I’ve read two reviews that descibe this Korean monster movie as Little Miss Sunshine meets Godzilla (or perhaps more aptly,* Alien*). I don’t know if that’s completely accurate, but it’s close enough.
The special effects are outstanding–the creature is one of the best CGI bad guys I’ve seen in a long time. But the remarkable thing is how quickly the film changes gears. It’s a wild ride with comedy getting tossed in at random moments, and genuine tragedy and redemption thrown in for good measure. There is also some really gorgeous cinematography – lots of really neat visuals.
It’s a bit slow in the middle, but the monster’s intital appearance and the later scenes in the sewer tunnels make up for it. It’s still early in the weekend, but I noticed that the “big” movie opening this weekend, 300 has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 61, and The Host has a 93. I give it an unqualified thumbs up. As always, though, you’ll have to decide for yourself.