Seoul Vibe

1988. It is indeed impressive how the setting of the movie took us back to 1988 in a beautiful way to portray the modernity in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

It is a mixture of political events unfolding in speedy action rhythm, with not much car races but races with a lot of purpose! Blended with comedy! There is no other creative way to display it beautifully more than this!

Each character have their own charm, but what made me pleased and happy is actress park juhyun as the biker Yoonhee because this character may sound sassy, courageous character in our age but at that time she was viewed as a rebellious woman, and its a good reminder to not forget how women were looked at in the late 80s. However, she represents the bravery of a lot of Korean women who have been fighting for their dreams, the way they want to dress since the 80s. Women in South Korea still suffer from how the society want them to be, so looking at this character, it is such a great addition from the writers because we need more characters like her, to remind the world that, unfortunately, things might have changed, but discrimination against women still exists.

Overall, I give the movie 10/10 because they managed to transform many genres like how a painter mix their oil colors in a smooth way, a must watch? Definitely!

I mean I absolutely adore kdrama but this movie feels just a korean version of every single american movie about cars and racing that has ever existed. Even the plot is just the same as many other movies. ( even the music are all 80's American hits)

Korean dramas have something unique and special about them and they have gained a lot of popularity in the last few years because of that. You can usually experience their culture through the screen but everything that makes people fall in love with korean shows and movies is missing here.

I have watched the leads in many dramas and I know how good they are ( specially Yoo Ah-in which completely transforms in each role).

The movie, regardless of everything is entertaining enough and it's fast paced but I was expecting more.

Apart from the fact that the film is rather conventional and not very original, it's atmosphere, the set up and the characters are good enough to lead you to the end.

The real dissapointement come from the chasing and racing parts. It feels too fake, too much CGI. And when it's not CGI, most of them feel too slow.

The soundtrack is quite nice.

You could have thought that with all these sponsors, they could have done better. A point that will probably irritate more than one. Especially when famous drinks explod exactly like in a commercial, this was clearly not necessary.

Worth the watching anyway.

Seoul Vibe may not have all that's advertised in it, but beneath it's corniness there's a sociocultural read of the 1980s South Korea. The American dream of a young man from a torn down neighborhood. The gold wear, fast cars and sneaker worship tells the miraculous story of an economy with it's flood gates broke open. Seoul Vibe in this regard lives up to it's name. Cast put up a vibrant performance portraying playful youngsters. When Dong-Wook mocks the patriotism but stay behind for the duty it shows the natural and societal attitude of a generation. It's a movie with a fresh vibe to pass the time in a fun way.

What can I say...

First off the movie is too long yet they are able to make the ending feel rushed. Draggy storyline yet filled with many loopholes. Somehow the main characters who claim to be "normal" people are able to pull off their plans with ease.

Secondly, there is too much subpar/low quality CGI that makes you wonder whether this movie is not only set in the 80s but also produced in the 80s. Too unrealistic driving CGI that even makes Fast & Furious feel legitimate. Footwork camera scenes are ridiculous.

Last but not least, the amount of promotion for the American dream/American related subjects makes this movie feel much like a propaganda. Again, it makes one wonder if this is a Korean movie or an American movie.