This Korean horror/thriller/comedy amalgam was surrounded by a lot of hype when it was first previewed overseas. Premiere magazine even dubbed it as "the coolest monster movie since Aliens." I'm no expert in monster flicks, but those are pretty big claws to fill...so naturally I had to watch it.
The basic rundown of the plot is that some idiot American coroner ordered his lackey to pour hundreds of bottles of cyanide down the drain into a river, thus mutating one of its inhabitants into a huge hydra/tadpole beast that swallows people, hoards them in a sewer like a squirrel and then picks at them later. Said beast kidnaps a girl, then her father, grandfather, uncle, and aunt work ridiculously (and maybe even unbelievably) hard to get her back despite a myriad of obstacles. They try to escape quarantine SWAT, who have to contain the creature's virus, and track the beast through the city.
The point of the film is not to reveal the imposed evolution of the creature, but of the father, Gang-du (Kang-ho Song of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). He's introduced as a lazy lay-about who sleeps when he should be working. Even though he is quite the doting father--perking up the moment his daughter, Hyun-seo, comes home from school--he's irresponsible--giving her beer--and immature. His siblings--a professional archer and an alcoholic college graduate--and even Hyun-seo (Ah-sung Ko) see him as a failure and an embarrassment. His father seems to be the only one who cuts him any slack, blaming himself and his past irresponsibility for Gang-du's behavior. His last and most devastating failure is when he grabs the wrong girl's hand and Hyun-seo is kidnapped. From that point on Gang-du makes every effort to be a better father. However, you start to sense that he's always been this protective and devoted. It's as though once life was given to the creature, something had awoken in him.
The suspense was amped by the frequent off-camera action. Many heart-skipping moments were due to the random instances where the creature would attack oblivious bystanders. The creature itself was acrobatic and very well-designed. I wouldn't say the film was as good as Aliens, but I understand the comparison. Both had unsuspecting heroines. This 15 year old girl was met with the task of essentially saving herself and a little boy who was also kidnapped. Even though she hoped her father would rescue her, his lack of discipline had molded her into an independent and courageous girl. Her lips may have trembled and her eyes may have gaped in trepidation, but she was fearless and determined to the very end. Never before have I seen a film with so many heroes--of ordinary and non-super power origin--deserving equal praise.
It ends in a flurry of self-sacrifice, family bonding, and seriously bad ass girl power. Although some who may have grown attached to the main characters weren't too keen on certain uncontrollable deaths, loss was necessary for the complete evolution of Gangu-du--and even his siblings. His brother goes from a drunk, unemployed waste of space with a degree to a strategic, relentless activist-in-the-making. His sister, who balked at her last competition, unable to fire an arrow under pressure, finds her inner Athena at the most crucial moment. And in the last scene, Gang-du is no longer coiffed with a juvenile, blond, disheveled hairstyle; he's no longer afraid to defend himself; and he no longer sleeps on the job...whether it's as a snack vendor or as a father.
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