Recent Flix: Monsters (2010)

Should I blame this one for boring mess that it led to?  Today's Film is Monsters, the 2010 Movie that eventually led to its Director being given Godzilla.  That 2014 Film was all sorts of wrong and disappointing.  For all of its massive Budget, it kept cutting away from what you paid to see.  Is that what Gareth Edwards just does?  Considering that he apparently did all of the CG for this Film on his personal computer and had very little money, I guess we'll find out.  The Film tells the tale of a future where it is dangerous to go to Mexico because of U.S. Laws and Regulations put in place.  Right- the Future!  Anyways, this danger comes from space aliens apparently floating around by the Border.  Our heroes get stuck on one side and have to get to the other.  Can this mismatched pair make it?  I won't SPOIL too much for you, so feel free to read on...

These two folks- one a Photographer for a Paper and one the Daughter of its Owner- have to get out of Mexico before passage is cut off for 6 months!

What's making the journey difficult?

Well, it is the large zone full of Alien Monsters battling the Military, a side-effect of a Space Probe that crashed 6 years earlier.

The situation doesn't go how they planned- shocking in a Movie, right?- and they end up having to take the worst possible route home- through the Zone!

With all of the Monsters in the area- both dead and alive- is an exit through this area possible...

...or will the dangers in the Infected Zone spell the end for our Heroes?  To find out, well, you know.

A good Film, but nothing great.  Gareth Edwards succeeds at giving the Film some good Atmosphere and a really natural feel.  This was done by shooting on Location and having a looser Script than normal.  It wasn't quite all Scripted, but it wasn't exactly Improv either.  Make sense?  The trade-off is that this feel also gives the Movie a very laid back Pace.  As such, the Movie won't be for everyone.  Overall, I liked it pretty well.  It wasn't my favorite Film this year, but it was still enjoyable.  Kudos to Edwards for making these Effects on his own Computer.  Of course, the Special Effects weren't the problem with Godzilla (2014).  This Film wisely focuses on the Characters that people care about and keeps the Story nice and tight.  I wonder if we need to remind Edwards of what he did here to avoid such issues in the future.  Yes, I do know about the Direct-to-Video Sequel and I will do it shortly, so don't change the metaphorical Channel just yet.

Next up, I finally Review the Film that every Horror Blogger was frothing over a while back.  Will this James Wan Film hit the spot?  Stay tuned...