Review of The Host (2006) by Addiena I — 11 Mar 2010
Who would have thought that a monster movie would be the feel-good movie of the year? After an American doctor orders his assistant to dump copious amounts of formaldahide into the Han River, a giant monster emerging from the waters to wreak havoc is far from unexpected. What comes as a surprise is The Host finds more sincere heart in Korea than all 11 seasons of MASH combined.
Director Bong focuses on an extremely dysfunctional family whose stereotypes feel more American than anything - a goofy father, a slacker son, his daughter, a drunkard brother. And they're genuinely funny. You would almost dread the monster attack scenes if they weren't just as entertaining and unconventional as scenes with the family.
The Monster's rampage is at once thrilling and funny, as are the scenes in which the American government hopelessly tries to cover up the whole mess. It never gets too political, and the American's disaster falls in line thematically with an overall "Sins of the Father" vibe.
Oh, did I mention there's a giant monster in it?
This review of The Host (2006) was written by Addiena I on 11 Mar 2010.
The Host has generally received positive reviews.
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