Review of Monsters (2010) by Jeffrey M — 19 Sep 2015

For a low-budget attempt at a monster blockbuster, Monster's isn't half bad. Set six years after the discovery of possible alien life, the film explores the ramification of transplanted alien life on Earth. Upon the crash of a probe upon re-entry, half of Mexico becomes quarantined, in a joint effort by the US and Mexican militaries to contain the monsters. It's an interesting premise, executed with mixed results.

Upon watching Monsters, one is struck by the mature and highly competent direction of Gareth Edwards. The film has deficiencies as far as casting talent and writing, yet Edwards is able to effectively mask those with crisp direction, combined with surprisingly effective visuals. It's a great looking film, and never feels cheaply staged.

The film's cast is adequate, but there is some stilted acting. The story focuses too much on a supposed budding chemistry between its two stars, which feels false and a bit clichéd. The political themes are anything but subtle, but also easy to ignore due to their superficial stupidity.

What it succeeds at is keeping the audience intrigued, and delivering enough on its premise to distinguish itself from the monster drama, most notably, what would it be like to live with such creatures as an accepted fact? In other words, what would containment vs. all out war look like?

3/5 Stars.