Chawz | aka Chaw (2009) Review

“Chawz” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Shin Jeong-Won
Cast: Uhm Tae-Woong, Jeong Yu-Mi, Jang Hang-Seon, Yun Je-Mun, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Kim Gi-Cheon, Lee Sang-Hee, Jeong Yun-Min, Mun Jong-Hun
Running Time: 121 min.

By HKFanatic

Now for something totally different. “Chawz” is a South Korean horror/comedy that attempts to do the whole ‘small town terrorized by a big monster’ shtick like “Jaws,” except with dollops of goofy humor. And, you know what, it pretty much works.

This small town is a rural community out in the boondocks where affluent suburbanites get bussed in on the weekends for some novelty farming. Of course, when the monster strikes the mayor is only concerned that all the killings are going to hurt the tourist trade. It’s up to the local police, understaffed but ever-determined, and an ace hunter to stop the rampaging beast.

The beast in question? Not a shark or jungle cat. Not even a giant octopus or sea monster like “The Host.” Nope, it’s a computer-generated, gigantic, man-hungry wild boar. I’ll let that sink in a moment.

Perhaps it’s wise that “Chawz” mostly plays things for laughs. The characters are quirky but likable. The monster attacks are more entertaining than they are scary (people running from a CG boar that’s as big as a SUV has the potential to be pretty funny, you gotta admit). Je-mun Yun of “Mother” and “The Good, The Bad, the Weird” gives a scene-stealing performance as a top hunter trained in Finland, which is apparently the number one country to do that sort of thing in. The special effects are a charmingly low-budget blend of CGI and what I think is a model with fake fur on it. The cinematography is nice and crisp.

Really, the only thing that holds “Chawz” back is its 122 minute runtime, which is just too damn long for a monster movie farce. I was well and ready for the film to reach its conclusion and it still had another twenty minutes to go, featuring a protracted encounter with the boar in an abandoned steel mill.

If the film had been a bit more thrifty in its pacing, I think my rating would be higher. “Chawz” is one of those movies that doesn’t know to cue the credits before it loses the audience’s good will. That said, even the cast roll call that plays with credits is hilarious, with all the actors turning to give the camera a cheesy grin or expression. It’s hard to hate on a flick as silly and fun as “Chawz,” even if there’s not much to make you flat-out love it.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6.5/10