Monster Hunter has had a rocky road to its theatrical debut. As one of many films to have its release schedule shuffled due to the ongoing pandemic, it has also suffered blows due to a controversial joke. Even though it was removed from cinemas in China, it had its U.S. launch moved up to yesterday, December 18. To mark the debut, a new trailer was released.
The new trailer includes a few new scenes. Reviews have been mixed, but the general gist is that it’s a popcorn flick that’s light on story and character development. One review confirmed that the offensive joke has been removed from the U.S. version of the film. Audience reviews are divisive. Some say to just sit back and don’t overthink it, while others are expressing disappointment with its various failings.
- Vulture: “Monster Hunter Is Loud, Unapologetic Fun”
- Ploygon: ” Monster Hunter is shockingly, bombastically faithful to the games. The Milla Jovovich-led action movie lovingly parrots the Capcom franchise”
- Indiewire: “Jovovich and Jaa Team Up for a Virtually Unwatchable Video Game Movie”
- Rotten Tomatoes: “Monster Hunter is mostly a mindless blur of action, held together by the slenderest threads of dialogue and plot — and exactly what many viewers will be looking for.”