 years earlier. Last Christmas marked his return to the Gekku prime timeslot alongside producer Ota Toru and screenwriter Sakamoto Yuji. Like in Tokyo Love Story, Oda plays an executive at the Heart Sports company, specializing in winter sports equipment this time. Kenji (Oda Yuji) is still nursing his wound after being dumped by his fiancee. One... [read more]

Feature Articles

From Page to Screen - Korean Manhwa Adaptations
Written By James Mudge

Comic books have always been a popular source of cinematic inspiration, and over the past few years such films have been enjoying unprecedented success on the silver screen, with the likes of The Dark Knight and Iron Man racking up incredible box office figures across the world. This has also long been the case with the Asian film industry, primarily in the case of Japan, with manga comics having provided a never-ending list of popular films and television series, both animated and live action. Indeed, the country has become famous for such adaptations, with recent hits such as Death Note receiving international releases. Even other Asian countries have used manga as source material, as in... [read more]

Review Highlights

Entertainment News

The Chaser Sweeps 7th Korean Film Awards

The Lady Iron Chef (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)

No upsets at the 7th Korean Film Awards this year, held on December 4 in Seoul, as acclaimed serial-killer thriller The Chaser walked away with seven awards including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Lighting, and Best Editing. Na Hong Jin bagged both Best Director and Best New Director, and... [Read More]