This South Korean monster movie swept the nation and now is on the brink of being released in North America. Since its release last year, The Host has been praised by critics at the Cannes Film Festival and has made legions of die-hard fans.
The Host is inspired by the real story of illegal chemical dumping in the Han River, the river that runs right through Seoul. The fear that the toxins in the water would have dangerous effects on the public prompted the writers to concoct this tale.
In the film, the chemicals mutate the marine life of the river and consequently, a large fish-like monster arises from the deep. But this is not the typical 'monster runs amok in a large metropolis' film; at its core there’s a family drama with some laughs and an environmental message.
The Park family, proprietors of a small riverside restaurant/convenience store, who bicker amongst themselves constantly, are bound together tightly when the young Hyun Seo, daughter of Gang Du, is captured by the monster and dragged to its underwater lair. They beg the military and the police to help them search for the missing child, but they are met with apathy and are dismissed. So, against all odds, the family break the security cordon around the area to search for her themselves.
Director Joon-ho Bong has made a decent drama that doesn’t get too sappy and at the same time a decent monster movie that doesn’t go over the top with cheesy effects and dialog. Instead of making the movie dead serious, it has elements of comedy which make it much more appealing and interesting to watch. The monster plays a large role, but the family rallying together takes the bulk of the film. We get to see the monster relatively early on in the film and the special effects don't disappoint.
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