Review Super-Roundup: The HOST

Here’s the first ever Review Super-Roundup: a soon-to-be-regular feature where we track down reviews all over the net in an effort to provide you with a well-rounded view about a particularly exciting or unique release.

Reviews aren’t in any particular order; the one’s with numerical rankings come first, and hell, I put UpcomingDiscs at the top because that’s my prerogative. Other than that – these are culled from all over, and the quotes from each attempt to capture the spirit of the review. Click on through and enjoy! BTW – if you have a review you’d like included, comment it.

This week’s round-up – THE HOST: A Korean monster horror movie in the tradition of Godzilla, with a healthy dose of humour and emotional context. It did really well in Korea, and has become a DVD cult hit globally since. Most reviewers really liked it; a few were luke warm.

Reviews are lined up after the jump!

Want to snap up a copy? Amazon Amazon (DVD), Amazon (Blu-ray), Amazon Amazon (HD DVD)

Without further pre-amble – here’s the reviews!

• UpcomingDiscs: [2.5/5] (Blu-ray version) “…when all was said and done, I was left, like the monster, a little cold. Maybe I had just bought into the hype a little too much.”
• Kevin Wolf: If you have eyes, see this movie.
• HighDefDigest: [4/5] (HD DVD Version) – movie got 4/5, overall “recommended.”
• Slant Mag: [3.5/5] “A monster movie for our terrorism and biological warfare-shrouded era, Bong Joon-ho’s The Host delivers high-octane thrills while cannily exploiting contemporary political fears, with some inspired visual humor amplifying its overriding mood of popcorn-movie excitement.”
• Sara Pulitzer: “It is probably the funniest, most charming, moving, sad, poignant monster movie ever.”
• DVD Authority: [4/5] “I’ve seen tons of monster movies in my time and none really quite as interesting and unique as this one.”
• RT3Reviews: [2/5] “This is probably the least Asian of any Asian movie i’ve ever seen and it still lost me.”
• Greg Robinson: “Between the audio and video, The Host is an exceptional hi def offering from Magnolia. Although it’s no Jaws, The Host is a lot of fun and definitely worth at least a rental.”
• HK & Cult Film Reviews: “…the themes themselves are universal: the incompetence of governments, the importance of family, and having to sacrifice for what you find important. As most monster movies have government and military protagonists, THE HOST stands out among the genre.”
• Erik’s Movie Blog: “…is a very entertaining and surprisingly “believable” monster movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and laughing, for most of the picture.”
• UGO: “Featuring one of the most original and hard-to-describe monsters in recent memory, The Host is on its way to becoming a modern day cult classic.”
• Collider.com: “For this is a champion achievement, the sort of film that should be celebrated by anyone who loves movies, and loves monster films, period.”