How can a guy like poor Daeho escape the rigid routines and humiliations of daily life as an office worker? By becoming a famous wrestler, of course, dashingly masked and fearsome. Unfortunately his promoters insist that Daeho cheat, in new and exciting ways. And so director Kim Jee-woon takes us on a dizzying romp through his wicked comedy, exposing the hapless hero to absurd challenges in his attempts to escape the real world. Stylish and very funny, the film shuttles Daeho between office and ringside, between bullying bank manager and exasperated trainer and his tough but vulnerable daughter. The wrestling matches are hilarious, as the popular Korean star Song Kang-ho reveals his considerable talent for playing physical comedy softened by the wryness of the perennial loser.

South Korea, 2000. 122 min.