There may be some wonder as to what you are getting yourself into when you find out that the new movie “The Host” was based on another Stephenie Meyer novel. However, very early on in the film the audience is relieved to see that Kristin Stewart would not be grimacing at them through the whole film. In fact, the cast is one of the most intriguing things about the movie
Saoirse Ronan, better known for her roles in “The Lovely Bones” and “Hanna,” shrugged off her childlike air for her role as Melanie Stryker, a girl fighting for the resistance who becomes a host to the parasitic alien race.
The aliens wish to use her body’s memories to find her family in order to infect them, but Melanie’s alien finds that it is much harder to keep control of its host than it previously expected. Through Melanie, the alien begins to feel compassion and even love for the beings it was sent to infiltrate and capture.
Alongside Saoirse is her love interest, played by the delectable Max Irons, or as he is known in the film, Jared Howe. Sadly he is not paid based on shirt removals like dear Jacob of the “Twilight” series. So for all you “Supernatural” fans, Jake Abel (who plays Adam Milligan), appears in “The Host” as Ian O’Shea, also stepping out of his usual role for this film.
Of course, let us not forget Diane Kruger, most memorable to me for being unfortunately cast as Nicolas Cage’s love interest in “National Treasure.” Yikes. You certainly see a fiercer side of her, kicking down doors and screaming in this film as she plays The Seeker, one of the alien leaders bent on finding Melanie and her resistance of humans.
Unlike the “Twilight Saga,” this film was thoroughly enjoyable. The movie is about how aliens have pretty much occupied every human being in the world. All that is left of the human race are pockets of resistances that escaped the initial invasion.
Melanie is part of one of those groups but finds herself captured after a pretty intense chase. Now that the aliens have her, they want her and her resistance of humans. However, Melanie is strong, and even when she becomes a host, she puts up a fight, wrestling for control of her own body.
Saorise does a great job at moving her face of course, something Kristin Stewart has forgotten to practice. But she also shows you a sexier side that wasn’t there before through her relationship with Jared Howe who is unsure how much of Melanie is left inside her body.
The idea of the inner conflict between Melanie and the alien parasite was an interesting concept, especially when “Host Melanie” shares a pretty hot and heavy encounter with Jared. Through the whole film you see the alien’s feelings mixing with its host’s.
This basically becomes a futuristic sci-fi spin on Romeo and Juliet, where the Wanderer (that little wormy thing inside Melanie) learns to love and what it feels like to care for someone enough to die for him. And it only took traveling all over space.
Meyer is nothing if not a romantic. True to her past role of “Hanna,” Saoirse Ronan does not disappoint with chases, falls, cuts, bruises and burns in this thriller.
Ladies, there is enough mushy love for us but enough action and car flipping to keep your man happy for the 125 minute movie. But there will be no spoiled endings here; you’ll just have to go see it to find out the fate of the human race.
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