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The Host

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The Host (2007)

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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.

Rated: R

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Mar 9, 2007 Limited

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... 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 international buzz. Utilizing state-of-the-art special effects courtesy of a creative partnership between Weta Workshop (King Kong, The Lord of the Rings) and The Orphanage (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sin City), THE HOST is equal parts creature-feature thrill ride and poignant human drama. Gang-du (SONG Kang-ho) works at a food-stand on the banks of the Han River. Dozing on the job, he is awakened by his daughter, Hyun-seo ( KO A-sung), who is angry with him for missing a teacher-parent meeting at school. As Gang-du walks out to the riverbank with a delivery, he notices that a large crowd of people has gathered, taking pictures and talking about something hanging from the Han River Bridge. The otherwise idyllic landscape turns suddenly to bedlam when a terrifying creature climbs up onto the riverbank and begins to crush and eat people. Gang-du and his daughter run for their lives but suddenly the thing grabs Hyun-seo and disappears back into the river. The government announces that the thing apparently is the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Gang-du receives a phone call from his daughter who is frightened, but very much alive. Gang-du makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River to rescue his daughter from the clutches of the horrifying Host... --© Magnolia Pictures [More]

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Byun Hee-bong, Bae Hae-il, Bae Doo-na

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Byun Hee-bong, Bae Hae-il, Bae Doo-na, Ko A-sung

Director: Oh Bong-Joon

Director: Oh Bong-Joon
Screenwriter: Hah Joon-won, Baek Chul-hyun
Producer: Choi Yong-bae
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

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Release:

Jul 24, 2007

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Reviews for The Host

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81 - 100 (sorted by date)
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One of those rare movies that actually transcends all genres and just becomes a great movie, period.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/09/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

At heart, it's a monster movie, but it's one creature feature that refuses to settle into a mold, and that's precisely why it deserves a look.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
03/09/07
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Host is at best a well-made entertainment mixing drama with humor, with enough populist touches to endear itself to audiences.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
03/09/07
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

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.

Full Review Source: RogerEbert.com | comment Comment
03/09/07
Jim Emerson
Jim Emerson
RogerEbert.com

The mix of dark humor, creeping suspense, and a sort of apocalyptic tenderness makes this the best horror flick in years.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
03/09/07
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

It's Godzilla with a severe case of Murphy's Law, and it is never less than bizarrely delightful.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
03/09/07
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

In the tradition of its underfunded forebears, "The Host" does have its flat moments, most of them huddled together in the middle of the movie; but it also has true genre fizz and conviction, and some interesting ideas.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
03/09/07
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

Godzilla lives in The Host, a South Korean monster movie that combines contemporary technique with the social commentary of those old giant lizard films from Japan.

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
03/09/07
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

Pure genre entertainment, featuring great special effects.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
03/09/07
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

A spirited endeavor at enhancing the signal sent from Godzilla so long ago, for even then, under the atomic bomb fallout, governments were not to be trusted.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/08/07
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

The most dynamic and vital creature feature to invade American screens in years...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
03/08/07
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

exactly what our Western shores need.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
03/08/07
Chris Cabin
Chris Cabin
Filmcritic.com

The Host mixes bittersweet humor and horrifying monster antics in a way that would be almost unimaginable for any modern American film.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
03/08/07
Alex Markerson
Alex Markerson
E! Online

The Host is a mesmerizing, occasionally gangbusters dark ride that invigorates the long dead genre's potential for scares and composite storytelling.

Full Review Source: OhmyNews.com | comment Comment
03/08/07
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
OhmyNews.com

The Host works on so many levels simultaneously that it's like getting a film series for the price of one. You must, must, must see this movie.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
03/08/07
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

A cross between Godzilla and Jaws, it manages to be both truly scary and truly funny -- sometimes all at once.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
03/08/07
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

A film that will catch you leaning in one direction and abruptly pull you in another, all the while building to a surprisingly emotional climax.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
03/08/07
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times

It's a comedy, it's a vivid evocation of a dysfunctional family that comes together in crisis, it's a wondrous homage to the courage of children, it's a biting critique of the government.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
03/08/07
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not a cheery movie, but it is a frequently hilarious one. The monster, as terrifying as it is, also has the timing of a crack comedian, and filmmaker Bong Joon-ho sees no contradiction in interrupting a tense chase scene for a wayward bit of comedy.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
03/08/07
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Implausibles become inane in this Godzilla Jr. jubilee, something just right for the DVD cheapie bins.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment 3 Comments
03/08/07
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for The Host

September 02, 2009: First Look: The Host 2 Opens in new window
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 Opens in new window
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 Opens in new window
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 Opens in new window
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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