[The Host]
Plot:Follows the evolution of a monster in the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. Strange things start to occur but the citizens of the city choose to ignore them until one weekend the creature fully emerges and attacks hundreds of people near the water. Park Gang-du, a family man who manages a small kiosk near the river, is one of those there to witness the slaughter, and has to find a way to defeat the creature.

Cast: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park, Du-na Bae, Ah-sung Ko.

My Thoughts:Great monster movie

Review:It's nice to see a film finally, that patterns itself in the tradition of the old monster movies. No fx used to cover up a weak story, no lack of action...just man vs. beast. Which is exactly what Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" is. The film sets up a simple explanation for it's monster as well. I respect Joon-ho alot for going in the simple yet effective direction with his monster instead of doing something cheesy like using the tired outerspace or U.S. or Korean government experiment gone wrong storylines to explain why this monster is running amok through South Korea. But although the U.S. or Korean governments don't sit atop of the blame pile for the films monster, there is still some irresponsibility on the part of a government official which contributes to the creatures existence, and that's all I'll say about that. "The Host" is the perfect monster movie for a number of reasons. The first being that it doesn't take too long to take off. After a few scenes which introduce some of the movies main characters, the monster known as "The Host" makes it's first appearance in the movie in badass fashion. This is one of the films best scenes, when The Host is first shown, and then just when you think it's gone away underwater, it suddenly emerges from the water and begins rampaging through the park smashing anyone and anything in it's path. It's a scene that is so awesome that decribing it through words just does not do it justice. It's something you have to see for yourself to get the full effect of it. Anyways, after the hosts bloody rampage through the park, it just so happens to snatch a mans daughter with it's tail and takes off back into the Han River with her in tow. And so begins the mission by her dad, and others to rescue her. "The Host" is not just a horror picture though, it also blends in some nice moments of humor along with the monster ridden carnage. There are alot of humurous moments strolled throughout the film which help to lighten the mood of the movie which for the most part is serious and dark, seeing as how a mutant sea monster is going around devouring people and taking them from their loved ones. Moments which are sure to make you laugh, as the humor in them is perfect and right on point with what's happening in the picture. The characters in the film are also very likeable people, and their bravery is very admirable as you watch them all risk life and limb to take on a beast they know nothing about, just to rescue their loved one. There are also many scenes where they come face to face with the monster and some aren't as lucky as others to survive said encounters. The Host itself is one of the best on-screen creatures I've seen in a horror film in quite some time. Bong Joon-ho made sure to not just make The Host your usual romp and stomp monster which serves only one purpose: destruction. It has certain characteristics and certain behavioral patterns which make it more of a character in the movie instead of just a monster. It's also a very active monstrosity. This thing doesn't wait and stalk like most movie monsters do. It shows up on screen when you'd least expect it to, and most of the scenes where it appears will certainly catch most by surprise because they're just so random. Not only does it show up, but it SHOWS UP. Crashing onto the scene, bursting out of the water, or crashing through objects to get at it's prey. The monster itself is also pretty smart, and certainly has a killer instinct and best of all, it's very fearsome looking. In other words, not a CGI laden joke. As the family members battle it to save their loved one, it sometimes seems like there's a rivalry developing between them and the monster. Where it tries to one up them during their encounters with it, and they try and do the same to the beast. This is the first film I've sene in quite awhile where there's an actual sort of battle of wills between a monster and the human characters. Usually it's just business as usual, but not in he case of this movie. Those who are looking for a gorefest won't get tons of blood and gore, but you will certainly get enough. Along with some other interesting surprises that I won't spoil here, but trust me...it's gross. Despite all the action and suspense the film delivers in acts 1 through 2, it doesn't fall flat like most horror films do in it's final act, which has the survivors of the family still trying to retrieve their relative in the midst of the monsters latest attack on land, setting up an ending where the Host finds itself in a situation where it's the prey. "The Host" is a must see if you're looking for a good monster movie or are a fan of creature features. You won't be disappointed.

Positives:Great looking monster, solid story, good acting, and very high entertainment value.

Negatives:Nothing really noteworthy.

Overall:2 hours well spent.





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