The Host ** (2013, Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Frances Fisher, William Hurt, Emily Browning) – Movie Review

Panned by critics and weak at the box office, The Host has a host of problems that start with the ponderous, poorly written screenplay and flat direction of Andrew Niccol, struggling to adapt Stephenie (Twilight) Meyer’s romantic science fiction thriller novel. Her stale Body Snatchers-style idea is that the human race has been taken over by small parasitic aliens called Souls.

There’s plenty of fake-profound talk, and the more serious The Host gets, the more unintentionally funny it is. Alas, not funny enough to stop it from being tedious.

In its favour, you have the capable performances of stars Saoirse Ronan as Wanderer and Diane Kruger as The Seeker. Max Irons and Jake Abel provide some eye candy. Also starring Frances Fisher as Maggie Stryde, William Hurt as Jebediah ‘Jeb’ Stryder and Emily Browning as Pet / Wanderer ‘Wanda’.

Even with its trailer shown before The Hunger Games, the film grossed only $48million worldwide.

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(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more film reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/