Review of Monsters (2010) by Dustin G — 11 Sep 2011

A fairly interesting film, but it suffers greatly from a lack of concrete genre. A film like this appeals mostly to sci-fi fans, but instead of focusing on the sci-fi elements of the story, it fades into a romantic character piece.

While it does this well, it is not this aspect that people who go see a movie called 'Monsters' want to see. It takes entirely too long to get going, and even when it does, there is precious little in the way of action or excitement.

This is to be expected to some degree with the miniscule budget of the production, but it borders on boring at points. The acting is believable and the script solid, but it just seems to miss the best part of its own story.

When seen, the creatures are very interesting and well rendered. The fact that they look so good make me wonder why they were not utilized more effectively. It is one thing if you don't show your creatures because they arn't that good, but to cover up a good monster is a waste.

Director Edwards manages to create a very intimate atmosphere with an almost documentary vibe, which is beautifully filmed and looks great, but just can not set the hook. An interesting movie with all the tools to succeed, but can't quite cross the line to recommendablitiy.