The Host

So, how does one make a monster movie without being looked at as joke? Apparently, the answer is to fill your monster movie with enough comedy, to make it work as not just a monster movie. At least that is what Director Joon-ho Bong seems to think. As you may be able to tell from the director's name, this movie is an import. It is not a Japanese import, like I thought though, it is Korean. I am sure some of the Godzilla comparisons are inevitable, but having seen a few of those Godzilla movies in my day, I have to say this is a very far departure from those.


Kang-ho Song stars as a father, who is dumb, slow and clumsy but when his daughter is captured by a wicked mutated creature thing, he swings into action trying to save her. Of course, he enlists his family in his struggles, and the comedy comes from the family. This is your typical family, squabbles and all. Even as their lives are in danger they cannot help but make fun of each other and bicker. See, the Korean Government, along with the U.S.A has spread throughout TV that this creature carries with it a deadly virus, and since Kang-ho got some of the creature's blood on him, he is considered to be very dangerous. Yes, this movie does at times play like a bureaucratic or democratic protest film, which could be seen as a shot at how the media sprays lies and how everyone believes it because it is the only thing being said. Who really knows, in this mostly fun little movie.


If you know me, I am not too terribly keen on subtitled movies. This movie had a great poster, terrific trailer and incredible reviews from critics, so I thought I would check it out. The creature is very cool looking like a cross between the aliens in Alien and the worms in Tremors. He also swings along bridges like a gymnast or like Spiderman. There are no real scares in the movie. It is not the scary kind of monster film. It is the fun, over the top and odd monster film. It mixes a romantic style score with bright fire flashes in its over long climax. It seems to fall under the "less is more" category, but then it shows the creature vomit for at least 45 seconds and as we watch human bones and meat chunks flow out of its oddly constructed mouth, we find ourselves wondering again how to figure this movie out.


The main problem with the movie is that it doesn't seem to care much for its characters and the Government conspiracy subplot gets so over the top it takes away from what should be the heart of the movie. And that heart belongs to 13 year old actress, Ah-Sung Ko. She is the girl who has been captured and it is watching her hide, scrap and survive that makes this movie worth watching. She is a great presence on screen and the character is tough, a real survivor. There are some great laughs, a few thrills and some great CGI, but in the end, the conclusion of the film is its downfall. I have to admit being incredibly let down by the time it was over and it ruined my experience of watching it.