Some things are to good to be true...

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2006)

It's true. This both applies to the movie and the story. In the case of the movie, well... it's no where near as nasty as the previews would lead you to believe (although it is still pretty violent/cruel/disgusting). It's not the amazing piece of horror film making that the fans would lead you to believe either. It's still good, but it's not the second coming of horror.
In the case of the story it has to do with the Hostel in Slavakia (sp?). These three guys think they have found heaven, when in reality, it's hell. I won't get into the plot to much, because if you don't know it already, then stop reading. The surprise of what happens will be great. If you do, then why should I have to tell it to you all over again.
Basically this movie can be broken into two halves. The first is the teen comedy half, which is the first half. I am not joking when I say that during this section of the movie there is non-stop nudity. Barely a minute goes by before another pair of breasts pop up on the screen. This is also where the characters are established. You have the Icelander who just seems to always be getting laid. You have the sensitive guy who may possibly be questioning his sexuality (more on this later), and you have the jerk, who is the main character. Pretty thin characters, but they work. You never really care about them in the first half though.
The second half is where things get good. This is the balls to the wall horror half. The violence in this section is surprisingly restrained when it comes to the actual torture of certain characters. More is implied than is actually shown, and it works. It makes you feel bad for these characters, even if you hated them before. The stuff that isn't shown is what makes this effective. You can hear everything, you can see glimpses of what is happening, but it's never hardcore in your face. The real gore comes when (Spoiler Warning) the bad guys (and girls) get what's coming to them. That is probably what I loved the most. The audience isn't left just feeling terrible. We are given some form of justice. It's during these scenes that Eli Roth's dark humor emerges, and it works. I was rooting for the hero, and you get to see how these people are dispatched in full detail. It's not as gut wrenching, because these characters deserve what they get, but it's just as fulfilling.
Now, the reason I mentioned the one character who might be questioning his sexuality is because of a review I read. The review went off on how homophobic the film is. The film itself isn't homophobic, but the characters are. The word fag is thrown around constantly, and there are several jokes made at the above mentioned character's expense. Still, as a gay man I wasn't really offended. Why? Because I know how guys like this act, and guess what, they act exactly like that. The sensitive guy is shown being extremely homophobic in one scene and then in another he's returning the same flirtatious gesture with the man he had been yelling at before. It's interesting the way this is handled. It's not done to be cruel or degrading to the character. It's just done to give the character some dimension. The review also mentioned that most of the killers are portrayed has homosexual. That isn't true. The sexual aspect of the killers has nothing to do with the gender of the victim, but instead the violence of the act. Male or female, what turns these men on is the violent nature of the crime. So yes, while the film does frequently use derogatory terms towards homosexuals, I have to say, it's more because that's how these guys would realistically talk than anything else.
So, now that my little rant is over, I'll wrap this up. Hostel is a good movie. It's violent, it's darkly funny, and it has a pay off. It's not amazing, but it's good, and it gives you exactly what you would expect. I would recommend it, but with a warning: I've seen tons of violent horror movies, and I'm a bit jaded. The average movie goer would probably be very disturbed by the themes and portrayals of violence in this film. So, if you have a weak stomach, can't stand nudity, or flinch at extreme violence you should stay away.
And one note to parents. Obviously this is not a movie for children. The adds point this out perfectly. It's rated R for a reason. Still, this doesn't seem to be getting through to many of you. When I saw this movie a father brought three children, all of which had to be around 10 or under, to see it. Please, use the rating system. It's there to help you protect your children from films that they are probably not ready to see yet. This film contains extreme violence and some very dark sexual themes. Be smart, and think twice before taking a child to this movie, because in the end you are responsible for your children.