The Host
Posted by Rachel Lux on 31-May-07 @ 01:40 PM|
STARS: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park, Du-na Bae, Ah-sung Ko DIRECTOR: Joon-ho Bong [3/5] Six years after a load of formaldehyde is illegally dumped into Seoul's Han River, a massive creature springs from its waters, feasting on humans and, according to the government, spreading a bizarre virus to survivors who come in contact with it. When the amphibious mutant snatches the young daughter of a lazy food-stand proprietor, the girl's grandfather, former student-protestor uncle and medal-winning archer of an aunt frantically search for her in the city's sewer system while the military disavows any possibility of the girl's survival and hunts down the family for quarantine purposes. Despite special effects courtesy of the Orphanage (Superman Returns, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) and Weta Workshop (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, King Kong), the man-eating lizard-creature looks slightly goofy, but the film itself works as both a suspense/horror freakout (there are some genuine and well-placed scares) and as a Big Brother-style cautionary tale. According to studio propaganda, The Host (original title: Gwoemul) is the top-grossing Korean film of all time; as waterborne monster-movies go, it's no Jaws, but it definitely kicks the shit out of Anaconda. - J. Bennett |
