movie reviews miss granny

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Running on empty.

• Common Sense Says
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Common Sense Media Review

Dark, mature romcom asks big questions, comes up empty.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Running on Empty is a dark romantic comedy about a mortician named Mort (Keir Gilchrist) who learns he has less than a year to live. It has mature sexual situations, plus graphic sex-related dialogue, kissing, flirting, and revealing outfits. Language is also strong, with use of…

Why Age 15+?

Very brief image of a woman thrusting behind a man (nothing explicit shown, but

Several uses of "f--k," plus "motherf----r," "s--t," "bulls--t," "t-ts," "a--hol

A man forces a woman up against the wall and grabs her throat. Characters fight,

Wine with dinner; one character keeps pouring more wine, despite her partner app

Mention of Trader Joe's.

Any Positive Content?

Addresses death, arguing that death doesn't really matter and shouldn't be scary

Mort is sort of a "lost" character who's searching for happiness. But he never d

Largely focused on a White man; the women in his life are mainly there to suppor

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Very brief image of a woman thrusting behind a man (nothing explicit shown, but it's a visual reference to an earlier verbal mention of "pegging," i.e., a woman wearing a sex toy and penetrating a man). Kissing. A character meets a sex worker in a bar; she lets him feel her breasts through her dress and invites him back to her place, changes into lingerie, suggests oral sex, straddles him, and gives him a lap dance, which is interrupted. After a date, one character invites another home; they kiss, she pulls him inside, and the scene cuts to her lying in bed and him getting dressed (sex is implied). A woman in a bikini slowly climbs out of a swimming pool. Man shown shirtless. Frequent graphic sex-related dialogue. Sexual gesture.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Several uses of "f--k," plus "motherf----r," "s--t," "bulls--t," "t-ts," "a--hole," "p---y," "bitch," "son of a bitch," "ass," "dumbass," "balls," "butt," "crap," "Jesus Christ" and "oh God" (as exclamations), "pissed," "scumbag," "whore," "vagina," "blow job," and "hummer."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A man forces a woman up against the wall and grabs her throat. Characters fight, with kicks in the groin, punching, and someone getting hit in the face with a bicycle. A person falls to their death; crumpled body shown. A character is struck by a car; bloody wounds, seeping blood puddle. Deaths. Character thrown on ground. Guns are shown/brandished. Physical threat. Reference to someone being killed by a drunk driver. Reference to necrophilia.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Wine with dinner; one character keeps pouring more wine, despite her partner appearing upset with her. Social drinking (shots, beer, wine). Vaping and cigarette smoking. Reference to someone being killed by a drunk driver.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Addresses death, arguing that death doesn't really matter and shouldn't be scary. These assertions come through in dialogue; characters never really seem to think very hard about them. The existence of a service in which characters can find out their death day raises the thoughtful question: Would you do the same?

Positive Role Models

Mort is sort of a "lost" character who's searching for happiness. But he never does much that's admirable, and supporting characters are pretty thinly drawn.

Diverse Representations

Largely focused on a White man; the women in his life are mainly there to support him or give him some kind of experience. Most other characters are White as well. In supporting cast, Black actor Jay Pharoah plays a driver working at the funeral home who appears in a few scenes, and Black actors (Isaac C. Singleton Jr. and Lisa Yaro) play a pimp and a sex worker. During a dating montage, Michelle Farrah Huang appears as an unsympathetic woman of unspecified Asian descent. Writer-director Daniel Andre was born in Mexico.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Running on Empty is a dark romantic comedy about a mortician named Mort ( Keir Gilchrist ) who learns he has less than a year to live. It has mature sexual situations, plus graphic sex-related dialogue, kissing, flirting, and revealing outfits. Language is also strong, with use of words including "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "t-ts," "a--hole," "p---y," "bitch," "oh God," and "ass." Characters die, and there are bloody wounds and seeping blood, as well as gun threat, physical threat (a man forces a woman up against a wall and grabs her throat), a mangled corpse, fighting, kicking, a character getting hit by a car, a fatal fall, and more. There's social drinking (shots, beers, wine, etc.), and one character appears to be drinking too much wine with dinner. There's also occasional vaping and smoking and a reference to a fatal drunk driving accident. Lucy Hale co-stars. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In RUNNING ON EMPTY, Mortimer "Mort" Mortensen ( Keir Gilchrist ) works in a funeral home with his Uncle Barry ( Jim Gaffigan ) and is forever clad in a neat black suit. Along with his fianc ée, Nicole ( Francesca Eastwood ), Mort gets a Life Day Count test and discovers that he has less than a year left to live. Nicole leaves him, and he begins a series of misadventures. Mort meets a woman in a bar, which leads to an unsavory run-in with an angry pimp, Simon (Rhys Coiro), who demands increasing amounts of money for a perceived wrong. And a dating service leads to strange encounters with various women, one of whom even steals Mort's jacket and wallet. But when Kate ( Lucy Hale ), who works shooting videos for the dating service, befriends him, things start to look up again ... at least for a while.

Is It Any Good?

Presumably starting off as a dark comedy before morphing into a rather routine—and unfunny—romcom, this odd, bland movie seems to have been built from bits of other movies with minimal effort. Running on Empty focuses on a character whose name literally means "death" and is set partially in a funeral home where the corpses are posed doing lifelike things; it seems to want to follow in a kind of Harold and Maude mode, but its disaffected tone makes everything seem pointless. And when it suddenly jettisons this attempt at dark comedy and Mort tries to learn how to live, it becomes just ... regular. The characters seem like cutouts, including the kind of goofy supporters (Gaffigan mostly makes crude sex references) and free-wheeling outsider girl (Hale) we've seen hundreds of times before. (SNL's Jay Pharoah , who plays the funeral home's driver and appears in a just couple of scenes, gets the movie's only real laughs, especially in a scene where he helps suspend a lady's corpse into a hang-gliding pose.)

The movie also resorts to several uninspired montages to shove its story along. Its biggest problem, however, is probably Mort himself. Forever clad in his suit and with his pouty, innocent expression that rarely changes, he doesn't seem real or relatable. The title is a further suggestion of the movie's general sense of lethargy. Running on Empty is also the name of a classic Sidney Lumet movie , and it means nothing here, other than to hint that the movie, indeed, has run out of gas.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Running on Empty 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? Were you expecting that kind of content in a romantic comedy?

