Review by Chris Rennirt
Sometimes, I want a movie with fast, frenetic action, in a strange, unfamiliar world, with danger at every turn, and huge friggin’ monsters. Sometimes, that’s absolutely all I want–gigantic, fire-breathing beasts that shake the ground with every step, and roar like Godzilla. For those of you like me, wait no longer! Check your brain at the door, get the popcorn ready, and turn up the volume. If you’re a gamer, geek time is now! Monster Hunter is here!
With full disclosure, I admit that I first watched Monster Hunter knowing nothing about the Capcom video game by the same name; I’d never even heard of it before, actually. And that’s probably a good thing. With that, I’ve a fresh opinion of the movie from the perspective of a nongaming, albeit monster-loving fan…now curious to learn a lot more about the game, the monsters, the avatars and everything Monster Hunter.
What’s it all about? A group of six Special Forces soldiers led by Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) look for another group of soldiers who’ve disappeared earlier. Little do they suspect that what lies ahead is a journey to another world, with (you guessed) big-ass, angry monsters. All of that, along with finding a way home, makes for an epic adventure, with countless battles and peril ahead.
“To kill a monster, you need a monster.” ~ Captain Artemis
As the movie’s director Paul W.S. Anderson says, “Who’s better to kick ass and kill monsters than Milla Jovovich?” Indeed! I can think of no one better myself. Captain Artemis is the main-character and arch-avatar for the audience; from the real world, she takes even those not familiar with Monster Hunters into the world of the game. With modern-day military vehicles and conventional, bullet-propelling weapons, we leap forward (or parallel dimensionally, perhaps) with Artemis into a fantastic world of exponential danger—one as much prehistoric as it futuristic, thus anachronistic. There is also abundant fan service, necessary for a movie based on a video game. Most importantly, the movie is populated with characters I’ve since learned are a part of the actual game. (Yes, I really knew nothing about it earlier, but I’ve done my research since.) Other than Captain Artemis, familiar avatars include The Hunter (Tony Jaa), The Admiral (Ron Perlman), as well a Lynian—a humanoid (and comical) cat creature as intelligent as a human. There’s also the familiar game environments, including caves and portals lined with pillars bearing strange symbols and hieroglyphic clues. And of course, we get the weapons of the game too—the Greatsword, the Dual Blades (my personal favorite), the Switch Axe, a gigantic bow, and more. Even game rules aren’t ignored. As Captain Artemis says, “To kill a monster, you need a monster.”
Milla Jovovich (as Captain Artemis)
And what would Monster Hunter be without original, video-game monsters? So, there’s a slew of those too: Black Diablos (the two-horned devil of the desert regions that attacks anything that makes a noise), Nerscyclla (a cave-dwelling, arachnid-like creature that emerges at night to scour for food), what looks like a Khezu (a long-necked, winged creature with lots of teeth), and Ratholos (a flying quadruped [Wyvern] with poisonous claws, a massive club-shaped tail, and the ability to spit massive fireballs—basically, a dragon). And not all monsters are as dangerous; there’s also the Apceros, looking like a cross between an Ankylosaurus and a turtle (one I call an Ankyloturtle). And be sure to watch after the credits roll; therein lies another badass behemoth you’ll love–be you a gamer or not—suggesting something important about the future…perhaps.
The monsters, although CGI, are more realistic being transposed into real, non-CGI environments— landscapes that include natural movements and elements, such as air, wind, sand, water, trees, etc. There’s also a certain charm and video-game reality we get from seeing the monsters, as they look in the game, even if it gives us a somewhat animated feel at times. Or, perhaps, our video-gaming mind is making us think so.
Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and The Hunter (Tony Jaa)
As Milla Jovovich says in the behind-the-scenes bonus video, actor “Tony [Jaa] doesn’t do stunts; he just does it.” Indeed he does! And, in doing so, a huge element of realism is added to a movie that is otherwise so fantastic and fictitious. Jaa (as The Hunter), being an obvious master of martial arts brings tons of natural production value to Monster Hunter. An interesting fact that you wouldn’t expect is that Jaa is also a former Buddhist monk!
