Haechijianha

A disproportionately large number of my favourite comedies are from South Korea. They are generally medium to low budget films like Lee Hae-jun's Castaway on the Moon, Koo Ja-hong's The Last Wolf and Dangerously Excited (BTW when is Koo going to make another film?!) and, indeed, Son Jae-gon's own My Scary Girl and Villain and Widow. They are extremely well-acted by stars and lesser known performers alike. And most importantly, each one is not just well-written (witty, complex, subtle), but also seems to be based on a genuinely personal, original way of seeing the world.

Secret Zoo is another such uncategorisable film. I suppose you could call it a small business vs corporate giant comedy, with Ahn Jae-hong succumbing to the charms of his new environment the way Peter Riegert fell for the Scottish village in Bill Forsyth's Local Hero. But Riegert didn't have to pretend to be a polar bear, did he? Secret Zoo contains many such unexpected surreal touches and laugh-out-loud moments. Most of them are full of warmth towards the main characters, but some of them are coldly critical of humans' baser instincts. My only complaint about Secret Zoo is that it's a bit too gentle, lacking the edge of Son Jae-gon's previous two films. Perhaps that has something to do with the film being based on a webcomic. (I think Son was the only writer of his other films.) But it's still better than a lot of comedies out there. Highly recommended.

Concept is good, but the execution is poor. It is 2 hours long and extremely boring. The best parts are already spoken for in the trailer. For the most part it is just a lot of talking and when you see the animals, they don't move, there isn't much of a story and definitely no drama.

Overall there is nothing to keep you interested and invested, I only finished it because I was on the computer dong something else. It could've been great if it actually has a real story.

So 4/10 is extremely generous for this film. It is barely a good one time watch and towards the end it is just laughable how people could not figure out these are fake animals.

The Comedy examines sincerity and absurdity. The narrative centers on a lawyer who, by dressed as animals, revitalizes a failing zoo. The narrative is poignant because of the dedication of the workers and the public's love for the animals. As the lawyer struggles with moral quandaries and finds his ideals, the movie focuses on issues of identity, ambition, and public perception. While keeping a humorous tone, the movie criticizes consumer spectacle and the fuzziness of the boundaries between performance and reality. Even a person wearing a polar bear suit can convey heartfelt meaning, as this movie manages to evoke sincere emotional moments despite its ridiculousness.

Start off extremely well with a lot of likeable characters to root for. I laughed quite a lot. The story is funny but also cute and hear-warming. The ending didn't really convince me and seemed rushed but also drawn out.

Yes it certainly feels that way and the tone may be too varied, from earnest too completely silly and anything in between. But when it is funny (humans in animal costumes), it really is laugh out loud funny. Maybe I was in the right mood, or maybe this just has a certain quality to it. I'll opt to give it the benefit of the doubt and say it has quality. Certain things remain predictable, but the movie playing almost everything as straight as possible really lends to the heightening of the humor it has within. I'm more used to the thriller and action output that comes from South Korea, but this was a welcome change - one that really can work for you - with a really neat and nice message.