How is sex depicted? Is casual sex glamorized? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Does Simon bully others? How is bullying handled in this story? Are there other approaches?

If you could, would you choose to find out your death date? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

• In theaters : August 9, 2024
• On DVD or streaming : August 27, 2024
• Cast : Keir Gilchrist , Lucy Hale , Francesca Eastwood
• Director : Daniel Andre
• Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Mexican directors, Female actors
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 91 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language and sexual content
• Last updated : September 3, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Pushing Daisies

(500) Days of Summer

Garden State

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Romantic comedies, goofy comedy movies to watch with tweens and teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Miss Granny (2014)

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An Honest Review Of 'Miss Granny'

You'll be ugly crying by the time the movie ends!

The Long Plot, Sans Spoilers

Fely ( Nova Villa ) is a woman in her 70s who lives with her son, Ramon ( Nonie Buencamino ); daughter-in-law, Angie ( Lotlot de Leon ); grandson, Jeboy, ( James Reid ); and granddaughter, Hana ( Ataska Mercado ). Lola Fely is not exactly the most lovable senior citizen around. She has an opinion about everyone and everything, and is known to be controlling and a major grouch.

One day, Angie gets rushed to the hospital and the doctor tells the family that for her to get better, they need to get rid of anything that's causing her stress. Angie's #1 stressor? Fely!

On the day Ramon tells her that she'll need to move to a nursing home, a depressed and distraught Fely walks aimlessly around the city and comes across a mysterious photo studio with old portraits of her favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn. She goes in to have her picture taken. Later on, she discovers she has magically transformed into her 20-year-old self!

Fely renames herself Audrey ( Sarah Geronimo ) and makes the most of the opportunity. She gets the chance to live her dream of being a singer AND becomes the object of affection of three guys—her grandson, Jeboy (yikes!); TV show producer, Lorenz ( Xian Lim ), and Bert ( Boboy Garovillo ), a close friend from when she was young.

The Short, Honest Plot

Miss Granny is a funny and touching story about the love of family.

The Main Actors And Where You Last Saw Them

Sarah geronimo as audrey/fely.

The talented singer-actress was last seen in Finally Found Someone , her comeback movie with John Lloyd Cruz in 2017.

James Reid as Jeboy

The singer-actor was last seen in Never Not Love You , with his love team partner and girlfriend Nadine Lustre .

Xian Lim as Lorenz

The actor was last seen in the erotic thriller Sin Island , with Coleen Garcia and Nathalie Hart .

Nova Villa as Fely

The veteran actress was last seen in the 2016 JaDine movie This Time . She is also a regular in the GMA-7  teleserye Inday Will Always Love You , which stars Barbie Forteza .

Did You Know?

• This movie is actually a local adaptation of a South Korean comedy-drama released in 2014. It was a huge box office hit with a whopping eight million tickets sold. The film is so popular and well-received that it has been remade not just in the Philippines, but in China, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia. Remakes are also in the works in the US, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Mexico, and Germany.
• Expect to hear old-school OPM hits from the '70s like "Rain," "Forbidden," and "Kiss Me, Kiss Me." Sarah Geronimo also sings a new original song called " Isa Pang Araw. "

What I Think:

As I sat there in the cinema with my eyes all swollen from crying because of a particularly emotional scene towards the end of the movie, I was thinking of who else could have played the role of Fely/Audrey better? I thought of about half a dozen actresses who could probably pull it off but I came to the conclusion that there is no one else who can play this role better than Sarah Geronimo.

In my opinion, this was her best performance as an actress to date. No other local female celebrity has the combination of characteristics required for the role—impeccable comedic timing, a talent for drama, a powerful singing voice, and an old soul with an almost manang charm. Sarah was so believable as a 70-year-old woman inside a 20-year-old's body.

What I loved most about this movie is that even though it revolved around Sarah as Miss Granny, it would have been boring and incomplete if the supporting cast wasn't well chosen. Nova Villa, Nonie Buencamino, Lotlot de Leon, Boboy Garovillo, Kim Molina , Ataska Mercado, Marissa Delgado , and Angeli Bayani were all so effective in their roles.  A special mention goes to James Reid and Xian Lim, who are both used to being lead actors. I loved how they supported Sarah in this movie. It was also refreshing to see them on their own, without their love team partners.

I watched the original Miss Granny after I saw this local remake and I noticed that the Philippine version was very faithful to the Korean film. Although the pace was the same, I felt like the flow of the original movie was better than the local version.

This movie will make you appreciate family, probably even the ones we don't really like. It reminds us that everyone has a backstory and that sometimes, people can change if only we give them a chance.

What My Friend Thinks:

"I really loved the movie! I was laughing most of the time but was ugly crying by the time the movie ended. Sarah was amazing as Miss Granny! It's the kind of movie that the whole family can watch and appreciate." — Reena

I Would Recommend It To:

Anyone who wants to warm their hearts and needs a good laugh!

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The Fangirl Verdict

Completely biased reviews and fangirling.

Flash Review: Miss Granny [Movie]

If you’ve known me for a while, you’d probably know that I generally don’t watch all that many k-movies.

I tend to prefer the dramas over the movies, probably coz so many of the k-movies that I’ve watched seem to either go super gritty & violent, derail, or take weird narrative turns towards the end (Raise your hand if you’ve never had a seemingly harmless k-movie suddenly go all dark, sad and deathy on you!).

Or sometimes, the writers don’t make the best use of their 90 or 120 minutes of available screentime, and the movie ends up feeling more like a highlight reel than a real story. And, well, it’s hard to feel invested in a highlight reel rather than a real story, y’know?

Which is why it makes me so happy to say, Miss Granny is NOT any of those.

I watched this movie on a flight and I loved it. Like, unreservedly, wholeheartedly Loved.  It.

The Writing

The script is thoughtfully written, and the care really shows.

Little details that seem almost throwaway all eventually get resolved, which is impressive. Even more importantly, character arcs and backstories are lovingly conceived and consistently written with so much heart.

I love how the writer explores our perception of the aged, and provokes thought around this theme in such a playful and refreshing, yet also compassionate and poignant manner.

The approach is never preachy; instead, the show employs its own tongue-in-cheek, exhilarating technique, of taking us on Oh Mal Soon’s journey (played by Na Moon Hee and Shim Eun Kyung).

