Monster Hunter, from 2020, is a great movie that was adapted from Capcom’s game franchise of the same name. Unfortunately, it was released during times when theaters were closing down and people were not going physically to watch movies. When this happened, many movies box office numbers tanked, which completely undermined the way Hollywood determines a film’s success. While the movie had great reviews, the box office numbers were not up to projections, which meant the film was not seen as successful as it should have been. The film’s budget was $60 million, while the worldwide box office made $44 million. This grave detail overshadowed the film’s ultimate execution of a video game adaption.
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The film follows Captain Artemis, played by Milla Jovovich, as she leads a team of soldiers on a search and rescue mission through the desert. When a strange and powerful storm erupts, they are transported to the New World with no knowledge of how to get out. As they try to find their way, a giant monster traps them on a rock formation surrounded by insect-like creatures, bent on making them their next meal. In a battle for survival, Artemis must team up with a local hunter (Tony Jaa), who knows how to fight back against the creatures with special weapons. They must work together to take down the monsters if they are to survive long enough to make it back to their world.
Experienced Director
Screen Gems Releasing
The film’s director, Paul W.S. Anderson, is a British native that always saw himself as a Hollywood filmmaker. His only British movie was Shopping, that was banned from theaters in England; however, the film was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival and welcomed Anderson into Hollywood. Anderson is known for his films based off of video games. He is the director of the 1995 Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil from 2002, and was the driving creative force behind the Resident Evil sequels. Some other films Anderson directed were Death Race (2008), Alien vs Predator (2004), and Event Horizon (1997). All of which were successful, either in theaters or as home releases.
Love for the Games
The filmmaker has made it known that he is a fanboy of video games. Anderson played the Monster Hunter game while in Japan before it reached popularity in the U.S. He said in an interview that he knew from the first moment he played the game, it was very cinematic. He found the creature designs to be incredible and new, as opposed to the familiar and iconic monsters like King Kong.
Anderson wanted to show the New World that the games created to audiences, and give them the same awestruck feeling he got the first time he played the game. A goal accomplished by showing how familiar, yet so different, the New World was from our own. The sand may be the same sand from our world, yet it is smoother, and flows more perfectly in the New World. They travel on the sand-sailing ship that looks so much like a standard water-bound pirate ship. This was something that got audiences to feel the incredible new world in a real way.
True to the Games
Film adaptations, whether from a video game or book, all have similar complaints: they lack the detail or original story that fans love. Anderson has always strived to keep to the source material that will keep long-time fans engaged. He also tries to balance that with making the film interesting enough to bring in an audience of people that have not played the games. It can be a fine line that some video game adaptions were unable to walk. Anderson, however, seems to have a good understanding of what it means to include all types of audiences.
The film was true to the world created in the game, by including the detailed designs of the locations and the creatures that live there. The Wildspire Waste desert was a realistic interpretation of the game’s desert, with sandy dunes and large rock formations leading to cliff-faces. The location was an important detail to observe when it houses a giant monster like the Diablos. The monster’s design was strictly followed as well. The coloring of scales and the locations of damage were exactly as it would be in the game, but shown in a story-accurate way that was practical to those that have not played the game.
Capcom’s Input
The monster’s design went further than looking accurate; it followed the games movement and behaviors as well. Anderson made it known that the monsters were a priority in making this movie. He went as far as visiting Japan and asking the original game animators if they would give their notes on what was needed. They took it very seriously, as they even looked at the way the monster’s toe should move. Capcom gave input in every aspect of the film in order to make the film to its best potential.
The film took some time to look at the weapons that were natural to the world of giant monsters. It showed the great sword made from a monster’s jaw bone, sharpened to cut through armored scales. The dual blades used by Captain Artemis are shown as steel-forged weapons, yet laced with elemental energy from the monster item it is crafted from. The film captured the intricate detail expressed in the games that are centered around precise hunting and crafting.
Monster Hunter was a great video game adaptation because it stayed true to the feeling and design of the game. Paul W.S. Anderson was very careful to adhere to the game’s details and story while inviting a new audience into the world. Capcom and the game’s animators were able to give input into the film in order to make the world come to life in a cinematic way that was true to itself. Anderson’s prior experience with video game adaptions led to a well-informed directing style that made Monster Hunter one of the best video game adaptions.
