I haven't read the book, so i found this movie very enjoyable, interesting and kinda of fresh for me. I didn't realize that the time went by so quick but it still a good one. This movie shows human interactions and emotions such as hate, love, fear, trust, courage and hope.

If you are after a non stop action movie, then don't go watch this. If others said that the book was much better than the movie, then maybe i will go buy and read the book. Again, i enjoy this movie and it's a very entertaining one for me compared to horrible die hard 5.… Expand

The best part of this movie that is being overlooked by it's critics is the genius and the wonder full progression of how each main character comes to terms with their ethics, being honorable and doing the right thing. Each one of them are put in situations where it would be much easier to take the easy way out and give in to their anger violence and prejudice and be like every one else of their species and not uphold honor and integrity. There are not enough movies out there like this one and there needs to be more. The movie makes so many good points about character and overcoming our primitive responses and showing us how violence and oppression can be overcome with non violent solutions and more forward moving ways of being and thinking.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok, that was really amazing
Dont compare this with Twilight.

Earth has been inhabited by an intellegent alien species known as "Souls." Although an incredibly peaceful race, Souls can only survive by being inserted into a host body, taking control of their minds. In an effort to discover the secret whereabouts of some of the last remaining human resistances, the Soul Wanderer has been inserted into the human being Melanie Stryder, who was captured while attempting to locate her family. After insertion, Wanderer comes to realize an unsettling fact- Melanie has not faded away in consciousness, and in fact is putting up walls in her mind to prevent her family from being found. As time passes and Wanderer tries to break Melanie's walls, she begins to feel sympathetic toward the humans Melanie loves so dearly- her brother Jamie and her partner, Jared Howe. Wanderer becomes torn between loyalty to her own race, trying to give information to the argumentative Seeker assigned to her, and her blossoming love for the humans in her memories. As Wanderer's and Melanies trust builds, they embark on a journey through the desert to find the resistance, nearly dying in the process. Wanderer awakens to find herself captive in the den of the enemy, and realizes her problems have just begun: the humans want her dead, the doctor wants to experiment on her, she may have accidentally lead the Seekers here, and she has become hopelessly in love with Jared, the man who belongs to the human she occupies. What follows is an inspiring story of friendship, love, and loyalty in which the bonds of human brotherhood are tested, and an alien discovers that in all the planets in the universe she has experienced, humans are the only race she would give her life to save. … Expand

Pacing
- The pacing was very good for the time restraints it has (800+ page book into 2 hours movie) thing flowed from scene to scene. The emotional flow is about the same as the book with pieces taken out to shorten the film Action
- There gun fight and chases though they are quick and don last as long we can chalk that up mostly to length. Though there is not as much action and many my have thought. There a still scene intermixed helping the flow of the movie.

Cinematography
- Really nice looking Andrew Niccol does a fabulous Job using wide camera angles to show case the scenery Which is stunning even for a desert. He captures the emotion of character using the camera to show their face and eyes to help show you how the characters are felling. This was very well done.

Production
- I personally Love the cave scene I feel as though they did a really good job with something of this magnitude (a huge interior living cave system),
-The desert scene are well shot and make you feel lost as if you where in the desert with the characters
-The scene in Louisiana Are very well shot used many land marks that look and feel Futuristic and metallic.
-This is same look is used for the look of the vehicles, tools and accessories used and it's pulled off very well Has flashes of Andrew Niccol's visual style
-Which lead to Costumes, they were great as souls the where a vintage style, as the cave dwellers they look and feel worn in and practical. Music
- Score throughout the film good Scored by Antonio Pinto* He does a fabulous job using the score to help convey emotions and help the pacing of the movie flow
-There is also an official soundtrack that has many great artists, and it is very good and worth checking out bit and pieces of this are dispersed throughout the film. Emotions
- It was touching in a few scenes, but at times I felt it kind of sputtered and never really took off. Andrew Niccol is not an actor's director and I wish he were because (as written below) some scenes the actors could've been directed/pushed more.

