''Hi! Dharma!'' (; literally "Hey Dharma Let's Play") is a 2001 South Korean
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
about gangsters who hide out in a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
. With 3,746,000 admissions, it was the
fifth highest-grossing Korean film of 2001.
A
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
titled ''
Hi! Dharma 2: Showdown in Seoul'' was released in 2004.
Plot
Five gangsters escape in a van after a bloody confrontation with the rival Chunno gang. They detect a snitch within their ranks and cannot leave the country because the police will be looking for them. So they go to the mountains and hide in a Buddhist monastery.
But the monks there don't want the gangsters to stay. So the monks propose that if the gangsters can win three of five contests, they can stay, but if they lose, they must leave immediately. The gangsters win enough contests, the last being suggested by the eldest monk: a challenge to fill up a broken water pot without plugging up the hole. The gangsters come up with the idea of putting the pot into the river. They are allowed to stay for a week. But the younger monks can't stand the gangsters and attempt to persuade them to leave.
Meanwhile, the boss among the gangsters realizes who betrayed them but contacts the snitch anyway, giving away his location. Former members who defected to the Chunno gang show up near the monastery, dig a shallow mass grave and throw the gangsters they betrayed into it. But the monks come to the rescue of their unwanted guests.
Back at the monastery, both the monks and the gangsters are saddened to learn of the death of the eldest monk. After the funeral, the gangsters leave. Months later, they make donations to the monastery in gratitude for their hospitality.
Cast
*
Park Shin-yang ... Jae-gyu
*
Jung Jin-young Jung Jin-young may refer to:
* Jung Jin-young (actor) (born 1964), South Korean actor
* Jung Jin-young (singer) (born 1991), South Korean musician
{{disambig ...
... Monk Jeong-myeong
*
Park Sang-myun
Park Sang-myun (; born January 27, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his comic roles, notably in '' My Wife Is a Gangster'' (2001).
Career
Park Sang-myun graduated in 1987 with a Theater degree from Seoul Institute of the Art ...
... Bul-kom
*
Kang Sung-jin
Kang Sung-jin (born January 13, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Kang acted in the lead role in ''The Humanist'' (2001), ''APT (film), APT'' (2006), ''Mission Possible: Kidnapping Granny K'' (2007) and ''Life Is Cool (film), Life Is Cool'' (2008). ...
... Nal-chi
*
Kim Soo-ro
Kim Soo-ro (; born Kim Sang-joong on May 7, 1970) is a South Korean actor.
Career
Early career
Kim Soo-ro studied Theater at the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Dongguk University, then joined the Mokwha Repertory Company. In 1993, he mad ...
... Wang Ku-ra
*
Hong Kyoung-in ... Rookie
*
Kim In-mun ... Master
*
Kim Young-moon
*
Lee Dae-yeon
Lee Dae-yeon (born November 13, 1964) is a South Korean actor.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Theater
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Lee Dae-yeon at JR Entertainment
*
*
*
19 ...
... Chang-guen
*
Lee Mu-hyeon ... Dae-ho
*
Lee Moon-sik
Lee Moon-sik (born November 13, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Lee Moon-sik debuted in Jang Jin films of the late 1990s after an illustrious career in Daehak-ro (considered the " Korean Broadway"), where he learned great comic timing, ad-lib ...
.. monk Dae-bong
*
Lee Won-jong
Lee Won-jong (; born January 1, 1966) is a South Korean actor.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Variety shows
Theater
*''Blind'' (2010)
*''The Masked Hut Murder Case'' (2022) - Nobuhiko
Awards
*2002 SBS Drama Awards: Best Supporting ...
... monk Hyeon-gak
*
Im Hyun-kyung ... Yeun-hwa
*
Ryu Seung-soo
Ryu Seung-soo (born August 12, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Ryu made his acting debut in 1997 with a minor role in Park Chan-wook's film ''Trio'', and has been active as a supporting actor on film and television since. Among his notable films ...
... Monk Myung-chun
*
Kwon Oh-min ... Boy monk
Trivia
The male actors who played the monks and the only actress in the movie (Im Hyun-kyung), who played the nun Yeon-hwa, actually shaved their heads for the movie.
References
External links
*
*
*
2001 films
2001 crime comedy films
South Korean action comedy films
Films about organized crime in South Korea
Films about Buddhism
2000s Korean-language films
Buddhism in Korea
2000s South Korean films
{{2000s-SouthKorea-film-stub