Movie Reviews

By Lynne Martin

THE HOST (2013) starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel is the follow-up project of writer Stephanie Meyers after her wildly successful TWILIGHT SAGA. Without a vampire in sight, this new storyline of an alien invasion still has the unmistakeable feel of a youth driven plot. Unfortunately, this first of a proposed trilogy definitely lacks the passion and richness of Meyer’s former storylines.

Jumping right into the midst of an alien invasion by ‘the Souls’, we join a small pocket of resisting humans as they hideout in the desert, desperately attempting to thwart the takeover of their bodies. Told from the viewpoint of the alien being (nicknamed Wanda) who has been recently implanted inside the host body of Melanie Stryder, we witness the apparent struggle as Melanie fights to regain control of her body and make contact with her loved ones who view her as little more than a hostile enemy.

THE HOST is an apparent case of overused narrative, childish dialogue, and an underdeveloped script that doesn’t even offer a satisfactory explanation as to why the Souls invaded earth in the first place. Released in print back in May of 2008, Meyers has promised to write two follow-up novels.

This movie will never rise to the popularity of her previous work, and for this reason, is apt to be judged harshly in the limelight of TWILIGHT’S success. Definitely appealing to the teen/young adult female audiences, THE HOST makes me question just how powerful the spending dollars of teenage movie audiences can actually be—especially as we begin to see more and more films specifically geared toward the tastes of 16-year-old girls. Directed by Andrew Niccol, PG-13, 125 mins, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sequel. **2 stars out of 5.

Be tempted not by this cotton candy

TEMPTATION: CONFESSIONS OF A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR (2013) starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Vanessa Williams, and Brandy Norward was written and directed by Tyler Perry. Best known for his ‘Madea Series’ and television’s ‘Tyler Perry’s House of Payne’, this multitalented entertainer has now branched off into the world of dramatic relationships.

Inseparable since the tender age of six, childhood sweethearts Judith and Brice have married, completed their educations, and moved to the big city to pursue their corporate dreams. Unfortunately, life was not moving forward in the direction that Judith had planned and she found herself forced to make compromises in her career. Possibly even compromising her personal integrity and Christian values to climb the corporate ladder, Judith’s unfulfilled desires and family secrets begin to surface when an extremely handsome billionaire takes a personal interest in her life.

A morality tale with a predictable conclusion, we feel the ending of TEMPTATION: CONFESSIONS OF A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR long before it even plays out in front of our eyes. The clichéd dialogue does little to set this story apart from other relationship dramas, and the abbreviated love scenes have been inexplicably cut down to the bare minimum required to advance the storyline. Without any emotional attachment to the characters, viewers will find themselves watching this movie with the kind of emotional detachment usually reserved for sitcom reruns.

Adapted from a play by the same name also written by Tyler Perry, this movie reminds me of cotton candy. Enjoyable for brief moment, it eventually turns sickly sweet and we find ourselves pushing it to the side long before we’re even finished. Directed by Tyler Perry, PG-13, 112 Mins, Drama, Comedy. * 1 star out of 5

– Lynne Martin is an avid movie collector and a staunch supporter of sexual education. She currently resides in Alberta, Canada with her husband and their large extended family. For a complete list of her reviews and other works, or to leave a comment, please go to: www.lynnemartinbooks.com.

Article Share