When the American planes come...the creatures...very mad.

Imagine you're trying to decide on a movie to watch and you come across a movie called Explosions. On the back of the box it says, "The best explosion movie ever made!" You're thinking, well, shit, I like explosions. I like them's alots. So you rent it, hurry home, and within the first minute of watching it, there it is! An awesome explosion. Knocks you on your ass. But then, something happens. It's a full hour till you see another one. And there's only a handful more by the time the flick ends. Are you pissed? Well, that's the predicament I found myself in watching 2010's Monsters, written and directed by Gareth Edwards.

Worst question ever: Do you find giant squids frightening?

With the right expectations, this movie will impress you. After finishing it, I foolishly checked around online for the overall consensus. For every, "breathtakingly original" there was a "the most boring movie ever made." I wouldn't say that I'm firmly ensconced in either of those camps, but I did like it. A lot. It's quiet. Pops Racer likes quiet.

If you care to, read some stories about the production of this movie. Regardless of how you feel about the final product, the production tales are impressive. For example, the crew consisted of two people and all the dialogue and (to some extent) the locations were improvised. Wow.

Also worthy of praise, are the two leads. I didn't recognize either, but they were stellar. The guy starts out kind of douchey, but ends up very solid. The girl, who I found intermittently stunning, was also incredibly affecting as well. The onscreen chemistry was palpable. I think I read that they became a couple off-screen after filming. If that's true, you can clearly see it coming during all the quiet moments of Monsters. Let's just say there's quite a few of those.... So, what's Spanish, for Yays and Boos. Nikos?

Cameron Diaz + Girl I loved in High School = Whitney Able

Yaaaaay!

• Some of the visuals are breathtaking. I thought, at times, this is the most gorgeous blu I've seen.
• Spielberg homages, perhaps? I'm going with nods to Jurassic Park and Schindler's List. 
• The vigil scene. Hypnotic.
• Great intro. Military cameras were clutch. We all need a theme song.
• Lake scene! I was confused at first, but it was very well done. Initially, I was thinking oh, shit - robot sharks!

Okay, so it's just like District 9. Except there's no guns. Or action.

 Booo!

• With the budget, this actually deserves to be up in the with the Yays. But without those considerations, it's kind of a Boo.
• Ruthless Mexican Ferry Operator. You should be ashamed, cabrón.
• Homeless Person! You're not an actor, are you? I'm sorry and I'm scared.

Final Question: So, movie fans...who are the titular Monsters? I have three guesses. Let's hear yours.