The Bottom Line
- Tops your classic Hollywood creature feature
- Droll humor and sly political commentary
- Righteous CGI effects, including a slimy vaginal sea monster
- Appealing ensemble cast
- Two disc collectors edition loaded with special features
- We're gaga for Bong Joon-ho's monster movie. It made us cringe. It made us laugh. We've got no cons.
Description
- Director: Joon-ho Bong
- Actors: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park, Du-na Bae, Ah-sung Ko,
- Deleted Scenes
- Joon-ho Bong's reflections
- Designing the creature featurette
- Memories of the Sewer
Guide Review - The Host out on DVD (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Shot as beautifully as any art-house film but paced like a blockbuster, The Host manages to satisfy (almost) all of our genre expectations while curious details give the characters life above and beyond the necessities of mutant fodder. Our hero has coins stuck to his face when we first meet him, disposable fishermen worry about their daughters' favorite cups, and lazy-eyed scientists replay the finale of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as farce.
In Bong's hands, stock scenes like the character-building moments of respite between attacks turn into little gems of genuine sadness, and there are a number of well-placed red herrings (including the film's American title) that keep the familiar surprising. These personal touches betray the presence of a genuine auteur, and Bong's political sensibility also shines through, without detracting from the entertainment. The biohazard origin of the monster allows for swipes at SARS hysteria and American hubris--and where have you ever seen such an enthusiastic celebration of the molotov cocktail?