Acting
- Solid no weak links amongst the actors/actresses who had speaking parts. Saoirse was good, She thoroughly pulled off the duel roll of Melanie and Wanda, Which she separated by using different accents Melanie(southern, Wanda proper and soft) And she did very well my only Gripe was that to communicate while preventing confusion was to talk outside(no Voice over) as Wanda and talk inside (using a voice over) as Melanie, and feel it might have been better to keep some of the audiology in her head to better convey that, but that would be hard to do and would be confusing to the audience seeing as it’s the same voice.
- Chandler Canterbury Started out rocky his first experience could have been a little better But she is a very good young actor and can show a lot of emotion. William Hurt was, in my mind, the standout. I see critics really liking his performance. He was funny when needed and he really was this character. Max and Jake were good. They both have a very good presents in the film Jake is able to steel scenes to it balances out with Saoirse -Boyd and Doc were very good. Though i wish they both got more screen time and character development If I had to rank the cast -
William Hurt (great)
Boyd Holbrook (awesome screen presence)
Max Irons, Jake Abel (both were good)
Diane Kruger (Very solid)
Francis Fisher (solid but she had minimal screen time)
Saoirse Ronan (good to fantastic), Chandler Canterbury (pretty good)

Directing
- It was good. He has an attention to detail, thought I do wish he could have fixed certain scene and flow like the rest to the movie, but those were very few and everything else worked. His visual style is great I personally love it. 8.5 Overall it was a solid movie, a solid adaption, but it felt a little rushed a point and is missing aspect from the source they could have lent to making it better.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Twilight aside, please allow me to comment on the cinematic masterpiece that was The Host. The poignancy of this quality film stemmed from a script that allowed the characters to truly tap into a world of emotion far beyond human comprehension. Indeed, this movie is quite literally, "out of this world," as alien lifeforms--nay "souls," as they are called--take over all bipedal hominids. All bipedal hominids, that is, save for a group of hardy individuals called The Resistance. Though originally unable to accept Wanderer/Melanie as one of their own, they eventually [spoiler alert] learn to accept her as the lovable, alien-infested being that she is. The striking originality and angst-ridden drama of this film lended itself to a powerfully emotional experience that will remain with me for many a year to come.
#love #this #movie… Expand

This was an excellent movie. I can why people might not like as it is a bit OTT but you can't deny the acting was excellent by all. They should actually turn this into an actuall saga like the Darren Shan.

I can't say this is a masterpiece, although it isn't a like Twilight saga. No, The Host is a great movie. If you have read the book, you can notice the movie is on rush but I think this is OK because the original story is really wide. The storyline is great (8/10), the direction is quite good (7/10), the acting is very good (8/10). I really enjoyed The Host because there aren't too much romantic scenes, there are some action and a bit of Sci-Fi, too.

All in all, it's a great movie for those, who neither like absolutely romantic films nor absolutely Sci-Fi. It's a movie for those, who would enjoy a film featuring all of these genres.

So 8,5/10 9/10… Expand

Ignore the basically clueless media reviews…..this is a very intelligent and deeply intuitive film by the man who wrote the screenplay for “The Truman Show” and who both wrote and directed “Gattaca”…..so forget the “Twilight”-related baggage (which the critics apparently can't)…..go to it with fresh eyes and enjoy the entirely believable and cohesive sci-fi world that Andrew Niccol ha Andrew
Niccol has created……this is better film than (the interesting) “Looper”
and an infinitely better film than the current darling of the media
critics “Amour”.… Expand

Not sure why this film is getting suck bad reviews the story is good and for a near two hours movie i was never bored and did not look at my phone for the time once unlike so many films with better scores. Saoirse Ronan was great i thought she gave a really good performance its not a complete sci fi or a romance drama so don't think it another Twilight So make your own mind up but its worth a watch in my book … Expand

This is not a bad movie despite the critics reviews. Saoirse Ronan acting in the film was great and the plot while not strong ended in a satisfying way.The portrail of the struggling Wanda and the occasionally funny Melanie helped when the movie got occasionally dull.

Ok so first of all, It's not going to win any awards or be one of the biggest movies of the year. But in saying that it's not at all a bad movie. I haven't read the book so i don't know how closely it follows the story. But i enjoyed the movie enough to want to read the book. The actors are great and the action is fun. It's also funny and touching in parts! I only wish it had been that tiny bit better. It lacked something. What that is I'm not quite sure. But it could've been so much better. But still i enjoyed it and would watch it again … Expand

This movie wasn't that bad. I had read the book about a year ago, so "filled in" a lot of information myself that wasn't there in the movie. However, if a person HADN'T read the book, they would probably give it a 4 because it was slow moving. There were poignant moments that I enjoyed seeing come to life, but this is really a movie for those who have read the book. It doesn't stand on it's own. There's so much more detail in the book about Wanderer (her life, history, struggle between being a Soul and reconciling it with her new feelings and behavior, dealing with Melanie, etc.) and you only get 1/20th of that from watching the movie.… Expand

I liked this film. The presence of Ronan, Hurt, Kruger, and a few others really made up for some of film's weak spots. The story is somewhat generic, but it still works. They add an interesting twist to the "love triangle" formula which is what I believe proves to be one of the stronger aspects here. It's beautifully filmed and that along with several other strong points truly makes up for the film's transgressions. At least we are dealing with a genre that's a bit more forgiving as opposed to glittery vampires.… Expand

