Customer Reviews

The Host (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

Pay no mind to the countless comparisons to "Jaws", "Alien", and the rest of the monster classics that a quality film like this always draws. This one stands on its own as an original mix of harsh political commentary, family drama, black comedy, and horror. The metaphor for the hysteria over the asian SARS epidemic is thick and the accusatory tone towards America's interventionist ways and the alarmist media's sensationalism is thicker. But don't think this is some heavy-handed self-serving political film that wallows in its own symbolism; this film is about the importance of family pulling together and taking care of each other when noone else will. Oh yes, and there's a monster in there somewhere too.
I'm going to drop a few minor spoilers now so if you want to go in completely cold and experience the full thrill I received viewing this movie you might want to go watch the film now. Alright, on with the content review. Let me put it this way, I got my money's worth in the first 20 minutes of the film. The sudden appearance of the beast breaks the most entrenched of monster movie standards: the slow reveal. The almost complete lack of buildup shocked me as the monster came charging out of the background in its high-velocity and unsettlingly awkward gait with ferocious momentum sending humanity flying left and right. What follows is one of the greatest rampage sequences ever seen by human eyes. I was absolutely thrilled by it and only the most jaded of film fans could feel otherwise. In fact, aside from a few gaping plot holes, my only real complaint about this movie is that it climaxes so soon. That's not to say the rest of the film isn't good, but it never reaches that fever pitch again.
As the trigger-happy government declares quarantine and almost immediately begins asserting it's will on the victims -even as they still mourn their lost family members- the media spreads word of a deadly and highly contagious virus that the creature is carrying (hence, "the host"). But as the film progresses, we don't see the evidence of any abnormal sickness, just the paranoia of the people in reaction to the media's hysterics and government's jumping to conclusions. As our protagonists, the Park family, search for their little girl (Hyun-seo, taken to the monster's den for later consumption) we come to see that when the government is incompetent and overbearing and the general populace is collectively terrified of the guy standing next to them the only things you can rely on are your own family and what you can see and do for yourself.
The ne'er-do-well Park family consists of Hyun-seo's father, a slow-witted narcoleptic, her aunt who's a professional archer with a tendency to freeze under pressure, a college-educated alcoholic of an uncle with a hot temper who can't find a job, and a caring grandfather who holds them all together. The dysfunction of the family is humorous to watch, but the devotion they all share in the search for their little girl is touching; and that's the real heart and soul of this film. The monster is menacing, the government is corrupt, the Americans are comically over-the-top self-serving jerks, the populace at large are terrified for all the wrong reasons, and the real disease is the paranoia spread by the media but the Park family's struggle is the real story here and it's a great one.

Really, do not watch the dubbed version of this movie. If you're watching that then you are not watching the same movie. I have a feeling that nearly all of the negative reviews are due to the atrocious dubbing this film received.

If you're not willing to watch the subtitled version, then I suggest you avoid the film, because it will be an awful experience. I just watched a clip of it on YouTube and I was cringing!

The dubbing is an insult to the original cast and crew of this film. Please. Please. Please. Do not watch the dubbed version.

I felt a bit of skepticism when I heard that the top-grossing film in Korean history was headed to a big screen near me--and (gulp!) it was a "Godzilla" type monster movie. And then the critical reviews started pouring in--let's just say, they're pretty impressive! So intrigued, but still very wary, I headed out to Bong Joon-ho's "The Host." After a brief setup and a quick introduction to an impossibly dysfunctional family, a creature emerges from the Han River and starts to terrorize the citizens of Seoul. And I was hooked! Frightening and funny, the emergence of this indescribable creature (part fish, part "Alien," part unmentionable) is so well staged--I was alternately shocked and amused. From that moment on, "The Host" never let go and became a wildly entertaining ride.

