{Movie Review} Movie Monday #8: The Host

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'd like to feature:

Title:  The Host
Director:  Andrew Niccol
Stars:  Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel & Diane Kruger
Release date:  March 29, 2013
Based on:  The Host by Stephenie Meyer

When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

After the atrocity that was the first Twilight movie, I sat down to this movie with some trepidation.  Out of all of Stephenie Meyer's books, this one was my favorite.  I'm actually still waiting on her to write more from this world.  So I did not want some half-baked attempt at adapting this for the screen.  And I was pleasantly surprised.  This movie was GOOD!

The casting probably had a large part to do with my enjoyment, and I'm not just talking about the hotties, though their inclusion did not hurt matters.  I loved Saoirse Ronan in Hanna and I knew she would play the strong, resilient Melanie Stryder with ease.  And casting Diane Kruger as Seeker was a great choice.  Her interpretation of Seeker was phenomenal:  level-headed, persistent, and sometimes creepy as she searched for the host that got away.  Max Irons was a perfect Jared, at odds with himself and his love for Melanie.  But I most liked seeing Jake Abel as a good guy for once.  He's played a jerk and a traitor, and I'm glad he got the girl in this one.  =)

I wasn't sure how I was going to like the voice-over of Melanie inside Wanda's head, but after the initial shock of it, I liked it.  It sounded natural, though Melanie's voice in Wanda's head did take on a bit of a Southern drawl at times that Wanda as Melanie did not share.  But it worked, especially when Melanie used Wanda to act out.  Those were fun times.

The best part of this adaptation was how much unnecessary bullshit was excluded from a book that easily could have been half its length and still made for a good story.  It was entertaining and intense and full of the action that I loved in the book, without all of the tedious details.  Though, this did make the romance that developed between Wanda and Ian seem more like insta-love because the time frame seemed sped up in the movie.  But that might be my only complaint.

Overall, I think the movie did the book justice.  And now I really want to know how the story continues.  Writer lady needs to get her act together.  ;)

Rating:   1/2