MONSTER HUNTER
A rousing monster thriller with strong content warnings.
Should You Watch It?
Monster Hunter delivers what its B-movie premise promises: a lively, action-oriented science-fiction thriller with appealing heroic characters. Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa create an engaging partnership as Captain Artemis and the monster hunter, two wary fighters who slowly learn to trust each other.
The movie also has a strong moral worldview and Christian allusions involving the Devil and dragons. But that moral framework comes with significant content. There are 18 obscenities, additional profanities, and frightening battles with a horned monster, fire-breathing dragons, and armored giant spiders. Some images are especially disturbing, including soldiers being burned alive and a man covered with newborn spiders.
If you are an adult or a mature viewer who can handle those elements, this is a worthwhile action thriller; for family viewing, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESCaptain Artemis leads a small group of American Army Rangers through a desolate wilderness when a gigantic sandstorm filled with lightning transports them to another world. There, huge armor-plated dinosaurs—including flying dragons—rule the landscape.
After deadly encounters leave Artemis on her own, she meets a local monster hunter armed with a large crossbow and explosive-tipped arrows. Together, they must evade the giant horned monster and reach a mysterious tower that may hold the key to getting Artemis home.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means Monster Hunter is a gratifying, well-made action thriller that falls short of greatness. It is lively and rousing, with appealing heroic characters at its center. Milla Jovovich brings emotion and intellect to Artemis through her expressive eyes, while Tony Jaa makes Hunter a compelling partner.
The growing friendship between Artemis and Hunter is fun to watch. The movie’s many action sequences provide its energy, from battles with giant monsters to martial-arts combat. Viewers should expect a straightforward B-movie experience rather than a more nuanced or polished drama.
The Worldview
Monster Hunter presents a strong moral worldview centered on heroic characters fighting huge, devilish monsters. The horned monster is called Diablos, or Devil. The film also includes Christian allusions to fire-breathing dragons, including a comparison to the demonic dragon in the Book of Revelation.
The story warns about human technological ambition. An ancient race built the tower and the portal to Earth, but destroyed itself through advanced technology. Hunter’s leader wants to stop the tower from creating the portal, protecting both planets and destroying the monsters guarding it.
The film also includes a small shrine with candles for Hunter’s dead wife and child. It is not clear whether he is praying to them or to something or someone else. Artemis eventually respects his beliefs, though she does not understand him because he is from another planet and does not speak English.
The film’s longing for safety and protection finds a partial echo in Scripture, while its supernatural imagery remains distinct from biblical truth: “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview of heroic characters fighting huge devilish monsters, with some Christian allusions to the Devil and dragons like the demonic Dragon in the Book of Revelation, plus man has built a little shrine with candles for his dead wife and child but it’s not clear if he’s praying to them or to something or someone else (the heroine later comes to respect his beliefs, though she doesn’t understand him because he’s from another planet and doesn’t speak English
Foul Language
18 obscenities (mostly “h” and “d” words with a few “s” words), one GD profanity, one Jesus profanity, four light profanities, and woman retches but doesn’t vomit
Violence
Strong, often scary violence with many explosions includes soldiers and people fighting giant horned monster, fire-breathing dragons and scary armor-plated spiders with guns, an RPG in one scene, grenades in one scene, giant blades that can generate fire, people thrown from vehicles, horned monster attacks a sailing ship with wheels or sleds that rides giant sand dunes, horned monster flings vehicles and people into the air, people go flying and sometimes hit rocks, armored siders pierce a few soldiers with their stingers, fire-breathing dragon burns three people alive during battle, wrist device can fling a grappling hook for climbing, woman uses gunpowder to cauterize an ankle wound, woman fights a man who doesn’t trust her in a long fight scene with martial arts flips and kicks and knives, giant flying armored dragon rips a turret off a tank and rips wings off a plane, giant dragon attacks army vehicles and helicopters, giant armored spiders swarm but hate sunlight, man’s body is covered with tiny newborn armored siders and it’s implied they are going to eat him, etc.
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity but woman wears a tight green Army T-shirt (nothing salacious shown, however)
Alcohol Use
Man and woman share an alcoholic drink of some kind from a flask
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drug references;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Artemis and Hunter begin as strangers who distrust each other, then slowly build trust. What helps trust grow between people who do not understand one another?
Proverbs 17:17 · Ephesians 4:2–3Hunter keeps a shrine for his wife and child, but the film leaves his beliefs unclear. How should grief shape the way we remember people we have lost, and where should our hope rest?
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 · Psalm 34:18The ancient people’s technology destroys them and threatens two worlds. When does human achievement become dangerous pride?
Genesis 11:1–9 · Proverbs 16:18The characters fight frightening creatures to protect others. What does biblical courage look like when you are afraid?
Psalm 56:3–4 · Joshua 1:9The Final Word
Monster Hunter is a lively action thriller with appealing heroes, strong moral themes, and memorable monster battles. Its profanity and frightening violence make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults and mature viewers, our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For family movie night, choose something else.
