One of the few critics out there that gave The Host a positive review is Nancy Churnin of The Dallas Morning News. Nancy wrote a follow up to her review after the un-impressive performance of the film at the box office. She calls it “Five Reasons You Must See The Host.” You can find the full article here (source). (I would just like to say that I really like this woman!)
“1. Know anyone who has ever been bullied for being different? Are you sick of the us vs. them mentality? In a world that too often pits one group against another, The Host is all about empathy, making its lead character a likeable alien in a human body after an alien invasion of the earth.
2. Are you tired of stereotypes of girls clawing each other over some guy? One of the most beautiful relationships in The Host is between the human, Melanie, and alien, Wanderer, who are co-habiting Melanie’s body. They start out as adversaries, but ultimately, literally become “sisters under the skin.” (I love that in my interview with Stephenie Meyer, she said she drew upon her relationships with her own sisters for this relationship.)
3. Are you a fan of Orson Scott Card? Stephenie Meyer is, and you can see his influence in the way she gets inside the heads and hearts of her aliens, helping you understand them in a similar way to how Card gets you to care about the piggies and the Hive Queen in Speaker for the Dead, his sequel to the amazing Ender’s Game (coming to movie screens in November, can’t wait!). Card raved about The Host book in a blurb he wrote for it, by the way.
4. Do you like a touch of romance with your science fiction? I can’t think of anything more romantic than a guy who falls in love with a soul — Wanderer — who has a separate spirit from the body she inhabits. This is a guy who loves the girl because he loves her essence — and nothing, not time nor circumstance or changes in her body, will change his feelings for her.
5. Do you think for yourself? Just because a film does not rule at the box office, does not mean it is not a good film. The Iron Giant and The Shawshank Redemption are among my personal favorites that were not box office hits. The Wizard of Oz was considered a flop on its release in 1939, grossing $3 million on a $2.8 million budget. Sure, it’s made plenty of money since thanks to re-releases in 1949 and 1955 and television airings starting in 1956. But if you had been one of the people who refused to give Wizarda second look back in 1939 because other people didn’t give it a chance, just think of what you would have missed.
