Part social satire, horror, comedy and family drama "The Host" is an exciting example of cinematic bravura that signals a new day for Asian cinema.
Comment
03/05/07
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
121 - 140 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Because this movie was made in Korea, and not in the focus group fancying US of A, The Host tends to avoid most of the genre's obvious stumbling blocks.
03/03/07
Joon-ho is more skilled with his monster action scenes than with his virus conspiracy...
03/03/07
Head and shoulders above its SF/action competition.
02/27/07
One simply dreads the inevitable Hollywood remake . . .
02/19/07
A wonderfully weird, and hugely entertaining, genre exercise that should please all sorts of audiences, whether art-house types or fanboys.
02/12/07
What distinguished this horror pic is its emphasis on the personal--on love of family rather than the fight against the beast
02/06/07
The thinking person’s giant mutant tadpole pic, and just how many of those have you seen lately?
01/25/07
A beautifully made, thoroughly enjoyable monster flick with moments of comic genius. It'll be interesting to see what the pleasingly-named Bong Joon-ho comes up with next.
01/05/07
Not just a monster movie, it’s a movie about family, and it’s a movie about the lengths we’ll go to to save our loved ones.
12/30/06
O talentoso Joon-ho utiliza o gênero "Godzilla" para contar uma história intimista que, no processo, faz pesadas críticas à submissão sul-coreana aos interesses norte-americanos. E tudo isso levando o espectador à tensão, ao riso e ao drama.
12/08/06
The Host evolves into that rare horror film that becomes inconsolably poignant.
12/07/06
Some of the film is a lot of fun. The rest is way too long.
11/17/06
A cineaste well versed in film history, Bong Joon-ho blends effectively the conventions of the horror creature flick (with echoes of Jaws and Alien) and those of the family in peril, fighting dangers from within and without.
10/30/06
Bong Joon-ho's The Host delivers high-octane thrills while cannily exploiting contemporary political fears.
10/06/06
Bong has worked a tonal miracle here - he's made a movie that elicits laughs, groans, screams and winces yet never lets one upstage the others.
10/01/06
Bong's typical satirical, almost absurdist humor is in evidence here -- most vividly in a funeral scene that disintegrates into hysterical fisticuffs -- along with a touch of socio-political comment.
09/25/06
A well-calibrated mix of suspense, comedy and political satire.
09/23/06
The Host may be lumpy and bumpy, but it's also one of the freshest monster movies we've had in decades -- and, to any creature-feature buff, a rocket-ride blast of the highest order.
09/22/06
...filmmaker Bong Joon-ho bogs the proceedings down with an egregiously overlong running time and an unwarranted (and unwanted) emphasis on the political ramifications of the monster's existence.
09/21/06
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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