Joon-ho Bong, the director and co-writer of this marvelous satirical monster movie, clearly loves the conventions of the sci-fi/horror genre; he also clearly loves smashing them. A family gathers in an evacuation center to mourn a lost child; astonishingly, and discomfitingly, their grief goes over-the-top into parody -- you start to giggle and feel guilty, and then, realizing the humor is intentional, keep on giggling. A moment later, an ominous figure enters wearing a bio-protection suit, and you barely have time to feel nervous before he takes a pratfall. It's the kind of irreverence that may worry the conscientious western audience.
But Joon-ho is less worried about taking the genre seriously than he is making a rousingly entertaining movie. After a brisk bit of backstory he brings us to a sunny day on Seoul's Han river, where a dimwitted father (Kang-ho Song) and his sweet, smart daughter (Ah-sung Ko) help to run a food stand. Some onlookers notice a curious, indistinctly seen creature drop from a nearby bridge and swim through the water. Within a few moments that creature will be seen very clearly indeed, in a sequence both startling and exhilarating; there's none of this "Cloverfield" coyness about what-does-it-really-look-like. Few directors in this field are so generous with their monster, and the special effects, presented quite matter-of-factly, in broad daylight as it were, do not disappoint.
Joon-ho's head-on approach is bracing -- he pushes the gas-pedal so strongly that you almost fail to notice how complex the story is that follows. There are satiric swipes at the U.S., with more than a hint of Iraq in the aftertaste, and also a nice allegorical fable about unity in the face of danger. While the family that the film centers upon bicker and argue, they remain comic and ineffectual. Their eventual cooperation in the face of crisis pulls them through. (The message is reminiscent of Kurosawa, whose sharpest jabs were at selfishness and egocentrism.)
The monster is a hoot. (Watch out for that tail!) The performances are smart and often poignant, especially the young actress Ah-sung Ko, as a resourceful child in great peril. And, without giving too much away, the film has at least one magnificently scary moment, when Hyun-Seo (Ko), leaps to catch hold of a rope -- she clutches it, dangling for a moment, then lets go -- and then we, like she, are held breathless, in suspension. Truly first-rate.
Highly recommended, especially before the planned American remake comes out. Now that, unfortunately, is something to fear....
But Joon-ho is less worried about taking the genre seriously than he is making a rousingly entertaining movie. After a brisk bit of backstory he brings us to a sunny day on Seoul's Han river, where a dimwitted father (Kang-ho Song) and his sweet, smart daughter (Ah-sung Ko) help to run a food stand. Some onlookers notice a curious, indistinctly seen creature drop from a nearby bridge and swim through the water. Within a few moments that creature will be seen very clearly indeed, in a sequence both startling and exhilarating; there's none of this "Cloverfield" coyness about what-does-it-really-look-like. Few directors in this field are so generous with their monster, and the special effects, presented quite matter-of-factly, in broad daylight as it were, do not disappoint.
Joon-ho's head-on approach is bracing -- he pushes the gas-pedal so strongly that you almost fail to notice how complex the story is that follows. There are satiric swipes at the U.S., with more than a hint of Iraq in the aftertaste, and also a nice allegorical fable about unity in the face of danger. While the family that the film centers upon bicker and argue, they remain comic and ineffectual. Their eventual cooperation in the face of crisis pulls them through. (The message is reminiscent of Kurosawa, whose sharpest jabs were at selfishness and egocentrism.)
The monster is a hoot. (Watch out for that tail!) The performances are smart and often poignant, especially the young actress Ah-sung Ko, as a resourceful child in great peril. And, without giving too much away, the film has at least one magnificently scary moment, when Hyun-Seo (Ko), leaps to catch hold of a rope -- she clutches it, dangling for a moment, then lets go -- and then we, like she, are held breathless, in suspension. Truly first-rate.
Highly recommended, especially before the planned American remake comes out. Now that, unfortunately, is something to fear....