The Movie
Even though the two big-beast movies are in no way officially linked, audiences have been quietly asked to make the following distinction: If Cloverfield is akin to 9/11, then Monsters is like the war on terror. It's been a few years since everything changed--in this case, a returning space probe full of alien life samples has crashed in Mexico, unleashing horrendous creatures--and people have pretty much come to terms with the new world order.
In this slow burn of a movie, a photojournalist and his boss' daughter spend a lot of time walking/driving/boating through the "infected zone" on their way back to the U.S. They stare meaningfully at strategically placed pieces of wreckage at key intervals, making the kind of vapid small talk that actors think is clever when allowed to make up their own dialogue. The real "monsters" here are the script (or lack thereof) and the acting (ditto), as we are expected to marvel at the Cristal visuals created on a Colt 45 budget, and just ignore the utter pointlessness of it all.
Also check out Joe Lozito's review of Monsters.
The Picture
In all fairness though, the computer-rendered special effects are pretty darned amazing, typically seamless and completely convincing, even at 1080p resolution. Framed at 2.35:1, Monsters was shot on digital video and the overall look is extremely detailed and natural. Colors, fleshtones in particular, can go a little weird in low light, and noise or a bit of ringing might intrude, but in general the flaws are minimal.
The Sound
Further defying the expectations of a "low-budget" film, Monsters boasts a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, marked almost immediately by bursts of discrete gunfire all around us. The rears are active throughout, for sirens, helicopters, fighter jets, myriad jungle noises and more, with a palpable bass presence for much of the action. Dialogue is legible although it appears to have largely been re-recorded in post-production, leaving the ultimate performances feeling a tad flat.
The Extras
Writer/director/special effects maven Gareth Edwards joins his stars Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able for the audio commentary. Edwards also gives an extended on-camera interview, as well as taking the stage for a brief session at the New York Comic Con. He's also at the center of the often-humorous hour-plus "Behind the Scenes" and two ample featurettes, and while he comes across as an extremely talented and interesting guy, this all becomes rather redundant. The two actors also share their own 28-minute interview.
The four deleted/extended scenes run 20 minutes total, and this being a Magnolia title, a five-minute "HDNet: A Look at Monsters" promo clip is included too. All of the extras are in high definition. The disc is also BD-Live-enabled, and a unique printed code is provided so that we may download an iTunes-compatible Digital Copy.
Final Thoughts
We learn via the generous extras that Monsters was indeed largely improvisational, and so the fancy digital graphics garner most of the attention, since the loosely conceived story and characters sure don't deserve it. Feeling more like a filmmaker's lookee-what-I-can-do résumé than an actual movie, this disc makes for an evening of HD/7.1 distraction that will soon be forgotten.
Product Details
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