User reviews

It's little wonder how Scandal Makers turned out to be a blockbuster hit in South Korea. It doesn't have any offensive jokes that could put anyone off, relied on slickly crafted humorous situations that don't try too hard, and has characters that will endear and grow on you. It has some feel-good messages to impart without being preachy, and one would almost be surprised that this is a first time effort from writer-director Kang Hyeong-cheol.

Sure the premise may not be something that's new, and coming to mind is The Game Plan, where Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson finds his orderly, playboy life being abruptly interrupted by a kid claiming to be his daughter. Over here though, this Korean film upped Hollywood's ante by adding to the family tree complexity, and also to the magnitude of laughs. Hyeong- cheol's story has three generations living under the same roof, and it played out very nicely with little scenes that go to waste. I suppose with first time fearlessness, Hyeong-cheol provided the story with an air of freshness over a tried and tested formula about unexpected gate-crashing family members.

Nam Hyeon-soo (Cha Tae-hyun) is a radio DJ whose afternoon talk show gives him a new lease of life and popularity, especially with a single mother sharing her story on his show about her search for a long lost father. Bur his orderly, playboy lifestyle and bachelor pad get unceremoniously imposed upon when Hwang Jeong-nam (Park Bo-yeong) and her son Hwang Ki-dong (Hwang Seok-hyeon) come knocking on his door claiming to be his daughter, and grandson even! I think for any bachelor in the 30s (*ahem* like myself), this would either turn out to be a bad April Fool's Joke of mistaken identity, or horror-of-horrors, a tryst early in life that had gone totally wrong.

What more, with such a scandal – a swinging bachelor with a young adult daughter, who in turn is a single mom at a young age – it threatens Hyeon-soo's career and lifestyle, and so begins the comedy of keeping under wraps the situation, as well as to learn how to live and tolerate his new found family who have come from the village, where Hyeon-soo's only common ground with Jeong-nam, besides their talent for music, is their propensity to have early offspring.

A perfect dysfunctional family that serves up as a perfect scandalous story given the follies of youth. But this film is more about perceptions despite its title. We have a man who perceives himself as a major celebrity who would be ruined, as he has observed, should the paparazzi expose his childhood shenanigans. We have a daughter who perceives that it would be easy for her never-seen-before dad to accept her when she appears out of the blue with kid in tow. And the young kid too perceives that his crush (it's in this family's genes to start young) will only like him if he wears fancy clothes, rather than to rely on his musical talent.

While Cha Tae-hyun plays his selfish character, who through the course of the film learns something important about family, with aplomb, Park Bo-yeong's single mom role seemed to be too entrenched in her live-the-singing-dream subplot, and little is seen in the dynamics with her young son. In fact Hwang Seok-hyeon is the ultimate scene stealer here as the round-headed kid with curly hair, and his story-arc opposite Tae-hyun as grandfather and grandson is perhaps the best of the lot with plenty of laughs guaranteed. This kid just oozes charisma and charm, and from the moment he appears the magic got weaved and you'll find him totally endearing himself to you, the audience, with his smile-non-smile antics, and those crazy sleepwalking spells.

Scandal Makers is easy going fare that would appeal to a broad spectrum of audiences with its fine comedy and positive messages of love and enduring family ties that remind you of blood running thicker than water. Bring a date, take your whole family, and discover just why the South Koreans went ga-ga over this. It could be that kid Hwang Seok-hyeon, whose performance alone would justify the price of a movie ticket! Highly recommended!

The tone of this show is enjoyable funny and tightly written so each scene is fun and not redundant and never painful. Lots of endearing characters. The kid is amazing. PBY has her breakthrough performance and she is cute and believable. They all look alike GF daughter and grand kid. A well crafted comic gem.

This movie caught my attention when I saw that Tae-hyun Cha was playing in it and that it was a success in Korea last year. Tae-hyun Cha is the lead actor that you may have seen in My Sassy Girl.

