SECTOR 7 is a adrenaline-fuelled monster flick from South Korea, but it's nowhere near in the same class as the quirky masterpiece that is THE HOST, so if you're looking for similarities between the two you'll be disappointed. Instead this is the kind of foreign production that happily copies Hollywood classics, in this case the likes of ALIEN, ALIENS, and JAWS.The film is set on an oil rig where the light crew are terrorised by a hulking undersea beastie. While I appreciate that the filmmakers are happy to show off the monster here - and quite extensively - which makes a pleasing contrast to the kind of teasing behaviour exhibited in many a Hollywood movie - the CGI effects are only acceptable, really, and hardly the stuff of greatness (as in THE HOST).What is a shame is that a lot of the shooting style is so cheesy. Many of the action sequences were shot on a green screen, so they look pretty poor, especially the motorbike bits. Plus this was a 3D film so there's all of the screen-flying fakery to go with it. The plot is very predictable, but the cast all do their jobs well, particularly lead actress Ha Ji-won (PHONE, TIDAL WAVE), and there's plentiful action - particularly in the second half - to enjoy. If you can stomach the cheesiness and are happy to forego realism, that is.

Underwater monster features making a comeback… here's hoping. The well-produced Korean horror feature "Sector 7" won't win any awards as it's a formula that's well worn in its surprises, but its generic format will always entertain if done properly. On this occasion, it does that for most part. A small crew on an isolated oil rig in the region of sea, known as "Sector 7" fail to find oil, but instead discover a viral life form that infiltrated the rig through the drilling pipe transforming into a killing machine. However there's more to this creature with secrets being revealed. After a slow build-up setting up characters, dramas and the awaiting predicament it succumbs to its undemanding popcorn monster mayhem. You could say it gets better as it goes along. The tempo picks up, the violence is aggressively pitched, survival mode kicks in and special effects get extravagant treatment. On the latter, the quality of the CGI was a complete mixed bag. Sometimes acceptable, other times poorly conceived that it can take you out of the mood with its parading. However it was made for 3D. Watch as one climatic standoff is finished off with another and then another. This beast isn't easy to dispose off and it seems to come off in the thrill stakes with many spectacular encounters. The oil rig setting is an imaginative choice, blending special effects (screeching trail bikes) and set-designs to develop a confined, dank and remote atmosphere. Technically quite strong and a clean crisp look with a workable premise, but the script is dumb down and consists of some actions of annoyance. The performances won't set the world alight despite some eccentric and quirky support; however Ji-won Ha's harden-tomboy character really does hold it all together. Not perfect, still a fun and flashy monster throwback. "There's a monster on the rig!"

Touted as one of the first 3D monster movie coming out of Korea that was a box office sensation, Sector 7 hits all the sweet spots as far as playing up the hunter-prey formula of monster versus helpless humans, but did it take a long time in getting there, weighted down by a pretty lengthy first act that served as an introduction to all the characters involved, and dwelling a bit more into their respective formulaic caricatures before unleashing hell onboard an oil rig crew that doesn't have the luck when it comes to looking for and digging for black gold.Ha Ji-Won plays Cha Hae-Joon, the lone female oil rig miner besides the other female crew in doctor Hyun-Jung (Cha Ye-Ryeon), in what would be a testosterone filled occupation out in the rough seas. The team seems to be hitting dead ends continuously, and are ordered to cease operations only for Ahn Jung-Man (Ahn Sung-Ki) to return to the rig, and whose intentions will be made clear as the film progresses. But with the skeleton crew left behind, they find what they're looking for, and with that success managed to find time to engage in some shenanigans such as motorbike racing on the rig platform, and trading of war stories through the comparison of scars earned through their tough jobs. It is here of course that we learn of their broad values and principles, which will come useful once the monster gets unleashed.It isn't the first time that the Koreans have dabbled in monster films, having the very acclaimed The Host and others like Chaw making it to the country's filmography. Sector 7 proves to be a worthy addition to that list, with director Kim Ji-Hun knowing what it takes to keep up the suspense and to build anticipation, and utilizing the best of lighting and camera angles to take the narrative forward, even though one may have to shrug at the story by Yun Je-Gyun which is riddled with the usual formulaic clichés. Characters turn into caricatures and remain wafer thin, and you know just about everyone is fair game to being chomped by the monster, especially those who display negative traits that you will root for karma to make its full circle, even if it means having the narrative go through the necessary convenience.Themes such as camaraderie and courage are a given, as are minor subplots involving friendships and romance in the middle of the rig south of Jeju Island. Once this film decided to become a monster flick from the halfway mark, it essentially became a Ha Ji-Won vehicle, with the actress having come a long way since her Sex is Zero time, to the tough as nails cookie character who dishes out as good as she receives, aping to reach the ranks of the Ripleys and the Connors through her acrobatic stunts, quick wit and keen sense of survival. That benchmark unfortunately was a little bit hard to reach.The creature design is certainly one of the best things about the film, with the filmmakers never shy to always want to keep it under wraps or shadows. With such a beautiful beast created, the last thing you want to do is to hide it, so from the onset we get to see what the threat looks like, with its razor like fangs and wicked whip-like tongue, as well as armoured skin making it all quite impervious to just about everything everyone throws at it, from shotgun projectiles to harpoons, yet susceptible to melee weapons such as the good ol' axe. What aced the design was the creature's inherent combustible nature, adding much needed gravitas to plot development and requisite rationale why and how things developed the way they were, as well as being responsible for some of the more aesthetically shot action sequences complete with slow-mo techniques to bring out sheer awe. But ultimately while Sector 7 can be a guilty pleasure as far as monster flicks go with the hunter very much in control and threatening different prey along the way, it never quite reached the heights it had the potential to. If only it had a less cliché development, added a lot more varied scenes in which fodder got dispatched, and made characters whom we actually care a lot more for, then this would have been something more memorable indeed.

I am an American living in Korea, and my Korean is not yet to the point where I can actually understand movie dialogue fluently. That being said, regardless of the fact that "Sector 7" was in Korean, without English subtitles, I very much enjoyed the movie! To my understanding, this is the first movie ever made in South Korea for both 3D and iMAX. I saw it in 3D, and the visual effects were incredible. The 3D was very real, and the CG looked true to life.Many in Korea have already made comparisons of this movie with "Alien" and compared Ji-won Ha's performance to that of Sigourney Weaver. Known as "Ha Ji Won" in Korea, she is very well known for her acting in Korean dramas, but I think this film will definitely take her career to a new level. Her character is very real, goes through the entire emotional roller-coaster throughout the movie, and is strong in moments without dialogue as well.Koreans should obviously see this, but non-native speakers as well. It's a pure action movie, so it easy to follow along and have a good time.