"The Host" - Ray's Review

(originally published on The Rec) Up front - I am not going to use the Korean names of the actors and director of this film, because they are Korean and I am American. In true American fashion, I expect them to get American names that I can easily pronounce and/or write for my review. "The Host" is a Korean horror film which is finally making its way to the States after several months of stalling. I guess too many theaters had booked shit like "Night At The Museum" for a film like this to even be considered as an option. "The Host" is directed by a fairly talented director with a name (see above), and it stars some likable actors, presumably also with names. Although the film is being marketed as one of the great horror films of recent times (a title that could have been easily won by "Norbit," considering the competition), the movie contains very little actual horror; it mainly focuses on the idiosyncratic, comedic family at the heart of the picture. This is actually to the film's detriment, since it boasts one of the most imaginative and fully realized monsters in the last several years - not since "Tremors" have we seen a biological organism with such power, violence, and believability. The film opens on a three-generation family that owns a small snack shop on the shores of the polluted Han river. Within ten minutes, the people on shore spot a mysterious creature hanging from the bridge, which then falls into the river and swims over to them. Suddenly the creature emerges from the river and starts killing everyone in sight. The sequence is brilliantly brought to life in broad daylight, thanks to the jerky, hand-held POV shots employed by director Whats-his-face and an army of skilled computer animators. From there the film drags into various "comedic" subplots involving the family members as they deal with this crisis. While watching Korean guys fall down and pathetically over-act might be funny in Korea, these sequences become tiresome very quickly to American audiences. Every single moment involving the creature is wonderfully staged and tense; the use of sound design and camera angles heightens the horror quotient. Unfortunately, these scenes are very few and far between. Instead, we are treated to seemingly endless "social commentary" sequences involving American conspiracies and mysterious viruses. These bits do not advance the main plot at all by the finale; in fact, I would say that they actually muddle the points being made. The ending is designed to be a rousing one. However, multiple endings usually only tire out an audience, and when this film slips past its third ending, one is ready to walk out. Compounding the problem is the sad fact that at least one major character's sacrifice seems to have left no impression whatsoever by the end of the film, which is sad. The character that is sacrificed is played with brave resolve by someone with a Korean name. In an unfortunate cinematic climate where gore and torture have replaced true horror, it's nice to see a filmmaker embrace the art of the scare ... it's unfortunate that they decided to make a horror comedy instead of a true horror film. It's well-made, but it misses its intended mark.

rating:3.5