The Host
Friday, 23 June 2017
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Sometimes I scout movies in addition to don't review them. I'm unsure why I'm non doing that inwards this case, because to endure perfectly honest I'm non precisely proud that I watched this one. That is to say, it's downright embarrassing, in addition to 1 of my to a greater extent than shameful film choices. I knew what I was getting into, yet hither nosotros are. Why did I scout it, you lot ask? Let me pigment you lot a picture:
It was the black afterwards I watched Logan for the firstly time, in addition to the repose of my household unit of measurement was non create to scout it again. I was (and for the tape soundless am) freshly enamored amongst the tardily to dear in addition to fun to abhor snide chatterbox of a villain of Logan, in addition to the histrion who played him, Boyd Holbrook. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick perusal of his IMDb page informed me that I had solely seen him inwards 1 film previously, (A Walk Among the Tombstones, where he had a minor role I barely noticed) in addition to was inwards 3 to a greater extent than movies I at 1 time knew I had tardily access to. And one, as you've in all probability guessed past times now, was The Host, which I had casually plopped into my Netflix cue on the excuse that it was an Andrew Niccol film, amongst a vague inclination to scout it if I had zilch ameliorate to practice in addition to was inwards the mood to kill some encephalon cells. It's amazing how fast a vague inclination tin plough into a legit involvement amongst the proper incentive. I was like, "hey, let's scout this," in addition to inwards my defense, no 1 protested.
But plenty of the disclaimers. Movie review. The Host. I experience similar the most accurate review I tin brand is to give a hearty express mirth spell waving my mitt dismissively, but I'm a writer, so I suppose I should endeavour in addition to seat it inwards words.
Spoilers beyond!
In the movie, basis has been invaded past times parasitic aliens who posses humans in addition to accept over their lives. At the really beginning, our heroine Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), a human rebel is caught in addition to possessed past times an alien called Wanderer, who, it turns out is prissy -- dissimilar the villain (Diane Kruger) -- in addition to when Melanie's hear refuses to leave of absence the trunk to the invader, the 2 shape an unconventional friendship. Wanderer gets to command the body, in addition to Melanie yells things inwards her head. Wanderer turns to Melanie's side in addition to runs away inwards search of Melanie's blood brother (Chandler Canterbury) in addition to hunk fellow (Max Irons). She finds them along amongst her uncle (William Hurt) in addition to other human survivors -- including a skillful looking dude named Jake Abel, I hateful Ian, in addition to his blood brother Kyle AKA Boyd Holbrook (AKA "oh yeah, that's why I'm watching this") -- who receive got a cute niggling community going on inwards some caves inwards the desert. Melanie's household unit of measurement assumes that she is dead, but conveniently decides non to kill the alien possessing her. Meanwhile Melanie inconveniently decides that telling them she's soundless within is a bad idea, so Wanderer keeps serenity almost it, causing some really convenient drama.
If you're thinking this doesn't brand whatever sense, that's because you're right, it doesn't. The aliens are pacifists, trying to brand the worlds they conquer peaceful, yet generally possession kills the host. (Hey, that's the hollo of the movie!) They're so "pure" we're told, they are incapable of picking upward a gun. The villain is, however, conveniently able to for some magical reason, in addition to shoots in addition to kills people which inwards the movie's eyes brand her infinitely worse than every other alien who kills past times kicking souls out of bodies. This upshot is brought upward past times "antagonistic" human characters to create conflict, but is never resolved.
For their part, the humans volition larn out, kidnap aliens, in addition to forcibly take away the alien soul, which has a 100% fatality charge per unit of measurement for both parties. They don't know how to take away the soul properly, but don't know what else to do, so they proceed trying. This I suppose could residue the morality of both sides, making them every bit wrong, but instead what the humans are doing is presented as barbaric. It never seems to dawn on Wanderer (Wanda for short, who's really the principal character) that what her people are doing is at least every bit terrible. Anyway the film uses the conflict for drama when it wants in addition to ignores it when it wants. On to lighter, sillier things.
