Monsters: Dark Continent (2015)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  3 / 10

  Monsters Dark Continent monstrously destroys the thematic intelligence of its predecessor. Edwards' surprise debut 'Monsters' was a feature that, despite my reserved rating, had layers upon layers of contemporary purpose. The resemblance between extraterrestrial creatures and humanity was intricately explored through subtle visual flair. Well, much like any generic war film covering modern warfare, this sequel obliterated all thematic strands with its absence of monsters. A squad of soldiers head out to the Middle East to join the fight against insurgents and colossal creatures.
  
  Might as well call this "Dark Continent", to which you could just rename to "Middle East The Movie 27", as there are a total of four minutes of footage that includes the eponymous monsters. For a sequel that continues the commentary on humanity's social and aggressive behaviour, withdrawing the plot device that accentuates this theme (i.e the monsters) was the worst idea possible. In fact, take away the minimal footage of these alien fauna and you would still have the exact same film. That's how little impact they made to the narrative. What a waste! Never mind the one-dimensional soldiers that have as much charisma as a defunct IED explosive. You can even put aside the amateurish handheld directing technique in an attempt to retain the warfare's gripping and ferocious environment.
  
  Its main problem is just how frickin' boring the film is. Longest. Two. Hours. Ever. Its generic approach, in an already saturated genre, makes it utterly forgettable. A first hour of "lads" discussing "laddish" behavioural tropes whilst decimating their girlfriends/hookers on sofas and drawers. "Make love not war, baby?". Urgh, gimme a break! A second act that I cannot remember for the life of me. And a third act that was semi-decent, thanks to some gorgeous cinematography and an endearing score. The spore scene and final gargantuan were exemplary sequences that proved a sequel is possible, and desired. Just not this one that is equipped with every tired war cliché from the textbook. Bigger budget? Bigger letdown.

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