Monster Hunter proves bad video game flicks are alive and well

This flick will probably be less Monster Hunter and more Resident Evil.

Not many films come to theaters these days, but we’ve now seen the first bits of footage from the upcoming Monster Hunter movie. More so than anything else, this sneak peek has reaffirmed one thing: bad video game flicks are back.

Put simply, Monster Hunter is a series of games about hunting and slaying monsters. You explore untamed environments in search of these exotic creatures and eventually bring them down. The materials you gain from your victory can be traded, sold, or repurposed for new weapons and armor for your character. In turn, this allows you to tackle tougher beasts, and the cycle continues.

As you can see, the series is short on story, so you could easily fashion a narrative around the concept itself. In addition, the franchise already comes equipped with several inspired creature designs; audiences wouldn’t have to settle for some generic CG blob that the filmmakers cooked up on the fly.

Immediately, however, the film should raise some red flags for fans. First, the premise involves a group of soldiers from our world falling into the Monster Hunter realm. As a result, the audience will already be pulled out of the experience by the characters using guns (unlike the games) and by the misguided move to involve otherworldly portals.

Instead of committing to the setting, the writers are trying to be self-aware, looking at it from an outsider’s perspective so they can easily dismiss it as goofy and stupid. As shameful as that sounds, it’s nothing next to the core malady of the film.

The real monster is behind the camera.

The good news is that Monster Hunter is being helmed by a seasoned veteran. The bad news is that this veteran has never made a good movie in his life. The culprit in question is Paul W. S. Anderson. Much of his filmography consists of video game adaptations, which is probably why he got the reins to Monster Hunter.

His most “well-loved” effort is 1995’s Mortal Kombat, a campy schlock-fest that’s mainly looked on fondly for being relatively faithful to the games it’s based on. It may not have had the gore, but at least it looked like a Mortal Kombat movie. To be fair, that’s more than can be said for some of the other video game flicks at the time, such as Double Dragon, Street Fighter, and the notorious Super Mario Bros.

Unfortunately, Anderson’s also responsible for the Resident Evil flicks. This long-running series forgoes the suspenseful horror of the games in favor of a bombastic, silly, and uninspired action vehicle for Milla Jovovich (who’s also in Monster Hunter, by the way). Considering how much mileage she’s gotten from this franchise, it’s no wonder she married him.

Anderson’s awfulness extends beyond the realm of video games, however. You can thank him for the likes of Alien vs. Predator, the Death Race flicks, 2011’s The Three Musketeers, and 2014’s Pompeii. If this guy is in charge of a movie, you can guarantee that it’ll suck.

That kind of poisonous touch is rare, even in Hollywood. The most infamous example would be Ed Wood. However, we’ve also seen this trend personified in Tyler Perry, Raja Gosnell, Catherine Hardwicke, Zack Snyder, and Uwe Boll.

With all that said, you understand why I have no faith in Anderson’s Monster Hunter flick. Video game adaptations have made small strides in recent years. We’ve even seen some good ones in Castlevania, The Witcher, and Dragon’s Dogma, but we shouldn’t get too comfortable. Monster Hunter will likely remind us how bad they can be.

Granted, there’s always the chance that it could turn out alright. We won’t know for sure until it comes out. However, the guy steering the ship inspires little confidence in that possibility. In place of a filmmaker, we get a farce.

Do you have any hope for this movie? Have you played the games? What do you think of Anderson’s work? Will this simply turn into another Resident Evil flick?

The Monster Hunter games are available at most retail outlets, such as Steam. The movie is currently slated for a US release on December 30, 2020.