The Host
MPAA Rating: PG-13In Theaters: March 29th, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes (125 minutes)
Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and violence.
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy
It's
A
Sci-fi,
Good
For
A
Few
Laughs.
The Host Review
- What's Good:
- If you like the genre, then most of the parts are good.
- What's Bad:
- Slow screenplay, tiring pace and some silly unwanted moments which end up being hilarious.
- Verdict:
- The Host is a passable film that should be able to entertain a segment of viewers. It has some solid cinematography and competent performances, but dramatically ineffective.
- Watch or Not:
- Watch it if you love sci-fi movies and can do with lusterless screenplay and dull stars.
Audience Ratings for The Host
Plot Summary
What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? "The Host" is the next epic love story from the creator of the "Twilight Saga," worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) , proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.
Critics Reviews for The Host
5 Critics like this movie.
Reviews Counted: 21 | Positive Review: 1 | Negative Review: 20 | Average Rating: 1.9/5Ronan, youthfully elegant as always, tries hard, but the material defeats her.
Critic Score: 1/4
A goofball teenage sci-fi romance, "The Host" is an End of Days parable that seems like it was written at a slumber party.
Critic Score: C
If only the movie played as nicely as it looked.
Critic Score: 2/4
The Host raises many questions, among them, how has it taken this long for Diane Kruger to play an alien?
Long, tedious and often unintentionally hilarious.
Critic Score: 1/4
It's a mushy and unsuspenseful melodrama.
Pick up the book. It does a far better job of breathing life into this monochromatic new world than the film.
Critic Score: 1.5/5
Dopey, derivative and dull, "The Host" is a brazen combination of unoriginal science-fiction themes, young-adult pandering and bottom-line calculation.
Critic Score: 1/5
There's only so much value that Niccol's slick presentation can add to Meyer's shallow material.
Critic Score: 2/4
Ronan is better than the material she's given as Melanie/Wanda. The star of Atonement and Hanna conveys more intelligence than her foolish dual roles call for.
Critic Score: 2/4
A sci-fi writer like Philip K. Dick ("Blade Runner") might have used this premise to explore notions of memory and identity. Meyer uses it to create a teen soap opera.
Critic Score: 1/4
An invasion of the body snatchers is preferable to realizing that the true horror perpetrated here is not on the characters but on the audience.
Critic Score: 1/4
We're treated to the bizarre spectacle of Ronan arguing with herself repeatedly over which guy to kiss. But since both are similarly bland, it barely matters.
Critic Score: 2/5
Meyer is undeniably canny at using genre to address the age-old struggles of adolescence, but at just over two hours, even "The Host's" air of guilty pleasure eventually subsides.
The Host is born from the mother of all things Twilight, Stephenie Meyer, which is the next best - or worst - thing, depending on your point of view.
Critic Score: 1.5/4
There's something about novelist Stephenie Meyer that induces formerly interesting directors to suddenly make films that are slow, silly and soporific.
"The Host" is like a confused guest who stays too long - but at least it's good for a few laughs.
Critic Score: 1.5/4
The film may as well be titled "Stephenie Meyer's Waiting Around."
Critic Score: 1/4
"The Host" is top-heavy with profound, sonorous conversations, all tending to sound like farewells.
Critic Score: 2.5/4
Just kind of dumb.
Critic Score: 2/5
If nothing else, the movie serves as an excellent substitute for the book: better art direction and a quarter of the adjectives.
Critic Score: 2.5/4
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Credits
©2013 Open Road Films
The Host Photos
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Saoirse Ronan Promo Stills for The Host
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Christian Serratos at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood
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Perrey Reeves at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood
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Taylor Spreitler at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood
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Lauren Hill at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood
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Saoirse Ronan at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood
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Diane Kruger at The Premiere of 'The Host' Movie in Hollywood