Action, satire, melodrama, and dysfunction are all thrown together to make director Bong Joon-ho’s thrilling horror movie into an unforgettable, foreign, monster flick, The Host (2006).

His simple-minded protagonist, Park Gang-du, works with his father in the family’s food stand along the Han River of Korea. Their city is completely thrown for a loop when a house-sized mutant crawls its way out of the river and begins terrorizing the town.

Amidst the terror, Gang-du’s young daughter Hyun-seo is captured and carried off into the river, hanging from the mutant’s teeth. She is then kept hostage in the monster’s sewage and bone-strewn lair. And, after managing to call her father to inform him of her location, he is determined to rescue her.

Meanwhile, another complication occurs when it is announced on the news that the monster is the host of a deadly new virus. After living through SARS and bird flu scares, this discovery causes great concern to citizens.

This film proves to be more than just a monster movie; it is about the coming together of a dysfunctional family in order to complete a common goal: saving Hyun-seo.

While seeing the monster swing from poles under a bridge is visually appealing, it comes second to witnessing the journey that the family takes throughout the movie.

Unfortunately, this journey is somewhat diminished by the film’s ending, which is both drawn out and incredibly depressing.

Although this is a horror film, Joon-ho attempts to incorporate humor in short, random bursts, while also commenting on society and the government.

However, The Host’s political subplot was not nearly as interesting as its monster storyline.

Fans of movies such as Godzilla will enjoy this movie, especially with the modern technology used to create a more realistic monster.

The Host is definitely entertaining to those who enjoy a classic monster movie, but for others, it could prove to be lackluster in compelling content.