The Host Reviews

[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.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Jaws/jurassic park spot on

Good old fashioned monster movie , cgi effects can be a bit dodgy but hold up enough to not ruin the experience , Good stuff!!!!

Something more that the average monster flick

The monster is on display more or less from the beginning. The start of the much talked-about rampage is startling, not because the monster creeps along and snatches people in the darkness, but because it's out in the open and causing chaos - Alien, this isn't, at least for the first half.

The best thing about this movie is the characters - three generations of a dysfunctional family (grandfather, a father and his brother and sister, and a young girl who, along with her father, form the focus of the film). These relationship provide both comic backdrop and tragic pathos as the events unfold. You will care for these people by the end.

I'm taking a star off because the last 20 minutes or so really does drag - a shame really, as it's often the last half hour that taints your memories of a film. It's well worth watching though, a touch above the usual monster movie, and a welcome change to those Korean ghost stories.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Rubbish!

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

This monster movie had such great potential, and when I saw a teaser I was really interested. Unfortunately, the film lacks something. Like a monster maybe. Other than the first scene with the monster, there's nothing here really worth calling it a monster movie for. It's barely ever shown, and instead the movie focuses more on the struggle of a bunch of irritating and zany characters to find a girl who was taken by the beastie. There were occasions when the plot strayed from the basic premise so much, it became ridiculous. The horror elements to the film were unwelcome and felt misplaced. And the moments of attempted humour were particularly unamusing. Other than that, the movie was brilliant. Sure. Seriously though, I look forward to the americans doing it there way. Much better.

Subtitled

I can't really rate this film as it was in a different language with English subtitles...

My own fault for not reading the description properly, as it looks like a good show...along the lines of The Ring, ot The Grudge.

Not What You Would Expect...

The Host, in my humble opinion, is a good piece of Korean cinema. Although it was sold to me more as a horror/monster movie I was not disappointed to find that the plot had more depth and that the focus is on the disfunctional Park family. The mix of drama, a few good jumps, some wonderful humour and the occasional teary eye left me feeling satisfied that Asian movie makers are pushing the boundaries set by mainstream Hollywood and are skilled in making multi-faceted and ultimately enjoyable movies.

BEWARE - BAD PLOT AND SUBTITLES

Worst film I've seen this century, I had to switch it off half way through as I thought it would be more exciting slamming my car door on my fingers.

KEEP AWAY TO AVOID A JAPANESE FILM WITH SUBTITLES & BAD ACTORS AND NO PLOT.

Great flick

Saw this on the plane while travelling. This is a real 'B-grade' gem. Some lovely twists in the plot, and I loved the scenes where the amphibous monster is reeking havoc for the first time to unsuspecting crowds. Some nice tragic scenes as well. Rent it with an open mind, dont expect too much, and you are then sure to love it.

Ok for Koreans and hard of hearing

This movie is a Korean film with English subtitles. Great fun! I'll stick to the English language.

korean with eng subs

sorry , korean does not do it for me , even though there are subs, too hard for me to get into