Monster Hunter

Monster Hunter
Starring Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, T.I. Harris, Meagan Good
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Film adaptations of video games are known to not be very good, mostly because it's nearly impossible to fully articulate the concept of a video game to a live action film, and if you don't believe me, the most profitable and acclaimed video game film was "Sonic the Hedgehog" - so that's not a very high bar to cross.  "Monster Hunter" - a film directed by "Resident Evil" director Paul W.S. Anderson - continues the tradition of barely so-so video game-to-film adaptations with an incredibly loose, thin script and lack of character development, but at least the monster designs were cool.

Captain Natalie Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her military team investigate the disappearance of another team in the desert when they come across a humongous sand/thunder storm that teleports them to another world populated by gigantic monsters that hunt them down.  In this parallel world, The Hunter (Tony Jaa) goes on the hunt for these monsters, and rescues Artemis from one of them.  After the two finally learn that they're on the same side, they set out to stop the monsters and return Artemis to her own world, but the road is long and filled with monstrous dangers at every turn.

What I Liked:
Milla Jovovich is a video-game-to-film staple, having appeared in all the "Resident Evil" films (six in all), and it basically wouldn't be a video-game-to-film movie without her.  It doesn't hurt that her husband is Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed her in several of the "Resident Evil" films as well, and she is wholly in her element here.  She performs with her traditional strong-girl tactics as well as giving a bit of a light-hearted feel to the role in certain moments, and her action scenes with Tony Jaa (while poorly edited) were still filled with action-fueled adrenaline.

The monsters in the film (which, surprisingly, were rather sparse considering that "Monster" is literally in the title) are wonderfully CGI-ed and look absolutely terrifying, adding to the sense of dread and excitement.  Plus the action with the monsters - I felt anyway - were actually better than "Godzilla: King of the Monsters."

The second act of the film seems like a complete tonal shift from the first, as the first involved Jovovich's Artemis and Jaa's Hunter working together to make it to a magical tower where she can get home, but they spend their whole time in a vast wasteland desert that doesn't look all that appealing.  Then as they get closer to the tower they enter an oasis where the Hunter is reunited with his old crew and the action - and set pieces - amp up incredibly.  It's almost like two different movies going on at the same time.

What I Didn't Like:
As it is with most video game films, there's no real story other than surviving monsters and getting back home.  We know as much about everything at the end as we do at the beginning, because films like this don't exist to tell a story - they just want to infuse us with monster-mash excitement.

The set pieces have a bit to be desired, as most of the film takes place in a desert wasteland that comes across as boring.

The editing is choppy and dark, as events that take place at night or in caves are almost unwatchable due to the poor lighting.  Plus some of the action scenes - mostly between Jovovich and Jaa - occur so quickly it's hard to see what's happening due to the numerous edits.

Overall:
When you hear a film is based on a video game, you already have low expectations, and if you have that going into "Monster Hunter," you might find yourself at least enjoying the time spent watching it even though it doesn't offer a whole lot other than a bit of escapism fun.

The Score: C+