Movie review: Monster Hunter
Milla Jovovich is back doing what she does best: Fight and survive.
After all, she did just that in six Resident Evil movies.
Monster Hunter, like her most famous movie franchise, is a big-screen adaptation of a popular Capcom video game.
And it is also helmed by Jovovich's writer-director husband Paul W. S. Anderson, who kick-started Resident Evil in 2002.
Instead of killing the undead, Jovovich gets to battle terrifying creatures in an alternative universe where monsters rule the day - and night, literally.
Much like Resident Evil, you don't need to pay any attention to the plot, dialogue and character development as they are non-existent.
Jovovich's Captain Artemis may have a team of hard-boiled soldiers, but it's no surprise they are simply there to add to the body count and gory deaths.
UNAPOLOGETIC
Anderson is one unapologetic film-maker. He knows what fanboys want - and delivers.
You just need to set your sight on Jovovich.
Her gorgeous face, charismatic presence and athletic prowess are the driving forces in this 99-minute actioner.
There are some decent moments between Jovovich and Tony Jaa, who plays a chocolate-loving hunter with awesome fighting skills, who also happens to be a mean archer.
Monster Hunter is a CGI spectacle.
Where some directors set their films in the dark so that bad visual effects can be disguised, Anderson displays his monsters in broad daylight.
From the fearsome sand-burrowing Diablos to the flying, fire-breathing super monster Rathalos, the attention to detail is laudable, and each beast is magnificently rendered.
While Anderson delivers some stylish shots, there are several key moments that are rip-offs from other films.
For instance, our heroes need to get to a dark tower that looks very much like Sauron's in The Lord Of The Rings. There is also a Lion King/Jurassic Park-like stampede.
Also, Monster Hunter's ending is abrupt, its sole purpose being a set-up for a sequel and possible franchise.
Score: 3/5
FILM: Monster Hunter
STARRING: Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Ron Perlman, Diego Boneta
WRITER-DIRECTOR: Paul W. S. Anderson
THE SKINNY: In an alternative world where deadly monsters roam the Earth, Captain Artemis (Jovovich) and her elite military force team up with a mysterious hunter (Jaa) who helps them fight back as they seek a way home.
RATING: PG13
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