The Millionaire Tour 7/10

Really dull. It's not even a re-make, the story is totally different but it's still weak on blood & grizzliness.

I absolutely love Chushingura. It's one of my most favorite portrayal of all folklore tales of all time. That's why, despite Keanu's presence, I was compelled to watch the film based on it.

While I came back impressed with the storytelling, complete with eye-catching cinematography, wonderful direction and some fantastic CGI, the sore dot across the entire film's frames was...you guessed it, Keanu. There's code, customs, tradition, samurais, bushido, ronin, magic, witches, spells, katana-clashing fights, explosions, attacks, everything you can think of in a folklore-rendered mass entertainer, and the entire Japanese cast impresses with their solid performances.

Wish they had made it with someone like Stephen Chow. The film would have been much more impactful. As it is, it's still a pretty decent entertainer. It's almost faithful to the original Chūshingura storylines, although the added fantasy elements take much of the sheen away from the original Japanese story. For the purists, you are better off hunting down the Toho classic from the 60s, which has the indomitable Toshiro Mifune in it.

Make sure you watch it on a big screen with surround sound, if and when you do.


* * *

Satan Hates You (2010): 7/10 (first viewing)

It was an entertaining parody of the Christian propaganda films of the 1970s. The plot was a little thin, the characters weren't bad, though I did not really connect with them. It was also a bit cheesy with all the satanic costumes. It was not clear exactly where the movie was going though. One area that the film deserves credit is in the casting department. The film included Michael Berryman, Angus Scrimm, and Debbie Rochon, so it was worth it just for their cameos. Overall, I was entertained, but it's definitely no masterpiece.

I have a hard time believing i'm the only one in here who've seen "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone". It's starring Steve Carrell, Steve Buschemi and Jim Carrey for crying out loud!!

Or maybe i'm just the only one who find this flick hilarious. That might be the case..

Spoiler Free Summary

A very powerful, if poorly scripted, first act unfortunately leads into a film which is visually stunning but poorly paced, tonally mismatched and filled with dull characters. Ultimately, Godzilla is once again appropriated by a culture which just doesn't have the deep rooted emotional link to the figure.

2/4

Full Review Complete with Spoilerific Fun

From the moment the opening titles started rolling I was excited. Much like 1998's offering, we are treated to archive footage of nuclear testing. Whilst the concept is perhaps cliché, it is deployed well with a distinctly menacing vibe and just enough of the big man to keep us interested. I particularly like the notion that Godzilla was alive and well BEFORE the tests, as opposed to being created by them - a nice little twist. Things get even more interesting as we fast-forward to 1999 when an enormous skeleton is found underground and a character asks "is it him?" Clearly he's not unknown to man.

The rest of the 1999 stuff escalates quickly. In their short time on screen together, Cranston and Binoche work through pretty poor dialogue to create a believable on-screen couple. Very shortly after as tragedy strikes and I really did feel it emotionally, becoming aware of my horrified facial expression long after I evidently started pulling it. I can certainly imagine there will be tears for some. There are quite a few genuinely interesting enigma codes raised in this first, very well executed sequence and stunning performances.

Another jump forward and we're in the present day. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, playing Cranston and Binoche's now adult son, is in the military and has a nice little family unit of his own. Returning from a 14 month tour, we're given some really quite appalling dialogue as he reunited with his wife and son - as characters promise to always be there for each other, to stay safe and say things like "it's not the end of the world", I almost wondered if I was supposed to laugh...sadly, I don't think I was. Still, Cranston's return as the now manic Joe 15 years on kicks the film back into shape as we move into a very eerie set-piece in the derelict Power-Plant town from before. The act concludes quite satisfyingly with scenes of monstrous destruction and death - namely, that of Cranston's Joe. This is perhaps the first big mistake of the film, as Cranston's show-stealing performances and interesting character development would certainly have made the next 90 minutes far more interesting. Whilst his death offers some vague guidance to Ford (A T-J) to protect his family, such a cliché really isn't necessary. Are we to believe he WOULDN'T have done everything he could for them had his Dad not told him to? Rather, I feel it would have been far more interesting to witness Joe's descent into determined, revenge seeking mania in opposition to Watanabe's more reserved "let nature do it's thing" approach. Instead, we're left with Ford - the textbook devoted protagonist, empty of character but full of "goodness."

