Monday, January 16, 2012

Review: Baby & Me


Starring: Jang Keun-Suk, Kim Byul, Mason Mun
Directed by: Kim Jin-Young
Language: Korean
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 96 minutes


I don't think this movie was based off the manga, just by skimming over the summary on Wikipedia. A really good online friend recommended this movie to me and I think I bought it without viewing beforehand at an anime convention.



The handsome Han Junsu is a trouble making, high school student that often involves himself in gang fights, usually with multiple guys at a time and wins every match. Unfortunately, Junsu is suspended from school due to his last fight. When he returns home, he finds a video message from his parents stating that they're tired of his rebellious antics and decided to leave him alone with a set amount of money and his credit card disabled. Junsu turns the situation to a positive one and goes to the grocery store to prepare for a house party with his friends. In the middle of deciding on what alcohol to purchase, he turns around to find Baby Woo-rahm in his shopping cart. Baffled by this discovery, he goes to customer service to see if the parent(s) are in the store and the customer service employees find a note with Junsu's name on it while he writes down his information. So, with the help of his friend and a strange girl he nearly ran into, he learns the ways of fatherhood.

This comedic movie is very entertainment and is loaded with great twists and moments that will keep you smiling, laughing, and crying. The characters are very likable and easy to relate to. There's hardly a boring moment during Junsu's misadventures, from his quest to find Baby Woo-rahm breast milk to his interactions with his friends, especially Kim Byeol.



I like how they kept everything balanced. The movie didn't just focus on Junsu's struggles to fatherhood, but the viewer gets to see what his parents are up to while they're away. There's also a nice, brief background on Kim Byeol to make us understand why she functions the way she does and she makes the viewer become a little more attached to her. We also get a chance to feel a little something for Junsu's other two friends even though one of them doesn't have a huge part in the movie. I also enjoyed that they gave Woo-rahm a voice as well, like those Look Who's Talking movies. It made the movie even more entertaining and comical.

Lastly, I really enjoyed Junsu. He reacted in a very realistic way in such an odd situation. He wants to be a teenage boy and just live his life parent free with his friends. His lack of knowledge is amusing and makes his connection with Byeol necessary to moving the story along and interesting. He also thinks of ways of getting out of this sudden responsibility and little by little he grows with the experience, even though he has to use his charm and acting skills to get his way. Sometimes his teacher happens to appear when a sticky situation occurs. He also meets a couple fathers raising babies along his journey.

Overall, this movie is really great! It has entertaining characters and a simple, but interesting storyline. It keeps the viewer involved by triggering different emotions throughout the movie. It's also pretty funny. If you like light, comical misadventures with a handsome teenage character, then you should check this one out.

Rating: 4/5

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