User reviews

I will admit that I have not seen many Korean romantic comedies, so I can't say definitively how it compares to others. But I have definitely seen my fair share of U.S. romantic comedies. Frankly, the genre has become so clichéd, it's nearly impossible to find any decent new romantic comedies.

When I chose to watch "200 Pounds Beauty," I expected more of the same formulaic plot twists, etc. Yet I was pleasantly surprised at how beautifully produced this movie was. The actors did a superb job. My only contention is that there were several unexplained plot contents. I won't spoil it for any potential viewers, so I'll leave you to figure those out for yourselves.

Bottom line: if you want to watch a cute, funny and well done romantic comedy, then this is your movie. But make sure you have some Kleenex on hand! There are a few tugging-at-the-heart strings scenes.

"200 Pounds Beauty" (aka "Minyeo-neun goerowo") sort of is a modern day Cinderella story, although with a twist. And it does differentiate itself from the numerous South Korean romantic comedy movies, which in itself in an impressive feat.

Director Yong-Hwa Kim has managed to put together a great romantic comedy that didn't follow the standard recipe of how to make a successful rom-com. As such, "200 Pounds Beauty" was a nice breath of fresh air to the genre.

Think Cinderella and you have the core essence of the movie. Han-na (played by Ah-Jung Kim) is a large singer who is doing the singing for a lip syncing popstar, hidden away because of her size and appearance. Undergoing full cosmetic surgery Han-na becomes everything she dreamed of, but she loses herself along the way and turns into what she always hated.

This comedy is not the kind that will leave you flat out laughing, but instead it is a good story with subtle comedy that will make you feel good. The nice storyline is accompanied by equally nice acting performances.

A big thumbs up to Ah-Jung Kim for her performance in this movie. She really did carry the movie quite nicely.

"200 Pounds Beauty" is a benchmark in the South Korean romantic comedy genre, and it is a must watch if you enjoy this particular genre. It is a beautiful movie that will leave a lasting impression. Highly recommended that you sit down to watch this movie.

This movie is alright but could have been funnier and more meaningful. Although she owned up to having plastic surgery the message is still that she found love and success because of her weight loss. Maybe its just realistic and not preachy. Shallow Hal is a better movie. The actress is a real singer and that shows. The lead actor and actress have chemistry.

A sort-of romantic comedy, 200 Pounds Beauty, is a likable, although limited shot at romantic comedy popularity, sustained by a charismatic lead performance by Kim Ajoong and a high concept.

The story revolves around an obese woman who happens to be "the voice" of a popular singer in Corea. Of course, she doesn't look the part, so she just sings in the background. And he happens to be head over heels for her producer, who also happens to be friendly with her. Due to lack of confidence, she undergoes a radical total body plastic surgery procedure and is reborn at the pretty girl she thinks she needs to be to catch her crush. I think the story overall is a little mixed up and doesn't always do a great job of keeping conflicts clear. Sometimes I wasn't sure what the real conflict was with the main character and I find its wishy washy attitude towards societal standards of beauty, as well as plastic surgery, to be too anemic to appreciate. But the film does get many moments of comedy right. Special attention should be given to Kim Ajoong's portrayal of Kim Hana. Although at first I was a little annoyed by her "clumsy fat girl" antics, in the unbelievable fat suit, because I thought it was a negative stereotype of large bodied people, I came to appreciate her performance as she continued the same character after she becomes "beautiful". I loved how awkward her body language as the skinny girl she becomes is and there are some amusing bits of comedy that come from both her and others reacting to her new appearance.

I guess the big criticism I have is the lightweightedness of the story. Despite its romantic comedy billing, I still didn't feel like that much was at stake for Kim Hana, because I don't think the story effectively sold what it was that she cared about, in addition to splitting her interest in more than three directions. Furthermore, the producer character's position never becomes really clear. Many of the actors, being given limited characters, do an adequate job, but outside of the lead role, there's not much depth given to work with. Production value is high, as should be expected for a high-concept tentpole comedy and direction does a decent enough job of capturing a proper romantic comedy atmosphere.