Now let's talk Godzilla himself. Edward's is clearly taking a leaf out of the Jaws book of making monster-movies - less is more. Tease the audience with mentions, glimpses, noises leading up to a big pay-off in the final act. In theory this should work, and it does at first. Godzilla's first appearance is short but sweet, featuring just enough to whet the appetite. However, the effect soon wears off and becomes nothing but frustrating when the same formula of appear-roar-start to fight is rehashed a few more times. Matters are not helped by the sheer amount of times we see the MUTOs - those things tear apart multiple locations (in particular, anywhere this one family happens to be). They're continual reappearances make Godzilla's absence all the more conspicuous as it becomes "MUTOs featuring Godzilla".

As for his characterisation...I was torn. Godzilla was born as a symbol of Japanese Post-War Nuclear fears. An unstoppable, ferocious beast who killed all in it's past - good or evil. Whilst yes, he later became less villainised in the many sequels, that was his role. This film establishes things as much more of a confrontation of Man and Nature, however it doesn't know who is who. Whilst Watanabe's speeches seem to suggests the monsters are nature and man is just a powerless, tiny figure, the emphasis on the MUTOs nuclear power seems to align them much more with the "man-made destruction." But then, as the humans guide and allow Godzilla to fight (rather than try to destroy him) it is as though Godzilla is more on the side of man...then he's referred to as a balance bringer. So is is Man versus the Nature MUTOs with Godzilla as the referee? Doesn't seem like much of a balance-restorer for him to just kill one side and let the other (man) survive. Essentially the films message is convoluted.

Godzilla's heroic status also missed the mark for me. Whilst he does dish out a little collateral damage, it is VERY limited in comparison with the MUTOs. Rather than voice a message about the cost of using one huge destructive power to fight another (which would have been a nice allegory for the West's moral dillemas regarding war), Godzilla is a very controlled force - hell, he's hailed as a hero and set free at the end! As the film progresses and he repeatedly shows up to dispose of the MUTO menace, he quickly transcends from terrifying force of nature to Oversized Club Bouncer dealing with a couple of rowdy customers. An audience's reaction to Godzilla should not be uncomplicated relief that he's going to get rid of the mean guys, it should be a complex mixture of excitement and fear - excitement for the spectacle, fear for the human cost. The Golden Gate Bridge sequence offers this to an extent, however I feel the death of the Brody son would have served a much greater purpose in emphasising the cost of using destructive forces.

Besides the nature message of this film, we have the aforementioned "family" one, that which Cranston bestows just before his death. "Protect family at all costs." Whilst very noble, the film then goes on to have Joe make a very roundabout journey to San Francisco, stopping off to fight monsters and risk killing himself (thus rendering him unable to help his family) and make Halo jumps (are bomb guys qualified for that?) along the way. No messages of "head as far east as you can" to his wife or "fuck the army, I'm going to be with my kid." Whilst one could argue that he was killing the monsters to "protect his family", quite frankly the risks involved (he doesn't know he's the protagonist) make that a pretty stupid way to protect them. On this note, I feel the film missed a big opportunity to raise an important ethical dilemma here. As the MUTOs mate and lay eggs which Brody must then destroy, rather than include a poignant moment of reflection whereupon he realises the MUTOs are doing just what his father said he should do, Brody torches the eggs and shows no remorse. Then, as the parents attempt revenge we are supposed to cheer for Godzilla.

Besides these important thematic negatives, I felt the film suffered from lazy writing; a bad case of "right time at the right place" throughout to always put our protagonist in the centre, flat characters I simply did not care about, underuse of Watanabe and an ending so filled with Deus Ex Machina I was laughing.

This is not to say there weren't positives. The effects are fantastic - I thought the monster design of Godzilla was incredible, considering it really is not easy to stay true to the original concept whilst making it visually believable and unlaughable. Whilst the MUTOs were a little generic and untextured, they had enough going on that I was interested. The action set-pieces really were gorgeous too; monster fights in a fire-lit Honolulu, then the storm cloud filled San Fran as well as scenes in the forest and at the plant. They didn't make it easy for the CGI team with the lighting choices, but they pull it out of the bag for sure.


All in all, I was disappointed. A promising start leads into a mindless Godzilla-lite Godzilla movie with confused morals and dull characters. Perhaps if there was more alignment between script and visuals it would have worked better; the cheesy clichéd lines just don't fit the dark, broody film, and a few scenes of poorly placed comic-relief really complicate things. You can feel the good intentions and nice ideas coming through, but ultimately it just...doesn't quite work. Missed opportunities aplenty.

Yeah...well...uh after the last post (outstanding)..I'm a little embarrassed to admit to revisiting..um...THE GATE 2 Trespassers 1990. It was pretty good.

