20140106: SciFi Review--Monsters

Monsters

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. British live action feature length film, 2010, rated R, 93 minutes.  Spoken word is in English and Spanish; subtitles in both.
2. IMDB: 6.4/10.0 from 56,679 audience ratings. Estimated budget, 800,000 USD; aspect, 2.35
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 72% on the meter; 52% liked it from 38,628 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.1/5.0 from 937,454 audience ratings.
5. Written and directed by: Gareth Edwards.
6. Starring: Scoot McNairy as Andrew Kaulder, Whitney Able as Samantha Wynden, Mario Zuniga Benavides as Ticket Seller.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Kaulder and Sam make their way from Mexico to the United States.  She is the daughter of his boss, who runs a large publishing business.  The father charges Kaulder to bring Sam home to the States safely.  That's the whole film.


2. Their main problem is that many dangerous extraterrestrials lie between them and their destination.  Transportation is hampered, and what transportation there is is illegal and expensive.


3. In Mexico, they encounter delays from a railway being out, from someone stealing their passports and a ferry ticket, from using an illegal personal charter.  They see evidence of aliens in abundance during their journey.  They lose their guides during an alien encounter at night.  They collect what supplies they can from the bodies, and start out on foot.  They make it to the border of Mexico and the USA.


4. Surprisingly, no one is manning the guard posts on the giant wall constructed to keep the aliens out.  There has been an incursion by the aliens and a retreat by the humans.  They see jets flying in the distance.  They keep walking through bombed out housing and dead aliens.


5. They find a gas station with power.  They phone 911, and get a promise of an Army escort to come soon.  While waiting, they make some other calls: Kaulder to his son who does not know that Kaulder is his father; Sam to someone, probably her fiance.


6. They hope to be home in one day, but the aliens have other ideas.  Will both of them make it?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary:  Photographer and his boss' daughter cross territory loaded with dangerous aliens.
2. Four stars of five.  I liked this one, but no sequels, please.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 6/10 Mixed bag.  There is night filming that is just poor, some handheld footage I could have lived without, and also daylight shots that are gorgeous.


2. Sound: 8/10 Adequate.


3. Acting: 8/10 There are two principal actors and a number of bit parts.  Fortunately, the leads could carry most of the film.


4. Screenplay: 8/10 Good plot flow.  Fairly simple story, but it does not drag.


5. SFX: 8/10 Not the greatest I've seen, but more convincing than not.  Lovely ending.