Champion is a 2018 South Korean sports comedy film directed by Kim Yong-wan. The film stars Ma Dong-seok, Kwon Yul, and Han Ye-ri. It is related to arm wrestling competition. The movie is rated 9.4/10 in Asian TV Website within the first month of release.[2][3][4]
| Champion | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 챔피언 |
| Revised Romanization | Chaempieon |
| Directed by | Kim Yong-wan |
| Written by | Kim Yong-wan |
| Produced by | Han Dong-hwan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Yoo Ji-sun |
| Edited by | Kim Chang-ju Yi Ho-seung |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$8.7 million[1] |
Plot
editThe film tells the story of the adopted Mark who was a former arm wrestler but now works as a bouncer. He goes to South Korea for a competition to search for his mother who gave him up for adoption as a child. With help of his friend, Jin-ki, Mark finds his real family, only to learn that his mother had died. He then meets his step-sister and her family whom he never knew. Through his mother's emails that he came to read he learned what it meant to feel her pain of abandoning him. He later wins the national tournament against his opponents and in the end, defeats the opponent named Punch in the final.[5]
Cast
edit- Ma Dong-seok as Mark / Baek Seung-min[6]
- Kwon Yul as Jin-ki[7]
- Han Ye-ri as Soo-jin
- Choi Seung-hoon as Joon-hyung
- Ok Ye-rin as Joon-hee
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 89%, based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critic review for Champion reads: "Champion's biggest strengths are its comedic sensibilities, as director Kim Yong-Wan recognizes the inherent absurdity of arm-wrestling and plays it up for big laughs."[8]
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote:
"To say that the storyline is cliched is giving it more credit than it deserves. But the film manages to succeed anyway, thanks largely to the quiet charisma and likeability of its physically imposing leading man who manages to hold his own even playing opposite the scene-stealing tykes. "[9]
References
edit- ^ "Champion (2018)". Korean Film Biz Zone.
- ^ "Kwon Yul and Han Ye-ri to star in "Champion"". Joy News. HanCinema. 4 June 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ Yoon, Min-sik (April 2, 2018). "'Mavely' shadows hero Sylvester Stallone in arm wrestling film 'Champion'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ Champion (2018) Movie, Asiantv Website, available at http://myasiantv.se/movie/champion/
- ^ Champion (2018) Movie, Asiantv Website, available at http://myasiantv.se/movie/champion/
- ^ "영화 '챔피언' 마동석 "2년간 전문적인 팔씨름 훈련"". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). April 26, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ Jin, Min-ji (3 May 2018). "Kwon Yul tries something new : In 'Champion,' the dramatic actor shows off his humorous side". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ "Champion (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Champion (2018) review (metacritic)". metacritic. Retrieved 13 December 2020.