Two (2) Fun Korean Dramas ~ Let’s Go to the Zoo! (Pt 2 of 2)

In Part 1 of this 2-part article, “Secret Zoo” was a recommended film for your watch list. Here is the second family-friendly flick you might enjoy. Watch on Viki or free with ads on Tubi TV.

(2) “Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP”

STORYLINE: In “Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP”, it is the 25th-anniversary celebration between South Korea and China. VIP stands for Very Important Panda.

• Did you know that Mao Zedong sent a panda bear to the USA as a gift? After President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, Mao gifted two giant pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the United States as a symbol of friendship and diplomacy. Since then the panda has played a significant role in “panda diplomacy.”

To continue to promote friendly relations between South Korea and China a Special Envoy is being sent for the celebration and NIS agents must be assigned for security reasons to guard and protect the envoy. Joo Tae-Joo is a top NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent who volunteered for the assignment. Then he was told that the Special Envoy was named Ming Ming, a panda bear. OK. Protect a bear. How hard can it be?

It turned out to be a difficult assignment because terrorists kidnapped Ming Ming. While chasing after the kidnappers, Joo Tae-joo had an accident and injured his head. When he woke up he had gained the ability to communicate with animals like Doctor Dolittle. A military dog was at the event where the kidnapping occurred and Joo Tae-joo vaguely remembers the dog saying he knew who the kidnappers were and where they took Ming Ming. He botched the assignment so when Joo Tae-joo returned they were discussing his dismissal.

Joo Tae-joo told his superior not to worry because he would rescue Ming Ming (as soon as he found that dog). The military dog he was looking for was “1478”, but his trainer named him “Ali”. Even though he is not an animal lover, Joo Tae-joo learned how to get along with Ali so they could team up and rescue Ming Ming. It turns out that even though the kidnapping of Ming Ming was carried out by an international terrorist organization, the plot was orchestrated by a renown scientific researcher. He had plans to create panda toys and accessories and make a fortune. But Ming Ming was needed for research. The terrorists, however, had other plans. They intended to put a bomb inside Ming Ming and use a remote detonator to blow up persons attending the 25th-anniversary celebration.

Joo Tae-joo was unaware of the plans of the scientist or the terrorists. He just knew that with the help of Ali he could rescue Ming Ming and bring her back safely. If he didn’t, this could cause the “friendly” relations between the two countries to become very “unfriendly”.

Main Characters:

• Joo Tae-Joo (played by Lee Sung-Min, “A Bloody Lucky Day”, “Shadow Detective 1 and 2”, “Reborn Rich”)
• Director Min (played by Kim Seo-Hyung)
• Seo-Yeon (played by Kal So-Won)
• Man-Sik (played by Bae Jeong-Nam)
• military dog named Ali (voiced by Shin Ha-kyun)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 5.6 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 7.6 out of 10 stars
• Viki viewers rated this movie: 9.3 out of 10 stars
• Amazon customers rated this movie: 4 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List.

This is another fun and funny for adults and/or teens to watch with little kids. In the process, they might learn a little about history and foreign relations.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Review | Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP film review – disastrously misjudged comedy featuring talking animals | South China Morning Post

MR ZOO: THE MISSING VIP (미스터 주: 사라진 VIP) (2020) | MovieXclusive.com

Korean comedy Mr Zoo: The Missing VIP sees an unlikely partnership to uncover a crime | Kavenyou.com

TRAILER/TEASER:

mm2 Entertainment Channel. “Mr Zoo: The Missing VIP Official Trailer.” YouTube, 13 Feb. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Blf20ETDeo.

♦