In this way, the show inevitably invites us to consider – and empathize with and appreciate – how vibrant every old person has been in his or her youth, and how precious and real their dreams have been to them, even though they are now relegated to the fringes of society in their old age.

The movie’s tone and pacing is also expertly balanced, so that even though it serves up a variety of moods – from laugh-out-loud funny to heart-in-throat moving – it never feels uneven or jerky. Instead, it all flows with an impressive, natural, organic sort of ease.

Just, so well-written.

Just as the writing is fabulously done, so is the delivery by the cast.

In particular, I am so, so impressed by Shim Eun Kyung, who embraces her character with gusto and not a shred of vanity.

As the younger Oh Mal Soon, Shim Eun Kyung seems to literally channel Na Moon Hee’s take on the character, down to her mannerisms, voice inflections and even the look in her eyes.

I really could believe that Shim Eun Kyung as Oh Doo Ri was literally the younger version of Na Moon Hee’s Oh Mal Soon.

Despite her youthful appearance, Shim Eun Kyung manages to portray an old soul really well.

Even when Mal Soon interacted with her son Hyun Chul (Sung Dong Il) while in her youthful body, I could totally believe that this was a meeting between a mother and her son, rather than an agasshi and an ahjusshi.

As expected, Sung Dong Il puts in a wonderful performance as the quietly troubled man caught between wanting to be filial to his mother, and needing to care for his wife and family.

His appearances were restrained compared to Dal Soon’s more spirited scenes, but Sung Dong Il’s portrayal was no less vivid and affecting. Loved him.

Jin Young and Park In Hwan are equal parts adorable and earnest as the boys crushing on Mal Soon, and I found them both a delight to watch.

Lee Jin Wook rounds out the love square that Mal Soon unwittingly finds herself in, and I do love the fact that Gran has not one but three men all moony-eyed over her, even as she continues in her sass-talking, crusty ways.

Goooo, Gran! 😉

The Music & Singing

Thanks to Mal Soon rediscovering her love for singing while in her youthful body, one of the things we get regularly in the movie is music, and Shim Eun Kyung singing to it.

And I hafta say, even among a sea of goodies, this stood out as one of my favorite things in the movie.

The music itself was varied; sometimes it was boppy, and sometimes it was plaintive. Whichever mood the music took, though, I found all the songs appealing in their own way.

I really enjoyed Shim Eun Kyung’s singing as well. I’m pretty sure a sound engineer’s magic was called upon to make the scenes really pop, but Shim Eun Kyung definitely deserves credit.

Not only does her voice sound quite lovely, but her showmanship is winsome and very endearing. Most important of all, her ability to emote while singing really causes each scene to land right where PD-nim wants it – the heart.

Such a lovely touch, to an already lovely movie.

PS: I freaking loved a certain little cameo at the end of the movie. The casting is spot-on, and the inclusion of the cameo itself, quite genius. Let’s just say that I giggled uncontrollably, even though I was on a plane. 😉

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Funny, sweet and touchingly poignant. Worth watching again. And then again.

FINAL GRADE: A+

SONG PERFORMANCES:

Just coz I can – and also, coz they’re so good – here are a couple of my favorite song performances from Shim Eun Kyung.

Haunting and poignant:

Intent and completely stirring:

WHERE TO WATCH:

You can check out this show on Netflix here . It’s also available on OnDemandChina here .

GETTING AROUND GEO-RESTRICTIONS

If you’re geo-restricted, a VPN service would help you get around that. Not only does it provide online safety, it also gives you access to lots of great geo-restricted content.

I personally use  NordVPN.  You can find my review of NordVPN  here .

You can use my affiliate link ( here !) to enjoy up to 60% * off , with prices starting as low as US$3.29 per month .

* This used to say 73%, but because NordVPN’s changed the way it calculates the discount, it now says 60%. BUT, it’s the same great price, starting from US$3.29 a month!

An article on why it’s not illegal to use a VPN to access legal streaming content can be found  here .

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I LOVED this! Charming, thoughtful and hilarious. I watched Miss Granny and My Ahjussi because of your exceptional reviews. Thank you kfangurl for your reviews. You are phenomenal. A++

Aw, thanks for enjoying the review, awong! 😀 I’m so glad that you allowed me to persuade you to give Miss Granny and My Mister a try! <3

Just watched it! Didn’t know any of actors nonetheless movie was very memorable and wholesome. I cried during the singing part where flashbacks of SEK’s younger days was shown. My father passed away early when my family was just starting a new life in Canada. Mom and I struggled financially until I finished uni. Thus I felt deep connection with SEK and son’s character which made me very emotional throughout the whole 120mins. I should call my mother tomorrow..

Aw, I hope you had a lovely conversation with your mom when you called, Kim! <3 This movie really is a gem, I have to agree. And the fact that it inspired you to call your mom is a testament to how special it is. <3

One of my favorite Korean movies. Just had a rewatch recently, and the emotional impact is still there.

Oh yes, this one is quite special, I feel. <3 I can imagine this one bringing the feels with every rewatch, the message and performances are all just so strong.

Oh, I know a kmovie that didn’t went all gory towards the end. The Princess and the matchmaker, also starring Shim Eun-kyung. In fact, it was boring and lacking plot and drive and everything from beginning to the end despite the unbelievably powerhouse cast. Utter waste of SEK’s talents. On this movie; I’m so happy to find that you think the same as what I think about the music in this gem of a movie!😃 The flashback-to-the-youth parts in ‘White Butterfly’….,those were tearjerkers. Shim Eun-kyung acted heart-breakingly with a baby strapped to her back. I also loved that even the smallest parts of the movie were thoughtfully created. EVERYTHING was there for a reason, such as Kim Seul-gi noona taking the empty spot left by granny and being unexpectedly and equally good, “Audrey” being the on-spot inspiration for “Oh Doo-ri” (Haha), Elvis Presley being grandpa’s star-crush..because why not, if granny can have Audrey Hepburn??! On that topic, that surprise ending was TOTALLY came from the leftfield, I screeaamed “Ki…….(actor’s name)”, haha. The cherry on the top was Ki……… sassily replying to granny that he ate the peaches he’s allergic to because “It’s the love of a true man!” However, that romantic arc with PDnim WAS cringeworthy…but seems like it was intentional? And RIGHT when they revealed wounds and drawing out blood will reverse the magic, the ending became clear as the day to me, thus anticlimactic. However I guess they took care of the “predictable problem” by 👆ending! Another thing I loved was the realistically portrayed love-hate relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law. Also Mr.Park’s daughter’s despair over daddy’s scandal with a young girl. You probably don’t remember what I’m ranting about,right? I’m 4 years late😁. BTW, I LOVE granny’s lace collared white Granny-blouse (your 2nd screencap). Totally my style, haha!

