SPOILER FREE Reviews From The 2006 TIFF
The Host
The Host is a monster movie that is breaking box office records all over the place, because of three very important reasons (would-be film makers should start taking notes now).
1) Every monster movie has a hero (or heroes) but The Host features real people, living and dying by their own heroic actions, whether they are main characters or not. Some people try to be a hero and lose their nerve in the heat of the moment. Some make mistakes that save, or cost lives. Few succeed. Demonstrations of people at their best and worst makes the terrible events seem real.
2) The monster, though generated by computer graphics (personally, I prefer a guy in a rubber suit), is fantastic. In order to really show off the creature, the filmmakers did what other companies avoid, they show their monster in the bright light of daytime. Other films hide the flaws of their creature in the shadows, which also gives the viewer the impression that they are only unsafe at night. In the case of The Host, you're never safe.
3) Though The Host has a lot of big action, and a healthy dose of laughs, it also has an important message about responsibility at its core. Something North American monster movies lack.
If you're looking for a splatter fest, look elsewhere.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Solid.
The Host is a monster movie that is breaking box office records all over the place, because of three very important reasons (would-be film makers should start taking notes now).
1) Every monster movie has a hero (or heroes) but The Host features real people, living and dying by their own heroic actions, whether they are main characters or not. Some people try to be a hero and lose their nerve in the heat of the moment. Some make mistakes that save, or cost lives. Few succeed. Demonstrations of people at their best and worst makes the terrible events seem real.
2) The monster, though generated by computer graphics (personally, I prefer a guy in a rubber suit), is fantastic. In order to really show off the creature, the filmmakers did what other companies avoid, they show their monster in the bright light of daytime. Other films hide the flaws of their creature in the shadows, which also gives the viewer the impression that they are only unsafe at night. In the case of The Host, you're never safe.
3) Though The Host has a lot of big action, and a healthy dose of laughs, it also has an important message about responsibility at its core. Something North American monster movies lack.
If you're looking for a splatter fest, look elsewhere.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Solid.