I wanted to laugh like I laugh when I saw My Sassy Girl. Well I didn't happen. Don't get me wrong Scandal Makers is fun. I wanted to see something very similar to My Sassy Girl, I couldn't be satisfied with such expectations. Don't run away from the movie. You may like it because it's a family movie. The screenplay is good maybe even better than My Sassy Girl's. The subject isn't the same. Scandal Makers is more about family, it's more mature. Because the main character is simply older (about 35). I just like better the silliness of My Sassy Girl.

I can tell why this film was such a big hit in Korea, it has a lot of elements that Asian audiences love to watch especially it's humor. The Korean humor of it fit right in with the movie, and although Korea really isn't known for making great comedies, this one really worked. And it's mix of funny, sad and touching moments kept me entertained throughout the whole film and although there is quite a bit of singing in this, it was well done as well, but wished they took the stuff about the kid in the story being a prodigy at playing cards, playing the piano, and etc in order to be likable. I also though the part of Cha Tae-Hyun singing in order to impress the teacher to be lame and not necessary, maybe it's cause he just doesn't have the charisma or cause he is just not a likable character. Anyways, nothing about this movie seemed really forced even the dramatic moments and the comedy worked fine as well. So any one who is into Korean movies, I recommend you check it out even if some of the Korean humor is difficult to understand for some.

7.9/10

Able to humor an audience even though there is a cultural gap for non-Korean viewers. Manages a couple of laugh out loud moments in a mostly G-rated family oriented film. If you have no problems with subtitles or situational comedies, this movie is worth your time.

The film stays away from preaching its value set. Rather spending the 108 minutes of run time on the situations that have been created out of the characters choices.

Tae-hyun Cha creates a solid performance. In a role that could have been an unlikeable character, yet he keeps the main character fun. Bo-yeong Park plays her role down the middle. A solid performance from the side-kick role, Ji-ru Sung appears to steal every scene he is a part of.

Top stars and the kid is cute but not that interesting and funny. It wants to be a drama but turns to be a comedy or the other way around.

This is by far the best Korean movie I've ever saw. The movie has style that's not seen in movies from other Asian countries, and production is beautiful.

This movie has comedy, lifestyle, and music all rolled into one, and actors are all fantastic as well. I liked all the actors in this movie, which is unusual. Cinematography is top notch, and music is also good.

So, what is not to like about this movie ? This is one of the best movies to come out of Asia, and if Korean movie studios keep making movies like this, their future is bright.

One caveat is that you need to see this movie from a high quality source. Otherwise, beautiful visuals will be missed.

I really liked this movie, and is highly recommended.

One of the best Korean movie I have ever seen. Really a master piece worth watching one. The grip of the movie is really effective two hours just felt like 15 minutes. Ground breaking story line which is even more uplifted by the actors. Each and every component of the movie is just perfect. A complete family movie and a promising mood lifter.

Don't go by its name. There's no scandal. It's a fun and entertaining movie.

Many movies are made on this topic - before and after this one was made. But this movie is genuinely hilarious without going over the top as well as has a nice overall theme. The trio, especially the little one, are outstanding. There are several subplots in this movie and each unfolds very nicely. Highly recommended.

With Kids - Yes, PG-13

Watch again - yes, a few times.

A brilliant comedy, well acted and impregnated with profound feelings.

When life brings you to a turning point, what are you going to do? Follow your heart or listen to your ego? This movie is a little pearl served with good humor, a must watch for all!

Its just a drama genre but great story plot...a 30 plus radio jockey who learns that he became a grandfather due to his teenage love...once they rejoin in same home then comedy, sentiment starts until end.. Must watch movie...!!

While the story has been told in movies before, it has never been told as well & with acting this good. Bo-yeong Park would have at least been nominated for an Academy Award if this was a Hollywood film. It was enjoyable from start to finish. Basically a drama with little sporadic comedic bits just to not make it too deep or serious. While the story is familiar of daughter finding long-lost Father, the way it is treated is different. You can't predict what comes next like others. The acting is so good (even if you need the subtitles) you really feel close to all the characters. When Hollywood uses this story, its always pure fluff or a comedy with no laughs. If you normally stay away from foreign non-English movies, this is one of the movies you really should try. A great example that some of the best movies are made outside of Hollywood.