Parents' Guide to Monster Hunter

As video game-based movies go, this isn't the worst, because spouses Anderson and Jovovich know what they're doing -- but it's still a forgettable compilation of violent CGI effects. At this point, Anderson owes his career to turning video games into movies, and his Resident Evil star-turned-wife is his fierce, fabulous muse. Despite dismal reviews, the Resident Evil franchise has a sizable following, so it's possible that Monster Hunter will strike the same chord. But for audiences who are unfamiliar or uninterested in the game, the movie has little to offer beyond a seemingly unending sequence of violent battles between humans and beasts. But the tension is underwhelming, as is any investment in the characters (even Artemis and the Hunter remain unknowable).

There are a few moments of levity, such as when Artemis gives the Hunter her stash of chocolate and he demands more, or in the inevitable training montage when she learns to use his armor and weapons, but they fall short of humanizing the characters. This is definitely not a buddy adventure, nor is it a character study of warriors strategizing and overcoming rough odds. It's just a show of humanity-versus-beast violence -- and not a creative show at that. Then again, these movies never pretend to be something they're not, and there's clearly an audience for them. Don't expect substantive world building, back stories, or plot explanations, just artillery-spraying, human-crunching action.