A scene from the film “Wild Sing” / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
At a time when retro is back in style, a movie filled with the late 90s, early 2000s aesthetics of the K-pop scene paying homage to first-generation acts, such as H.O.T. and Shinhwa, does not come as a complete surprise.
In the Korean comedy "Wild Sing," starring actors Gang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo and Park Ji-hyun and directed by Son Jae-gon, the ensemble faithfully reenacts the earlier days of the K-pop industry as top-ranking idol dance group Triangle.
Gang plays Hyun-woo, the group's good-looking but somewhat clumsy leader, while Uhm and Park portray Sang-gu, the youngest member of the group and rapper, and Do-mi, the trio's sole female member who serves as the actual leader of the group behind the scenes, respectively.
The film does a solid job in reviving the aesthetics of the past, ranging from a sand-filled playground (which have been mostly replaced with urethane foam blocks) where Hyun-woo practices his head spins to televised broadcasts featuring live telephone votes by fans for top singers of the week.
In terms of music style, it also captures the mid-90s mood of the K-pop scene, marked by colorful baggy outfits reminiscent of H.O.T.'s megahit debut song "Candy," which then shifts to the Y2K vibe of metallic outfits and rebellious lyrics that were popular in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The plot of a once-popular but now-forgotten musical act seeking to make a comeback after 20 years is familiar.
Hyun-woo, who now makes ends meet through a single radio program appearance, persuades his former team members Sang-gu, an unsuccessful insurance salesman, and Do-mi, who has married into a wealthy but strict family, to get together for a rare live performance in the hopes of jumpstarting his hopeless career.
What keeps the film from ending as an all-too-familiar story of the group successfully making its way back to the spotlight is the latter part of the film where the trio makes a car trip — filled with bizarre and unexpected events — as they head to a rehearsal for their first performance in 20 years.
During the trip, they encounter Oh Jung-se (Sung-gon), a once-famous "ballade prince" who used to rule the charts alongside Triangle but over the course of time has become an authorized hunter who tracks down dangerous wild animals.
Source: Korea Times News
