Cinephile № 862 “Monster Hunter”

Recommendation: 1/5 Stars, SKIP

Plot: “When Lt. Artemis and her loyal soldiers are transported to a new world, they engage in a desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers. Feature film based on the video game by Capcom.” -IMDB

Review: Do you have an 8-year-old, video game-loving boy in your home? They will love “Monster Hunter.” I know because I used to be one. Unfortunately, I am now a 37-year-old, video game-loving man who found this film almost unbearable.

First, the CGI and action sequences in this film do a pretty decent job of delivering awe-inspiring and freighting monsters of a size and scope mirroring that of Godzilla or King Kong. Plastered across a drive-in movie screen, I was genuinely floored by their sheer power. Sadly, this is the only nice thing I can say about this movie.

Featuring a paper-thin story about a group of soldiers who are mysteriously transported to a new world, our team initially finds themselves on a mission to locate and recover a missing team of soldiers. As they look for answers, big monsters take over the screen. From here on out, this film becomes about survival and, for me personally, one of immense patience.

Everything in this film happens in rapid succession like it was ripped straight from a video game. New…