The Royal Tenenbaums
Nice movie about an unusual family.
Gotte be in a certain mood for this kind of movie.

I thought it was good but it had so much more potential.
My favorite bit was the Jim Carrey pepperspray scene.

After Ferret's dissection, there's not much left for me to say. But it isn't as bad as he has reported in his starting lines. True, it may not possess the frenetic speed in the first half itself as some of the superfast summer blockbusters we have seen before, and so might not appeal to the impatient audiences of today, but there's plenty of classic, good old mega-monster vs mega-monster fun, a storyline which keeps things coherent, remarkable CGI, and plenty of jaw-dropping moments.

The makers ensure that the film stays faithful to the original franchise, while giving their own twists on a few things - the origin, the mating, the human vs destructive force, etc. I would go to the extent to say that subtlety is the biggest strength of the film, and since it's all about the monster(s), it does not disappoint in that regard, specially in the final third of the film. While it won't be hailed as a masterpiece anytime soon, this film is a worthy addition to the franchise's ranks, which is quite an achievement in itself.

Go and watch it. You won't be disappointed.

* * * ½

How do you compare the new Godzilla to the previous one?
Better or worse?
I kinda liked the previous one.
Sorry but I'm not gonna read your reviews as I like to watch a movie with knowing as less as possible.

But most important of all, it's not starring Matthew Broderick. Wonderful.


I had no problem with the story. Maybe a little simple, but wtf.

It's the funniest i've seen Jim Carrey in years and the first time i've found Steve Carell hilarious in a lead role.

In Godzilla terms, "a giant step forward."

Much better.

It was a semi-decent entertainer but compared to the Toho classics, was a big letdown.

Hence my report/review is as short and spoiler-free as possible, and just enough to keep reader interest kindled.

And doesn't have Emmerich behind the camera to butcher it as he wished.

I must really laud Gareth Edwards here for his directorial skills involving the monster sequences. He needs a bit more polishing on character development though.

My issue is not so much the deliberate pacing or slow reveal, but the way in which each fight scene goes a little too far to THEN take it away from us until the end. To use an analogy; imagine someone has a burger that they're going to give to you. The "Jaws" approach is for that person to keep describing the burger, occasionally show you glimpses of the burger and let you smell the burger before eventually giving you the burger in a big huge payoff. Godzilla 2014, however, puts the burger into your hands several times before yanking it back out. One is clever anticipation building, the other quickly grows frustrating.

And it suitably rewards you with the final 30-35 minutes of absolutely delicious eye candy. ::wink::

Like I said, subtlety is the film's greatest strength. A lot of things when left to the imagination, or indicated slyly on the sidelines (like the cut which showed the battle on TV as a continuation) are more tasty than on-screen antics.

Have to wait for another exact 48 hours to catch GODZILLA on my nearest theater (only about 6-7 minutes walking distance from my home!)! ::cool::

Just got home from seeing "Godzilla". LOVED it!! Fucking loved it! That's all I'm going to say. ::stick out tongue::

Knew you'd dig it. Us old-timers always love the classic way of storytelling. ::cool::

I am going for a rewatch next week, most probably Wednesday night.

I may see it again next weekend and take my nephew with me. He'll love it, too.

lolz! that's the 'review' I was waiting for!::big grin::

Can't wait for Monday night screening here. My brother just reported me there's a rumor that they have already sold tickets more than the capacity...darn! But I'm not surprised as these sort of bullshits happens here all the time. I guess there will be chaos!

LOL, glad I could oblige! ::big grin::

Yeah, that's why I bought my tickets in advance.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know you've been waiting for this one! ::cool::

'Godzilla '(2014)

Phantoms Review : Amazing, simple amazing. Well written story terrific acting and some awesome FX. If I have any complaints it's that it takes awhile to see the title star,but when he's on-screen it's astonishing. I loved it.

Just saw Godzilla in 3D. My thinking is this is a big summer horror/sci-fi blockbuster like it's predecessor, but much better. If you go in what that expectation, and not anticipating an Oscar-contender, you will in fact be pleasantly surprised! It succeeds where it needs to, which for me is doing a good job with Godzilla and the baddies. The male lead is very dull and flat but IMO you don't go to see this movie for dialogue, character development, etc.: this is not supposed to be "The King's Speech."

