5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Andrew Niccol directs this science fiction romance adapted from the novel by Stephenie Meyer, creator of 'The Twilight Saga'. An alien race has begun colonising Earth by taking over human bodies and erasing their minds and memories and only a small band of survivors remain who are working to protect themselves from extinction. One of them is Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan), who, when out on a search for food, meets another human being named Jared Howe (Max Irons) and it isn't long before they begin to develop feelings for one another. However, when Melanie is taken by the alien species and is made host to one of their own, it seems all hope is lost. That is, until Melanie's mind begins to fight back against her new inhabitor and her human emotions and memories ignite some empathy in the alien parasite.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Jake Abel, Max Irons, Boyd Holbrook, Frances FisherFantasy | 100% |
Romance | 86% |
Teen | 77% |
Adventure | 64% |
Action | 42% |
Sci-Fi | 22% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Mobile features
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
With Hollywood scrambling to anoint Twilight's spiritual successor long before the final film in the mega-franchise ever hit theaters, it was inevitable that someone would scoop up Stephenie Meyers' "The Host," a novel feverishly penned as the author put finishing touches on "Eclipse." It was also inevitable that whoever snatched the rights to the book wouldn't much care whether or not it was any good. The Host isn't about to inherit the Twilight mantle, or any other mantle for that matter. Vapid and listless, the pouty genre vamp drains Invasion of the Body Snatchers of its lifeblood, leaving nothing but the dry, hollow husk of what might have once been a high concept sci-fi thriller. The story? Joyless and indescribably generic. The dialogue? Taxing and tiresome. The performances? Dead on arrival. The pacing? Slow and onerous. The visuals? Shiny and... shiny. If there's any redeeming value here it's that young Saoirse Ronan is still getting work, although that may come to a tragic end if she continues to sign up for preening drivel like The Host.
The Host is as warm, vibrant and sparkly as intended. Universal's 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode plays happy, healthy host to Niccol and cinematographer Roberto Schaefer's idyllic post-invasion dystopia, with sun-struck hues, lifelike skintones, rich black levels and unflinching color and contrast. None of it is overbearing, mind you, coming to rest somewhere between filmic and otherworldly. The ice-cast alien eyes and glowing Souls are a lovely sight, and the high definition presentation doesn't reveal (or hide, in a few unsightly instances) the seams separating the visual effects from the film's practical photography. Detail is excellent throughout as well, with crisp edges, well-resolved fine textures and informing delineation. Better still, the encode isn't prone to significant artifacting, banding, aliasing or ringing, and very few anomalies take up residence in the presentation. The Host may be dead on the inside, but beauty is at least skin deep.
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track doesn't disappoint either, even when Niccol's otherwise limp action sequences lumber into view. Dialogue is clean, clear and nicely grounded. Melanie's disembodied voice is overly disjointed from the soundscape, almost to distracting ends, but it's easy enough to chalk it up to poorly implemented intention and give it a pass. LFE output is strong and assertive on the whole, with enough power and presence to hold its own, and rear speaker activity is aggressive enough to up atmosphere and keep the soundfield involving. The Host is nowhere near the immersive, full-assault invasion spectacle genre fans are accustomed to, but it gets by on moody ambience, convincing directionality and enough angsty wherewithal to suit the film's tone. All told, Universal's AV presentation is the highlight of the disc, with next to zero issues to report.
The Host would be best served if Meyers and Niccol were removed completely and replaced with a stronger storyteller and more daring screenwriter and director. As is, the film quite ironically lacks soul, or anything else notably human for that matter. It's a cold, joyless, out-of-body romance thriller with little to no intrigue or hook... other than Meyers' name, which will only draw the sort of crowd that isn't usually interested in things like sci-fi body snatching. Fortunately, Universal's AV presentation offers a strong showing. Those who decide to ignore the warnings and give The Host a spin will at least enjoy the AVC-encoded sights and lossless sounds.
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