In English, the film is called 'The Host' (not to be confused with the 2013 Meyer teen fiction film). It is the first--and the only--Korean creature feature I have been seen in my life. Somehow, had the video been better, I would have enjoyed the film more, but anyways, here is what I think about the film overall.
The premise is simple: a toxic chemical (in this case, formaldehyde) is excessively drained into a river, which causes a fish to mutate into a hideously deformed, amphibious monster that soon wreaks havoc, killing and devouring those about the river bank. Something one would find almost similar to a typical kaiju or big monster film (e.g. Gojira/Godzilla). What set this film apart from the others are the characters. Instead of the usual government officials or hired scientists or members of the army or even pumped-up adrenaline junkie teenagers, the protagonist is a simple shopkeeper whose daughter is snatched away by the creature and after learning that she is still alive, goes on the find her with the assistance of his father, sister and brother. They have to avoid governmental officials who are after them because they are supposedly infected by the creature's virus.
On the whole, the acting is not too bad, though quite awkward and melodramatic at times--typical Korean dramas. Apart from the usual blockbuster movie material, it features political commentary and somewhat antagonises the Americans, which I find rather refreshing. I can't comment much on the screenplay, however, seeing as I'm just reading subtitles all the while and the entire flick is in Korean. The English parts, though, are somewhat over-simplistic and seemingly amateur-ish.
On the technical side, the cinematography is great and the visual effects, while not on par with those of other creature features like 'Godzilla' and 'Jurassic Park', is nonetheless quite stunning, although the depiction of the creature's death is pretty cheesy. The original score by Lee Byung-woo, while resembling those of the Korean TV drama series, is quite good and interesting, though not entirely memorable.
Overall, this is quite a piece of work, slightly above average, I'd say. Not an entirely great creature feature, but quite an entertaining one I'd say.
Rating: 3/5
Without wax,Sam Francis
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