Kick the Moon

Kick the Moon is a bit of an oddball Korean film—it doesn't fit neatly into a specific genre. It's very funny in many parts but not a comedy; it has some romance but it isn't a romance; it has a lot of fighting but isn't exactly an action movie.
 
At heart the movie is about two men and their friendship and rivalry, from their days in high school until their present days as adults.
 
Choi Ki-woong was a wild youth, a high school icon who was always fighting and drinking; he has grown up to be a teacher. Park Young-jun was a social outcast, an excellent student who has grown up to be a highly successful gangster. Despite this their personalities haven't changed much, and much of the comedy and drama plays off this seeming mismatch of their personalities and career choices.
 
The gangster returns to town to begin a hostile takeover in the area for his gang. He quickly bumps into his old schoolmate, the teacher. The two of them begin a rivalry over a woman named Min Ju-ran, who has a brother that is one of Choi's student's but just happens to want to join up with a gang.
 
Now add in a backdrop of a potential gang war, a somewhat bumbling police investigation, students running amok, and you've got Kick the Moon.

The movie is ultimately about friendship and loyalty. The competition between the two eventually gets wildly out of hand, leading to a battle of somewhat epic propotions.  Both parts are excellently played by Seung-won Cha and Sung-jae Lee.  Their romantic interest also more than holds her own; rather than just eyecandy or an object for them to squabble over, she's a firecracker with ideas of her own.  Actress Hye-su Kim is fantastic in this role.

Director Sang-Jin Kim's Attack the Gas Station is one of my favorite Korean movies, and while Kick the Moon isn't quite as good, it's still a highly entertaining film; its only real problem is that it has too much going on.  Despite that I definitely recommend giving it a look. Whether you're interested in comedy, romance, drama, crime, a bit of social commentary, or a great screen brawl you should find something to entertain you here.