Lol. Yes, it’s been quite a while since I saw this movie, so you’re right, the details are hazy in my head. But it was really nice reading your thoughts on it! Brings the feels back to me, even though I can’t place some of the details off the top of my head. And YES, that cameo at the end was GOLD. I was so surprised, I might’ve screamed too, if I hadn’t been on a plane! 😂

You seem to travel a lot?😯 Lucky you.👏 I forgot to ask, have you watched Dorihwaga; sound of a flower? It’s a simple,balanced story with simple background and simple characters, yet it’s somewhat grand at the same time. (The TITLE itself is grand,if nothing else.) It too has the heartfelt, unspoilt traditional music. Gets a little sad at the end (Really sad if you think too much about it), however it’s not unbearable. And Suzy’s green acting is nothing to worry about here (at least to me) because I think the plot actually CALLS for some unpolished-ness. Too bad the Theme song is nowhere to be found in order to lure you with.😝

And I’m going to dig a hole for myself if you’ve already watched this and don’t like it a one bit.😁

P.S- Can you peek into my blog if you have time and tell me whether it looks better now? If you’ve enough time?

I travel for work, so it’s hardly as fun as traveling for leisure 😁 I haven’t seen The Sound of a Flower, actually, thanks for the recommendation 🙂 I generally haven’t enjoyed Suzy in a while, so I admit I’m a little hesitant. But you make it sound quite appealing, I must say 😉 I will keep it in mind for when the right mood strikes. 🙂

I just tried to look for your blog with the url you gave me the last time ( https://peonyplumblossoms.wordpress.com/ ), but WordPress says that it’s no longer available, and that the author has deleted the site? Have you moved it to a new url? 🤔

O_O You kept the url I gave you? I’m SO honoured! I hated that url, it’s what I accidentally made, not the name of the actual blog, and it sounded CORNY. Only recently I figured out I can quite easily change the url, so now it’s amberpoolsindarkwoods.wordpress.com

(Don’t tell me it sounds corni-er! 😝😁)

#rookiebloggerblues 😅😂 Tell me if you think something’s need to be improved?!?

kfangurl! Thanks for another wonderfully insight and thoroughly engaging review! There really are a lot of quality k-movies out there. Here are two that are on the top of my list: 1) Speedy Scandal (fun, interesting, funny, heart-warming) 2) Mr Kim’s Island (also called “Castaway on the Moon”) – a quirky, delightfully strange love story. Different from the usual movie fare and not everyone’s cup of tea but so gooood!

Thanks Eddie! I’m glad you enjoyed this review! Miss Granny is such a lovely movie, isn’t it? I watched it twice and loved it both times. <3 Also, thanks for the movie recommendations – I will keep an eye out for both of the titles you shared. 🙂

well … the sound engineers really did a good job … guess i’ll be thinking of raindrops when i’ll see my white butterfly on samjinnal. 🙂

Lol. It’s true that sound engineers play a key role in making people sound good. Even taking the sound engineers’ role into account, I thought Shim Eun Kyung sounded really good compared to some other actors who also dabble a bit in the singing. But I could be biased, I just loved this movie so much! 😉

One of the few Korean movies that I actually understood. I mean, some K-movies got me so lost and question my ability to understand what was going on. I really enjoyed it. It’s the kind of movie that makes you feel all fuzzy inside, which is nice once in a while.

YES. I’ve been bemused by quite a few k-movies, so I know what you mean, Sunny! Miss Granny is just one of those movies that feels good and makes sense, and is just all-around awesome. I’ve seen this twice now, and wouldn’t mind giving it another watch sometime. Shim Eun Kyung is FAB in this too! <3

OH! So glad to know that you love this movie, too! There’s not a lot of KFilms that I ‘ve watched. Most of them, the horror genre, LOL! But, I accidentally click on this movie’s trailer while I was browsing Youtube, and I was soo intrigued by the premise, so I searched for it and watched it.

And, all the reasons that you stated are the same reason why I love and enjoyed watching it. I think I need to watch it again for the 3rd time, LOL!

Aw, YAY that you love this movie too, Joan!! 😀 What a happy thing, that YouTube led you to it! ^^ I seriously LUFF it. I loved it both times that I watched it, and I honestly wouldn’t mind giving it a 3rd sometime too, it’s that good. ❤

I am glad you did a flash review on this, since I was planning on watching the Chinese version because of Luhan, I wanted to know if the Korean one was any good.

Oh, I had no idea there was a C-version of this! I can’t speak for anything but the K-version, which I loved through and through. I hope this turned out to be helpful for ya, Rebekah! 🙂

Now I’ll definitely have to watch this movie. It’s been on my list since it came out. I don’t often watch Korean films for the same reasons you stated. But most of the ones I have seen have been good. I think the flash reviews is a perfect section for movies, even more than dramas. Hope to see more from you and try to write some myself.

The last 2 songs in particular were so nice. She does have a mild good voice. The last song made me teary, seeing her life struggles as a widowed young mother. Aww.

Yes, you should totally watch this one, Lady G!! It’s one of the rare k-movies where I came away completely satisfied. It has an ending that feels fulfilling and uplifting; definitely something to reach for when I’d like a shot of warm fuzzies. 🙂

Yay that you’re enjoying the flash reviews section – you’re totally right that these are quite a perfect fit for movies! I never thought movie reviews would be an actual thing on the blog, but that could change yet, with Flash Reviews being so quick to write!

Y’know, the songs will feel even nicer as you watch the movie, since the context will be in place. The feels are strong in this one. I think I might’ve actually cried while watching some of those scenes that you saw in the MV!

