Monday Matinee: The Host (2013)

 It has been at least a month since I saw this movie with my daughter, and I just haven't had the motivation to say anything about it.  But since it is a fairly new movie that should be coming to DVD soon, I figure I should give it a shout out.

Just so you know, I did not read the book.  It got decent reviews on the blogs, but at that point I'd had enough of Stephanie Meyer.

So here is what is going on.  A superior, peaceful race of aliens invade Earth and take over humans' bodies and minds.  Their mission, in addition to a new world order, is to locate and inhabit the last few humans in the Resistance, who are in hiding.  Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) is one of those few who has been on the run with her little brother and hottie Jared, her soul mate.  She is eventually tracked down by the persistent alien named Seeker (Diane Kruger) and becomes a host for the alien named Wanderer.   

 Except that Melanie's mind is so strong, and she so desperately wants to protect those she loves, she resists being controlled by Wanderer, and ultimately the two "personalities", if you will, exist in the one body.   We discover that Wanderer is actually a sweet, understanding little alien and they work together to run from Seeker and protect the remainder of the Resistance.

The only problem is that Melanie loves Jared, and Wanderer has fallen in love with a Resistance fighter, Ian.  Then things start to get a little crowded.  Melanie and Wanderer have to figure out how to resolve their love triangle, and also to bring peace between the aliens and humans so there doesn't have to be any more hiding and killing.  

So first let me just say that somebody pulled in some favors, or maybe Meyer just has enough street cred, but this movie had its share of respectable actors.  I have ALWAYS loved Ronan...she is just adorable and somebody I find irresistible to watch on screen (she has starred in Atonement, Hanna, The Lovely Bones, The Way Back).  But lined up behind her was Diane Kruger (who played the badass German actress in Inglourious Basterds), and William Hurt.  
   

But overall, I felt this movie was completely targeted towards the teenage girl.  My 15 year-old daughter loved it.  There is a courageous young heroine, and a love triangle with hunky guys.  I think Ronan did the best she could with the dual soul thing she had to portray, but at one point I am sure I rolled my eyes. So much drama!  So much running around, avoiding the evil alien invaders that were led by a gorgeous, steely-eyed blond!  So much making out!

There is little here in the way of character-building or world-building or complicated plot arcs.  But I'm not sure fans of Meyer are looking for all that.  You don't go to The Golden Corral looking for fine dining, you go to fill yourself up on stuff.  Ultimately, yes, I admit there is a positive (but predictable) message.  In the spectrum of movies my daughter could see, it could be worse.

2.5 out of 5 stars