The Host

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Jake Abel
Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Science Fiction
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: During an alien invasion where the aliens have taken over our human bodies, one girl (Saoirse Ronan) is determined to fight the invader inside her.

Review:

Tim: The good news is that The Host is significantly better than it had any right to be. The bad news is that it still isn't a very good movie. Writer Stephanie Meyer created some backlash due to her Twilight books, and I think this movie suffered some as a result. Meyer's name will certainly intrigue some viewers, but will turn off many more. That's perhaps why this movie bombed so badly at the box office. It didn't help that this film seemed like a cheap Twilight wannabe. We once again have a love triangle, but it's two humans and one alien/human hybrid, instead of a human, a vampire, and a werewolf. It just felt a little too close to what we've already seen before.

Now, this is a shame, because this is certainly a different story. While it definitely owes a lot to Twilight, it is its own story, and had the execution been a bit better, this could have been an interesting franchise. The idea of alien invasions isn't new, and Meyer hasn't revolutionized the subgenre here, but she plays with some interesting ideas in a different way. This doesn't make the movie particularly good, but it at least makes it interesting. I was somewhat engaged in the story, at least more than I expected to be. Still, I never loved anything about this film.

The cast is average. Saoirse Ronan did a fairly good job in the lead role. I really believe she has some true acting talent, and I look forward to seeing the evolution of her career. Here, she was cast is a pretty weak movie, but made it significantly better through her performance. Max Irons and Jake Abel were both miscast- they have the looks, but they have zero acting ability or charisma. I can't remember the last time I was so underwhelmed by two actors. They were cast for their looks, not for anything of substance. This left the whole film, and especially the love triangle, feeling empty. Diane Kruger didn't give a great performance, but she made an interesting villain. I loved how she portrayed the driven, obsessive qualities of her character. William Hurt was an incredible addition to the cast. He has a small supporting role, but he made me like the movie much more because he was in it. The cast has a few bright spots, but is mostly lackluster.

I really had low expectations coming into this film. I have to admit that this movie surprised me- it wasn't good, but it was better than I expected. I thought the entire film would be torture, but I almost enjoyed certain aspects. However, the movie is way, way too long, at 125 minutes. The film doesn't connect on a deep enough emotional level. Director Andrew Niccol has some real talent behind the camera, and he makes a movie that could have been unwatchable and made it at least decent. That is a huge achievement. While I didn't hate The Host, you should know that this is a forgettable film. It'll soon disappear from viewers' memories. There's not a lot here that is terrible, but there's very little to be excited about, either.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Twilight, Hanna