This is based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Meyer. I did read this book but it was a very long time ago. I remember enjoying it but I can't really remember my feelings. Have checked my old Shelfari account though and I gave it 4 stars, so I must have enjoyed it. I haven't picked it up since. I was intrigued by the movie and wondered how it would pull it off, as some of the book just doesn't seem like it would translate well to screen. It doesn't.
I got around to watching this last night because I was sick and Netflix is evil and keeps me up at night. So I literally began watching this at about 3.30am and didn't finish till gone 5.30. By that time my boyfriends alarm was going off to wake him up for work and I realised I have a serious Netflix problem.
Now the movie, to me, was just okay, nothing special and not something I will be getting around to watching again. But it was 4am and I'm not sure if my sleep deprived brain didn't mind it too much because it wasn't really paying attention, or because it's actually an okay film. This is definitely not an amazing movie, it won't be winning any awards but for a one time watch it was enjoyable.
The main storyline of The Host is that some form of alien species has come to earth and is taking over the bodies of the humans, erasing their memories and then living as them. They are a gentle race, they don't lie or kill but are essentially wiping out an entire species, which is kind of the same thing in my books. Melanie Stryder, one of only a few humans remaining, has been captured and had Wanderer/Wanda put inside of her. But Melanie is fighting back from inside, and although she has almost no control of her body she is still present and able to talk to Wanda. She leads Wanda back to her family, her boyfriend Jared and her little brother Jamie. Here she tries to gain their trust and get them to realise that Melanie is still alive inside of her.
Now it sounds a little crazy and it is, it translates better in book form but in the movie it is really laughable. There is some weird love triangle of sorts, Melanie loves Jared but Wanda falls for another guy and it's all very confusing. The amount of scenes of Wanda kissing people and Melanie shouting at her in her head is kind of ridiculous and I found myself laughing at the movie, not with it. I have to admit to really liking Saoirse Ronan, I think she's really talented and she doesn't disappoint here. Her acting is really amazing but the problem is that the content is so laughable that it feels like a wasted effort.
Certain things don't work well at all on screen. The Melanie inside of Wanda's head and talking at her all the time thing doesn't really work. The souls and how that works doesn't translate well at all and the scene where they remove one from the body of The Host actually had me in fits of giggles, it was that ridiculous. On the plus side I thought Max Irons was rather nice to look at, especially as an incentive to keep my eyes open at 5am and finish this movie. Saoirse Ronan does give a great performance, despite what she has to work with.
I got around to watching this last night because I was sick and Netflix is evil and keeps me up at night. So I literally began watching this at about 3.30am and didn't finish till gone 5.30. By that time my boyfriends alarm was going off to wake him up for work and I realised I have a serious Netflix problem.
Now the movie, to me, was just okay, nothing special and not something I will be getting around to watching again. But it was 4am and I'm not sure if my sleep deprived brain didn't mind it too much because it wasn't really paying attention, or because it's actually an okay film. This is definitely not an amazing movie, it won't be winning any awards but for a one time watch it was enjoyable.
The main storyline of The Host is that some form of alien species has come to earth and is taking over the bodies of the humans, erasing their memories and then living as them. They are a gentle race, they don't lie or kill but are essentially wiping out an entire species, which is kind of the same thing in my books. Melanie Stryder, one of only a few humans remaining, has been captured and had Wanderer/Wanda put inside of her. But Melanie is fighting back from inside, and although she has almost no control of her body she is still present and able to talk to Wanda. She leads Wanda back to her family, her boyfriend Jared and her little brother Jamie. Here she tries to gain their trust and get them to realise that Melanie is still alive inside of her.
Now it sounds a little crazy and it is, it translates better in book form but in the movie it is really laughable. There is some weird love triangle of sorts, Melanie loves Jared but Wanda falls for another guy and it's all very confusing. The amount of scenes of Wanda kissing people and Melanie shouting at her in her head is kind of ridiculous and I found myself laughing at the movie, not with it. I have to admit to really liking Saoirse Ronan, I think she's really talented and she doesn't disappoint here. Her acting is really amazing but the problem is that the content is so laughable that it feels like a wasted effort.
Certain things don't work well at all on screen. The Melanie inside of Wanda's head and talking at her all the time thing doesn't really work. The souls and how that works doesn't translate well at all and the scene where they remove one from the body of The Host actually had me in fits of giggles, it was that ridiculous. On the plus side I thought Max Irons was rather nice to look at, especially as an incentive to keep my eyes open at 5am and finish this movie. Saoirse Ronan does give a great performance, despite what she has to work with.
An okay film, enjoyable enough but don't think I'd watch it again.
3/5 Stars
I actually really loved the book, and I enjoyed the movie. I didn't like Melanie's accent and that part of it didn't translate as well from the book to the movie. It also felt like such a compressed time frame in the movie versus the book it seemed more like insta-love whereas in the book the relationship between Wanda and Ian took awhile. Agree with you about Max Irons, I'll watch it again just to see him. Sorry you didn't like it that much! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI think I remember enjoying the book, but I read it when it first came out so it has been such a long time that I can't really remember. I feel like I did enjoy it, more than I enjoyed Twilight but if I remember correctly, I also found it quite slow going at times.
DeleteAgree about the insta-love as well, it all felt very rushed in the movie but I also remember the book being over a much longer time period. I think the movie was okay but I think I enjoyed the book more. I feel like I can't completely say that as I don't remember the book well enough. I do remember caring more about Melanie than I did for Wanda though.
I didn't dislike it, I honestly found it quite enjoyable even if somewhat laughable at times.
I really loved the book but I hated the movie. I agree that Melanie yelling/talking inside Wanda's head didn't work on screen! Hope you get to feeling better and can get some sleep :-(
ReplyDeleteS.Huston @ Head In The Clouds
http://readbookswilltravel.blogspot.com
I actually got intrigued and went back to my old, old Shelfari account and it shows that when I read it 3 years ago I gave it 4 stars so I obviously really enjoyed it. If that was the case then I would probably have hated the film, because it was not a good film at all.
DeleteI hope I get sleep soon too, but as it's 3am right now I think it's becoming a habit!