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MONSTERS (2010)Movie Reviews
Science fiction drama about a journalist who agrees to escort an American tourist through an area of Mexico infected by alien life forms to the safety of the US border. Cast:Scoot McNairy, Whitney AbleDirector:Gareth EdwardsRelease Date:October 29, 2010DVD Release:February 1, 2011From:MagnoliaRating:RLength:1 hr 37 min
FEBRUARY 1, 2011
Monsters (2010), Good (Not Great) Reviews, Mixed Key Cities
Monsters (2010) played in key cities to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...makes up what it lacks in big effects with a fine photographic eye, a low-key sense of scale, and a genuine (if not always well-performed) human drama." • And Cary Darling wrote in the Dallas Morning News, "...as a calling card for a rising young talent, it's impressive." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD "...hip, moody... made for a reported $500,000... provides a steady stream of tension and doom, yet the overall mood is almost dreamy.... quietly appealing."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 347 words, 10/01/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "...heavy-handed... might have been more tolerable if it had at least offered some vague tension or even the slightest glimmer of chemistry between its two stars."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 10/28/10
Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...impresses thanks to the lead actors' performances and director Gareth Edwards' skilled efforts. But it should come with a warning: 'Here be (not many) monsters.' "(See all of Clark Collis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 77 words, 11/19/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a rather special achievement.... holds our attention ever more deeply as we realize it's not a casual exploitation picture."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 864 words, 11/18/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "As a result of its themes, approach, and/or style, 'Monsters' recalls three other recent science fiction movies: 'The Mist,' 'Cloverfield,' and 'District 9.' "(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 836 words, 10/26/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Despite a clunky immigration message, it effortlessly compels. The ending may be pure sci-fi schmaltz, but it's schmaltz that this viewer, at least, could believe in."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 10/29/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...boring scare-, suspense- and gore-free horror... lamely acted and slackly directed by special-effects specialist Gareth Edwards..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 10/29/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sharp little low-fi monster movie... lays out its political allegory plainly, so there's no disguising it. That, I think, is why the movie works."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 11/19/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a rather special achievement.... holds our attention ever more deeply as we realize it's not a casual exploitation picture."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 864 words, 11/18/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a dystopian landscape that's so naturalistic, it's uncanny. As a writer, Gareth Edwards is a less successful realist, resorting to some pretty hoary contrivances..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 10/27/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Considering his scant money and resources, Gareth Edwards works wonders conjuring creatures in a couple of sequences that fairly chill the blood."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 406 words, 11/12/10
Jennie Punter, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...transcends the special-effects auteur label, creating a memorable sci-fi story in which the hero and heroine are true equals in the adventure."(See all of Jennie Punter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 11/12/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a deft existential road movie, a muted romance, and, above all, a sci-fi allegory with giant squidlike creatures thumping around Mexico..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 380 words, 11/12/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a stunning piece of work that packs a devastating emotional wallop.... smartly plays against every expectation its title and slam-bang setup creates."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 11/19/10
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...there's something compellingly moody in Edwards' story... far from perfect, but as a calling card for a rising young talent, it's impressive."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 278 words, 11/05/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a genuine curio: a moody, low-budget road-movie romance that takes place against a background of alien invasion."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 11/05/10
Stephen Whitty, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: MODERATE(cg) "The most interesting thing here is the budget.... there is nothing here that 'District 9' didn't do better, or smarter. All 'Monsters' has going for it is that it did it cheaper."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 516 words, 12/03/10
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...arty, ruminative and slow-paced... Nowhere have I seen it described as a shaky-cam character piece following two American travelers in Latin America..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 11/05/10
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...with exotic atmospheres captured in richly ominous design, the sluggish pace, listless acting and inert dialogue undermine any sense of momentum."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 11/05/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...makes up what it lacks in big effects with a fine photographic eye, a low-key sense of scale, and a genuine (if not always well-performed) human drama."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 259 words, 11/12/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: POOR(cg) "Too much of it simply reminds you of other, better movies... the shaky performances by McNairy and Able make investing in their budding romance difficult..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 12/24/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...a dystopian landscape that's so naturalistic, it's uncanny. As a writer, Gareth Edwards is a less successful realist, resorting to some pretty hoary contrivances..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 10/27/10
Mack Rawden, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has all the patience and honesty of a very good film, but when it came time to truly trust its muted vision, it cowered and became something less.... a solid movie..."(See all of Mack Rawden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 10/29/10
Noel Murray, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...a testament to what the latest technologies allow filmmakers to do, and -- on the downside -- a testament to the enduring importance of a good script."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 350 words, 10/28/10
Nick Schager, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...leaden... a transparent fusion of 'Cloverfield' and 'District 9' that posits its alien-invasion tale as a parable about illegal immigration."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 10/23/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Edwards blazes a trail for future monster mavens. Near its finale, it finds a moment of unexpected, otherworldly beauty that tempers its allegory..."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 11/10/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT(cg) "I love this movie for dealing with one of the questions I always have at the end of alien-invasion movies: 'Okay, but what then?' This then."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 315 words, 12/15/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Director Gareth Edwards is a wizard with his laptop's effects program.... If he'd been able to conjure up an ending as persuasive as his monsters, he'd be all set."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 231 seconds, 10/29/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "What brings 'Monsters' down from its extremely low perch is a conspicuous lack of monstrosity... there's never a hint of a relationship, human or non."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 256 words, 10/29/10
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Despite a clunky immigration message, it effortlessly compels. The ending may be pure sci-fi schmaltz, but it's schmaltz that this viewer, at least, could believe in."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 10/29/10
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD "...gritty-indie style and horror-movie substance -- if John Cassavetes had ever made a sci-fi thriller, it probably would've looked and sounded a lot like this..."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 624 words, 03/24/10
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Despite a clunky immigration message, it effortlessly compels. The ending may be pure sci-fi schmaltz, but it's schmaltz that this viewer, at least, could believe in."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 10/29/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "What brings 'Monsters' down from its extremely low perch is a conspicuous lack of monstrosity... there's never a hint of a relationship, human or non."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 256 words, 10/29/10
21.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Monsters (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 21.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Monsters (2010) (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Monsters (2010)'s reviews cover 58.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 15,777 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 438 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 56.0 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Monsters (2010)'s reviews on average broke 56.0 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Monsters (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Monsters (2010) (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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