The film introduces us to an unlikely group of protagonists--an inept and childlike man (played by Song Kang-ho), his put-upon father, and his school aged daughter. When the creature first attacks the city, the daughter is carried away. Grieving for her, father and son are reunited with Kang-ho's other siblings--a sister who is a competitive archer and a brother, college educated but unemployed. This quartet clearly has issues, and Kang-ho feels guilty for what has happened. After being isolated by the military for having been exposed to the creature (now being reported as the host of an unknown virus), Kang-ho becomes convinced his daughter is still alive. The family bands together and decides to break out and track down the creature's movements in an effort to locate the girl. Equal parts believable family interplay, genuine horror, slapstick, and harrowing moments with surprisingly real consequences--"The Host" is a multilayered film that works on many levels.

One of the more questionable critiques that I've encountered about "The Host" is that its anti-American posturing is offensive. This being, first and foremost, a creature feature--I find this a tad oversensitive. The overt acts of villainy perpetuated by the Americans in question (such as the careless dumping of formaldehyde into the environment) are done with such a gleeful, over-the-top tone--it has more of a comedic effect than anything. In cartoons, these scientific or military "villains" would be twirling their mustaches and cackling at an evil plot. And, in fact, the first real "hero" of the piece is an American soldier who stands up to the creature to save others. It's a bit of a double standard, as well. How many times do American films cast another country in the same light (or much worse)? It strikes me as the "you can dish it out, but you can't take it" syndrome if Americans aren't able to take a bit of satiric poking every once in a while from someone else. However, in the main scheme of things--the characters within "The Host" couldn't care less about the political climate. Much of the international relations information is provided as background via TV reports that are generally being ignored!

Now that I've made this film sound political, let me just reiterate--it's not. It's wild, it's fun, it's scary, it's unexpected--but most surprisingly, it's also genuinely moving. I actually cared about the central family in "The Host." Ordinary citizens, they are thrust into the role of heroes. They put aside their differences, come together as a family, and sacrifice everything they have for one another. Comedically complicated, they still convey real familial devotion. The forward momentum of the film is provided by love and a commitment to endure any hardship for those close to you. So this B-movie monster flick is grounded by, of all things, heart. I can understand someone not liking "The Host." A monster running amok in a scary movie is not for everyone (and, although, I mention comedic elements a lot--this is a scary movie). But adding the wackiness, the slapstick, and (most especially, for some) the subtitles--you're bound to have your share of detractors. But I found "The Host" great fun. The creature looks awesome and the action scenes, in particular, are riveting. Do yourself a favor, if you're into this type of film--check out "The Host." KGHarris, 03/07.

I've read a lot of reviews about 'The Host' by a lot of disappointed people who didn't understand the movie. In light of that, I just want to say that this isn't so much a monster flick as it is a family flick that happens to have a monster character. The film is about an already troubled Korean family that is taken to the brink of despair when a monster snatches its most innocent member. Besides being a story about the strength and importance of family, it's also a great character study...but keep in mind that the film is Korean; you aren't necessarily going to relate to the behaviors and reactions in every scene; a lot probably goes right over our heads because of the enormous culture gap. The film is also interesting as a social/national commentary; the creature exists due to the careless actions of occupying American forces, the government isn't tackling the problem effectively, so ultimately a victimized Korean family is forced to muster an unlikely skill set and the courage to defeat the monster themselves. In that sense, I think there's a duality to the title - the "host" isn't just the creature (which is a victim in its own right), it's Korea itself.

I loved the movie. It's a rare gem , and it's unfortunate that due to the film's marketing and/or viewer preconceptions that it's getting a raw deal as far as accurate reviews go. I hope this helps somewhat!

