2020 was a year with few bright spots, but one of the unexpected delights was the Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa film Monster Hunter. The film, based on the popular Capcom video game, reunites Jovovich with her husband/director Paul W.S. Anderson, with whom she made all six Resident Evil films. And much in the spirit of those big goofy actioners, Monster Hunter delivered with killer CGI and creature design. It was, in short, a big damn delight.
If you missed the film’s brief theatrical release, then you’re in luck: Monster Hunter is now available for digital purchase on all platforms. We here at TMS got access to an exclusive behind the scenes clip, which features Jovovich discussing her signature weapons in the film, the dual blades. The weaponry prop work in the film artfully captures the in-game arsenal, which includes the Giant Jawblade and the Great Hunter’s Bow.
Jovovich became a fan of the weapons after playing through Monster Hunter World, and wanted to feature them heavily in the film. Jovovich said of the blades, “I love how they power up, and the ease with which you can use them in the video game, ‘cuz I tried all different manner of weapons to see what I liked best, and I felt like the dual blades, they were just an all-around great weapon.”
She added, “I love sword work, so it really gave me a chance to do what I’m good at doing.” In an interview with Empire, Anderson said, “Although Milla’s character’s not specifically in the game, she chose the same armour and weapons she uses in the game, so there were aspects of her game character that got folded into the movie representation.”
Jovovich added, “I experimented with different weapons during the game and was able to kill more monsters with those blades. I thought they’d look really beautiful in an action sequence.”
Anderson added, “What I love about Monster Hunter is the incredibly beautiful, immersive world they’ve created. It’s on the level of like a Star Wars movie, in terms of world creation, … There are no real central characters so it’s a bit like when we first approached Resident Evil and imposed our own characters and story on that world. I think this is a perfect IP for us to do exactly that same thing again.”
Jovovich and Anderson have also been sharing some making of scenes on her Instagram page, where you can watch the fun banter between the married duo:
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If you’re looking for some big dumb fun, you could do a lot worse than Monster Hunter. I found the film to be an absolute blast, and Jovovich and Jaa displayed great buddy chemistry as Captain Artemis and the Hunter. If monster movies and Kaiju are your jam, then you’re in for a treat.
Monster Hunter is now available for digital purchase, and will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 2.
(featured image: Coco Van Oppens Photography)
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