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CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW: Monsters (2010)

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  • GENRE: Sci-Fi Horror
  • ACTORS: Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy
  • RATING: R
  • PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. Some bad language. Big bad monsters, of the type that might scare small children and timid adults. Moderate violence.
  • INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is intended for fans of the genre, and may not be appreciated by others.
  • GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) Simple plot. A Man and a woman must traverse a monster infested “infected zone” in northern Mexico to reach the presumably “uninfected” USA.
  • REVIEW: First of all, make sure you are watching the right movie. There are several movies with the same or similar title. When I started watching this film, I was looking forward to a cheesy fake monster movie on the order of vintage 1960’s Japanese cinema. I wasn’t disappointed in that regard. But this movie turned out to be a lot more. For example, the monsters. Generally, the less seen of monsters in a movie like this, the better. But we are shown a full view of the monster prototype in the opening scene. Does it look ridiculous? In a way, yes, it does look silly. Or maybe not. It is presented in a manner (often mostly off screen) that seems plausible. Then there is the monster graffiti on the walls in Mexico. If the monsters are depicted in graffiti, there must be something to them.

    Surprisingly perhaps, there are some real redeeming points worth mentioning in MONSTERS. In many movies of this ilk, the characters are shown revelling in debauchery; and sex is shown as casual, expectable and without consequence. Not so in MONSTERS. In this movie we see very little of the actual debauchery. An arm and pair of feet projecting from under the sheets show us that a prostitue is in a bed–suggestive, but not explicit. And we are shown that sin has it’s consequences–a missed relationship with a son, and a missed opportunity to escape the monsters.

  • RECOMMENDATION:[2. If you wonder why horror films have space on a Christian website like K_Line Christian Online, please see my blog post on point] This is a horror movie. Many people will be highly offended by every movie in this genre because of the violence, language and other questionable elements. However, if you are a fan of this genre–I highly recommend MONSTERS. It has a simple, but compelling story to tell. The characters, though imperfect, are mostly likable and interesting. Good and evil are shown. We are shown the benefit of virtue and the consequences of sin.
  • RATING (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★

MOVIE RATING SYSTEM:

Start with zero (0) out of five (5) possible STARS

  • Add one STAR if it looks like the movie was made by professional film makers–not 4 or 5 guys with a camcorder.
  • Add one STAR if the film has a story, theme or plot (optional for horror and/or zombie movies); or if the movie makes any sense.
  • Add additional STARS for special effects, acting, good moral message(s), realistic zombies, scariness,
    interesting theme or plot and the like.
  • Subtract STARS for extreme bad acting, COMPLETELY awful themes/messages, overall INCREDIBLE trashiness, graphic and persistent lewdness, and the like.


Christian Movie Review: Carriers (2009)

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Carriers
Carriers (2009), PG-13

  • GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction
  • ACTORS: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Kiernan Shipka , Christopher Meloni, Dale Malley, Stacy Marie Warden, Dylan Kenin, Josh Berry
  • RATING: PG-13
  • PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. Bad language and questionable situations. Violence.
  • INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is intended for fans of the genre, and may not be appreciated by others.
  • GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) Uncle Josh[1. Cal Stewart (1856-1919) was a pioneer in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played “Uncle Josh” Weathersby, a resident of a mythical New England farming town called “Punkin Center.”] once quipped that all paths lead to the grave. In CARRIERS, as in THE ROAD (another recently released on DVD end of the world story), it turns out that ALMOST ALL paths and/or roads lead to the grave.[2. Of course, no one in these movies literally makes to an actual grave. The people who die mainly just drop and rot where the body lies (instances of cannibalism excluded).] However, ALL paths do seem to lead to the beach. The plot of CARRIERS isn’t so exceptional. Four people on a road trip to the Pacific Ocean try to avoid catching a highly contagious virus which has killed off most of the human population. Their adventures, reactions, and the folks they meet along the path make an entertaining tale.

  • REVIEW: As stated above, the simple plot is not what drives this movie. This is a well stated tale of what could happen when the end of the world gets around to happening. Human nature being what it is, not all of the actions and reactions of the characters present the human race at it finest. Frankly some of the main characters’ decisions seem directly at odds with their stated goal of staying alive. Yet, I think most, if not all, of their stupid choices are completely consistent with how actual human beings would behave in like circumstances. But the really compelling behavior of these “survivors” involves the moral choices they make–whether they seem wise or stupid to the viewer. In fact, we are presented with apparently good people who react badly when confronted with life and death situations. Some people react more badly than others. From a Christian point of view, I’d caution you to not put too much weight on how well this movie matches up with Biblical prophecy about the end times. Rather, I think the better view is to concede that CARRIERS is fiction. CARRIERS follows in a long tradition of books and movies about the end of the world. I’ve read and seen quite a few of them. This film definitely held my attention. It’s well worth watching, if you’re not put off by the genre.
  • RECOMMENDATION:[2. If you wonder why horror films have space on a Christian website like K_Line Christian Online, please see my blog post on point] This is a horror movie. Many people will be highly offended by every movie in this genre because of the graphic violence, gore, language and other questionable elements. However, if you are a fan of this genre–I recommend watching CARRIERS.
  • RATING (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★

MOVIE RATING SYSTEM:

Start with zero (0) out of five (5) possible STARS

  • Add one STAR if it looks like the movie was made by professional film makers–not 4 or 5 guys with a camcorder.
  • Add one STAR if the film has a story, theme or plot (optional for horror and/or zombie movies); or if the movie makes any sense.
  • Add additional STARS for special effects, acting, good moral message(s), realistic zombies, scariness,
    interesting theme or plot and the like.
  • Subtract STARS for extreme bad acting, COMPLETELY awful themes/messages, overall INCREDIBLE trashiness, graphic and persistent lewdness, and the like.