Critical Reception
In a review for the Korean Film Council, Yi Ch'ang-ho described Once Upon a Time as being "technically excellent" and "a well balanced heist comedy", also praising the film for its use of music and portrayal of 1940s Korea. Yang Sung-jin of The Korea Herald commended the "solid performances of the leading characters", while also giving credit to the comic relief provided by supporting actors Seong Dong-il and Jo Hee-bong. Susan Yoon of the JoongAng Daily noted that although the film shows the harsh realities of life under Japanese colonialism, it could also be enjoyed as a comedy "because it focuses on personal journeys, not just historical events", and that the film was "Funny from beginning to end", with "a delightful finish". James Mudge of BeyondHollywood.com regarded Jeong's direction as being "slick and confident throughout", and commented that while the film lacked originality, "it stands as a solid, entertaining action comedy that should be enjoyed by all".
Read more about this topic: Once Upon A Time (2008 Film)
Famous quotes containing the words critical and/or reception:
“It would be easy ... to regard the whole of world 3 as timeless, as Plato suggested of his world of Forms or Ideas.... I propose a different view—one which, I have found, is surprisingly fruitful. I regard world 3 as being essentially the product of the human mind.... More precisely, I regard the world 3 of problems, theories, and critical arguments as one of the results of the evolution of human language, and as acting back on this evolution.”
—Karl Popper (1902–1994)
“He’s leaving Germany by special request of the Nazi government. First he sends a dispatch about Danzig and how 10,000 German tourists are pouring into the city every day with butterfly nets in their hands and submachine guns in their knapsacks. They warn him right then. What does he do next? Goes to a reception at von Ribbentropf’s and keeps yelling for gefilte fish!”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)