Stephanie Meyer is derided and praised in equal measure so with her movie follow up to the twilight saga, The Host, she had something to prove. She had to prove that her patented romance formula could translate from the supernatural to the science fiction genre. Unfortunately for The Host hardly anyone wanted to find out despite the fact in most ways, The Host is better than any of the Twilight films if only for one reason, there is a sense of meaning to what happens in this world where as with Twilight, someone couldn't pay me to care. The Host tells the tale of Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) one of the few surviving humans on Earth. When she is captured she is implanted with an alien life and becomes a prisoner in her own body. The alien, known as Wanderer begins to experience human emotions and Melanie's memories and she struggles to live normally and is forced to seek out those Melanie has left behind. The film is odd because its deeply planted in the Sci-Fi genre but it feels like a deep character piece with a typically western feel. It's a cross genre story that carefully balances each genre while never forgetting the rules of this new world the characters live in. The film doesn't really concentrate on action and feels more comfortable in the small personal moments. Sure the film has its action sequences but they are always coupled with an emotional character moment as though juxtaposing the two. This does make the action rather drawn out and lackluster but like I said, this film really isn't about the action. The music (by Antonio Pinto) is unique and an odd amalgam of conventional western tones and electronic western notes. It provides an interesting context to the world that has been built, the solitary nature of this new human life but also the presence of the futuristic and the good and bad that comes from this intrusion. It has an Eric Serra (The Fifth Element) feel to it and because of it, the music proves well suited to moments of emotion but also sudden action. The film is grounded in a sense of reality, be it a slightly 12A reality where all anyone ever talks about is kissing (It's a film aimed at the young and idealistic after all) and the film relies heavily on Ronan to keep the film flowing and from becoming overly complicated. She delivers in both roles (despite Melanie being mostly voice-over) making them both sympathetic protagonists despite the twisted nature of their joint habitation. It's a film about morality (like many westerns are) more than anything and the idea that no one is perfect is rampant in the film. The film has the tendency to break its own established rules to serve the story so there are a fair few plot holes making segments of the film unbelievable (beyond the whole aliens from another planet thing). It depicts a world and a girl at war with itself and it does so in a subtle way by concentrating on the small moments, the ones that depict the voice and ideals of the people and why they fight to begin with.… Expand

The Host just didn't feel like the Twilight movies, it was completely different! It's an odd romance movie with no potential, no target, nothing but the film is fun and it has ALIENS! And I am not a Twilight fan but this film was actually a good time! It had everything, magic, kisses, aliens and Pathetic Romeos. The film was slow but we gave it time and its still slow. The pace drops towards the end and its lore doesn't amuse you. It's not a great movie but its good for a Sunday night after work.… Expand

I was feeling a bit dragged about The Host. I thought the trailer was better than the movie itself. I agree with the critics. This is not the Stephanie Meyer movie I know about. But now since the "Twilight" series finished, maybe I'll give it a shot on The Host. It may be a disappointment just like Beautiful Creatures, but I'll rent it. Maybe I'll just read the novel instead.

Well, the ad industry certainly takes a nosedive after alien occupation, but Detroit will rejoice because chrome sports cars, it seems, are a universal desire. The Host is "Twilight for Aliens," complete with all those teenage moments of "what would be really cool to include in a sci-fi movie" that Stephanie is known for. I just wish that the aliens weren't quite so boring, that the pace of the story was closer to jogging than strolling, and while I was expecting a lot of footage shot in caves, the caves looked strangely like props from the original Star Trek. Very roomy. I didn't hate the movie... just kind of hate myself for going to see it. But I always felt that way at Twilight films ...At least it finally explains those voices in my head.… Expand

I really wanted to like this movie. Some of the effects are absolutely captivating, but the terrible acting and downright silliness of the plot take away from any of the positives. The original score is one of the better to come out of a sci-fi movie in recent memory, but the cliches (chrome plated everything, for example) destroy what could have been a decent film. Skip it, but get the music.

