Milla Jovovich spent more than a decade of her career making movies based on the Resident Evil video game series, and now that it's over and she has moved on, she's back playing roles in movies based on video games, this time with Monster Hunter. The reviews for the newest adaptation by Paul W.S. Anderson are here, and while most critics tend to be of the opinion that the movie isn't necessarily what you'd call "good" it is, actually quite a lot of silly fun, and so if that's what you're looking for, the new film may work for you.
CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes reviewed Monster Hunter and he gave the film 3.5 stars saying that even if you're not familiar with the game franchise the film is based on, there's still plenty to enjoy about the movie. In fact, if you're a fan of the video game series, you might actually find the film slightly lacking, as the film doesn't spend a great deal of time on backstory or setup. But in the end, it's a good time, and considering the film's focus, a worthy reason to potentially visit a movie theater...
For a year that's made audiences miss going to the movies, Monster Hunter just might be one of the best reasons to get out to a theater near you.
While non-fans of the Monster Hunter video game franchise might still find plenty to enjoy in the film, that doesn't mean that fans won't get the adaptation that they're looking for. There are plenty of elements from the games that make the jump to the big screen. This of course means that the movie is just as weird as the games. As the AV Club explains in its review...
If a viewer can’t identify with the existential need to not get eaten by toothy, fire-breathing megafauna, then all hope is lost. This isn’t to imply that the movie’s source material, the bestselling game series Monster Hunter,is about nothing more than hunting monsters; it is also about crafting items and eating food prepared by bipedal cats, both activities well represented in the film.
The Resident Evil films were rarely loved by critics, but fans tended to support them as being a lot of fun with great action if nothing else. Perhaps it's the fact that 2020 has been so... 2020, but even critics seem to be largely ok with Monster Hunter just being silly fun.
That's not to say that everybody is giving Monster Hunter a pass. Indiewire thinks the dimb action is just straight dumb, calling the film "unwatchable" at one point, and later saying...
Monster Hunter is relentlessly terrible even by 2020 standards, as it quickly descends into a dull and colorless bit of bug-hunting that marries the production value of a SyFy Original with the scale of a tutorial level, resulting in one of the drabbest and least imaginative video game movies ever made.
Similarly, The Los Angeles Times gives the film credit for living up to its title, but little else...
To be fair, all this movie promises from the start is monsters and hunters, and Anderson delivers both, from the first frame to the credits. But for way too long, the generic title is matched to generic action.
In summary, if the idea of seeing Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa beating the hell out of giant monsters is enough to at least be a good time for you for a couple hours, then it seems like Monster Hunter might ultimately fit the bill. However, it's not going to reinvent action movies, so if you're looking for something more, you may not find it here.
