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A Man Who Was Superman

Original title: Syoo-peo-maen-i-sseo-deon sa-na-i
  • 2008
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
A Man Who Was Superman (2008)
Song Soo-jung is a producer whose specialty is human interest stories. She dreams of one day becoming Korea’s own Oprah Winfrey. However, she is reaching the end of what’s left of her pride. After months of not getting paid, she leaves her office with the company camera to produce a story on a lion refusing to eat its meal. On her way, however, she comes across a robber, but she is saved by “Superman” in a Hawaiian shirt. This “Superman” tells her the unfortunate circumstance he has been put in by his enemies, and how it limits his powers. Soo-jung sees this as a good opportunity for another one of her pieces, and films a documentary with some fabrications, but later learns what’s truly important in life
Play trailer1:49
1 Video
10 Photos
ComedyDrama

A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.A snobbish producer makes a documentary about the extraordinary behavior of her neighbor who believes himself to be Superman.

  • Director
    • Yoon-Chul Jung
  • Writers
    • Myung Mi Ha
    • Yoon-Chul Jung
    • Jin-ho Yun
  • Stars
    • Hwang Jung-min
    • Jun Ji-hyun
    • Kang Ae-sim
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    2.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Yoon-Chul Jung
    • Writers
      • Myung Mi Ha
      • Yoon-Chul Jung
      • Jin-ho Yun
    • Stars
      • Hwang Jung-min
      • Jun Ji-hyun
      • Kang Ae-sim
    • 11User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Main (Korean)
    Trailer 1:49
    Main (Korean)

    Photos9

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    + 4
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    Top cast14

    Edit
    Hwang Jung-min
    Hwang Jung-min
    • Superman
    Jun Ji-hyun
    Jun Ji-hyun
    • Song Soo-jung
    • (as Gianna Jun)
    Kang Ae-sim
    Kang Ae-sim
    • Red Cross staff
    Gil-seung Bang
    Woo-hyuk Choi
    • Superman - child
    Jo Hie-bong
    Jo Hie-bong
    • Recording engineer
    Park Hyeon-yeong
    • Nurse
    Kim Jae-rok
    Kim Jae-rok
    • Bruce Lee
    Jin Ji-hee
    Jin Ji-hee
    • Hee-jeong…
    Gi-seok Kim
    Jeon Su-ji
    Jeon Su-ji
    • Parking Lot Woman
    Seon Woo-seon
    • Miss Kim
    Park Yong-soo
    • Doctor Park
    Seo Young-hwa
    Seo Young-hwa
    • Hee-jeong's mother
    • Director
      • Yoon-Chul Jung
    • Writers
      • Myung Mi Ha
      • Yoon-Chul Jung
      • Jin-ho Yun
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    7.22.3K
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    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    5mikejonas

    "Don Juan DeMarco" redux.

    Basically, that's what it is. Swap out "bizarre teen who thinks he's Don Juan" with "bizarre transient who thinks he's Superman," and replace Marlon Brando as the psychiatrist with Jeon Ji-Hyun as the human interest documentarian, and you've got the pitch nailed down.

    It's not particularly original, and plays more like a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie than a theatrical feature, but still, it's a pretty effective tearjerker with very good performances from both its leads. A movie you can skip, but you won't feel like you wasted your time if you did sit through it. Perhaps its greatest achievement is managing to turn the normally breathtaking Jeon Ji-Hyun/Gianna Jun into a convincingly unappealing, frumpy, chain-smoking TV producer.
    7athanasiosze

    7.2/10. Recommended.

    This is a very good comedy/drama movie. I have watched many Korean movies, i had a good idea about how this would unfold. However, whereas it was not unpredictable, still it had a few tricks up its sleeve, with the ending being the highlight of them. Ending was amazing, i was in tears.

    So, it's not a great movie, it drags a bit in the middle of it, story is simple and at times it's too sappy. Story was already touching but they add another subplot and at some point, it was more like emotional blackmailing than anything else.

    But movie's heart is in its right place, this is so sweet and humanistic that i cannot not praise it. And as i said, the last 20 minutes were amazing. This ended like it should and anyone who would like to watch a movie with good messages, it can't get any better than this.

    Great acting.
    8sehyok510

    Mankind in a Perspective View

    I saw this movie as a Social-Cultural movie. And i liked it. Other users hated it because he expected another kind of movie... more comedy than drama. It's a drama movie, showing a different (covered) perspective view of the society. We have changed: in spite of economic progress, we are more selfish, we (still) have a short-term view of global warming/contamination, etc. And it shows while Song Soo-Jung (Ji-Hyun Jun) captures her neighbor behavior (Jeong-Min Hwang) for her documentary.

    It's a simple good movie (if your expectation is to watch a Drama movie), great performance (as usual) of both leading actors, with average photography and direction.
    6mungunbayarbatbayar

    watched in 2019

    Love both actor/actress. But watched in 2019 not in childhood, that's why i might gave 6/10.
    10murali-82761

    Best Ever Story with a Great Message

    Best movie of humanity and very inspiring movie that everyone should watch.

    Best Movie ever.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Superman: Strength doesn't open big iron doors but a small key does.

    • Connections
      Spoofs Superman (1978)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 31, 2008 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official site
      • Official site (South Korea)
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Người Đàn Ông Siêu Nhân
    • Filming locations
      • Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
    • Production company
      • CJ Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,250,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,877,004
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 42m(102 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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