This is a fantastic movie - it has everything going on for it. The tone is pitch-perfect, and surprisingly endearing...it is truly the family that makes this film shine; despite, yes, the best -classic, already- movie monster chaos since the original JPark came out. It was certainly the best audience reaction I have seen at an event movie since JPark - people were cheering for the family, and going nuts at the scary parts. And it IS scary - quite a bit. Better than most, by a long shot. Now...I am not one for humor in horror films...and going in knowing that the advertising campaign for this hit was aiming a bit for the comedy angle - the comedy in this film is fantastic. It's a bit over the top - but not TOO, like some trailers suggest. It's in small doses, is well done, and mainly it's to keep the focus and involvement with the family - and once you see the film, and are part of the charm of the actors for two hours, you understand the hype over the appeal of the characters. They ARE us. For a slacker who came out of the Grunge scene - I felt the lead actor was dead-on, and you connect with his despair. As a matter of fact, all the actors are just perfect for their parts in The Host. The warm moments are very genuine. A very pleasant surprise - and just as important a reason to see this movie as The Host itself..!! Everything you've heard is true - the monster is terrific. The fact that the director had the monster show up in the first 15 minutes in broad daylight sets the bar for the rest of the film's manic action. The beast is a mean one - and the monster itself just absolutely ROCKS. I loved watching this scary creature! The pure excitement that The Host infuses is remarkable. These scenes are the best in the business, hands down. Excitement, and adventure. This is a 5 Star movie. It is smart, honest and extremely well realized - it is not merely up to par with Hollywood movies...it surpasses Hollywood movies. This one will be around for a long time. It is a major event movie - especially for genre fans. It was nice to go to a show and see the audience get all riled up like they did for Jaws - people just went nuts for it, it was a breath of fresh air for a life-long monster enthusiast.

The Host is a South Korean film that contains a surprisingly strong sense of character development and even some emphasis on humor. Ultimately though, The Host will be quickly recognized as one of the most effective monster movies in decades. I'm not exaggerating; it is a shining example of a film that makes me wonder over and over again while watching it, why doesn't anyone make movies like this anymore? Evidently, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder) does, and The Host quickly became the highest grossing South Korean film ever made.

The Host opens with an American ordering the removal of many gallons of formaldehyde. He orders his assistant to pour the toxic chemical into the drain, which will ultimately place it into the Han River. We are then introduced to the protagonists of the film, a South Korean family, two of which run a snack bar in front of the Han River. A giant creature comes out of the river and snatches up a little girl who is part of this family. The family grieves her loss while the government converges onto the scene and begins to indicate that the monster may be the cause of a new virus and that anyone who had contact with it should be quarantined. The family receives some indication that the little girl is alive and so they opt to make an effort to save her. Many scenes with the monster follow and it doesn't disappoint.

Monster movies of old invoke feelings of fear, excitement, action, and suspense; but have traditionally required more imagination than other genres. If there is mystery about the monster or we don't see it as much we quickly creep into the horror genre, but The Host does not do this. If there is no mystery we run the risk of seeing something we don't believe and that is when our imaginations must take over. The Host doesn't need its audience to do that either. It is shear madness and we are compelled to believe this is real. The drama assists tremendously and the comedic aspects serve to make the characters even more enjoyable while placing the film into a fairly convincing frame. The first time we see the monster is in broad daylight and it attacks crowds of people along the shore, only to submerge again. There is a moment in Jurassic Park where I felt an amazing sense of hope in great filmmaking combined with great technology. It is the first time we see the dinosaurs. Since that time I've grown a bit cynical toward technology's role in film, but The Host reinvigorates that hope. It is great action, great drama, great comedy, and great horror all mixed together.

The front of the box on the DVD indicates that The Host is on par with Jaws. As someone who believes Jaws to be among the greatest films ever made it would take time to concur with such a statement, but The Host is definitely worth viewing.

I purchased this movie and I was surprised that I actually liked it, I just heard awful things about it. First I watched the movie in its original form with subtitles, I laughed and was in suspense at certain parts.. Then I decided to watch the dubbed version afterwards, it totally ruined the movie.. This movie already has a campy feel, with overacting-- but when you have english dubbs with 5x more very bad overacting-- it totally takes away from the movie.. So just watch the subtitle version!!! Yes the father was an annoying character, he was a slacker who only made things worse. But towards the end he finally became a man, and was trying to "save the day", which made his character watchable.. Just rent it and judge for yourself.. But I say if you really enjoyed slither, then most likely you will enjoy this too..

THE HOST (original Korean title GWOEMUL) is a sneakily good film which was a hit in Cannes. Be aware that it contains an environmental message that isn't exactly subliminal and that, also, it shows the U.S. in a very dim light. Nevertheless, I easily got past all that and was soon very immersed in the movie. I really don't know how this film got past my movie radar, but thank goodness it did. I went into this not knowing much about it other than it was ostensibly a creature feature. But it's much more than that. THE HOST manages to integrate a strong family theme, an off the wall sense of fun, and an unpredictable, heartbreaking storyline which kept me on the edge of my seat. I truly did not know what would happen next, and that's a very good thing. As a bonus, this movie is also pretty funny.