In no way is anyone going to mistake 200 Pounds Beauty for high art, but its limited charms make for decent entertainment. I don't feel like the story is strong enough for the concept, but the execution is adequate enough and there's enough comedy present in the film to keep it floating through its running time. It also helps that Kim Ajoong turns out to be a good listen as well when she opens up her pipes to sing in the film. Thanks to her charming performance, I can give this one passing grade. It's not a special film, but basic romantic comedy entertainment that goes down easy and doesn't leave too big of an imprint in your mind. Decent. 6/10.

There's a reason this movie dominated the Korean box office over the holiday season. It was more popular than Night at the Museum and many other American films. It accomplishes many things that recent Korean romantic comedies have failed at. Basically, this movie is the star vehicle for new actress Kim Ah-Jung. She gives a great performance and fits the role perfectly. Even though the plot is simplistic, it is very witty and provides consistent comedy. The movie does not take itself too seriously like a lot of Korean movies that are all like "OMG LET'S BE FUNNY FOR THE FIRST HALF AND MAKE IT ALL DEPRESSING IN THE SECOND HALF!" While it provides many laughs, the story is still touching and meaningful. And what's amazing is that Kim Ah-Jung did all of her own singing, despite never having sung in a movie before nor being a singer. The soundtrack for 200 Pounds Beauty has topped the charts in Korea and "Maria" is one of the most popular songs in Korea right now.

Since this is basically my first review, I want to emphasize that I wanted to write it because no Korean movie has touched me this strongly since I saw My Sassy Girl.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a satisfying romantic comedy. 10/10

Everyone knows the routine for a romantic Korean comedy that tugs at one's heart; but 200 pound beauty sets itself apart from the typical film. The humor in this film is placed in all the right moments, making you laugh at a moment so simple but right. This film definitely opens the eyes of individuals going through what Hanna does, or those who believe superficial beauty is the only beauty. The message of this film is not that plastic surgery is the key to being happy or successful, but any beauty is so much more beautiful and real than the superficial one. After you get done with this movie, I guarantee that you will either cry or feel a different air about the controversial topic we all face through in life.

This movie was a big success in Korea when it first came out. I personally thought it was a bit over hyped after watching the movie, but it's still a pretty good movie with many aspects and elements that work. I found it sort of interesting how the main actress went though plastic surgery in real life and she goes through plastic surgery in this movie. The movie has a message that works and understandable, like how you won't know how certain people feels or going through without being in their shoes and to not be judgmental of other people. And has other messages as well. So for a simple plot the movie has depth for the most part. The movie comes off a bit shallow at times but for the most part it's a enjoyable film, just a bit overrated.

7.6/10

This is a movie that follows a typical happy romantic comedy.. starts off happy, goes down.. back up.. and it hits the top and stays there. But then again, 200 pounds beauty is SO much more! On the surface it is already a great movie. The fat girl protagonist Hanna is very cute and kind, later she turns into beautiful and thin but still kind and innocent Jenny. So there's a bit of eyecandy, both cute and sexy throughout the whole movie. But then there's the funny bits, the movie has hilarious little kicks throughout the whole movie, making you laugh at all the right movies.

But then there's a deeper side. This movie talks about themes such as the superficial view of the world, how beauty becomes an obsession, how the most beautiful heart can hide inside a bigger girl, how people will give everything to a girl with beautiful face-- superficiality yet again.

The sad parts that touched deep to the heart of the film are very well scripted and acted.. I cried so many times watching it to see an 'ugly' girl turned beautiful, but having to give so much up and yet not quite happy with the shallow joys that this new body and face have given her.

A small disappointment however was that the story's villain did not do much and disappeared for the majority of the movie and out of the viewer's mind, rendering the character pretty useless and taking away a little something more the movie could have had.

Overall, a feel-good movie that is a definite must watch! It goes above all my initial expectations and is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, love and think!

