Choi Dong-hun Movies
Two bands of thieves team up to steal a priceless diamond from a casino known for its cutting edge security, and find their meticulously planned heist going to pot due to a series of unexpected complications. Opportunistic thief Popie (Lee Jung-jae) and his gang have just pulled of a big job in South Korea when they decide to get out of the country until the heat blows over. Never one to rest on his laurels, Popie has another caper planned in Macao that rests on his willingness to reteam with the slippery Macao Park (Kim Yun-seok), a former associate who once betrayed him. With wire specialists Yenicall (Jeon Ji-hyun) and Zampano (Kim Soo-hyun), skillful swindler Chewingum (Kim Hae-sook), and expert lock picker Pepsee (Kim Hye-soo) by his side, Popie puts his differences with Macao aside in hopes of swiping the raer yellow diamond known as the "Tear of the Sun". Meanwhile, Macao's team includes the crass Andrew (Oh Dal-soo), suave veteran thief Chen (Simon Yam), focused point man Jonny (Derek Tsang), and Julie (Lee Sinje) - who never met a safe she couldn't crack. But when the day of the heist arrives, the professionals who left nothing to chance find their perfect plan snowballing into disaster, and a cool $20 million payday about to slip though their fingers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
500 years after being charged with the murder of his master and imprisoned in a painted scroll, mischievous Taoist student Woochi (Kang Dong-won) is released by his elders to battle goblins in the modern world. As Woochi and his sidekick Chorangui (Yoo Hae-jin) attempt to make sense of their strange new surroundings, they discover their goblin adversaries are now a greater threat to humanity than ever before. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kang Dong-Won, Kim Yoon-seok, (more)
- 2006
A guy with a talent for cards makes his way into the dangerous world of underground gambling in this crime thriller from South Korea. Go-ni (Jo Seung-woo) is a small-town guy with a big appetite for gambling. Convinced he's on a hot streak one evening during a card game, Go-ni bets his life savings on a hand of hwatu, only to lose to a crooked cardsharp. Determined to get revenge, Go-ni sets out to find the guy who cheated him and win back his money. Go-ni's travels lead him to Pyeong Gyeong-jang (Baek Yun-shik), an unusually gifted card player who has gotten out of the game. Pyeong sees a talented protégé in Go-ni and takes him under his wing, introducing him to Madam Jeong (Kim Hye-su), an equally gifted female gambler. Jeong is attracted to the young and handsome Go-ni and takes him on as both a student and a lover, but the young man soon learns how dangerous a gambler's trade can be when he wins a hefty bankroll from Kwak Cheol-yeong (Kim Eung-su), an underworld kingpin who doesn't take losing lightly. Go-ni also foolishly breaks off his affair with Jeong when he falls for Hwa-ran (Lee Su-gyeong), a beautiful woman who runs a nightspot, and makes an enemy of A-gui (Kim Yun-seok), a thug with a hair-trigger temper who holds a grudge against Pyeong. As the various characters come together for a major hwatu tournament, Go-ni struggles to keep his mind on the game as he's forced to keep his eye peeled for enemies prepared to claim his life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cho Seung-Woo, Baek Yun-shik, (more)
- 2004
Writer/director Choi Dong-hun makes his feature debut with the stylized caper movie The Big Swindle. The film opens in the middle of a car chase, with Choi Chang-hyok (Park Shin-yang) fleeing the cops in the aftermath of a massive bank scam gone awry. The chase ends with Chang-hyok's car exploding in a fireball. As the police investigate the case, flashbacks show how the job came together. Chang-hyok, fresh out of prison, uses the connection of a fellow ex-con, counterfeiter Gasoline (Kim Sang-ho) to get in touch with the criminal mastermind Master Kim (Baek Yun-shik of Save the Green Planet!). He also uses his charm to get in even closer touch with Master Kim's mistress, Seo In-Keong (Yeom Jeong-ah of A Tale of Two Sisters), who seems to have a few schemes of her own. Chang-hyok lays out his plan to con the Bank of Korea out of millions, and Master Kim rounds up a crew to do the job, including Gasoline, a sneaky little guy called Big Mouth (Lee Mun-shik), and Swallow (Park Won-sang), a vain lothario who beats up women. When the job goes bad, Chang-hyok goes boom, and Big Mouth is caught. The cops discover that Chang-hyok has a bookish, more responsible older brother, Chang-ho. They bring him in for questioning, and before long, he's also getting attention from a pissed off Master Kim, who's looking for the missing loot, and Seo In-Keong, who's suddenly interested in a "nice guy." The Big Swindle was featured at the 2005 New York Korean Film Festival, with director Choi and star Baek in attendance. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
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