I see no Palicoes here
It has been well over two years since Sony officially announced it was producing a motion picture based on Capcom’s legendary Monster Hunter franchise. Since that announcement we’ve seen stars Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa added to the cast, a plot outline, and even a whopping great sword. But we’ve yet to see any actual monsters… until now.
Sony Pictures has released a very brief teaser trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter, which gives us our first glimpse of action as Lt. Natalie Artemis and her non-specific military squad encounter the frightening horned giant known as the Black Diablos. Deciding that negotiation is not an option, Artemis and crew throw a little lead in harm’s way, ending the preview.
What do you make of the teaser? I have to admit, I think the Diablos looks pretty neat, and I dig the barren wasteland atmosphere. But I think the “modern military unit falls into another dimension” is an ill-fitting trope, and perhaps a little too ’00s. I would have preferred the film to just present us with its world, and the people and creatures that exist within it, rather than run the trademark, fish-out-of-water, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” deal. I can hear Jaa’s exposition-filled speeches already.
Still, Monster Hunter isn’t a movie I’ll be putting at the forefront of my watchlist, so my opinion is relatively moot. How do you think Anderson’s adaptation is looking so far?
Monster Hunter is tentatively scheduled to premiere in theatres in December.