Movie Review: "Monsters" (2010)

"Monsters" is a movie that stars Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy. It was directed and written by Gareth Edwards. The story as you may have guessed involves monsters or maybe that is not accurate, it could have been called aliens, but I supposed that title has been classically taken. The story follows a photographer as he helps escort a woman through an "infected" region of Mexico. This is a region where hostile giant alien monsters roam, having crashed to Earth six years prior. The couple's goal is to get safely into the monster free US, but of course the journey becomes more complicated than that with human emotions.

This movie is not an action packed big creature feature. However, it has some brief action packed creature feature scenes! The monsters in "Monsters" are ginormous and enjoy doing things such as picking up trucks and crushing them along with their passengers. The real meat of the movie though, is the relationship between the two lead characters and it is one that is very slow paced. This is not a big studio summer blockbuster, this is has more of an Indie arthouse movie vibe; which kind of makes it a unique delight having the big creature elements mixed in.

There really isn't much to complain about in this movie, with good acting and very nice scenery to look at. The only real issue is that because of the slow pacing it is, well, entertainingly boring? You take this journey with these two people, which at first seems like a relationship rushed, but then it is pieced together more believably as the movie drags on, and you don't stop watching even though you start feeling sleepy. Then the ending comes and depending on what types of movies you enjoy you are either going to groan or find it to be simply lovely. I found it to be lacking and yet lovely all at once.

Will the couple make it to America? Will America be safe from the alien monsters? These are all things that help keep you glued to this character driven drama. If you are wanting to see "Monsters" strictly for the monsters this may not be what you were looking for. They are elephants meet squids meet the size of Godzilla looking, by the way. If you want to see a nice little movie doing some big movie things, but staying true to its roots, then by all means this is indeed worth a rental. I recommend it, but do not forsee it being a mass crowd pleaser (if mass crowds are the type eating up things like "GI Joe."), just something nice film fans can enjoy, in many cases once, maybe once more if you fell in love with the characters. I would actually love to see a sequel and spend more time in the world events created. Good job Gareth Edwards, I hope to see more, and better.