Keeping the momentum going from here on out with this review being posted only 3 days after my review of Star Trek Into Darkness which is thoroughly impressive, I’d say. I’m reviewing the 2006 film The Host, which is not to be confused with the movie of the same name that was released this year based on a Stephenie Meyer novel and directed by Andrew Niccol. Speaking of whom, where did it all go wrong for Andrew Niccol after directing and writing fantastic movies like Gattaca and The Truman Show, to now be involved with adaptations from the author of Twilight, and also the complete let down that was In Time. But anyway, I digress. This is my second review so far of a South Korean film since started the 100 movies 365 days challenge and when it comes to quirky and interesting takes on old concepts, nobody does it quite like the South Koreans.
11/09/13
26/07/13
The Host is a South Korean monster movie, not to be confused with the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s book also titled The Host which I can proudly say I haven’t seen and I’m sure you couldn’t find two movies more dissimilar. To say the The Host is a monster movie and leave it at that would be doing it a serious disservice, it’s a family drama/comedy that is driven by the presence of a monster. It is directed by Joon-ho Bong and you can read my previously reviewed of Memories of Murder, which he also directed.
Kang-ho Song plays the main protagonist, a lazy and irresponsible store employee in the shop owned by his father. When a monster, that was created by pouring ridiculous amounts of formaldehyde down a drain, appears in the Han river the main characters daughter Hyun-seo gets taken by the monster as her father accidentally tries to save the wrong girl. When that happens you know that this film is a comedy/drama first and an action thriller movie second, although the action elements are often shown with a musical score that completely doesn’t fit the scene. I struggled to determine whether this was intentional or just a lucky accident, I don’t think they really knew what kind of movie they wanted to make while they were shooting it and were then forced to edit together a bit of a mess. I’m not looking for total consistency but would have appreciated a little more thought given to the audience.
The movie came out in 2006 but the CGI isn’t overwhelmingly impressive, that doesn’t detract from the movie as the monster isn’t shown for long enough periods for you to really start questioning the believability of the monster. Hyun-seo’s dad, grandfather, uncle and aunt all go on a suicidal mission to save her which brings together a disjointed family and there’s a few wonderfully tender moments between these characters who are so completely different and separated emotionally. What was most interesting was that the lead that would drive the plot changed between all of these for different parts of the film, you became attached to each of them.
Overall, I’d say that I liked it however that’s as far as I would go, I managed to pick it up on DVD for 50 pence and it was definitely worth that much. In the end it was a bit of a mess but enjoyable in it’s own way and good for a one time watch.
6.9 out of 10. A good monster movie and a good comedy are to be found here if you don’t take it seriously, at all, and go along for the ride.
100movies365days 