The Host (DVD)

The head mortician at an American military base orders his junior to empty bottles of formaldehyde into Seoul's Han river. As a result, a creature mutates and grows to massive proportions, because coming out of the water and feeding on a selection of human flesh. Schoolgirl Hyun-seo is carried off by the monster, much to her father, Gang-du's, distress. He is then carted off with his father because he was splashed by the monster's blood. While institutionalised, ...
...trapped in the sewers. The authorities don't believe Gang-du's pleas, so, with the help of his family, he breaks out to find his daughter. Will he ever find her? Monster films aren't usually something I enjoy - Cloverfield, for example, bored me silly and many others have poor special effects. However, having confidence in Korean film, I thought that this one was worth a go. And it is generally an excellent film. Rather than go down the route of ...

sunmeilan 15.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

...This is a review of the FILM and NOT the DVD. On with the review … With only a few exceptions, horror films coming out of Hollywood nowadays tend to barely rise above mediocrity, particularly when they are re-makes of films coming from the far-east. Witness what they did to 'Ring' and 'Dark Water' - the original Japanese versions were so good, it's hard to imagine why Hollywood thought they could make it better. They couldn't. With this in mind, ...
...the 'The Host' (or 'Gwoemul' to give it its Korean title) from South Korean director, Bong Joon-ho as it is a rip-roaring, coffee-snorting-through-the-nose horror film that is immensely enjoyable - they'd only screw it up. First up, the plot. After a Korean pathology worker is ordered to dump several hundred bottles of out-of-date formaldehyde down the drain by his American boss (actually based on a true event in S. Korea circa 2000), the resultant ...

4ku-Papa 08.10.2007 (10.10.2007) · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

The Host - Korea's King Kong Beater Korean Title Gwoemul (The Host) You probably have little interest in Korean Cinema. You might not have any interest in Monster Movies. But if you are interested in a film with lots hard hitting CG, lots of laughs and plenty of action then maybe just maybe you can forget that this is a Korean movie and a monster movie and settle down and watch this delight on DVD. The film had a small UK cinema release back in ...
...following in Korea and on the internet. To put the popularity into some perspective 1/4th of South Korea's population went to see this film at the cinema. Yes 1/4th 25% that totals to approximately 14 million people young and old, male and female went along to their local picture house to see this fairly moderate budget horror/movie. That makes it the most successful cinema release in Korea in the history of their cinema. You are probably thinking ...

tetsuocloud 17.01.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

Overview Critically and commercially sucessful The Host was itself a behemoth of a film charting No. 1 in the all time highest takings list of Korean cinema. An oddball monster flick about a hyper-mutated sewer beast that emerges from the Han river and unleashes unholy destruction on all those in its path. We follow the trauma, the trials and the trevails of the dysfunctional Park family, distraught after seeing their daughter taken by the beast. ...
...large quantity of formaldehyde into the Korean water system. Flash forward and we see two fisherman thnking they can see something out of the ordinary in the water. Flash forward again and someone else thinks they can see something moving in the water. He then commits suicide. We now find Gang Du asleep at his job in his fathers shop. Gang Du is fully grown however and has a daughter of his own called Hyun Seo. All is calm as they watch Gang Du's ...

thegoldencat 26.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

...I have been disappointed in the past. However, mostly due to my boyfriend's insistence I went ahead and saw this movie. All of my fears of bad cgi, corny dialogue, and cheesy suspense were unwarranted. It's unfortunate that I would ever keep myself from good movies like this one because I'm too scared they will be bad (which happens so much in this genre). And I'm not one of those people who likes the bad ones because they're good to laugh at or ...
...at times. I especially love the scene in which the uncle comes back from his long absence and they are all flailing on the floor of the school gymnasium (you have to see it to know what I'm talking about). The cgi of the creature/monster was also pretty good. I always like it when I can forget that cgi is even being used (not that this one was flawless, but it was really rather good most of the time). I think the fact that it was so fun and humorous ...

I_only_like_good_movies 06.09.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

When I heard all the hype about The Host obliterating South Korea's box office records, I just had to check this out for myself. I wouldn't want to totally give the plot away because I feel it is a 'must watch' flick, but what I can say is that Director Bong Joon-Ho has superceded most in this horror flick that has you hanging on the edge of your chair at times. An innovative plot and creature creation that will keep you wide eyed, and suspended ...
...visual special effects from the team responsible for Superman Returns, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Sin City. I found the Special FX very realistic, and quite a masterpiece of ingenuity. A hapless father loses his daughter to the grip of this terrifying creature, who steals her away and retreats into the depths of the Han river. The emotional scenes in the aftermath of the creatures carnage seem very far fetched though, but then I suppose ...

Samcuj 03.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

...sure as heck entertaining. From the Korean film industry you have a good idea. What would happen if a monster lived in the Han River ( a bit like The Loch Ness Monster) and thus the idea for this film was born. All the locations are real, even the sewer isn't a set. That's a real sewer! The actors are very good, we're following the fortunes and misfortunes of the Park family. Gramps the alcoholic, Dad who runs a food stand, brother is a failed college ...
...is a kidnap film where the grand daughter is taken by the monster and dad and the others have to overcome many trials & tribulations to save her life. The effects for the creature were all done in the US and it looks pretty darn good. The story holds up well, the plot is fairly decent and all the actors are excellent. Don't worry about it being subtitled, it's still very easy to watch and highly enjoyable. On the dvd you get a making of which shows ...

atytyut2434 16.08.2008 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

...would be an understatement. The story definitely has some appeal and a couple of the scenes are nicely done but the majority of this film is a mishmash of ideas that just don't hang together very well. There is definitely something lost in translation as the English subtitled dialogue is ludicrous at times. The biggest disappointment for me though was the special effects. They would have been quite impressive 10 years ago but they just don't hold ...

wilkinss 10.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)

...matter of taste. I found the diffent elements e.g. horror (with a small 'h') , comedy, over the top acting just did not hang together. So much so I kept fast forwarding and only just made it through to the end. On the plus side it is quirky, has some funny bits and interesting monster design and effects, although don't expect alot of them. The story line in my opinion is very thin lacking in continuity and rather unbelievable but maybe that's the ...

lucas59 12.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Host (DVD)