Love triangles! Yay. Actually it isn't quite. Melanie in addition to Jared are consistently inwards love, but it's super awkward for him seeing "Melanie" walking to a greater extent than or less non beingness Melanie... peculiarly when something starts growing betwixt Wanda in addition to Ian. The to a greater extent than you lot intend almost this the weirder it gets, because Wanda is literally only a parasite that is thousands of years old. Ian insists that he roughshod inwards dear amongst her mind, but why inwards the public should their minds endure compatible? And she could receive got fallen inwards dear amongst anyone, why the guy who is a skillful physical agree for her? Also he tried to kill her, but bygones I guess, or, whatever.
So amongst Jared beingness possessive of the daughter who looks similar in addition to is possessing his girl, in addition to the daughter who looks similar his daughter liking individual else, but beingness hesitant to practice anything almost it because the existent daughter is inwards her caput yelling at her non to, things really practice experience similar a dear triangle; only, 1 that was created to receive got a happy ending for all involved. Yes, this scifi plot exists for the sole (soul!) role of enabling ideal romantic situations for its characters. It's genuinely amazing how many situations are contrived to convey almost kissing too. I am really impressed. It was as if that, in addition to non the plot or the characters were the indicate of the film or something. Odd, but that couldn't be, right?
Now I'm going to verbalize almost Kyle fifty-fifty though he's pretty insignificant to the plot in addition to the entire indicate of the movie, because, I desire to. He's the principal human antagonist, which is an unnecessary in addition to so minor part, but I watched this film because of him, in addition to danged if he wasn't the best part. At 1 indicate he tries to kill Wanda, but plagued past times the convenient writing, almost dies himself instead. Wanda saves him (against Melanie's protests) in addition to so fifty-fifty lies almost what happened to protect him from punishment. This is a skillful minute for Wanda, in addition to also for him, in addition to I enjoyed Holbrook's functioning inwards that scene as the bad guy who of a abrupt finds he has to rethink everything afterwards beingness given some unexpected in addition to really undeserved grace.
Overall the entire cast isn't bad either, but campy writing tin convey a bad functioning out of anyone. Saoirse Ronan's Wanda was a skillful lead, but Melanie is underdeveloped. Being a disembodied vocalisation for the bulk of the film did her no favors. She has decent chemical scientific discipline amongst her 2 co-stars, which was of import for what the cinema wanted to be. Jake Abel's Ian was much to a greater extent than interesting than Max Irons' Jared, who was almost as blank as Melanie, fifty-fifty amongst hide time. Ian in addition to Wanda were fundamentally to a greater extent than interesting because of the means nosotros larn to encounter their human relationship develop. It ends amongst a flake of a cringe though, because spell Ronan in addition to Abel had chemistry, Abel in addition to Emily Browning did non -- she beingness the empty trunk that Wanda is transferred to inwards the twist ending, giving Melanie hers back. Browning was solely at that topographic point a twain minutes, but was spectacularly incapable of convincing that she was the most developed graphic symbol inwards the cinema 1 time she took over.
This review is already way longer than it deserves to be, so I gauge I'll roll up. The film succeeds inwards beingness what it was conceived in addition to designed to be. Oxymoronic connoisseurs of YA romance are perfectly catered to, in addition to as long as they receive got no perception of what actual good, artistic filmmaking looks like, satisfaction is guaranteed. The minor business office of me that enjoys teenage romance flicks was mildly amused. The scifi fan inwards me was both intrigued (by the premise) in addition to irritated (by the lazy in addition to one-note direction it took). And the film reviewer-me is absolutely appalled at the senseless plotting in addition to inexpensive scripting used to contrive laughable romance, but soundless had fun bully upward at all those unintentionally hilarious moments this film deals out similar glowing bluish eyes in addition to pointless make-out sessions. In conclusion: It was a terrible movie, in addition to fourth dimension good spent!