Oooh I’ve been wanting to watch this as I’ve heard SEK was phenomenal in it. I don’t believe all the flack she received as Nae-il and I scoured the net for her old performances. I saw the MV of the OST of Miss Granny and fell in love with her even more! Hoping to see this one soon. Glad you loved this and thank you for your review! – Jo/Crazyunnijo

Yes, SEK really is phenomenal in this movie – you should totally watch it, Jo! I have a feeling you’ll love it like I do. I watched it a second time before writing this review, and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. I haven’t seen Cantabile yet, but yes, I did hear some discontent around Nae Il. Will see for myself when I do get to checking out the show!

I’d love to hear how you like this movie, when you get to watching it. It’s great for some holiday feel-good warm fuzzies, so you could consider it as potential holiday entertainment for you & maybe the fam too! 🙂

Okay so I just watched it. Being the momma of a son, this movie brought me to tears early hahahaha. I was a blubbering mess during a pivotal moment near the end (i think you know what I’m referring to.). And Lawd that little bit at the end threw me totally off guard. I was laughing and squeeing and laughing so more. SEK was perfect for this. And the fashion! Oh how I loved the fashion!

Love love LOVE! Thanks for the review! 🙂

I’m so, SO pleased that you managed to watch this one, Jo! I kinda knew that you’d like this one! It’s just so full of heart, no matter the tone it’s taking, isn’t it? In the funny bits, and also in the more poignant ones, this movie always had a firm handle of where its heart was, and that just pulled my heart in. I totally know that pivotal moment you’re talking about, and that made me cry too, even on my second watch. So well-written, so well-placed as a scene, and so well-delivered by both actors. Major props, seriously. And YES, that cameo is SO GOOD. I giggled out loud and leaned forward in my seat on the plane, and giggled some more, it was so perfect!

And yes, the fashion was pretty great. I loved that her inspiration was Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn is such a classic style icon! 🙂

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‘Miss Granny’ review: Lovelier in parts than a whole

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

What’s particularly illuminating about Joyce Bernal’s localization of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Miss Granny (2014) is that its most memorable parts aren’t the ones that rely on the idea of a 70-year old woman magically becoming younger.

Fantastic premise

Bernal’s remake shines when it focuses on the performances that pull the experience away from its fantastic premise and into territories that are more relatable.

Near the end of the film, Ramon (Nonie Buencamino) asks that he speak with Audrey (Sarah Geronimo), the lead singer of his son’s band who also turns out to be his mother, in private.

The conversation, beautifully written by screenwriter Jinky Laurel to only refer to what the son may know about the person he is talking to, indirect subtexts and careful nuances, is undeniably touching in the sense that it bestows a surprising complexity to the relationship between son and mother that the film portrays so simplistically from the start.

Bernal’s Miss Granny’s conflict essentially lies on the difficult decision of the son to send off Fely (Nova Villa), his cantankerous but loving mother to a nursing home for the benefit of his wife (Lotlot de Leon) who can’t help but get sick of stress when the old woman is around nagging her. One night, Fely accidentally lands in a mysterious photo studio and has her picture taken, instantly making her years younger. Not wanting to put her son in a precarious situation to choose between her and his wife, she adopts the name Audrey, relives her youth to become a singer for her grandson’s band and ultimately gets discovered by a music producer.

For the most part, the film seems too preoccupied with its premise.

Bernal mines the conceit for laughs and giggles, with a lot of the scenes involving Audrey testing her newfound youth, bordering on juvenile slapstick. Audrey makes use of a freshly bought fish to ward off what she thought was a lascivious man. She suddenly churns out grandiose moves when she passes by a Zumba exercise class, causing a dance-off with a woman primarily used for comic relief. It is all good when the punchlines work but sometimes, the film feels like it is trying too hard, with the jokes often eclipsing the more poignant points the film has in store near the end.

Random pleasures

Miss Granny lacks an effort to be consistent.

It piles all of its pleasures randomly, resulting in a film that is lovelier in parts than as a whole. The rewarding and more emotional moments are concentrated in the end, after a staggering middle part that seems confused about wanting to be romantic, comedic or totally inane.

The musical parts are potentially stirring, with Geronimo committing to what she does best, which is to convey a horde of emotions by just the power of her well-trained voice. It also helps that Geronimo inhabits her role very conscious that her performance needs to be loud and prominent in humorous moments but still with room for dignity.

Clearly, Bernal’s remake is more a spotlight as to what kind of artist Geronimo has become. Here, she is simply magnetic, capable of turning the most uninspired of scenes tolerable by just her presence.

The film’s flow is bogged by unnecessary gags. It is also overcrowded, brimming with minor characters whose flairs and quirks aren’t enough to earn their existence in a film that is already too riddled with things it wants to do.

Pull of starpower

That said, this Miss Granny is functional enough to translate the delights of the original Korean film for local tastes.

This is a film that is aware of the pull of starpower in the country and is unashamed to plug its very many holes with Geronimo’s endearing charisma, James Reid’s good looks or Buencamino’s exquisite acting prowess. – Rappler.com 

Francis Joseph Cruz litigates for a living and writes about cinema for fun. The first Filipino movie he saw in the theaters was Carlo J. Caparas’ Tirad Pass.

Since then, he’s been on a mission to find better memories with Philippine cinema. 

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Miss Granny

Story: Mal-soon (Nah Moon-hee) is 74 years old and has a tough life behind her. Her husband died even before their son saw the light of day and so she had to bring him up all on her own. Although she has been poor her son Hyeon-Cheol (Seong Dong-il) is now a professor at a university and her whole pride. She also doesn't miss a chance telling this to everyone she meets. With her very straightforward and feisty nature she is a real problem for her daughter-in-law, which is why she even suffers from a heart condition. When the daughter-in-law even needs to go to the hospital her family discusses if it wouldn't be better to take Mal-soon into a nursing home until Hyeon-cheol's wife is fine again. By chance, Mal-soon overhears the conversation and decides to go to a photo shop in order to take a picture for her funeral since she slowly realizes that she hasn't much time left. She enters a certain photo shop and the photographer promises her to make her fifty years younger. When she leaves the shop she has to find out that the photographer actually meant this literally. The now 24-year old girl (Sim Eun-kyeong) at first doesn't know what to do with her new-found youth. But she eventually calls herself Doo-ri and gets aware that she has a second chance in life. With her grandson Ji-ha (Jin Young), who doesn't know about her true identity, she now aims at becoming a musician.

