So, I watched
Monsters (Gareth Edwards 2010,
IMDb).
This mini-review is loaded with spoilers. Only continue when you already have seen the movie or when you're pretty sure you're not going to watch it anyway. Also I was smoked a bowl or two when I watched this movie so take that as you will.
First of, this movie is absolutely mistitled. Really, there aren't that many monsters on-screen. A more accurate title would've been 'travelling through areas sorta affected by aliens while talking about relationships and other stuff that matters' but yeah that's definitely less marketable.
The thing with this movie is, it's incorporating all these themes from real-life conflicts and issues without any subtlety. Corrupt war-torn country official (Iraq) asking way too much money for travelling? Check. Ineffective, PR-driven measures to combat a virus/outbreak (SARS)? Check. Border issues (Mexican immigrants)? Check. Giant wall proving ineffective (US-Mexican border again, or, if you will, West Bank Barrier)? Check. Vague pseudo-philosophic babbling about wether the end justifies the means (Iraq)? Check. But with aliens. Now this could've worked splendidly were it not for the fact that it's all just thrown into the mix without any depth or backing.
So, we watch the main protagonists encounter simple but noble, friendly locals, corrupt officials, dabble a bit in human trafficking, watch them getting ripped of during the process, get their envoy chopped up, re-enter the states (remarkably easing despite a friggin' HUGE wall on display), watch the aliens mate - after which the female lead promptly develops maternal instincts and finally gives in to the male lead who's been craving it for the better part of the movie but had been ACCESS DENIED' until said moment. During all this every now and then sparkling oversized octopi pop up to display an appetite in car batteries, gasoline and fighter jets. Oh, and they poop out electric mushrooms that stick to trees.
Highlights of the movie were the ongoing realization that, supposedly, the movie was made with less than a million. Yeah, the CG planes and choppers look shit. But the monsters weren't that bad and the world-building was decent with wrecks, ruins, notifications and gasmasks being the producer's favourite way of telling us the restricted zone is pretty FUBAR. Best part of dialogue in the movie: chick: doesn't it kinda bother you, that you need something bad to happen, to profit from it? Photographer dude: (pauses) you mean, like a doctor?
Monsters falls flat because of a weak script. With the limited budget they did a great job and the set designers deserve work for life for what they did. The leads aren't too bad either. But the hamfisted way in which the movie deals with modern-day themes combined with just a whole lot of nothing happening make it heavy in atmosphere but lightweight in story.
