Parents' Guide to Good News

The consistency of the satirical skewering on offer here is high, even if the actual skewering isn't that deep. There is a clear and well-executed vision in Good News, despite its surface-level critique. By the end, some viewers will tire of the heavy-handed delivery on offer, but others will likely be committed and along for the ride, eager to see how the story plays out, even if it's based on a real event. And there might be more varied reaction to the humor here, as a fair amount of it is particularly (South) Korea-specific, culturally. To some Western audiences, many of the performances might feel over-the-top in their "idiocy" and aggressive comedic tone.

Nevertheless, director Byun Sung-hyun manages to politically maintain relative neutrality, as clearly he didn't want this film devolving into simply making fun of communism alone (or just the hijackers) or of one government alone. Thus, this film aims its derisory tone at all governments involved (like the United States), but mainly the South Korean and Japanese governments, as well as individuals and officials at all levels of these governments, selfish career hunters, and state officials always looking to pass the buck. All around, this film's biggest sin is its length and how long it takes to get going and establish its principal characters. But if you're willing to stick around, the film will prompt more than a few thoughtful questions.