Some plot SPOILERS.

It starts out in a U.S. Army Base morgue in Korea when an American lab technician has his lackey dump formaldehyde down the laboratory drains even though he knows that the toxic stuff will eventually flow into the Han River. Some years later, frequenters on the banks of the Han River witness a grotesque monstrosity shockingly emerge from the river and begin an all out rampage. Survivors of the attack are summarily rounded up by the government which, fearing a creature-initiated virus, then institutes a quarantine and hastily begins conducting tests on the parties involved.

One particularly contentious family is very much involved in the doings. Held under quarantine, they are grieving the death of a 13-year-old girl named Hyum-seo, who was seen being carried away by the monster. Her father, the dim-witted Gang-du, receives a call on a cell from someone claiming to be Hyum-seo and that she's alive but being held captive in a hole under a bridge. Gang-du and his kin break away from quarantine and flee into the sewer system and begin their search for Hyum-seo.

Meanwhile, time is running out for Hyum-seo. Lacking food and drink and imprisoned in a deep chasm, she knows that her chances are bleak as she now awaits her turn to become crunchy snacks for the creature. A further burden is laid on her shoulders when another survivor, this time a little boy, appears. At last, with hope dwindling faster and faster, she seizes one opportunity for escape.

End SPOILERS.

Absolutely, the film's star attraction is the beastie itself. But THE HOST focuses more on the quarrelling family members than on the monster, and this works to the film's advantage as we get the chance to know the characters and invest in what happens to them. The dysfunction in this family is never more strongly portrayed than in an early scene where they remain hilariously combative even as they mourn the supposed death of young Hyum-seo. Not to get all On-A-Very-Special-Blossom, but this film goes on to underline the power of kinship and how familial loyalties can overcome personal differences.

The monster is part squid, part tadpole, and part Whatdaf--k!!. The thing shows up only sporadically, which serves to heighten the suspense and enhance its effectiveness. Its debut appearance is a freakin' doozy and quite surreal, done in broad daylight with its mangling and ravaging taking place out in the open. Usually, the monster is so huge that there's a sort of disconnect, what with the size differential between monster and man rendering man insignificant and ant-tiny. But this creature is only several sizes larger than a person, and so somehow there's more punch to its attacks and we get unobstructed views of various victims getting, well, pretty effed up. The creature, when it does get screen time, gallumps prodigiously, lending a convincing weight and presence. There's a fluid grace and ease in how it navigates the various bridge undercarriages. There's a sleek dexterity in how it scales walls. Me, I'm rendered pretty darn impressed. So, a well done to the CG work.

THE HOST sows a lot of seeds: it subverts the monster horror genre and remains mostly unpredictable. Every so often it'll unleash moments of wicked slapstick humor and, later on, sober us up with scenes of poignancy. Oh, yes, it also calls out the U.S. military (Agent Yellow? I could see it). The scenes with the monster are spectacular. When watching THE HOST, prep yourself to be unsettled but then perhaps invigorated. You may even end up feeling sad. Be that as it may, THE HOST earns five formaldehyde-polluted stars from me.

You throw enough things in a river and, eventually, something might crawl out of said body of water and have something to say about your methods. Everything from a three-eyed fish in The Simpsons introductions to a lovely little superstar named Godzilla taught me that as a kid, and the somewhat different style of The Host helped to reinforce that in a way that safety videos never do. Add in a family that doesn't quite get along, a government that doesn't really know what to make of something thrashing around in their rivers, men in bright colors, enough bones to make a fantastic roadkill mixed-media sculpture, and slap on a coat of comedy and you have a pretty little playpen that translates to The Host.

