Cheol-min (Jung Woo-sung) lost his mother when he was young so lives with his detective father (Kim Kap-soo) and a dog. When his school senior Jin-mook (Kim Jung-tae) eats the dog, they become enemies. Jeong-ae (Um Jee-won) starts living with Cheol-min’s family and after a series of trivial conflicts, Cheol-min and Jin-mook have a big fight. Going by the storyline, this film might not seem that interesting, or might seem clichéd, so Mutt Boy is not considered one of Jung Woo-sung’s signature films, but that is a bit harsh. In this film, Jung Woo-sung frees himself from the myth he had created; very much a youth icon in those days, as Mutt Boy, he is suddenly grubby, slow and countrified. He takes risks in playing a new character and this effort is successful in creating both a memorable character and an interesting story. This tale of good Cheol-min and his friends, Mutt Boy is may be the odd one out in his filmography, yet it has also become his signature film. (JEONG Han-seok)