Genre: Sci-Fi

Director: Nathen Letteer

Cast: Adam Singer, Dalena Nguyen, Aeon Cruz, Heath C. Heine, and Pat Tanaka

Studio: WildEye Releasing

Runtime: 82 minutes

Release Date: On VOD October 13, 2020

Rated: Not Rated

Reviewer’s Rating ★★★★★

I’m surprised by the lack of films that utilize comic conventions as a setting for their stories. A handful come to mind; the most recent being Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, but even in those cases, the comic-con is relegated to, at most, a single act of the entire film. This is where Monster Force Zero comes in.

Directed by Nathan Letteer, the film follows a trio of cosplayers promoting their debut comic book aptly titled ‘Monster Force Zero.’ There is writer Calvin (Adam Singer), artist Ammorama (Aeon Cruz), and costume designer Kadabra (Dalena Nguyen). When their latest stop at a convention is a bust, they decide to enter what they believe is a cosplay contest against a rival group dubbed ‘Destroyers of Destruction’ in the hopes of drumming up publicity for their graphic novel. To their surprise, they find themselves competing in the presence of extraterrestrial beings in a competition to see who is worthy of being endowed with powers in order to save the universe.

Monster Force Zero is so unabashedly geeky, mixed with the retro-future aesthetic of the convention and synthwave soundtrack that I found myself frequently charmed by the film. Despite this enchantment, I’m more disappointed at how much the film is marred by a variety of technical issues and script plot-holes which leads to the whole movie never quite being greater than the sum of its parts.

What I liked: I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s score, composed by musician 20six Hundred. The soundtrack incorporates loads of tunes heavily enriched by 80s style synths and guitars, and video game-styled melodies. I’m a sucker for this type of music. I found myself nodding along to some of the sequences that put a heavier emphasis on the music. I ended up looking up the soundtrack after the movie and put some of them into my daily listening rotation.

Another aspect of the film that I adored is the comic-con setting. Having missed all the conventions I had initially planned on attending this year (damn you COVID-19), it was fun living vicariously through our main characters as they cosplay while in attendance at various con events. The convention-themed backdrop helps serve the lighthearted nature of Monster Force Zero which elevates the somewhat amateurish production value to be a tad more endearing. 

But the low-budget feeling of the film is hard to escape. The filmmakers do a lot with what they are given utilizing a stellar mix of practical and sparce CGI effects that are fairly impressive despite the miniscule budget. With that said, there are some questionable technical choices that were made. While I understand why, it doesn’t stop them from being any more distracting than enhancing. Primarily the overuse of ADR for much of the dialogue comes to mind immediately.

There are many scenes that take place in crowded locations that use audio which has been recorded at a different location from the shots we’re being shown. This is done likely because the background noises drown out the actual dialogue from the set. But the issue arises in how this audio is mixed; it’s lackluster to say the least. The way dialogue is mixed in sounds like it’s being placed over the rest of the soundtrack creating this unnatural effect as if you were watching people commentate over the film. This occurs several times in the film and it took me out of the moment each time.

The writing is a mixed bag as well. There are quite a few references to science-fiction comics, films, and different superheroes. On one hand, it can be fun spotting them and getting a giggle over a character quoting a famous line. On the other hand, the writer’s mistakes at referencing something for actual wit feels awkward. More often than not, the pop-culture ‘easter eggs’ are there to make you feel a sense of familiarity but it doesn’t serve the plot or the characters. It starts to make Monster Force Zero’s writing feel tiresome. That being said; there’s a nod to the movie The Fifth Element which works quite well thus making me happy.

Despite the script’s flaws, the casts’ performances help alleviate some of these issues. Charm radiates from the actors, and while not a tour de force from anyone in particular, the camaraderie they share including how they play off each other keeps some of the slower paced moments lively. Singer gives a straight-faced performance; the way he reacts completely unfazed to some of the more insane aspects of the film lead to some well-earned belly laughs.I also got a kick out of one of the more outlandish characters, Gunns Lazer, played Heath C. Heine. Gunns is the leader of the rival cosplay group. Heine’s performance reminds me of every 80s jock villain and it’s so over-the-top that it’s hard not to be entertained by him.

The scene stealer is easily Pat Tanaka whose character is every wise old man in every 80s movie and portrayed pitch-perfect. Tanaka plays a seemingly normal janitor, whose name we never learn, but he soon acts as a mentor to our misfit band of heroes spouting out a never-ending stream of proverbs and advice. Yes, it’s cliché; however, Tanaka’s performance is firmly tongue-in-cheek and the film is self-aware enough to keep the character from feeling too one-note. 

In the end, I’m conflicted over how much to recommend Monster Force Zero. While I definitely had bursts of fun watching it in the moment, it’s only after the fact that you start to reflect and come to realize how superficial the film can be. This fact is only amplified by the bothersome technical issues. Although, it is enjoyable enough to pass the time so I’d say check it out but be aware of what you’ll be in for beforehand. 

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Official Site: https://www.monsterforcezero.com/