The Host Movie Review

Title: The Host

AKA: Monster

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Origin: Korea

Release Date: July 27, 2006

Cast: Song Kang Ho, Byun Hee Bong, Park Hae Il, Bae Doo Na and Go Ah Sung.

Park Gang Doo (Song Kang Ho), a mentally slow man and father of Park Hyun Soo (Go Ah Sung), runs a street vendor with his father Park Hee Bong (Byun Hee Bong), right next to Han River. On the day of his sisters Park Nam Joo’s (Bae Doo Na) archery competition, tourists sight a weird creature near the river. The creature, swimming closer to land, gathers the attention of most people, and soon enough also Gang Doo. While everyone is intrigued, the creature jumps out of the water, and starts grabbing and killing people. In the confusion Hyun Soo runs out, and becomes pulled underwater by the monster.

The victims and survivors of the incident are evacuated, and the Park family, Gang Doo, Hee Bong, Nam Joo and the big brother Park Nam Il (Park Hae Il), gather to mourn Hyun Soo.

While the situation becomes noticed by media, and the government start covering it up, Gang Doo gets a call from Hyun Soo, giving him hope of her having survived, and the family decides to go and find Hyun Soo. The family manages to escape the military holding, but due to the cover-up, the entire family becomes wanted, and now must hide while trying to rescue Hyun Soo…

The summary might seem detailed, but I managed to only cover bit of the beginning.

If you are a variety or drama watcher, you will at some point get to hear about this movie, as it is referenced and mentioned a lot. So, I kind of needed to see what the hype was about.

When I began it, I expected it to be a horror movie, but was pleasantly surprised of the fact that it is a monster movie (like Godzilla or like that). It’s been ages since I’ve watched one, and I really didn’t feel like another ‘The Wailing’. Of course, it has horror elements, where you get freaked out, but it’s more of a rescue mission or/and “clear image of the enemy”-kind of movie. I like the cast, and I like that the movie didn’t succumb the “American/Hollywood”-hype, though I disliked the beginning - where an American is to blame for the creation of the monster (don’t worry the first 10min of the movie shows this, so not really a spoiler).

I don’t want to comment that much, as this is a movie classic, where my opinion can change your judgement. So, I’m leaving it with this: a good movie with deserved reputation, though a few dislikable situations and I have to admit, weird backstory - I felt like the director sometimes took a bit of the intelligence of the audience for granted.

But all in all, enjoyable.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ ½ / 3½ out 5 hearts

Monster Review

Title: Monster

Genre: Business, Romance, Revenge

Episodes: 50

Broadcast period: 2016-Mar to 2016-Sept

Cast: Kang Ji Hwan, Sung Yu Ri, Park Ki Woong, Jung Bo Suk, Jo Bo Ah, and a whole lot of famous actors and actresses.

Right before turning 18, Lee Guk Cheol (Lee Ki Gwang) lost both his parents, and his eye sight, in a car crash. This left him to be the heir of the biggest company in Korea, but due to greed and conspiracy, Guk Cheol is left without any allies, and his entire heritage is stolen by the man he calls his uncle Byun Il Jae (Jung Bo Suk).

Several years later, now living on the streets, Guk Cheol (Kang Ji Hwan) lives as a beggar with one goal in his mind: to get revenge on the people who killed his family and get his company back. As it happens he meets a woman who offers him help, in return he has to donate his blood with has antidotes to a virus, which he had been injected while young. While trying to infiltrate the company, now known as ‘DoDo Group’, Guk Cheol, now Kang Gi Tan, meets Do Gun Woo (Park Ki Woong) who has a hidden agenda, and Oh Soo Yeon (Sung Yu Ri) whom he finds awfully familiar for some reason.

At the same time Byun Il Jae has an agenda of his own, but little does he know Kang Gi Tan is right in the middle of it…

I cannot believe I finished this! Yes, there are 50 episodes, but this drama is soooo makjang and complicated – like secrets and drama and lies… The only thing missing what a brother-sister-possibility, which by the way I am more than glad didn’t happen. I remember watching the first few episodes feeling excited that it was so simple – fast forward 20 episodes, it’s hell. Like it is SO confusing. When I had write the review/summary I was squeezing my brain to remember the beginning, only to feel as if years had gone by and these characters were from another drama… I think the director went for the miserable feeling, and got a really annoyed Bunji instead, who predicted every outcome at every single episode ending. Especially the ending – which didn’t move me at all. The leads are pretty common – disappointed I Kang Ji Hwan for a second time after Big Man, which was a bore like this one – and the other actors… almost all of them, particularity the lead actress, who annoyed me more and more as every episode went by… but the all kind of did. The only one that grew on me were: Do Shin Young (Jo Bo Ah), the spoilt brat who showed character development, and Moon Tae Gwang (Jung Woong In) the loyal servant of Dodo group until he was fired due to it. I actually loved for their moments – and yes, to see how it ends as well (If I had predicted it well – and I had). And somehow these characters grow on you... I mean 50 episodes!

Besides that, this drama doesn’t really offer much, only the typical chaebol’s fighting their typical fights of power. But I guess that is what Koreans love to watch.

All in all; not something I would recommend to people – maybe to hardcore binge watchers?

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts