Mixes the chemically enhanced intensity of a Godzilla sequel with the single-minded mission status of Harold and Kumar.
Comment
04/19/07
The Host (2007)
92
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:130
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
US Box Office: $2,010,000
Synopsis: The talk of the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival, THE HOST, the latest film from critically acclaimed visionary director BONG Joon-ho, has already garnered a substantial amount of... [More]
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Byun Hee-bong, Bae Hae-il, Bae Doo-na
Director: Oh Bong-Joon
Reviews for The Host
21 - 40 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Both fun and thought-provoking, but it's just not the instant classic it's being hailed as.
04/11/07
The origin of the film's amphibious creature may be firmly planted at the doorstep of U.S. hubris, but The Host is strictly populist fare, ironically owing much to the best of American blockbusters.
04/10/07
It packs an emotional kick that we don't expect from a movie where a giant iguana is running around with human legs dangling out of his mouth like stray pieces of linguini.
04/06/07
Monster movies don't often stomp their way into theaters these days, and the entertaining yet vacant Korean film "The Host" provides a reason why: Even when they're well executed, they're still sort of lame.
04/04/07
A delirious mix of scares, laughs and surprising political critiques, a movie which always seems to be running ahead of the audience and daring us to keep up.
04/04/07
In the end, the real monster is not the slithering beast we're there to watch, but the weight of an entire society. And we're left believing that a ragtag bunch of misfits can overcome that too.
04/01/07
As ebullient and bizarre as a monster that can do back flips, leaving the viewer in a shock of delight.
04/01/07
A horror thriller, a political satire, a dysfunctional family comedy, and a touching melodrama, Bong Joon-ho's The Host is also one helluva monster movie.
04/01/07
Top CriticI never thought I'd crack up watching a family mourn the death of a beloved daughter. But I've never seen a film quite like The Host, and that's far from the most bizarre thing in it.
04/01/07
Comes up with not only a fistful of nervous pools of fear but also a heady wellspring of classic monster-movie matinee fun.
03/31/07
Bravely shifting tones from the horrific to the slapstick and back again, Bong Joon-ho has made a movie that's comprised almost equally of family sitcom, political indictment, high-urban paranoia and maximum-geek, monster-movie delight.
03/30/07
When the toothy petals of its slimy flower mouth unfold to engulf an unlucky victim, the giant river monster in 'The Host' looks like something imagined by H.P. Lovecraft and painted by Georgia O'Keeffe.
03/30/07
I have never seen anything like "The Host," a terrifying East Asian monster movie that is as funny as it is grotesque %u2014 almost a subversion of the entire genre
03/30/07
This is not your standard monster movie and, I must admit, it caught me off guard.
03/29/07
A throwback to the uncensored "Godzilla," a anti-American broadside with a scary monster and off-kilter humor. What more can you ask for in a movie?
03/29/07
The Host is that rare movie that fulfills the old movie-trailer promise: "You'll laugh! You'll cry!" You'll do both, and then some.
03/26/07
Click to read the article
03/24/07
Top CriticAlternately scary, funny and inspiring, Bong Joon-ho’s first-class monster mash is also a scalding rebuke to U.S. interventionism, profiteering and general developing-world opportunism, and a lovely story of familial bonding. In a word, amazing.
03/24/07
The Host has a rather playful sense of humor. That helps keep the audience off balance -- at least long enough to be startled and jolted.
03/24/07
Latest News for The Host
September 02, 2009:
First Look: The Host 2 
Eager for an early glimpse of one of the monsters you'll see in "The Host 2"? Twitch has what you're looking for. More...
March 18, 2009:
Bong Joon-ho Discusses Upcoming Projects
Director Bong Joon-ho isn't involved with the upcoming sequel to his hit monster movie "The Host," but he does have a number of other projects in the pipeline -- including "an... More...
November 19, 2008:
The Host Is Coming to America
According to Bong Joon-ho, director of "The Host," Universal has purchased the American rights to his film, and the studio is planning a remake for U.S. audiences. More...
June 26, 2008:
The Host 2 Filming in Early '09
Director Ning Hao will helm and script a Chinese sequel to the Korean box-office smash The Host, scheduled to film early next year. More...
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