It was the black afterwards I watched Logan for the firstly time, in addition to the repose of my household unit of measurement was non create to scout it again. I was (and for the tape soundless am) freshly enamored amongst the tardily to dear in addition to fun to abhor snide chatterbox of a villain of Logan, in addition to the histrion who played him, Boyd Holbrook. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick perusal of his IMDb page informed me that I had solely seen him inwards 1 film previously, (A Walk Among the Tombstones, where he had a minor role I barely noticed) in addition to was inwards 3 to a greater extent than movies I at 1 time knew I had tardily access to. And one, as you've in all probability guessed past times now, was The Host, which I had casually plopped into my Netflix cue on the excuse that it was an Andrew Niccol film, amongst a vague inclination to scout it if I had zilch ameliorate to practice in addition to was inwards the mood to kill some encephalon cells. It's amazing how fast a vague inclination tin plough into a legit involvement amongst the proper incentive. I was like, "hey, let's scout this," in addition to inwards my defense, no 1 protested.
 |
| And inwards their defense forcefulness they liked this guy inwards Logan as much as I did. |
But plenty of the disclaimers. Movie review. The Host. I experience similar the most accurate review I tin brand is to give a hearty express mirth spell waving my mitt dismissively, but I'm a writer, so I suppose I should endeavour in addition to seat it inwards words.
Spoilers beyond!
In the movie, basis has been invaded past times parasitic aliens who posses humans in addition to accept over their lives. At the really beginning, our heroine Melanie (Saoirse Ronan), a human rebel is caught in addition to possessed past times an alien called Wanderer, who, it turns out is prissy -- dissimilar the villain (Diane Kruger) -- in addition to when Melanie's hear refuses to leave of absence the trunk to the invader, the 2 shape an unconventional friendship. Wanderer gets to command the body, in addition to Melanie yells things inwards her head. Wanderer turns to Melanie's side in addition to runs away inwards search of Melanie's blood brother (Chandler Canterbury) in addition to hunk fellow (Max Irons). She finds them along amongst her uncle (William Hurt) in addition to other human survivors -- including a skillful looking dude named Jake Abel, I hateful Ian, in addition to his blood brother Kyle AKA Boyd Holbrook (AKA "oh yeah, that's why I'm watching this") -- who receive got a cute niggling community going on inwards some caves inwards the desert. Melanie's household unit of measurement assumes that she is dead, but conveniently decides non to kill the alien possessing her. Meanwhile Melanie inconveniently decides that telling them she's soundless within is a bad idea, so Wanderer keeps serenity almost it, causing some really convenient drama.
 |
| You tin tell the possessed because the alien parasite makes their eyes glow blue. Also in all probability worth mentioning; Stephenie Meyer wrote the novel. |
If you're thinking this doesn't brand whatever sense, that's because you're right, it doesn't. The aliens are pacifists, trying to brand the worlds they conquer peaceful, yet generally possession kills the host. (Hey, that's the hollo of the movie!) They're so "pure" we're told, they are incapable of picking upward a gun. The villain is, however, conveniently able to for some magical reason, in addition to shoots in addition to kills people which inwards the movie's eyes brand her infinitely worse than every other alien who kills past times kicking souls out of bodies. This upshot is brought upward past times "antagonistic" human characters to create conflict, but is never resolved.
For their part, the humans volition larn out, kidnap aliens, in addition to forcibly take away the alien soul, which has a 100% fatality charge per unit of measurement for both parties. They don't know how to take away the soul properly, but don't know what else to do, so they proceed trying. This I suppose could residue the morality of both sides, making them every bit wrong, but instead what the humans are doing is presented as barbaric. It never seems to dawn on Wanderer (Wanda for short, who's really the principal character) that what her people are doing is at least every bit terrible. Anyway the film uses the conflict for drama when it wants in addition to ignores it when it wants. On to lighter, sillier things.
 |
| Ship shipping ship shipping ship shipping ship shipping ship shipping ship ship... |
Love triangles! Yay. Actually it isn't quite. Melanie in addition to Jared are consistently inwards love, but it's super awkward for him seeing "Melanie" walking to a greater extent than or less non beingness Melanie... peculiarly when something starts growing betwixt Wanda in addition to Ian. The to a greater extent than you lot intend almost this the weirder it gets, because Wanda is literally only a parasite that is thousands of years old. Ian insists that he roughshod inwards dear amongst her mind, but why inwards the public should their minds endure compatible? And she could receive got fallen inwards dear amongst anyone, why the guy who is a skillful physical agree for her? Also he tried to kill her, but bygones I guess, or, whatever.
