So, the story is about a con artist and his mates, who are famous for their scams, and they prepare for the big one, to sell the river. Now, the movie was mainly promoted and anticipated due to Xiumin of the famous boyband Exo. However, fair warning here (might be a spoiler) he dies halfway through the movie, which promotes the main character to begin his big con. But up until that, he's acting is good enough, though the main character of course steals the show with his charms and acting skills. And that results to his acting to support the whole movie from one point till the ending. The action is great and not too tiring, and the funny parts are there, though there aren't many, especially after their friends death. Also, the cons are quite interesting and entertaining, but the main plan wasn't that good. So, 5 out of 10.
Keywords: joseon dynasty
Plot summary
In-hong is drafted into the army by force to fight in China during the Qing Dynasty. During the struggle to survive in the battlefield, he meets Bo-won and Gyeon. Three men return to Korea to find no means to make living, and decide to form a con ring. Their cons range from selling a chicken as phoenix and disguising an ordinary sword as one that belonged to the great Admiral Yi Shun-shin. Soon, they become wanted by the authorities. The trio continues their scam under the radar. When their attempt to steal from the richest man in town, SUNG Dae-ryun, fails, In-hong sets up another con. He spreads the rumor that gold has been found in Daedong River, and lures SUNG into the trap.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Good enough
Mediocre
This movie is funny and enjoyable for sometime. But,this movie hasn't much to offer, I mean, the story is pretty guessable. And watching the same thing happening again made it boring (I can't say, I was bored but the story was repeating). The same tactics, methods! Though Disguising as a woman was my favourite as he looked pretty. 1 hours and 30 minutes were dragging and it's about stealing and the last one was good, again, it was about stealing but this time the techniques are good. I wanted to see chemistry between Seo Yea Ji and Yo Seung ho but the director only focused on highlighting stealing, none of the characters are developed or their relations are highlighten.
Overall, It's an one time watch movie. There isn't much story but it's enjoyable.
Touching and yet comedic
Being the first Korean movie I've watched in my time, Seondal: The Man who Sold the River had a lot to live up to. I had high expectations, told by my friends that Korean movies had a certain charm to them within their storytelling. Of course, being a fan of EXO, I decided to start with Seondal, with the guest star of Kim Minseok (Xiumin),who played Gyeon.
From the start of Seondal, I found myself hypnotised. The storyline played out beautifully, fully capturing your attention from the start. With a harrowing beginning of war and loss, it's hard not to feel for the characters at the start. The first thing I noticed was Seungho Yoo, playing the main character - Kim Inhong aka Kim Seondal. His acting as our main character shows within the first few minutes as his honourable character begins with his protective nature and charm. Seungho really creates a character that is likeable from the beginning - even though we know Inhong is written out and scripted, Seungho brings a truly amazing feeling to the character and truly makes Inhong his own. Following on from Seungho as Inhong, there is also Kim Minseok as Gyeong. An idol that I have grown to be quite fond of over the past year, Gyeong was a character that I was very much looking forward to meeting in this film, and my expectations were definitely not let down. Kim Minseok brings to Gyeong a side of the character that felt playful, but still serious. Along with his own heroic and honourable actions, it's hard not to fall in love with this misshapen small family of crooks.
The storyline itself of family, loss, and revenge truly shows the spirit of this film. A storyline that's often overdone in a lot of genres and in many countries nowadays, this film truly brings to light how it all connects together. It's been a while since I watched a film about family and it was as connected and well done as Seondal is. There's a connection between all the characters, and as well done as the film has been made, it's obvious that they all had a lot of fun filming it. When you can see this, I believe it truly makes the film even better, showing that the actors truly enjoyed themselves.
Overall, this film truly has a lot of charm to it. With its mix of comedy but yet darker storylines, innocence and the ruining of innocence, and the reminder of war throughout, this touched my heart in ways I never expected this film to do. I found throughout this I felt every emotion that the producers wanted us to, and I found myself in tears numerous times. If you've never watched a Korean film before - I recommend this is your first one. If you are looking for another film to watch, I recommend this. It's a work of art, and I will definitely be watching this plenty more times in the future.