Review: The film's premise should sound familiar. And to be honest, this kind of lighthearted entertainment seldomly can amount to anything like memorable cinema. "Miss Granny" first and foremost wants to entertain as well, yet doesn't hide its Korean identity in favor of reaching the biggest possible audience in the West, but instead makes use of it quite skillfully in order to put a very special kind of humor into the movie's focus. The humor's source is the fact that we hear a physically young woman say things that pose no problem when being said by an older person, but sound amusing or even shocking when coming from a young woman. It's laudable that the movie never runs off this track, yet the humor doesn't lose any of its originality throughout. Consequently, this flick is certainly successful as a comedy.

The film's motor is Sim Eun-kyeong ( "Hansel and Gretel" , "Sunny" ), who with her way of speaking and her body language leaves no doubt that she is an old lady imprisoned in the body of a young girl. Sim delivers an impressive perfomance and even in those scenes in which her acting could have become unintentionally funny she shows some great sense for comedic timing. Interestingly enough, her loud nature mirrors the changed picture of women in Korea, who every now and then are allowed to show a more self-confident side and for this are even adored by men. Naturally, for years already love isn't a topic to deal with for Mal-soon, maybe except of the cheesy tv dramas which she devours like every halmoni, but things ultimately change. The big question remains where the film is heading, though. From the very beginning there is the fear that "Miss Granny" won't be able to deliver anything except of trivial entertainment.

Apart from that the music may be an important element, yet never is pushed into the foreground. Every now and then this comedy is only one step away from getting tangled up in genre clichés, but those moments are often specifically used to contrast them with Oh Doo-ri's big mouth. It's those scenes in which the movie works best. Unfortunately, there are also some tears that seem to be taken right out of a drama and also a flashback collage. Next to the humor, it also has to be pointed out positively that the characters are elaborated well, yet take up a subordinate role to Doo-ri and her story so that the focus is constantly apparent. Something modern Korean movies of the last few years struggled with. Still, eventually things turn out the way they have to. All in all this makes "Miss Granny" predictable, but it's those small unexpected responses or lines by Mal-soon/Doo-ri that make the movie's humor so special, always hitting the mark.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Sarah Geronimo Shines in “Miss Granny”

Fely Malabaño (Nova Villa) is a feisty and bossy 70-year old woman whose constant nagging caused her daughter-in-law, Angie, so much stress, that it sends the younger woman to the hospital. Her only son, Ramon, decides it was finally time for his mother to be sent in a retirement home where he thinks she’d be happier. To escape the possibility, she wanders through the night and finds a photo studio, whose owner promises her to bring back her 20-year old self.

The film never really finds this an anomaly, that Fely literally returns to her younger self, and leaves the photo studio as the young lady, Audrey de Leon (Sarah Geronimo).

She then sets out on an adventure of rediscovering her youth and the dreams she never really was able to realize when she was still young. A vital part of this adventure includes becoming the lead singer of her grandson’s metal band, and transforming it to a “less rowdy” pop group.

The connection immediately comes palpable that Jeboy (James Reid), her grandson, instantly feels a sense of recognition, finding Audrey’s presence mysterious yet necessary.

Eventually, the band draws the attention of a music producer and inevitably throws Audrey into the spotlight. Suddenly, her dreams are coming true.

There is not a single moment in ‘Miss Granny’ where Sarah Geronimo stops shining. She is a diamond made to shine in this film. As it is, the movie’s premise is interesting enough to warrant attention, but it is Geronimo’s quirk and charm that ultimately makes it explode with a more reasonant and lovelier appeal.

And though, Geronimo’s engagement in the film’s broad comedy may not be as memorable as her stirring musical performances, it provides a pretty illustration of her dexterity to gracefully meander into the emotionally shifting parts of her character and the narrative.

This very same dexterity motivates the story to carrying this crazy amount of emotional weight that makes the film more than merely a weird exercise of traditional comedy, turning it to  a potent, heartwarming portrait of youth, love, and dreams.

Interestingly, the defining moments of the film are more confined in fragments that are practically abandoned to make way for the imposingly oversized characters in the plot.

A big chunk of such characters revolve around the crazy idea of a reclaimed youth  and the humorous adventures wrapped around its insane possibility. Though occasionally stalled at arguably redundant sections of the story, the film arrives in emotionally-rich final moments whose heartfelt and sentimental appeal touches the rarely pondered-upon sore spots of dying and wasted youth.

‘Miss Granny’ never really entirely digs into the crazy depth of those sentiments, but it creates a lovely narrative, albeit oddly-woven, that ultimately hits audience squarely in the heart.

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Miss granny.

Korean Movie | 2014

수상한 그녀 | soo-sang-han geun-yeo

• Comedy • Drama

Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk (황동혁)

Written by • Dong Hee-seon (동희선) • Hong Yoon-jeong-I (홍윤정) • Sin Dong-ik (신동익)

