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DIGITAL

Opening Date

15 Aug 2024

Rating

PG13 Some Sexual References

Runtime

110 mins

Language

Korean with English & Chinese subtitles

Genre

Comedy

Director

Kim Han-Gyul

Cast

Cho Jung-seok, Lee Joo-Myoung, Han Sun-hwa, Shin Seung-ho

Synopsis

A story about a pilot who suddenly loses his job, then unexpectedly gets rehired with a new identity.

Reviews

By InCinemas 12 Aug 2024

110 minutes of endless laughter.

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Pilot, an adaptation of the 2012 Swedish comedy movie Cockpit, is directed by Kim Han-gyul (Crazy Romance) with a stellar cast of Jo Jung-suk, Lee Ju-myoung, Han Sun-hwa, Shin Seung-ho Kim Ji-hyun, Oh Min-ae and Seo Jae-hee.

Set within the backdrop of South Korea, the film follows the meteoric rise and fall of star pilot, Han Jung-woo (Jung-suk). In a desperate bid to survive in the face of adversity, he takes hilarious and increasingly drastic measures to get and remain employed. In the ensuing process, he is faced with challenges arising from his past obnoxious behaviour.

The film begins with Jung-woo, who graduated top from the Air Force Academy, at the top of his game in the aviation industry. He is a popular pilot with Hankuk Air, and we see him charm his way through life in snippet from various TV shows and interviews. He is revered for his incredible flying skills and techniques. During one live show, Jung-woo proudly shares that one of his passengers, who fell asleep soundly throughout the journey from take-off, was in disbelief that the plane has left the airport and landed in the destination.

At a company dinner, in a moment of drunken folly, Jung-woo joins in a toast to fellow colleagues. However, he unfortunately makes a sexist comment comparing women to “a bouquet of flowers”. With the incident captured on video and subsequently shared, he goes viral online in all the wrong ways. As a result, he is fired from his job, leaving Jung-woo to unsuccessfully apply for a job with other airlines.

Back home, Jung-woo’s wife (Ji-hyun), a ballet instructor asks for a divorce as she no longer wants to put up with his years of indifference to the family. He is oblivious to the fact that his wife had been suffering from an illness and his son (Da-on) loves Barbie dolls and ballet, instead of Lego and planes. Jung-woo moves out, leaving his wife and son to continue living in their home.

Jung-woo the goes to house he bought for his family and disrupts his sister, Han Jung-mi (Sun-hwa), a YouTube beauty content creator, who is in the middle of an ASMR live-streaming session. Jung-woo’s mother (Min-ae) is away on her “pilgrimage”- she is an influencer who goes by the name ‘Chan-to-halmi’ and a fandom member who idolises singer 'Lee Chan- won'.

Desperate to reclaim his professional life and disheartened by his blacklisted status from other aviation companies, Jung-woo drowns his sorrow in alcohol. After watching a YouTube video by Father Moon, he drunkenly applies for a job in Han Air, currently seeking to hire female pilots, under his sister’s name – Han Jung-mi. To his surprise, he receives a call to attend an interview for the job. Faced with to do or die situation, Jung-woo enlists the help from his sister.

From this point on, the film ramps up the humour and cleverly weaves together comical scenes – Jung-woo undergoing the wax removal of his armpit hair, finding joy in shopping for new lingerie, and sitting naturally on a chair with legs wide apart while wearing a skirt or accidentally speaking in a man’s voice at the job interview – eliciting spontaneous laughter from the audience. Jung-suk true to his excellent comedic reputation, approaches such scenes so naturally without relying on easy jokes.

Jung-woo succeeded in being employed as a co-pilot in Han Air and soon form an eonni or ‘sisterly’ bond with fellow female co-pilot, Yoon Seul-gi (Ju-myoung). The complicated but fun conflict arises when Jung-woo pairs with his former colleague, Seo Hyun-seok (Seung-ho) on flights. Hyun-seok is known to “hit” on female colleagues and “Jung-mi” (Jung-woo in disguise) has to fend off his unwanted advances.

On one fateful flight, the plane suffers engine trouble and “Jung-mi” takes control and saves all passengers and crew onboard. Soon the situation spirals out of control as Director Noh Moon-young (Jae-hee) of Han Air capitalises on the heroic act of “Jung-mi” in her power struggle to boost the performance of Han Air and ultimately take over Hankuk Air and consolidate both airlines under her sole management.

Will Jung-woo be forced to reveal the truth about his cross-dressing and find a happy ending to his dilemma and reunite with his family? Catch Pilot and enjoy 110 minutes of endless laughter to find out.

Laughs aside, the film tackles the serious issue of gender discrimination, highlighting the prejudice women face in the workplace. However, the theme seems a little underdeveloped at times, offering passing social commentary rather than a main issue.

Nevertheless, Jung-suk’s performance is undeniably compelling. He masterfully transforms into the character and delivers each scene with impeccable comedic timing. His heartfelt portrayal of Jung-woo's transformation over this unexpected journey eventually fosters empathy from the audience, as we see him developing from an initially unlikeable and self-centred man to one who empathises with other people’s situations and values his relationship with family and friends. Jung-woo’s growth as a person is both believable and endearing to the audience. This is a great comedy perfect for all ages to enjoy.
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