Why Monster Hunter Is Worth Watching

For action fans, there have been a number of big-budget franchises that have made a mark on popular culture. Sony has taken a different approach with the launch of their ‘Monster Hunter’ franchise with the first installment arriving in cinemas in January 2021. The film is based on the popular Japanese video game of the same name. The video game franchise has a built-in fanbase of millions worldwide, so naturally, it made sense for Sony to adapt the video game into a piece of live-action entertainment. Sony enlisted Director Paul W.S Anderson to helm to project, who has previously helmed four of Sony’s ‘Resident Evil’ film franchise. The director’s wife and star of the Resident Evil films, Milla Jovovich, also joined the project as the lead. Naturally, I was looking forward to this film. As someone who hasn’t played the video games and does not have that built-in attachment, I was keen to see a fun, big-budget action flick and for the most part, Monster Hunter delivers. So, is Monster Hunter worth your time?

I believe it is. The film is filled with fun action set pieces, with a talented cast that for the most part is doing their own stunts. I was fairly impressed with the stunt choreography that was on display here. It was intense and at times nail-biting. I enjoyed many of the action set-pieces here because of this fact. Paul W.S Anderson also takes a different approach to the direction of this film. In the Resident Evil films, Anderson puts a strong emphasis on the quick-cut editing. As those films are more in the horror genre, it makes sense, however, Monster Hunter is more of your traditional action film, so here he takes a big step back and lets the action breathe, with longer cuts and wide angles. This directorial choice definitely benefits the film as we can really take in the impressive action set-pieces that are on screen.

The special effects are also remarkable. A lot of the action takes place in broad daylight, with the special effects on full display. The designs of the creatures are all unique, and from I can tell are directly taken out of the games. This little detail will please fans of the games, but for us moviegoers as well, the designs are unique and different from anything else I have seen from a film in this genre. The film also whilst having a big budget, is not as big as most blockbuster films. The budget of Monster Hunter was $60 Million, which compared to 2017s ‘The Mummy’ which had a whopping budget of $125 million, is more than half of that film and the special effects are far superior.
Monster Hunter was a huge surprise. I was not expecting to love the film, but to enjoy it as much as I did was a huge plus. If you are looking for a genuinely fun blockbuster film, then this one is right up your alley, regardless if you have played the video games or not. 

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Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here