Friday, September 12, 2008

The Host (Gwoemul)

The biggest blockbuster in South Korean history, this comedy/drama/fantasy/horror/sci-fi/thriller, may not be everyone's cup of tea. There are so many different things going on in this movie that people looking for a straight horror movie will be scratching their heads.
I liked this movie because there was so much going on. Not only did you have a scary monster, even if it looked like a giant tad pole with legs, but a possible viral outbreak, archery, clashes with the government, a dysfunctional family and Agent Yellow (the toxic gas that the US government says it's safe to use to fight viral outbreaks).
The movie stars Kang-ho Song who I had previously seen in Chan-wook Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. In both movies he is after the kidnappers of his daughter, but this time the kidnapper is a big sea monster created by the dumping of formaldehyde in the sewers near Seoul's Han River. When his daughter is taken by the monster and feared dead, a call from her cellphone makes him realize that she is still alive. When the authorities do not believe him, he and his family decide to try and save her on their own.
It is hard to juggle horror, drama and comedic elements in the same movie and make it work, but somehow director Joon-ho Bong pulls it off.

1 comment:

thebonebreaker said...

Right On!

The Host is a great flick - puts Cloverfield to shame, in my opinion. . .