Monster Hunter – Szörnybirodalom

Ron Perlman haja és sminkje a nyitójelenetben is már arra utal, hogy miről is van itt szó. De aztán a filmben minden csak jobb lesz. Egy videojátékos ultra baromság egy teljesen primitív cselekménnyel, de annál inkább bevallott guilty pleasure jelleggel, amely szórakoztató. Mármint kifejezetten száraz humorral is, ami itt jobban megnevetett, mint a legtöbb erőltetett vígjátékban. És olyan vizuális effektekkel, amelyekkel kevés A-kategóriás hollywoodi produkció büszkélkedhet (előétel a Godzilla Kong ellen) című filmhez. Egyébként persze Paul W.S mindent lenyúlt, amit csak lehetett, A bolygó neve: Halál, a Dűne (illetve Transformers vagy Star Wars) és A Gyűrűk Ura - A Gyűrű Szövetsége filmből is, de néha olyan szemérmetlenül (egy csapat harcos megy át egy kőhídon egy égő lávával borított pokoli hegyre), hogy ez inkább a szeretetnyilvánítása annak, amit szeret, mint a kreatív tanácstalanság. Maguk a szörnyek viszont fényűzőek, és az akciók vizuális dinamikája kidolgozott. És rengeteg van belőlük. Egyik verekedés a másik után. Plusz szép helyszínek. Mégis, a harmadik csillagomat fenntartással kell venni, a tökös hangzásért adom. Az alattam lakó szomszédom nyaral, ezért a nappaliban az Atmos full mélynyomóval megy. És a film mellett majdnem elélveztem. (2021.02.21)

Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson may be done with Resident Evil and zombies, but their Monster Hunter is more or less the same thing. Only there are dragons and dinosaurs, but otherwise this duo once again serves up solid action wrapped in a very contrived and uninteresting story with characters you'll be glad you remembered their name. Unfortunately, the decent action loses out on points to an uninteresting story and boring characters. But perhaps that's all one can expect from Anderson. (2021.02.22)

I'm satisfied. I got what the trailer promised. An hour and a half long epic battle between Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa and monsters. There is action from start to finish, the visuals are awesome, the soundtrack is intense, the monsters look great (quite possibly the best dragon on screen ever), and there are two badass scenes (the spiders!). I didn't miss a more interesting story that would have slowed down the pace. Dramas come out ten a week, but such an epic monster slaughter comes out only once a year and I definitely find this more enjoyable to watch than self-absorbed arthouse crap. Maybe switching the desert location for a jungle wouldn't have been a bad idea, but otherwise I really don't know what else an adaptation of a game that's about nothing but action and monsters has to offer; the film certainly doesn't disappoint in that regard, and to only have 12 percent more than the ultra cheap shit Sharknado is absolutely laughable. Anyone who likes monsters, action and likes to have fun at the movies can't be disappointed. Story**, Action****, Humor** Violence**, Funniness****, Music****, Visuals*****, Atmosphere****, Suspense***. 7.5/10. (2021.02.17)

The biggest gadgeteer of genre cinema has again come up with a delightfully childish and ostentatiously formalistic flick. Anderson’s films can evoke the innocent amusement and wonder that we experienced in childhood when we first encountered genre spectacle. However, that does not mean that he works with nostalgia. On the contrary, his work – in terms of overall style and the formalistic treatment of individual sequences and shots – reaches a level of avant-garde that goes beyond most conventionally staid Hollywood blockbusters. Whereas those are childishly immature in their flattery of fans, would-be seriousness and false depth, Anderson remains idiosyncratically childlike and playful. Grouches will always look condescendingly down their noses at his films, but they will also never see the true delight in his movies. Monster Hunter is a typically pure action fantasy in Anderson’s style, where straightforwardness, spectacle and unrealism become superlatives. As is typical of the master, part of the joy is how Anderson works with video-game elements and finds formalistic and narrative equivalents for them, and how Mila Jovovich perfectly personifies the ethos of his films. In comparison with his previous projects, we also see gratifying progress in the merging of physical and digital attractions, which confirms the fact that Anderson reflects contemporary trends while also forging his own path in the cinema of spectacle. (2021.10.25)

The coronavirus has made me miss a lot of things, but mindless CGI blockbusters like this is certainly not one of them. It can hardly be considered a movie, Paul W.S. Anderson has stopped making them, now he makes expensive long videos where his wife can play the action heroine, that’s the only reason why Monster Hunter exists. Seeing Ton Jaa and Ron Pearlman contributing to this in their less than dignified roles is just sad. (2021.02.16)