The Host (movie)

I hadn't really planned on blogging about two Host titled items back to back, but I just finished the book the other day and the movie came in the mail this afternoon! Clearly it was meant to be!


Normally I love animal/monster related disaster movies, but I have to admit I'm a little nervous about The Host because I heard it was scary! I'm hoping for B-movie scary, not nightmare inducing..but I guess we'll see! Considering the film begins in a morgue, I'm thinking maybe I'm in for a scary night..scratch that, it's really poorly dubbed. That makes everything funny.

Thoughts so far:
1) They should not have shown the monster this early on. It's only a few minutes in to the movie and it's already wreaking havoc at the waterfront in Seoul. I'm all for early action (ie carnage) at the hands of some yucky mutant squid, but it ruins the fun a little to see how fake it looks.

2) Squids do not fly, and I doubt even mutated ones would have wings. Thus, the huge mutated creature should not be doing something that looks like flying, because that's just silly.

3) The sister, Nam J00 totally kicks butt. Her father dies, her brother is being held by crazy doctors and she still goes after the monster with a bow and arrow. She ends up flying through the air but I'd give her an 'A' for effort.

4) There's a weird vibe with the Americans. Even though the movie was made by a S. Korean, it portrays a lot of the characters are being bumbling and useless. The Americans have to step in and spread chemicals, help with the quarantine and then act very sneaky and scary. The American doctor admits there is no virus, and then straps Gang-du father onto a table for brain surgery. It's also an American doctor who (potentially) created the monster by having his lab partner dump all those chemicals into the river. Hmmmm..

5) The monster regurgitates bones into the sewer pit where Hyun-seo and a little boy are hiding. Ewwww. It reminded me of the scene in that really bad Treat William movie, except I think I was actually less grossed out this time. At least this scene just had bones and no blood and guts.