Masquerade

2012

Masquerade

Critics Consensus

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Masquerade Photos

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Movie Info

In order to avoid the constant threat of assassination, the tragic historic figure of King Gwang-hae orders his councilor HEO kyun to find him a double. Ha-sun, a jester who looks remarkably like the king, is finally chosen. But the day that King Gwang-hae feared comes all too fast: the King is now in a coma induced by an unknown poison. Quickly realizing what he believes takes to be a good king, Ha-sun must now rule Chosun as if it were truly his own.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Drama
Directed By:

Choo Chang-Min
Written By:

Hwang Jo-yun
In Theaters:

Sep 21, 2012 limited
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 11, 2013
Runtime:

131 minutes
Studio:

CJ Entertainment America

Cast

Lee Byung-hun
as Ha-Seon

Han Hyo-joo
as Queen

Ryu Seung-ryong
as Chief Secretary Heo

Kim In-kwon
as Captain Do

Seung-yong Ryoo
as Heo Gyun

Gwang Jang

Shim Eun-kyung

Kim Myeong-Gon

View All

Critic Reviews for Masquerade

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (9)

There are plenty of antecedents for the story, like "The Prince and the Pauper" and "Dave." But what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in Lee's performance.

February 7, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic
Top Critic
As predictable as these stories invariably are, Lee's wonderful turn reignites the potent fantasy of peasant wisdom - if given the power - melting politically cynical hearts and legislating through decency rather than fear.

September 20, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic
Even though Ha-sun is impersonating a King, it's the small changes he makes that cause the most dramatic impact.

November 16, 2019 | Full Review…

William Schwartz
HanCinema
Following in the long tradition of lavish Asian epics, this new South Korean entry is a beautiful addition to the genre of period prince-and-the pauper themed films.

June 6, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Elias Savada
Film Threat
Competently directed, the real pleasure in this high-grossing South Korean film lies in its performances, which lighten the regal solemnity with comic warmth.

March 15, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…

Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
As entertainment, it's a decidedly unstuffy costume drama that's compelling to the end.

February 14, 2013 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Marc Mohan
Oregonian
a somewhat sentimental tale of royal intrigue and romance; a crash course on the claustrophobic, often bizarre details of courtly life; and a showcase for the acting talents of Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun, in dual roles.

November 30, 2012 | Full Review…

Anton Bitel
Sight and Sound
Director Choo Chang-min delivers a familiar tale with elegant skill and assurance. He proves that if you have a good story, there's no need to gild the lily.

October 20, 2012 | Full Review…

Beth Accomando
KPBS.org
Lavishly entertaining Korean period spectacle works on every level from an ancient but still effective source.

September 28, 2012 | Full Review…

David Noh
Film Journal International

View All Critic Reviews (9)

Audience Reviews for Masquerade

Aug 07, 2016

Formulaic, but thanks to the performances and execution, it's reasonably entertaining.

familiar s Super Reviewer
Sep 05, 2013

This film is really a showcase for Byung-hun Lee's talents more than anything else. The story is certainly predictable and familiar but it is a well-told story nonetheless. Seeing as this man is taken from the bottom to impersonate the king, and how he adjusts himself to his new change and actually finds himself being more of a king to the people than the actual king is always a good story to tell. The production values of this film are absolutely incredible, the cinematography and the costume/set design are absolutely top-notch. It adds a lot to the film. As mentioned, Byung-hun Lee is tremendous, but I'm surprised he was good at comedy. Almost everything I've seen him in has been serious and while he's not great, he's certainly good enough to come across as a completely different person. I think the characters goes on an interesting arc of, at first, being manipulated by the court in order to get the laws, tax, bills, etc. dropped. But it's also good seeing how the impostor becomes aware of the laws and the ways the court is trying to screw over the weak and the poor and how he tries to fix those problems. While I love Korean movies, I can't say that their dramatic movies are subtle, and this film is no exception. I don't wanna say it is melodramatic, but it is a little sentimental and, like I said, not particularly subtle. Its message is worn on its sleeve, if you can't see the message then you're probably deaf and blind. I still really liked the movie even if it is made up of familiar themes and concepts, Byung-hun Lee, as always, delivers in spades and his performance is the main reason to watch this movie. Damn good movie here.

Jesse O Super Reviewer