The Host (Gwoemu) (15)

The Host, for all its ludicrous intentions, has a history founded in reality. In February 2003 at a US military base located in Seoul, an employee was ordered to dispose of a batch of formaldehyde in the Han River that led to years of controversy and conspiracy. Artistic licence has been invoked with Joon-ho Bong’s Korean movie because instead of an Al Gore influenced documentary about the clean-up effort and devastating effect on the environment we are presented with a mutant monster mash which, to be honest, is a lot more fun.

Caught up in the carnage that occurs when a mutated beast emerges from the depths are a fractured family consisting of bumbling father Kang-Du (Kang-ho Song) whose daughter Hyun-seo (Ah-sung Ko) is carried off by the aforementioned monster providing the catalyst for the plot. Assisting him on the rescue mission is the deli owning grandfather, and his brother and sister team; she is an Olympic bronze medallist archer who hasn’t lived up to her potential. See where that one's going?

The ridiculous nature of the premise means that although The Host sometimes seems to take itself a bit too seriously you are never in any doubt that you’re going to have a lot of fun. The opening monster attack is both comical, and considering that the budget wouldn’t have covered a single Michael Bay set piece, highly effective. The design of the beast is also very impressive, the bastard offspring of the Alien Xenomorph and a Tremors graboid it moves with a stealthy fluidity that defies its size, particularly the way in which it swings from beam to beam of the bridge.

Social commentary is attempted with not so subtle swipes at the Korean government and the pacing is a little off because what should be a climactic showdown with the beast never completely delivers as the film is at least half an hour too long, but The Host is an interesting little oddity that should find an audience with curious cinephiles and those hunting down a monster surprise.