Rent Monsters: Dark Continent (2014)

Clichéd and depressing war film - Monsters: Dark Continent review by Alphaville

An awful film about clichéd gung-ho GIs in the Middle East. You know the sort. They party with hookers, pour beer over their heads and shout Whoo Whoo when they kill someone. And these are our heroes we're supposed to care about? You'll soon be on fast forward. The whole film leaves a sour taste in the mouth. One star for an occasional passing CGI monster, but the only real monsters here are the protagonists.

Monster v. Monster - Monsters: Dark Continent review by JH

Who are the monsters? The aliens or the humans? The Americans or the Arabs? This is a film about a lot of the scary things that are going on in our world today, all wrapped up in an allegorical tale set in a world very like our own but where the Martians are winning. Valour is amoral, heroes are villains and children are both killed and do the killing. Meaning is fabricated because, ultimately, all is pointless.

Not really the film I was expecting - Monsters: Dark Continent review by JD

Space monsters landing on earth and the military (solely the US it seems) sent to fight them.

Its been tried many times and usually fails, but let give it another spin shall we.

I suppose one thing this film does is not go down the usual sci-fi action route but rather a more anti american anti war drama.

I get the daft inexperienced soldiers. Up for anything, but quickly collapse under pressure (a play on what happened to many unfortunate US servicemen in Vietnam?) The more experienced senior officer is more robust, but slowly breaks down. Again, this sounds like something from Vietnam. Unfortunately we are not shown or have any idea why this toughened old hand does break down. He just does. Maybe its easier to see him as a villain if we dont know everything he has gone through.

The monsters are a side event in there own film. Just there. Again, like the us soldiers there is a clear point to there position in the film but it has no depth, story or purpose except for the director to have his say on... something.

And the locals, we see both sides. The nut jobs and the poor civilians. Yeh, we know - and the point is?

This is more of a commentary on things than any meaningful sci-fi.

like the original monsters, this promises way more than it ever intends to deliver. Its more a film for critics to use big words to explain the deep meaning of rather than hold any entertainment value.