For a month, I had been deciding whether I should watch this or skip it. I heard some friends wanted to watch this movie. Until now, I decided that I will give a shot. Amazing, I thought it is sightly funny which I thought by watching the trailers, it will be full of sexual jokes. It was what I thought. The story is about a fat woman, which is disgusting, falls for a young charming man and the point is she can sing. She is the voice for the sexy Ammy which only knows how to dance. Sang-joong is the producer of the show and has some feelings for the fat woman, Hanna. Hanna wants to slim down herself to save her life. After a hard year, she goes out, becoming the beautiful woman in everybody's eyes. That is funny. You then will see the victims caught, trying to care for her after seeing her. There may be some funny moments but in the same time, there is some touching moments too.

I heard it was based on the Japanese comic. Either you like seeing comic-to-film, you don't mind about watching this or you like seeing fat chicks getting slim, this is for you.

At first i thought it was a rip off Shallow Hal or at least it would be a usual cliched romcom. Instead, i found a real message through a simple and lighthearted plot. Yes, i know it has some silly moments, but we can overlook them as the whole experience of this feel-good movie is worth watching. Kim Ah Jung-in her first role-fits the role of the cute Hanna and the beautiful Jenny perfectly. She did all the songs by herself, despite not being a singer. I like all the songs. my favourit is Maria, which is originally by Blondie. Actually the songs topped the Korean charts at that year. "200 pounds beauty" was a super hit and won many awards and nominations including best actress and best film, so watch it. It is really a sweet one.

Full review posted at shanatalks.wordpress.com

200 Pounds Beauty is a Korean romantic comedy film based on a Japanese Manga, Kanna-San, Daiseikou Desu by Yumiro Suzuki. It's about a girl who only dreams of one thing—to be loved by the guy she secretly loves. There are just three problems. She's fat. He's her boss and she's just a shadow singer.

Anyone can easily relate to Hanna. Admit it or not, we've once felt ugly, used and useless. I'm pretty sure you've been humiliated for once in your life and had felt really down because of it. Hanna had to endure that for as long she can remember—and she gets that treatment all because she's fat.

The society's basis of what's beautiful in our present time is influenced by what people see in TV. I remember my history instructor once said that the society in the medieval times considers those on the plump side as sexy and attractive. But through the years, the basis of beauty gets thinner and slimmer—thanks to Barbie.

The plastic surgery topic delved in this movie has positive and negative feedback. A lot of conservative, religious individuals think that changing your physical appearance isn't right since you are altering what the Creator had given you. While others who are more open to today's innovations sees this as an opportunity for someone to enhance what he/she has. My side on the issue is neutral. I know that's a safe answer but hear me out first. I agree that God created us like what he wants us to be and everything he gave us is a gift. However, I also believe that nothing is constant in this world but change. You can't judge a person because she decided to undergo plastic surgery because she wants to be beautiful. Remember, they have their reason and most often than not, they resort to this because society judges them because they have this criteria of what's pretty and ugly.

I myself had gained weight tremendously since I started working and it's really hard to lose all the weight. At first, I'm insecure but then gaining weight is not a crime. Staying and feeling ugly is what I consider a crime. Ha-ha. With all the beauty enhancements we have right now, there's no reason for you to be ugly. And beauty is not only what you see outside, it should be inside and out. A person should be atoned with himself/herself. Love yourself before anything else.

Remember your physical appearance will not define you. It's your character that makes you—YOU. Beauty will fade. But your legacy will not.

This movie is able to bring a complex issue onto the audience and present it in such a warm, light-hearted and understanding manner. At first, I thought I would be in for a superficial and callous movie about plastic surgery. OH was I ever more wrong. 200 Pound Beauty manages to capture the complexity of the issue without it ever bearing down on the film. It is an extremely funny, witty and light-hearted commentary on the trend of plastic surgery in Korea. And it does so with grace, respect and understanding of the subject matter. Everyone must watch this film. No other film in recent history has ever captured my heart and imagination so well as this one did. I dare say it rivals the storytelling of My Sassy Girl; one of my all-time favorite films. This is a "MUST WATCH" for all those who love romantic comedies.