124min | Release date in South Korea: 2014/01/23

Formerly known as "Suspicious Girl" on HanCinema Synopsis Oh Mal-Soon (Nah Moon-hee) is a 74-year-old widow that realizes she is becoming a burden on her family. As she is roaming the streets, she comes across a photo studio and decides to dress up for a self- portrait. When she walks out of the photo studio, she mysteriously turns back into her twenty year old self. Making the most out of this one in a lifetime opportunity, she changes her name to Oh Doo-Ri (Sim Eun-kyeong) and decides to make the most out of her youth. About the film High grossing comedies such as "Sunny - 2010" and "Miracle in Cell No.7" have a few things in common: funny and unique characters, a well-structured story that will make you laugh and cry, and the cast�s amazing performance. "Miss Granny" has all these essential elements that appeal to everyone regardless of age; with an extraordinary plot that depicts the adventure of a 74 year old stuck in a 20 year old body, "Miss Granny" is selected as one of the most anticipated upcoming Korean movie in January 2014. From teenagers to seniors, "Miss Granny" is a movie that all family members can enjoy together. Director Hwang Dong-hyeok said that he was strongly attracted to the story not only because of its well- structured storyline, but also because of its potential to appeal to all different age groups. After his success with his second feature length film "The Crucible", he wanted to challenge himself by directing a comedy feature length film. Rising actress Sim Eun-kyeong (from "Sunny - 2010" and "Masquerade") plays the younger version of 74 year old widow OH Mal-Soon (changes her name to OH Doo-Ri). Characters & Cast OH Doo-Ri (Sim Eun-kyeong) OH Doo-Ri is a 20 year old lady with a fair complexion and lean body yet the way she speaks and act is extremely vulgar. When OH Doo-Ri regains her 20 year old appearance she takes advantage of her youth as much as she can. Chasing after her life-long dream of becoming a singer and finding love. OH Mal-Soon (Nah Moon-hee) Mal-Soon is an old widow who managed to raise her only son to become a professor at National University. She takes care of everything in her family and reigns as a queen of a household, until she realizes that she is becoming a burden on her family and that she is being sent off to a senior care center. Mr. PARK (Park In-hwan) Mr. Park is a widower living next door who worked as a house servant in Mal-Soon�s house when he was young. Since then he fell for Mal-Soon and loves her to this day. Despite his age, he is a romanticist who still worries and cares about Mal-Soon all the time. Mr. Park is the only person who knows Doo-Ri�s secret.  BAN Hyun-Chul (Seong Dong-Il) Mal-Soon�s one and only son, Hyun-Chul is a professor at National University who specializes in studies of the elderly. Hyun-Chul is his mother�s treasure; she loves him with all her heart. However, he decides to send his mother off to the senior care center when his wife Ae-Ja gets admitted to the hospital after suffering from Mal-Soon�s endless nagging, eventually exploding in exasperation. HAN Seung-Woo (Lee Jin-wook) Seung-Woo is a good looking and skilled music station producer. One day, he goes out to look for a new singer and comes across the silver café, where Mal-Soon used to work. As he finds Doo-Ri singing at the stage, he falls instantly in love with her.

Miss Granny ⭐ Reviews More

[HanCinema's Film Review] "Miss Granny": Mind the Gap 🕒 2014/08/30 19:51

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Most Popular Gambling-Themed Korean Dramas & Movies 🕒 2023/10/24 10:24

[HanCinema's News] Script Reading Held for "Squid Game - Season 2" 🕒 2023/06/29 21:03 By William Schwartz

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[Ishani's Picks] "Miss Granny" Is the Perfect Wholesome Movie to Watch With Your Family 🕒 2022/02/13 18:11 By Ishani Sarkar

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Oh Doo-ri (오두리)

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[Movie Review] "Miss Granny" Learns About Love and the Value of Family

This movie review was contributed by Aloradanan from the fun K-pop and K-drama blog, F4Plus1 . 

As people age, they tend to look back on their younger years with more fondness, thinking about what might have been and showing pride at what they have been able to accomplish. Getting older also brings the fear that as we age, we become a burden to those around us. This is exactly what 74 year old Oh Mal Soon ( Na Moon Hee ) worries about in the movie “ Miss Granny. ”

When her daughter-in-law Ae Ja becomes sick, the family decides to send Mal Soon to a nursing home so Ae Ja can recover without the stress she feels from her mother-in-law. Feeling dejected, Mal Soon stumbles upon the Forever Young Portrait Studio. Little does she realize, when she exits the studio she really has become younger, by about 50 years!

After her panic attack has subsided – and really, can anyone blame her? – she does what any self respecting woman would do, go on a shopping spree! With her new young body, she can’t go around with ahjumma hair and ill-fitting clothes; it’s makeover time! She also changes her name to Oh Doo Ri ( Shim Eun Kyung ), after Audrey Hepburn.

Even though Mal Soon may have the body of a 20 year old, she still acts like a 74 year old, calling grown men “lad”, patting people on the bum, and telling a woman on the subway that her baby has diarrhea because she has watery breast milk. I’m sure you can imagine how well that went over. She also spends time at the café that she used to work at, which causes some confusion as to why there is a young woman in a café for seniors. 

While there, Doo Ri gets onstage and begins to sing. As she is singing, she is noticed by a music station producer named Han Seung Woo ( Lee Jin Wook ) who falls in love with both her voice and her odd charm. She also manages to catch the attention of her grandson Ji Ha ( B1A4 ‘s  Jinyoung ). Awkward.  

For all the BANA’s out there, this is Jinyoung’s acting debut and while he didn’t knock my socks off, it was certainly better than his confusing display of emotions in the “ Baby I’m Sorry ” music video. I was also a little (a lot) put off by the heavy metal hair and makeup he was rocking at the beginning of the movie. He is far too pretty to be pretending he is a member of KISS.

After hearing Doo Ri sing, Ji Ha asks her to be the new vocalist in his band and Seung Woo makes it his mission to find the mysterious girl that sang so well in the café. He finally finds her again on the subway as she speaks very loudly about the different kinds of breast milk and its effects on baby’s poo.

When they get off the train, instead of going up and talking to her like a normal person, he stalks her as she walks home. All is going well until she disappears after turning a corner. He didn’t actually lose her though, she was fully aware that she was being followed.

So, being a strong independent woman, she threatened him with the most dangerous thing that she was carrying: a fish.

As the story progresses Doo Ri’s secret is discovered by her neighbor, and the man who loves her, Mr. Park ( Park In Hwan ). They also are able to find a way that might reverse what has happened to her, but when Mr. Park asks if she wants to return back, she doesn’t have an answer. She must decide between the new life she is creating and the people that she loves as Doo Ri or her old life and family as Mal Soon.

While I wasn’t terribly surprised with anything that happened in the story and the ending had a few holes, it was really enjoyable. It was fun to watch an old woman get a second chance at youth and learn that family is the most important thing that we have.

“Miss Granny” is playing in select US theaters .

Check out the trailer: 

F4Plus1 : about 75% unadulterated love of K-pop and dramas and 25% making fun of it, because what is life without a little judgment? Within reason of course, let’s not lose our heads.

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Portrait of Youth

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By Miriam Bale

• Jan. 30, 2014

Opens on Friday in Queens; Los Angeles; and Edgewater, N.J.

Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk

In Korean, with English subtitles

2 hours 4 minutes; not rated

“Miss Granny,” a South Korean comic-fantasy film , begins with the recollection of a 73-year-old widow, Oh Mal-soon (Na Moon-hee), that before she had a son, she couldn’t imagine living past 30. Yet she survived enough hardships to evolve into a tough woman who says what’s on her mind, steamrollering and upsetting almost everyone in her path. When the stress she causes her daughter-in-law sends the younger woman to a hospital, it becomes time to send Granny to a retirement home.

