Region 2 DVD Release
Can you remember the last time you watched a really good monster movie? It’s been awhile, right? Sure you probably saw Peter Jackson’s King Kong and it had its charms but it just wasn’t the same thing as that brilliant old rabbit fur covered stop motion Kong we all know and love. I can still remember watching Humanoids from the Deep (the original ya bastards!) on television with glee and marveling at the monstrosities in Food of the Gods. The monster movie of yesteryear is simply no more.
I hate to say it but I never thought I’d come across another monster movie that put a smile on my face. Thankfully I was dead wrong. Gwoemul / The Host was a monster movie and a half! I was cheering, smiling and rooting for the monster…then the good guy…then the monster. It was a mad monster free for all in my home and I was incredibly pleased with the end result. This is some kind of great film and its fun for the Family as well.
One sunny day a crowd forms alongside a river watching what appears to be something living dangling from the underside of a bridge. Is it alive? Is it construction equipment? The answer to that question is quickly answered as the “thing” drops down into the lake and begins swimming toward the crowd. The onlookers start throwing things into the water figuring the “thing” must be some kind of dolphin.
Man were they off!
Before anybody can react the creature leaps from the water and goes on a stomping, kicking, tail slashing rampage through a park mauling anybody in its path! The frantic, panicking crowd runs screaming about the park as the beast terrorizes the masses.
Simpleton Kang-du attempts to help but his efforts prove ineffective against the monster. As if things couldn’t get worse, Kang-du spots his young daughter Hyun-seo stroll out of their food establishment unaware of what’s transpiring. The poor 8th grader is snatched up by the creature and whisked away across the lake only to be swallowed by her family and horrified survivors!
Kang-du, his sister Nam-ju, brother Nam-il and father Hie-bong all attend the funeral service held for the dead. Their grief is short-lived though when the Korean government steps in and quarantines anybody that was involved in the incident or came in contact with the creature. Kang-du’s entire family are all placed under custody and informed that the creature, dubbed The Host, may have been carrying a deadly virus that it may have spread to Kang-du.
While in the hospital Kang-du receives a desperate call from his supposedly dead daughter begging him for help and informing him that she appears to be in some type of sewer. There’s only one problem…nobody believes him and nobody plans on allowing the Park family to escape in order to search for the child. The government has cordoned off the entire area and are hunting The Host which means they’ll have to be extra careful not to get caught.
Can Kang-du and his family escape the clutches of the government long enough to find Hyun-seo? Can the child really still be alive?
Beware Park family! Not only is The Host on the prowl but the Korean government have brought in the U.S. government and their deadly biological weapon, Agent Yellow! If the government unleashes agent yellow before they can locate Hyun-seo the chemical may kill her before the monster does!
The race is on…who lives? Who dies?
The Host is just plain fun. I really wasn’t expecting this film to end up being as exciting as it was because I was figuring on it being nothing more than a big budget CG jerkoff. Sure, there was CG here but it was incredibly well done. This is something American theaters have been sorely lacking for quite some time now.
The acting was wonderful despite obviously cheesy, goofy sequences meant to get the children smiling. There’s also a few choice words *ahem* so keep that in mind while little Susie and Jimmy are reading the subtitles.
One of the major things viewers may also notice is the inclusion of the U.S. government in this film and, yes as always, they’re up to no good. Those of you wondering whether this is some kind of socio-political thingamajiggy are exactly right. The director was making a statement or taking a swipe, whichever you prefer, at the U.S. as well as his own country and the treatment of the working class. Obviously, like I always say, some may not catch the commentary if they aren’t looking for it and that’s just fine too. Entertainment should always come first when it comes to Family films.
Some websites and critics have deemed this film “The greatest monster movie ever” and they’re entitled to their opinion but I’m still of the opinion that Godzilla and King Kong both firmly hold that position. However, The Host certainly places high on the monster charts so don’t miss out when this hits theaters this coming March.
Happy hunting!
