Paul W.S. Anderson is at it again, adapting a Capcom video game into a live-action film, this time "Monster Hunter". Though I never played the games, I've become mildly familiar with the world and famed bestiary, which made me slightly curious on how this would play out. Milla Jovovich stars as Artemis, an army captain who, along with her team, become sucked into the world of Monster Hunter thanks to a portal. Running afoul with the monstrous wildlife, she allies herself with a local hunter (Tony Jaa), learning how this world works so she can return home and prevent the monsters from getting into her own world.
Given that this is Anderson we're talking about, I kept minimum expectations after his "Resident Evil" series went downhill. Guess he wanted something with a bigger bite. Anyway, the film for me is a mixed bag. If nothing else, the special effects are a sight to behold. The monsters are faithfully recreated from the games to the finest detail; you can practically count the number of scales on them. While sadly very few monsters are featured, they get their time to shine, especially the iconic Rathalos, and are treated as dangerous as they are relentless. The action around them has enough carnage to entertain with gunplay, swordplay, some magic, and utter savagery. At the center are Artemis and the hunter. Despite a rocky start, they develop a decent dynamic even with the language barrier, learning, fighting together, and sharing a few laughs.
There are significant flaws. The acting from the cast isn't great, the exception being Tony Jaa who mostly uses facial expressions and few words (plus, Ron Perlman is always a pleasure to see). Most of the side characters are uninteresting even with the horrible deaths due to how little time is spent with them. Paul Haslinger's techno music is repetitive and doesn't fit with this world (it reminded me of the music from "Planet of Dinosaurs"). Another kink in the armor is the editing. Too many rapid cuts to let the viewer fully process what is happening, usually during the action but it also happens in a few dialogue scenes. A couple of parts went on for too long as well, especially with the multiple scenes of characters being rocked around in rolling vehicles. After a good climactic fight, the film's blatant sequel-baiting ending promises another big fight right after, not letting the viewer take in any finality. Lastly, I'm so tired of film adaptations having characters/worlds crossing over with our own. Seriously, He-man, Smurfs, Sonic, and so many others did this. It's not only getting old, it's just plain lazy. Fully embrace the fantastical worlds, Hollywood!
As far as movies based games go, this is barely passable at best. Given the poor reception, I doubt any sequel will be made. Perhaps next time "Monster Hunter" gets a movie it'll be under a different director, will have more monsters, and will be set entirely in the world it's set in. One can hope. Either way, this film will give you cheap thrills and little more.
Given that this is Anderson we're talking about, I kept minimum expectations after his "Resident Evil" series went downhill. Guess he wanted something with a bigger bite. Anyway, the film for me is a mixed bag. If nothing else, the special effects are a sight to behold. The monsters are faithfully recreated from the games to the finest detail; you can practically count the number of scales on them. While sadly very few monsters are featured, they get their time to shine, especially the iconic Rathalos, and are treated as dangerous as they are relentless. The action around them has enough carnage to entertain with gunplay, swordplay, some magic, and utter savagery. At the center are Artemis and the hunter. Despite a rocky start, they develop a decent dynamic even with the language barrier, learning, fighting together, and sharing a few laughs.
There are significant flaws. The acting from the cast isn't great, the exception being Tony Jaa who mostly uses facial expressions and few words (plus, Ron Perlman is always a pleasure to see). Most of the side characters are uninteresting even with the horrible deaths due to how little time is spent with them. Paul Haslinger's techno music is repetitive and doesn't fit with this world (it reminded me of the music from "Planet of Dinosaurs"). Another kink in the armor is the editing. Too many rapid cuts to let the viewer fully process what is happening, usually during the action but it also happens in a few dialogue scenes. A couple of parts went on for too long as well, especially with the multiple scenes of characters being rocked around in rolling vehicles. After a good climactic fight, the film's blatant sequel-baiting ending promises another big fight right after, not letting the viewer take in any finality. Lastly, I'm so tired of film adaptations having characters/worlds crossing over with our own. Seriously, He-man, Smurfs, Sonic, and so many others did this. It's not only getting old, it's just plain lazy. Fully embrace the fantastical worlds, Hollywood!
As far as movies based games go, this is barely passable at best. Given the poor reception, I doubt any sequel will be made. Perhaps next time "Monster Hunter" gets a movie it'll be under a different director, will have more monsters, and will be set entirely in the world it's set in. One can hope. Either way, this film will give you cheap thrills and little more.