8 / 10
score
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Introduction
Before The Host, Bong Joon-Ho is probably best known for the offbeat thriller Memories of Murder. That film got critical acclaim internationally, and raked in piles of cash, earning itself the fourth position in the 'most viewed film ever' list in South Korea. Ambitious and with many more doors now opened to the director (and able writers), he chose to produce this highly anticipated monster flick, thus breaking his own previous personal record, making The Host the highest grossing film of all time in its native country.

His $10 million (US) budget helped (again, a record high for the country), as did help from WETA and The Orphanage on special effects duty. Partly inspired by a real formaldehyde dumping, The Host attempts to tear up the rule book when it comes to monster movies.

Released on HD DVD, in a move that's simultaneous with a Blu-ray version, The Host is a creature feature that's quite uncommon in today's market. When an unidentified monster suddenly appears from the depths of the Han River and starts attacking the locals, The Park's are forced into a rescue mission, as a family member is captured by the creature and dragged off to it's lair of bodies and bones.

Video
The film has a lovely transfer in general. It's not quite pin-sharp, and noise is pretty frequent in day scenes (though it doesn't take anything away from the much improved quality of the film). Darker scenes are not affected by any major issue, and fine detail means that the image constantly remains impressive.

It's a really good looking film, and lovingly presented in 1080p/VC1; I'm glad to say letterboxing was a non-issue.

Audio
The HD DVD edition of the film gives the options of two tracks – DTS-HD 5.1 and a standard Dolby Digital 5.1. If you have the option, the Blu-ray version has an uncompressed track that is alledgedly head and shoulders above what is available here.


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