Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Host
2013
**
Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Chandelr Canterbury, Boyd Holbrook, Scott Lawrence, Rachel Roberts

An alien race has planted themselves inside human bodies and erased the minds of their hosts. These hosted bodies are recognisable by their fluorescent eyes. A feisty young woman named Melanie Stryder is an exception; her body was taken over but her human consciousness remains very much alive. As she makes her way to a rebel base, an alien seeker is on her trail. This science fiction romance is based on the novel of Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the popular Twilight books. She has plans to write another trilogy, but the box office failure probably put an end to any cinematic sequels. This is an odd little movie. The scifi elements are interesting but not terribly original (see Invasion of the Body Snatchers). The romance is meant to be moving but becomes unintentionally funny when the two halves of Melanie's mind fall in love with two different guys. The lack of action, however, is the biggest problem, as one conversation inside a murky cave is followed by another.