The Host Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

The Host

A small riverside village in South Korea is attacked by a monster. Among the dead is 13 year old Park Hyun-seo (Ko). Her distraught Father (Song), Grandfather (Byeon) Uncle (Park) and Aunt (Bae) are taken into custody by the American millitary, seeking to cover up the monster and contain the threat of a possible contagion. However when Hyun-seo phones her father, very much alive, the family break out to try and save her.

The Host broke all South Korean box office records when it opened early this year and it isn't hard to see why. Bong Joo-ho's follow up to Memories of Murder may seem at first glance a 180 degree shift but it actually sticks quite close to the serio-comic tone laid out in that film.

The Host is many things; monster movie, chase thriller, political commentary and slapstick comedy all rear their head and all are executed with panache.

Aiding Bong immesurably is an excellent cast. Bong recasts his Memories star Song Kang-ho, a fine and versatile dramatic actor, as the layabout father at the centre of the story. Seeming half stoned much of the time he pushes the boat out pretty far into broad comedy, but it works because Song is also able to give the character heart. If there's a criticism to be made here it's that the rest of the family have too little to do, particularly in the fractious last third of the film but they are certainly played by a capable set of performers. Bae Doo-na will be the most familliar face to Westerners, having starred in Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (with Song) and she's great here too, given the thin material. Byeon Hie-bong is a delight as the patriarch of the family who still treats his children as if they were children. Mention should also be made of the exceellent performance that Bong elicits from young Ko Ah-sung, whose strength will lead you to question whther she needs saving at all.

Working with an American digital effects house Bong has got, on a relative shoestring, some excellent effects. His budget forces him to be choosy about when he wishes to show his (pretty damn scary) monster and means that the film, unlike so many American production, isn't a mere exercise in effects.

That's, at the end of the day, what's so good about The Host; it may be a big silly monster movie at first glance but at its heart beats a strong human story.

Good but not great

I should say first off that I really enjoyed this film - I didn't really know anything about it, but I know the director from his other work, and I'd heard some good things. It was a thoroughly entertaining watch!

On the good side, the creature, the 'Host', is superb, and it makes a great change to have it out in the open causing mayhem. It's movement and reactions are fantastic and more natural than Hollywood would ever allow, and it looks and feels like a real animal because of it. The first 'rampage' is thrilling, and gets things off to a fantastic start. The main characters, especially the father of the little girl taken by the creature, are brilliantly engaging, and I really cared about the outcome by the end.

There are some big problems with this film. The main one is a distinct lack of really chilling or frightening moments, although there are plenty of jaw-dropping and exciting ones instead! The fact that this film was made in Korea, and by a truly original director, are the main reasons for its appeal for me - the look and feel, the entire approach are different from what we expect, and it keeps your interest. However sometimes the differences distract from the story - the emotions of the characters at key moments sometimes seem very strange and jarred with my own.

Overall I would certainly recommend it - for those who enjoy Asian cinema, for horror fans who don't demand too many 'shocks' or for anyone who enjoys something a bit different from the norm. It's an original, enjoyable but somewhat flawed effort, and I'm not sure if I'll watch it again in the near future.