[HanCinema's Film Review] Korean Weekend Box Office 2011.11.04 ~ 2011.11.06

HanCinema's Korean Box Office Review

(2011.11.04 ~ 2011.11.06)

The first week of November belongs to Lee Han's "Punch". This is its third week on top of the charts and it does so with 44.6% of the week's ticket sales. "Punch" has now surpassed "The Client" at number six of Korea's top films of the year with 2,465,751 total admissions#

"Reel Steel" remains its closest competitor with 245,537 admissions and 19.1% of ticket sales. The new Korean film "Couples" has surprised many people and the numbers are looking good thus far. "Couples" is directed by Jeong Yong-ki ("Descendants of Hong Gil-dong") and stars Kim Joo-hyuk, Lee Si-young, and Oh Jung-se. Andrew Niccol's "In Time", starring Justine Timberlake, follows at number four with 87,109 admissions.

At number five is Song Il-gon's "Always", selling 60,106 admissions and giving it a total of KRW 6,639,780,000 in earnings to date. Another new Korean film makes its way in the charts in the form of Ra Hee-chan's "Mr. Idol", a boy group comedy that is sure to resonant with the younger crowd. "Mr. Idol" opened with just 48,780 tickets sold and 2.6% of ticket sales. "The Help" is a comedy drama by Tate Taylor ("Winter's Bone" and "I Spy") and stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer. It is set in the 1960's during the civil rights movement in America and tells the story of African-American housemaids and their perspective on events and their daily lives.

"The Kick" is a co-production between Korea and Thailand and is directed by Prachya Pinkaew. The film cost about $30,000,000 to produce and has so far sold just 27,101 tickets in Korea alone. Every so often a Bollywood film makes an appearance in the Korean charts and this time it's the Hindi romance film "Guzaarish". The film was an average grosser in its home country but critics have praised the film and it is currently up for a number of awards in India. Lastly, Rowan Atkinson brings a bit of Brit to Korea in "Johnny English Reborn" as he plays an international assassin tasked with taking down a Chinese premier.

Final Korean Box Office - Admissions for the Week-end 2011.11.04 - 2011.11.06 (www.kobis.or.kr)