A silly "teen beat" approach to typical sci-fi invader tropes, this overly done and half baked psuedo love story provides more laughs than gasps. exhibit a) the chemistry between these kids is non existent, making for some unintentionally hilarious scenes. not the fault of our young cast, who struggles with utterly ridiculous dialogue though with promising conviction. exhibit b) the narrative get's lost into an ostentatious dive by the whim of over dramatic "love cues" or quite simply, poor writing. let's face it, Stephanie Meyer doesn't really know what she's doing. an unlearned writer who got lucky with 'The Twilight Series' by tapping into the narrative routine that was more like a "teen idol poster" to a novel, Meyer was able to exploit what teenage girls "really want"; having been undermined with sexist literary schemes that harken back to the "damsels in distress" or "suzie homemakers in white aprons", with a twist. what's her modus operandi? a subversive heroin who balks and crumbles at the feet of a prototypical blue-eyes, who reminds them what it's like to be a woman. you couldn't write dialogue anymore jarring to 50 years of women's lib if you tried. exhibit c) there must have been a better way to engage the audience with the pivotal "two voices in my head" scene. a scene wherein both the writer and director attempt to circumvent the drama with a true, honest to god commentary on the anagonist's jungian state, which would translate into this sort of thematic reveal and open up the plot and central theme of the movie. unfortunately, it's far more sillier on screen than it was on paper. in fact, who even writes this stuff? oh, yeah.....exhibit b.

cold special effects that add to the atmosphere but operate as nothing more than breaks of eye-candy, this story will expose Meyer for what she really is. a fake. *2 out of 5 stars*… Expand

This is not scifi. It is yet another teen romance drama. There couldn't be worse dialogue if you tried. The story is insipid and corny. Revenge of the body snatchers crossed with twilight. I hope this doesn't get a sequel.

The biggest sin of this film is that it is so dull, it is completely forgettable. I saw the movie a while ago but I can't remember a single thing about it. Acting is subpar, the story is sloppy, action is dull, interesting sci-fi concepts are barely explored and the hackney love story is generic and boring. There is nothing about this movie that I hate, but there is also nothing I like. It is just lazy garbage made to cash off of the success of Stephanie Myers far more popular and unintentionally funny Twilight franchise. I would recommend this movie if you enjoy watching paint dry.… Expand

The acting was very good at parts and some of the scenes were well done. However, this might have been the worst script that I have ever seen. The script is so bad that it ruins any possibility for romance or science fiction. Waste of two hours.

Why waste our time with these love triangle, teenage girl romantic fantasies? Same material in different packages every year to fulfill the fantasies of young female audiences. Andrew Niccol writer of "The Truman Show" and director "Gattaca" can make better than that.

This movie is garbage. Yes, there is Sci-Fi, in it, and its thought-provocative, but it has such bad acting i can only give it a negative review here.

Few movies, have been so painful to watch, especially in a big budget film. I kept telling myself i would judge this movie on it's own merrit, and never compare it to twilight or let it drag it down, but as it turns out it didnt matter because shockingly enuf, THIS MOVIE WAS WORSE. I know, i am surprised to say that myself. How could a much hotter actress in a movie with aliens be worse? Well it is so poorly executed and the story is so predictible and boring and horribly sappy (bad sappy not good sappy). At many parts i laughed at how cheesy and ridiculous what just happened actually was. Stephanie Meyer has absolutely no concept of how the male mind works and very poor writing skills. The casting team also needs to learn that there are many different appearances to men, and not just the pretty boy surfer dude that BOTH main male leads were hard to disquinsh apart from. Made the main character look very (insert possiblly nonexistant socially accptable term for a girl who is too loose with the guys) because stephanie meyer tries way to hard to force the broken two men one girl mechanic into a story where only one guy is needed. In fact, this story would have been far better with only one male lead and could have further developed the bond between the two charcters. Meyer needs to learn this important detail, two guys fighting over one girl concept is not new and is perfectly fine, but the two "hot" guys fighting over one average girl and deciding to be friends and sharing in some twisted threesome relationship concept is ridiculous and unrealistic, at least in the manner she keeps trying to display.… Expand

Very generic and dull and tedious beyond belief. Shallow pap, with a music score as awful. Which is a shame because the cast is quite good, like Adam from Supernatural. But what did you expect from a Stephanie Meyer film?

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this film was awful. I was constantly yawning and I even wished that I could be taken over by an alien being just to end the torment. I was constantly cringing at the dialogue and the acting.… Expand

Buy a ticket for the eye roller express on this stinkeroo. It has been many moons since I have walked out of a movie but this one earned the distinction of seeing my heiny trotting on out the door.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that the book is more engaging. This screen adaptation seems as though it were written by a 12 year old. I"m not sure whose idea it was that thought audiences would want to watch the equivalent of two 14 year old girls bicker for an hour and a half in the same head but they should be tazed. If they were shooting for age pertinent dialogue they found it. The upside is that it didn't make the remaining parts of the movie (that I saw) feel quite as contrived.
Anyhoo, my recommendation is to skip this movie and wait 'til it comes out on vhs … Expand