Jenny, Juno (2005) - Korean Movie Review

Jenny, Juno (2005-Korea)

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Cute and yes cute teen flick

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HK Box office Taking: Not well received in Korean Box Office...

In 2005, Hong Kong Cinema made 2 Young and commented upon the increasing rate of high school students getting pregnancy. While that movie is a more dramatic and realistic approach, Korean cinema brings us - Jenny Juno, treating the issues in a more light hearted manner and a much relaxed and easy going ride along the way. While Korean drama and even romantic comedies, regularly gives out emotionally impact on the audience, Jenny Juno surprisingly does not, but rather compensate that with steady direction and a CUTE feeling. While this movie does not break any grounds whatsoever, it is a worthwhile ride and interesting to watch a cute movie once in a while.

Writer/director Kim Ho-jun follows up his highly successful 2003 film My Little Bride with the controversial teen pregnancy movie Jenny, Juno! The film centers on the title characters of Jenny (Park Min-ji) and Juno (Kim Hye-song), two fifteen year old middle school students whose one night of romance has dramatic consequences for both their lives. After careful deliberation, the two expectant parents decide to keep the baby. However, they also decide to keep the pregnancy a secret from everyone, even their families. But just how long will Jenny and Juno be able to hide the truth from their parents? Although much debate has raged over the content of the film, the truth is that Jenny,Juno isn't overtly sexual in the least (the actual sex occurs off-screen). Instead, the filmmakers focus their attention not only on the issues and concerns related to teen pregnancy, but also tap into the fantasy of parenthood itself, taking the typical romantic comedy plot into unexplored territory for the genre.

This isn't a damn good movie, but one that Neo will be save to call a damn CUTE movie. It is so damn cheesy and that some scenes are so expected that it can be annoying if it was perhaps a HK movie, but somehow and really somehow, this Korean flick, cast its young leads with immensely likable facial expressions and along with the over the top acting by the parents, this is a light hearted movie that works due to not its story or whatever, but once again its cuteness.

Something is cool about almost all Korean flicks, is its good production values and very easy to follow direction and with a package like Jenny, Juno, it is really not worth digging out, but it is most likely the cutest movie since Charlene Choi's My Wife is 18. Certainty Ah Sa can be cute, but really, this Korean flick knows its target audience - those who want to watch a mindless cute movie. While it is mindless fun to watch, it isn't the same cuteness that Twins generation, as this Korean is by far most pleasing to watch while serving the scent of cuteness to leave the audience with a damn cute after taste. So worth buying, well it really depends on you, but as far as cute movies are concern - this is a pretty cute movie.