There are spoilers in this review, but I assume most have seen this movie by now! You have been warned:)
After finishing The Host book yesterday, I said to myself that the next thing I do would be to watch the movie. As I made my way through the book I found myself wondering how they could put all of this into a movie that wouldn't end up being 5 hours long. So when I saw that the movie was only in fact two hours long, I instantly knew they'd had to have missed a helluva lot out. I just got done watching it and I have to say, it was a good movie for two hours, but it definitely has left me feeling disappointed. I desperately wanted to like this movie but... it was okay. Just okay.
The acting was brilliant! The cast was exactly how I'd imagined it, especially Melanie and Jared, I definitely saw them that way. Oh and let me just say, the body that Wanderer is put in at the end was probably the most beautiful, angelic looking person I've ever seen! Like she was drop dead gorgeous, I couldn't believe it and although that's not how she was portrayed in the book, I could definitely see why they chose this specific actress.
The main cast;
Melanie Stryder
Definitely the right choice of actress. She has the perfect look and was almost exactly what I envisioned when reading the book! Her acting was brilliant as she could seem to convey emotions very well.
Actress: Saoirse Ronan
Although she doesn't look like I imagined her, I still think it was a perfect choice. I imagined long, golden hair and freckled, fair skin. She is stunning though!
Actress: Emily Browning
*Drool* Exactly how I imagined he'd look! And that accent, unffff, although in the movie he was American. I did hear the British slip in a few times though. His acting was also good, not as good but still superb! Uh look at him though.
He was very good during the flashbacks with Melanie, he portrayed affection very well... Maybe it wasn't as fake as putting it on for the movie ;);)
Actor: Max Irons
Oh isn't he just perfect? I don't usually go towards blondes but DAMN. He was one of the best actors for me, simply because he knew how to convey the right emotions, and make it seem real.
When he was trying to get Wanda to stay and he said he loved her, I cried a little. No shame. (
Oh I want him for Christmas!
Actor: Jake Abel
Perfect choice. Naive but strong willed in his character which he played brilliantly! Oh and look at him, isn't he the cutest!
Although his bond with Wanda was rushed in the movie, he did play the role brilliantly for someone so young. I just can't get over the need to pinch his cheeks and coo. Gah.
Actor: Chandler Canterbury
In the book, Uncle Jeb was a chatty, optimistic joker who bonded with Wanderer first and never treated her like an 'it'. He talked to her like a human and became her friend.
In the movie this was not portrayed. He was kind to her and all but his bond was not as strong, he was not as curious or open hearted. I don't think that was something to do with his acting though, all these flaws listed in this review were to do with how the movie was written and produced.
Actor: William Hurt
There were so many significant characters that I barely saw or just weren't there! Like Walter, Sunny, Sharon and Maggie, Lucinda and her children. They were the ones who I felt should have at least been shown more, if at all! I mean in the movie, there was not as much hatred towards Wanderer, therefore there was not as much revelation. This was a downfall for this movie.
Throughout the movie I found myself pointing out everything I noticed that they'd missed. Some things that I thought were so significant that they ought to at least be acknowledged! First of all, Walter, in the book, dies eventually of cancer and this seemed to be the turning point for Jared and many others, seeing how this alien parasite that had invaded the human's home could be so kind and so loving of someone she has barely known. They'd all seen how Wanderer had created this bond with Walter, how sad she was that he was in such pain. This part was not even mentioned in the movie, I actually think I only saw him once and that was at the table when Wanda was explaining different planets she's been on.
That brings me to two other points; in the book, the kitchen was the place where everyone simply began (albeit slowly) to tolerate Wanderer, they listened to her stories of the different planets she had lived on, and how she got her reputation as a 'wanderer'. The stories that were told in the book were not even mentioned in the movie. The countless times that everyone gathered to listen, even the times when Wanda would tell Jamie, Ian and Jeb her adventures weren't shown at all. And this was a major turning point in the book. In the movie, everyone went from ignoring Wanda, to accepting her and wanting to listen to her and it all happened in a blink of an eye.
I just think that everyone accepted her far too quickly, there was much more of a build up in the book. So much more they could have shown whilst keeping the film at a reasonable length.
Towards the end of the film, it got better and kept to the book. When Wanda had to say goodbye to Ian and Jamie, I got sad and teary but then Wanda said goodbye to Melanie and I was definitely shedding a tear or two. I very much enjoyed the ending, although it wasn't as in depth as the book, but it was a good way to end it.
I think if I hadn't read the book first, the movie would have been awesome. There was nothing wrong with it in general but after reading the book and enjoying the depth of which the author had shown us this entire new world and the species with it, you can't enjoy the movie as much.
All in all, I was disappointed. This could have been such a good movie with everything included! I know it could have been better, more developed. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it seemed like a lot was missing. Even the way Mel tried to take her life bothered me as it was not in sync with the book.
I will watch the movie again, but I'll never ever love it as much as I adored the book version. But isn't that the way it usually goes? The books are always 10x better than the movies, and then sometimes, very rarely, there are those few books-to-movies that are so close to the book that they are as good. E.g, Harry Potter. All those movies were as good as the books, I just wish I could have liked this one. I do give Stephenie Meyer 5/5 stars on the book though, absolutely captivating till the last word.
Conclusion; I adored the book, (I wrote a review last night) but the movie didn't do it for me. I'd really like to hear your take on this book-to-movie transformation. So leave a comment so we can rant together haha. OH and I'm very excited for this second book to surface (hopefully) soon! I have no doubts that it will be as good as the first. I feel like I have a lot more to say on this movie but I can't put it into words, and that's frustrating!! Simply, there was just too much missing for me to enjoy it.
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