|
Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
|
|
Tuesday, 13 March 2007 |
Ah… Nothing can compare to the unadulterated joy of
watching a creature feature. Be it a fire-breathing
lizard or an enormous ape, the creature feature serves
as a great way to sandwich social commentary (usually
something about science gone berserk) between
excessive special effects and shots of massive
property damage. Sadly, it seems that, these days, the
creature feature has gone the way of the radioactive
dinosaur—excluding endless "Jurassic Park" sequels and
Peter Jackson’s bloated “King Kong” remake, the last
monster movie I remember seeing was 1997’s horrible
“The Relic.” Studios seem content, instead, to churn
out teen-slasher flicks and incoherent ghost stories.
Could it be that atomic monsters just don’t pack the
same punch they used to?
| | |
"The Host"
|
 Entertainment
Art
Directed by Joon-ho Bong
Written by Joon-ho Bong, Chul-hyun Baek, and Won-jun
Ha
Starring Kang-ho Song, Hae-il Park, and Du-na Bae
Rated R for creature violence and language
Released on March 9, 2007
|
| | |
Don’t be silly; of course they do. It is, therefore,
refreshing to see Korea’s “The Host” making it’s way
to the United States. Filled with carnivorous beasts,
wanton violence, and a healthy amount of goo, “The
Host” plays like Godzilla’s younger, nastier cousin.
Director Joon-ho Bong gives us monster buffs
everything we crave while giving it all a fresh twist.
The film opens with a typical B-Movie flourish: A
clueless morgue attendant is ordered to dump bottles
of formaldehyde down the sink and straight into the
Han River. As the ominous violins of the film’s
fantastic score screech away, we know that this cannot
bode well. Cut to several months later when, sure
enough, a hideous abomination that resembles a
retarded fish makes its first attack on the city.
Unlike most monster mashes, this sequence takes place
in broad daylight and gives us ample looks at the
well-executed fish creature. It’s a tense and exciting
highlight, a high note that the rest of the film has
trouble topping. During the attack, a schoolgirl named
Hyun-seo (Ah-sung Ko) is kidnapped and taken back to
the monster’s lair. The rest of the film details the
attempts of her family—including her dim-witted father
(Kang-ho Song), her alcoholic uncle (Hae-il Park), and
her archery-enthusiast aunt (Du-na Bae)—to rescue her.
The family’s search is heroic, occasionally humorous,
and serves as a nice bit of sentimentality between all
the thrills and chills.
Also a concern is the fact that the monster is
potentially harboring a killer virus that could wipe
out humanity. (If you were wondering why the film is
called “The Host,” there’s your answer.) Before you
can say “SARS,” germ panic has engulfed the city and
the American government forcefully steps in with a
solution that might cause more harm than good. It is
in this subplot that Bong bites off more than he can
chew. While interesting and oddly refreshing to see
America portrayed in an antagonistic light, the whole
virus ordeal comes off as an unneeded maguffin. The
film becomes obvious and preachy in these moments, and
there are so many themes already at play here that the
commentary becomes lost in translation.
Still, sloppiness aside, “The Host” makes for a great
time at the movies. Joon-ho Bong never forgets to keep
his movie fun, and with the recent announcement that
Universal Studios is planning a “Host” remake, perhaps
this marks the beginning of a new era for the creature
feature. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