This could have been a disaster. A story about a "ghost singer" (think Milli Vinilli) and phone sex operator changes her whole appearance, going from 200 pounds to becoming beautiful and shapely via full body plastic surgery, it could have been a silly film. It has silly moments, where guys are awestruck by her beauty, but this romantic comedy has a lot of heart. It succeeds in having Hanna, played by the beautiful Ah-jung Kim, and the guy she likes, Sang-jun, not become too serious, but also not become parodies of themselves. The movie, as you may have figured out, plays the fat card, but does it with restraint. Hanna becomes Jenny after her makeover, and works with Sang-jun. One thing I wished didn't happen thankfully didn't: She didn't all of a sudden begin sagging before our eyes. The music is good, some songs in English, some in Korean (I liked how they remade Blondie's "Maria"). Ah-jung Kim is a good actress, she plays Hanna/Jenny very well. I think you will get a lot from this film, and that is without the film being preachy about how everyone is beautiful, no matter what. There are nice sentimental touches in this film. I liked it a lot. I think Ah-jung Kim is someone to watch, she played the role perfectly. Its a feel good movie, so go ahead and see it.

This is the worst korean movie I have seen so far. Korean industry has already made so higher standard that I didn't expect something like this. It's all about getting weight reduce and beautifying one girl through plastic surgery. It's like promoting surgery. She gets whatever she desired for throughout her life within a few days, even no one is able to recognise her voice too.

I just watched it in 1.30 speed, I was just going through the subs and waiting for this movie to end. I'm bored just . This movie isn't funny at all. I feel like It's promoting body shaming and plastic surgery.

200 pounds? That's a lot! The movie is very good, but not as good as some other Korean movies such as The Classic and Sassy Girl.

The movie is very enjoyable, very funny from the very first scene, and very heartbreaking near the end.

Well, the story is simple, a fat girl with a good voice is a ghost singer for a famous pop star, the pop star makes fun of her in front of the man she loves. She leaves for god knows how long, beautiful and thin.

You have to love Kim Aj-jung and Jo Jin-mo. Over all, I recommend the film. It's very enjoyable to watch all over again.

8/10

Unexpectedly I knew about this film when I was accessing Youtube.Oh yes I was finding Lee Hyori 's clip:"10 Minutes",and I saw the column "Also posted by this user" and detected "200 Pounds Beauty" part 7/15.What a clip!I laughed a lot when I watch this part,so I decided to hire the DVD but didn't succeed.Fortunately,this film was projected in Vietnam,also in Megastar cinema.And I decided,I would go to the cinema.And I didn't decide wrong.The film gave me not only funny time with smile but also a meditative mood because of the content that the film bring to:A beautiful mind is more important than good looks! Kim Ah Jung acted so well,the audience can smile or cry when watching her. The best in 200 Pounds Beauty is the soundtrack of film.11 track has 11 different melodies and sorts,they all awesome. And I rate it's a must-see movie,beside My sassy girl,The classic,The Host,The King and the clown

First of all, I had to stop the film just to look this up on IMDb. Imagine my shock and awe when I saw the "excuse me for being crass" absolute morons that wrote long and disgusting reviews. Raymond-lanier even shared this gem with a child. So much for "anyone can breed" theories. I can't really say it better than Proterozoic did. I can't really say it as nicely as he did so I will leave the review to him/her. I say this because I would like to pull every hair out of all your heads who gave this more than 1 star. Only because I couldn't give it a minus star. You see, I don't have the patience or couth that Proterozoic displays. I can imagine how anyone would feel looking at this film and the reviews having a weight problem. You really have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one. I know the culture looks at fat people as suicidal and you have proved that the good ole USA see's it the same way. Better dead than fat. I have got to admit after my rant that the only thing that disgusted me more than the movie were all your reviews.