Review of Monsters (2010) by Jens T — 21 Nov 2012

Monsters is a science fiction film that takes place in a not so distant future, where NASA have found life on one of Jupiter's moons. A probe is launched to collect samples, but crashes upon re-entry over Mexico, and a new alien life form begins to develop into an octopus-like creature which is spreading fast. And half of Mexico is quarantined as an "infected zone", and the US and the Mexican military struggles to exterminate the aliens without causing collateral damages . The plot is set some years later in the unaffected Mexico, where alien attacks is quiet usual, in which we follow the Photographer Andrew Kaulder, who's tries to get good pictures of the situation, but he gets another mission: to get the chief editor's daughter, Sam, in safety back to the US. Getting away with boat is impossible, so they have to go through the infected zone.

Monsters is after my opinion one of the worst, and least thought off science fiction scripts that I've ever seen! I'm not a nerd, but this is one of those films where lack of common logic is ruining the film experience. My essential question is: Isn't there any air plains? Why not go south and take a boat from Honduras for example? Why go through the infected zone when you know it's dangerous? I tell you why: because it's an excuse for a love story between Klauder and Sam, which is perhaps the only thing that makes this film worth it's two stars. All this lack of logic wouldn't have mattered if there was any good action scenes, or scenes where anything is at risk and damages the characters, but there isn't any. The journey through the infected zone seems to be a walk in the park where the only thing that matters is their love life. The aliens are horrible, or in this case not horrible enough and doesn't do any harm to the main characters for some reason. There's no conflict in this movie!

It seems to be one of those science fiction movies that wants to be a metaphor for a political subject matter. Like with District 9 is an alien metaphor for the South African apartheid regime. Monsters seems to wanna be a movie based on the military war against the Mexican Drug Cartels, which causes many civilians their lives. District 9 seemed to have a clear message, while Monsters seems to have no one, except the fact that the aliens are people too, and it's the war which cause their anger. So the message is to let the Drugs Cartels be left alone? That's not a very pleasant thought. Monsters is not a popcorn flick, nor is it a political thriller, it's just a love story that could have been a simple road movie, or better, a Motorcycle Diary. Thumbs down.