“This shit is officially above my pay grade.” ~ Marshall
Ron Perlman is also perfect for the role of The Admiral. For many movies, I can think of other actors who could have played the part as well or better. Not the case here! I actually cannot think of a better actor—not even one who has such natural physical features so much matching those of the video game avatar himself. It’s as if Pearlman really is The Admiral.
Ron Perlman (as The Admiral)
And again, Milla Jovovich herself (as Captain Artemis or not) is the quintessential monster hunter and killer, with or without weapons. She is badass to the bone, down to the marrow, exuding creature-killing prowess in her sweat and blood. A veteran of so many such films–video-game-to-movie adaptations–mainly the Resident Evil series, she has a persona well established as “the right stuff.” As a fan of Jovovich, it’s at least challenging for me to be an objective critic of her myself. However, I am sure that even my somewhat biased perspective is objectively accurate here. After all, what’s not to like about Milla? Wink, wink!
I also really liked the added humor. Rather than deadpan performances (which would have been a mistake), Monster Hunter gives us tongue in cheek surprises, not taking itself too seriously; instead, it takes breaks, unexpectedly, to remind us why we are really there—to have fun! Songs are sung, jokes are told, and comical revenge is taken. Yes! There’s always time to laugh, no matter how big the monsters are.
And what would a Monster Hunter movie be without a Lynian, one eyed no less?
I must also mention (or praise) how great Monster Hunter looks in 4K. Fantastic! The copy I have includes a bluray, although I’ll probably never watch it. What I saw was an easy reference-quality movie for 4K potential. Its rich color saturation and great contrasts, with ultra-realistic detail resolution, is a great feast for the eyes, adding even more to the realism and ability to suspend disbelief…at least a little. Yes, every little bit helps in a movie like this, and the 4K helps copiously! If you buy the movie, don’t skip the bonus content; very interesting stuff—especially as a supplement for people not familiar with the game. Also included are deleted scenes not to be missed, mostly various characters telling jokes that are worth retelling. I’ve already retold a few myself.
“Saw a dinosaur in a museum one time. It wasn’t that big.” ~ Marshall
Monster Hunter is a movie you’ll likely love or hate, without much room for compromise. You’ll hate it because your a gamer and you think it isn’t enough like the game…in your imaginings of that, at least. Or, you’ll hate it for some other reason. Perhaps, it’s because you’re a Rotten Tomatoes critic. Yes, interesting it always is how the “Tomatometer” so often, and so very much, disagrees with the “audience”–which is everybody else. The last I checked it was 46% from the Tomato critics, and 70% from the audience! Hmmm. I wonder if they even saw the same movie! There’s another one called Monster Hunters (with an s). Maybe they saw that one. It’s also interesting how hard it was to find a copy of this movie that scored so low, in so many places. It was sold out everywhere I went. Perhaps the “audience” bought them all.
Beware, the Ratholos!
“Tomatometer be damned,” I say, to those vegetables (actually fruit) who think they know better. If you’re like me, you’ll agree. You’ll defend a guilty pleasure without an excuse, without knowing the game, without the academic arrogance; you’ll love it, and your reason will be simple: it’s a fun movie about big-ass monsters, for God’s sake–pure, gigantic fun with no advance knowledge or thinking required! All that’s needed are 104 minutes to spend having a great time hunting and killing, while avatars do all the work! So, get that 4K disc in the player, turn up the subwoofer, feel the floor rumble, and hear the roars! Sharpen your Switch Axe and Greatsword, and fill your quiver with arrows! There are monsters to be hunted…and there’s Milla Jovovich too!
Chris Rennirt (the author of this review) is a movie critic and writer in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as editor in chief at Space Jockey Reviews. He has been a judge at many film festivals, including Macabre Faire Film Festival and Crimson Screen Film Fest, and he attends horror and sci-fi conventions often. Chris’ movie reviews, articles, and interviews are published regularly on Space Jockey Reviews and in Effective Magazine. His mission statement (describing his goals as a movie critic and philosophy for review writing) can be found on the “Mission” page, here at SJR. For more information about Chris Rennirt (including contact details, publicity photos, and more), click here.
Rocket Rating – 7.5
