

Going from a timid, introverted and nerdy high schooler to a confident and violently assured gangster trapped in a teenager’s body is not an easy transition. By focussing on Pan-Su, it’s a small attempt to refresh the genre, and if we didn’t get that, we would have missed out on an excellent performance by Jinyoung Jung. But to counterbalance, the shared dynamic wouldn’t have offered anything new. Strange? Yes, considering that it massively affects the dynamics for the other character, treated more like a third act revival to quickly wrap up the film. The Dude in Me re-jigs that balance by placing more of its narrative weight on Pan-Su as Dong-hyeon. Most body swap films are equally weighted, meaning the affected characters get a ‘taste of their own medicine’ in adapting to their newfound swapped circumstance. And in true Korean classic, it gets awkward pretty fast in its punchline delivery and takes advantage of every situation so Pan-su can fix all the wrongs in his life. But imagine attending the school with a teenage girl who happens to be your daughter! In all of its ruthless shenanigans, The Dude in Me treats its complication like something out of It’s a Wonderful Life – an opportunity to get to know the daughter he did not know he had and reconnect with the love of his life and mother of his child Mi-seon (Mi-ran Ra). Fending off Dong-hyeon’s school bullies is another.

Going back to school while managing a criminal empire and stopping a coup-like takeover by your brother is one thing. This is where The Dude in Me starts to enjoy its complicated wackiness. One calamitous accident later and Pan-su wakes up in Dong-hyeon’s body.

In something akin to Beauty and the Beast, there’s a mysterious lady, who happens to be in the right place and the right time serving ramen at the same time as the Dong-hyeon (Jinyoung Jung) and his uncontrollable appetite. So how does the change occur? Well, there’s no mystical McGuffin, magical wishing dust, an ancient arcade machine or a fountain. He has meticulous living standards, is sharply dressed, and runs a tight ship. Pan-Su (Sung-woong Park) is a high flying CEO and ruthless gangster who believes every problem can be solved violently. But in its audacity, it has the confidence to pull it off.Īfter a slow, conventional start, it begins like a gangster movie. At times, it’s a hodgepodge of different genres mixed in together – comedy, drama, family, coming of age, romance and action (with an exercise montage to boot). The Dude in Me doesn’t pretend to ‘re-invent the wheel’ because you know exactly what you’re going to get. It’s easy to be cynical about its expectations. But if Hyo-jin Kang’s The Dude in Me proves anything, there’s still life in the body-swap genre. Whether it is Freaky Friday, Vice Versa or The Change-Up, it relies on the same formulaic (and often predictable) principles to navigate its story. When it comes to body-swap films, there’s always that vibe of ‘been there, done that, bought the t-shirt’.
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Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "A movie about a teenager who falls from the roof, but finds himself in the body of a gangster." 'The Dude in Me' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Rakuten Viki, KoreaOnDemand, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Kocowa, AsianCrush, Filmzie, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, and Fandor Amazon Channel. Released, 'The Dude in Me' stars Jung Jin-young, Park Sung-woong, Ra Mi-ran, Lee Soo-min The movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 2 min, and received a user score of 80 (out of 100) on TMDb, which put together reviews from 99 knowledgeable users. Now, before we get into the fundamentals of how you can watch 'The Dude in Me' right now, here are some finer points about the The Pictures with a View, The Contents On, EchoFilm, Merry Christmas comedy flick. Read on for a listing of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'The Dude in Me' on each platform when they are available. Want to watch ' The Dude in Me' in the comfort of your own home? Tracking down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Kang Hyo-jin-directed movie via subscription can be a huge pain, so we here at Moviefone want to do the work for you.