While many people don't like to see The Host compared to Godzilla films, it really does have the feel of the late 90s Godzilla with a better budget, a REALLY nice monster, and something that might be pieced together better than some of those movies. The family REALLY evoked the comparisons, especially in the case of the son and the things that happen to him, and the point to the movie was similar to the core of the Godzilla theme. There were a lot more components than the monster in this as well, and the way they to fit into the fold actually surprised me because those things seemed like they would be secondary when I saw the previews and not such good primary focuses.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be that the monster made its guest appearance really suddenly, managed to get me really excited as it did what it did for about twenty minutes or more, and then became a pawn in a game much larger than the beast itself. I guess that was a misgiving of mine while going into the film - still, the way the film was marketed made me think an elderly man with a shotgun and a younger lady with a bow would be throwing down with a beast.
That KINDA happened, with a heavy KINDA rolling off my tongue, but not really.
In this case, the previews realllly stretch the "what is what."

When you see this movie, keep that in mind and don't go into it with the expectation of a monstercentric core. Don't get overly excited when you see the monster, either, and remember that this is Korean Cinema and that it follows some of the same formulas - and flaws - that Korean films normally follow. Korean film reminds me of Hong Kong film a few years ago, when it was still finding strong legs to walk on, in the respect that they are a bit choppy sometimes but that they still haven't found a specific flow. That's good, too, because you don't want a centralized theme in all your movies you want things like The Host to be made. Also bear in mind that it IS also like a Godzilla film in the aspects mentioned earlier, and that those pieces genius when you have a director that knows how to make something great. Combine this with the monster, the mayhem, and a really nice twist and you have a movie that shouldn't be overlooked because it's slinky, sexy, and good.
O, and don't watch the dubbing no matter the temptation. Remember the sagely advice of mothers around the world; doing that'll make you go blind!!

In January of 2005, an American civilian employee at the mortuary of a U.S. military base in Seoul, South Korea, was sentenced to a six-month prison sentence for ordering subordinates to dump 227 liters of contaminated formaldehyde into a sewage drain, that flowed directly the Han River, the prime source of drinking water for the city's twelve million inhabitants. While the US military insisted there was no threat to public health, environmentalists worried that the toxic chemical would be deadly to marine life and could lead to increased incidences of cancer among humans. The case generated a great deal of local outrage including anti-American protests calling for the withdrawal of American troops.

Bong Joon-ho's critically acclaimed international hit film "The Host" begins by recreating this scene almost word for word based on news reports. While the monstrous consequences he draws from this event are straight out of the pages of comic books and science fiction films, this film is really about the true victims of such environmental carelessness: the locals, who live close to the river, and who are powerless to protect themselves and their families in the face of nameless threats they are exposed to as a result of the carelessness, shortsightedness, ineptitude and even deception of the government, military, and industry.

The film works on a number of levels, both as a family comedy and drama, a really scary freakout film and a conspiracy thriller, a showcase for ingenious use of animation, and even, I think, a serious meditation on the nature of families and especially on the role of fatherhood, but I want to focus briefly on the fact it belongs to a venerable (well, that's not exactly the right word), .... a fairly long and choppy tradition of "toxic monster" movies whose most iconic exemplar is Godzilla. The basic premise of such films is that a monster is created or awoken by human carelessness or greed manifested in the form of toxic dumping, nuclear testing, and other arrogant forms of intervention into the course of nature - and this monster goes on to terrorize the locals. The implication is, of course, that the monster is us: that human beings bring upon themselves their own destruction.

Early in the film, in response to dubious military claims regarding a new and unseen threat that compounds the danger that had emerged from the toxic depths of the Han River, the elderly Hie-bong shrugs and states that "if the government says so, we have to accept it." In the end, and after an intelligently plotted and very funny and thrilling ride, it is this complacent and passive attitude that is most challenged by this film. The filmmakers suggest that such people (i.e. all of us) are at bottom mostly concerned not about big issues but about our families, our friends, and our way of life. "The Host" is a hopeful and deeply humanistic film in its portrayal of a few people who out of love are willing to face up to environmental terrors they did not have a hand in creating. Even where we do not care for or have the capacity to understand the issues related to the "environment" in the abstract, this film suggests, it is enough that we care about each other and about the places we call home, and if enough of us care enough to refuse to be complacent with the voices telling us there is nothing to be done, we can individually and collectively make some kind of difference.