So amongst Jared beingness possessive of the daughter who looks similar in addition to is possessing his girl, in addition to the daughter who looks similar his daughter liking individual else, but beingness hesitant to practice anything almost it because the existent daughter is inwards her caput yelling at her non to, things really practice experience similar a dear triangle; only, 1 that was created to receive got a happy ending for all involved. Yes, this scifi plot exists for the sole (soul!) role of enabling ideal romantic situations for its characters. It's genuinely amazing how many situations are contrived to convey almost kissing too. I am really impressed. It was as if that, in addition to non the plot or the characters were the indicate of the film or something. Odd, but that couldn't be, right?
 |
| Hahahaha... ha... RIGHT?? |
Now I'm going to verbalize almost Kyle fifty-fifty though he's pretty insignificant to the plot in addition to the entire indicate of the movie, because, I desire to. He's the principal human antagonist, which is an unnecessary in addition to so minor part, but I watched this film because of him, in addition to danged if he wasn't the best part. At 1 indicate he tries to kill Wanda, but plagued past times the convenient writing, almost dies himself instead. Wanda saves him (against Melanie's protests) in addition to so fifty-fifty lies almost what happened to protect him from punishment. This is a skillful minute for Wanda, in addition to also for him, in addition to I enjoyed Holbrook's functioning inwards that scene as the bad guy who of a abrupt finds he has to rethink everything afterwards beingness given some unexpected in addition to really undeserved grace.
Overall the entire cast isn't bad either, but campy writing tin convey a bad functioning out of anyone. Saoirse Ronan's Wanda was a skillful lead, but Melanie is underdeveloped. Being a disembodied vocalisation for the bulk of the film did her no favors. She has decent chemical scientific discipline amongst her 2 co-stars, which was of import for what the cinema wanted to be. Jake Abel's Ian was much to a greater extent than interesting than Max Irons' Jared, who was almost as blank as Melanie, fifty-fifty amongst hide time. Ian in addition to Wanda were fundamentally to a greater extent than interesting because of the means nosotros larn to encounter their human relationship develop. It ends amongst a flake of a cringe though, because spell Ronan in addition to Abel had chemistry, Abel in addition to Emily Browning did non -- she beingness the empty trunk that Wanda is transferred to inwards the twist ending, giving Melanie hers back. Browning was solely at that topographic point a twain minutes, but was spectacularly incapable of convincing that she was the most developed graphic symbol inwards the cinema 1 time she took over.
 |
| That twist ending should receive got won an honor for Most Obvious Twist Ending Ever. |
This review is already way longer than it deserves to be, so I gauge I'll roll up. The film succeeds inwards beingness what it was conceived in addition to designed to be. Oxymoronic connoisseurs of YA romance are perfectly catered to, in addition to as long as they receive got no perception of what actual good, artistic filmmaking looks like, satisfaction is guaranteed. The minor business office of me that enjoys teenage romance flicks was mildly amused. The scifi fan inwards me was both intrigued (by the premise) in addition to irritated (by the lazy in addition to one-note direction it took). And the film reviewer-me is absolutely appalled at the senseless plotting in addition to inexpensive scripting used to contrive laughable romance, but soundless had fun bully upward at all those unintentionally hilarious moments this film deals out similar glowing bluish eyes in addition to pointless make-out sessions. In conclusion: It was a terrible movie, in addition to fourth dimension good spent!