During this melancholic moment of her life, she encounters the Forever Young photo studio and decides to have her portrait taken. When she exits, she becomes her 20-year-old self. She calls herself Audrey, and though she may resemble Audrey Hepburn, with her gamine body and wispy bangs, she is decidedly uncoy. She is coarse and crabby and has nothing to lose; she’s a grumpy grandma with perfect teeth and a flexible physique.

As Audrey, she joins her grandson’s heavy metal band and transforms it into a pop group, all while winning the affection of her grandson and a young man who runs an “American Idol”-style television show. An older friend, meanwhile, recognizes that she’s her younger self.

While the broad comedy is entertaining (a youthful Audrey blowing on her grandson’s food and force-feeding him), the film also takes unexpected darker turns. “Nobody raised her baby better than I did — that’s why my baby is so good to me!” Mal-soon shouts when her son is about to send her away. This weird comedy meanders into heartfelt, complex areas about the regrets, attachments and abandonment of the aged.

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Miss Granny

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‘miss granny’ (2018) review: sarah geronimo’s performance makes this pinoy remake triumphant.

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Mr. Brightside

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Bb. Joyce Bernal’s adaptation of ‘ Miss Granny ’ is a testament to Sarah Geronimo’s well-rounded artistry.

There’s a broad and classic appeal in films with body/age-swap premises ( Big , Freaky Friday , 17 Again , 13 Going on 30 ) that they’re reincarnated time and again in cinema. Such concept is a perfect device for escapism—what would it feel like to be someone else, or in this case, a younger, more capable version of yourself. It does not need to be bogged down by the science behind it, the outcome, usually, is a gold mine for wacky comedy hijinks and deep philosophical revelations. The Filipino adaptation of Miss Granny radiates with the same amount of charm.

Miss Granny kicks off with a monologue from Fely Malabaño (Nova Villa), a cantankerous yet devoted woman in her twilight years. She poses the question, “How do you measure sadness?” implying to the audience that melancholy is a state of emotion that grows over time and is also present in old age. A sense of empathy is already established at this point so it doesn’t get too annoying when she acts rude to the people around her. She has grown to be a toxic energy in their household and that causes her daughter-in-law Annie (Lotlot De Leon) to be hospitalized. Now, his son Ramon (Nonie Buencamino) is faced in a difficult decision to temporarily send her mother to a retirement home while his wife recovers.

Feeling more isolated than ever, Fely stumbles into a mysterious photo studio and decides to have her funeral photo taken in advance. The photographer teases that he will make her look fifty years younger and—voila!—she’s back in her 20’s again looking like the iconic Audrey Hepburn. She fittingly assumes the name Odrey De Leon and with it comes a new perspective in her life.

Good things fall into place as she pursues her dream of being a pop singer by joining his grandson Jeboy’s (James Reid) metal band. She revamps the band’s image by singing 70’s hits that surprisingly appeal more to the public, thereby gaining more love and admiration in the process. But like all fantasy stories, the magic must eventually come to an end.

Where in some musicals, you can definitely pick which among the cast is an actor who can sing or vice versa, Sarah G excels in both aspects that she can carry the whole film by herself. Her strongest acting performance remains to be in The Breakup Playlist, but in here, she proves how much of a well-rounded artist she is. Equipped with copious amounts of charisma, good comic timing and dramatic chops, she owns the role of a conservative yet feisty Filipina. Of course, her character won’t work without the support of Ms. Nova Villa. Thankfully, the latter’s screen time was not reduced to an extended guest spot.

The musical performances (“Rain,” “Kiss Me, Kiss Me,” “Forbidden” and original song “Isa Pang Araw”) are all soulful and sensational—one of the benefits of having a world-class singer who can deftly add layers of emotions to every line of lyrics. The “Forbidden” performance in particular engraves to the heart as the film complements it with a montage of Odrey’s hardships in raising her son. It speaks to a universal audience.

Considering this is a remake, there’s an unspoken rule of bringing the adaptation to a higher standard, especially when it comes to its technical aspects. This is where Miss Granny falls short, particularly with its unfocused narrative and clunky editing. The sequencing comes off as jarring, revealing how unsystematic the plot actually is. It also tries hard with too much gags like the unnecessary ones towards the end where it clashes with more poignant themes in play.

The film’s teaser poster flirts on the possibility of a love triangle which should make sense in the context of marketing, because romcoms sell locally. (Later on, the official poster revealed a stunning Sarah Geronimo shadowed by Ms. Nova Villa, suggesting the age-swap premise.) While there’s a decent connection established between Odrey and Jeboy, the love interest of music producer Lawrence (Xian Lim) never really came into fruition. He will be best remembered as the guy who Odrey attacks with a pair of fresh bangus. I’m not sure how much participation his character had in the original but his character doesn’t feel much integral to the story. Some could say that it would have been better if a B-list actor was cast in his place. Actually, the half-baked subplot gives the impression that there is a complete arc shot between Odrey and Lawrence, but late in the game, the director decided to go to a different direction. I can only guess.

Odrey surprisingly has the best chemistry with Fely’s steadfast secret admirer Bert (Boboy Garovillo) and his genuine love for her is just adorable. But the most remarkable moment will have to go to Buencamino’s dialogue with his now-young-again mother towards the end that should leave no dry eye in the theater.

Miss Granny may earn more points from the source material itself and Sarah Geronimo’s dedicated performance but this adaptation still makes a solid mark with its Filipino cultural touches, from s inigang to its adherence to familial piety over romantic endeavors. It has the right amount of conflict to earn its messages on parenthood, dreams and old age. Amid the narrative structure and editing issues, the film places its heart where it needs to be. And for that, this should generally work.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal, written by Jinky Laurel. Based on the 2014 Korean film ‘Miss Granny’. Cast: Sarah Geronimo, Xian Lim, James Reid, Nova Villa, Boboy Garovillo, Nonie Buencamino, Lotlot De Leon, Kim Molina, Ataska Mercado, Danita Paner, Marissa Delgado, Kedebon Colim, Pio Balbuena, Angeli Bayani, Mara Lopez, Jojit Lorenzo, and Arvic James Tan. Run time: 113 minutes

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