Chin stated via Twitter that he has no intention of watching the movie, which unsurprisingly angered Shim’s fans.

The film was released Dec. 29 amid heightened media interest in Shim’s second tryout at a Hollywood production. “The Last Godfather” parodies the classic 1972 film “The Godfather” and casts mostly American actors, except for the title character played by Shim himself. Shim had attempted to crack open a niche market in the U.S. with a CGI-heavy monster film, “D-War,” in July 2007, but the American-cast film flopped there.
 

Referring to the failure of “D-War,” Chin posted his feelings about Shim’s film on his Twitter account on release day: “Regrettably, I have made it a rule not to drop by a shop that previously sold a faulty product. If Shim’s fanatical fans protest, I might watch it and offer my view, but I hope such thing will not happen.”

Chin’s unflattering comments sparked an instant uproar online. In response to mounting criticism, Chin countered that he has every right to express his personal opinion and Shim’s online fans are acting like members of a cult.

Chin also expressed his displeasure at the generous state subsidies doled out to Shim’s film, which amounted to 14 billion won ($12.3 million) -- which Chin argued could have been used for a dozen talented yet cash-strapped Korean filmmakers.

Despite Chin’s criticism, the film jumped to No. 1 at the box office here, selling 1.2 million tickets in just five days since its release.

By Moon Ye-bin (yebinm@heraldcorp.com)
Intern reporter

Edited by Rob York