Godzilla (2014): 8.5/10
*Possible Spoilers*
I went and saw this movie in 3-D at the theaters on Friday. I really enjoyed it. I debated giving it an 8.5 or 9, but I will stick to my former rating. The film was an interesting take on the Godzilla story. It was interesting that they twisted the atomic bomb line and established that those did not create Godzilla, but that he existed long before mankind. Further, it was interesting to see Godzilla as a positive force that restores balance. This is reminiscent of some of the versus films of the 1960s and 1970s. Also, there was some excellent special effects. The monsters and cities in the film looked incredibly realistic. The destruction of the cities was incredible. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but I had some criticisms. The biggest one was character development. While the Godzilla films have always been more focused on monsters, not characters, I still consider character development an important aspect of conventional film narrative. Second, the film did not show Godzilla enough. One may point out films like Jaws, but my response to that is that people go to see a Godzilla movie to see Godzilla. So, he should be shown more than he was. This did not figure large, but it was one criticism I had. Though that might be counteracted by the fact they restored his fire breath, which was awesome. Third, which is not really a criticism of the film itself, but the 3-D. I thought it was pretty terrible, which is unfortunate because it could have been great for film like this. Godzilla (2014) was definitely a solid film, even if it was not masterpiece. If you have not seen it, I definitely recommend it.

I don't think films do near enough with 3-D. It's becoming a rip-off. There are rarely any effects specially catered to that medium, ala Friday the 13th 3-D, that make it worth spending the extra money. Sad really.

It's not that I want on-screen antics, it's that they offer TOO much before taking it away, and the rinse-and-repeat of this technique grows tiresome. And the sheer amount of MUTO action we're given means it's not an exercise in subtlety - it's a very action packed film. That's what makes Godzilla's absence irritating - not a personal desire to have constant spectacle, but the imbalance.

I saw Godzilla at the IMAX theatre in 3D yesterday. Excellent and appropriate venue for the film. It cost $15! Most I've ever paid for a film, but I don't go to the theatre all that often anymore, nor the IMAX. So it's a special treat.

The film was solid, and the visuals and immersion was top notch.

It stayed true to Gojira/Godzilla orthodoxy, had a traditional Godzilla storyline, and at the same time manage to take a fresh perspective on the King of the Monsters.

I won't go into any spoilers at this point. Yes, there's some small details of the story I would "correct", but overall, it was a Godzilla movie experience. Like many modern "action" films, it lacked some character development particularly with the son/soldier, and as a result, lacked some heart. Also, it lacked a bit of the Japanese Kiaju spirit -- that is giving the kaiju's a fantasy film spirit and mythos.

Rating out of 10: 7/10

---------------------------------------

Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2011

5/10


I must admit upfront, I'm not a fan of pet sized CG apes/monkeys. They are so difficult to do because the more human they are like the more OFF they are. So that will always be a thorn in my paw while watching CG attempts.

I thought it was just watchable. To me, it was contrived and lacked heart. I like most all of Franco's acting work, but I didn't really care about any character in this film. It was interesting to have Bonzo infect the other apes to make them smart, and lead them out... but there's where they drop the ball. If that had occurred at least at the 1/2 mark, it could have been part of the story -- the lot of the apes, the ramifications of personhood in the apes, what to do with them, the Exodus, the interaction with human society, the ape colony interaction -- so many interesting avenues. Instead, the smart apes break out and make for the woods, which makes sense, but why they were so quickly discovered and stopped by police on a bridge... it was really pointless (that is, the only reason was to make a battle sequence).

I think Conquest of the Planet of the Apes 1971 was a much more interesting and engaging film. I'll never forget the ape opening the Bible to Caesar for his name. I didn't mind the obvious allegories because the characters and story was so engaging.

Got to totally agree with this.

After Earth

I tried, I really did. Turned it off after 45 minutes. I was so bored, I kept getting up and puttering around the apartment.

http://i1281.photobucket.com/albums/...ps153403f0.jpg

Cowboys Vs Zombies 5/10.
The zombies movements were like a cross between an epilectic fit & attempting to rave.

Just saw it on the theater (Premier) couple of hours back and will try hard to see it again on this weekend when it release 'officially' here.

**SPOILER ALERT**

After reading the HDC reviews, I'd like to agree with you all..and yes, even with FC to some extent. I'm not giving here another super-clinical review like FC delivered but yeah, he actually made some pretty valid points i.e. "MUTOs featuring Godzilla" & Jaws-Burger theory. The story did indeed centered more around on the MUTO monsters than the big G and though it deliberately tried to follow JAWS steps regarding building the anticipation & but as a whole couldn't able to become as masterclass of modern celluloid art like the way JAWS succeed & become such classic. They were excessively too conscious about showing off the King. And needless to say, the weak character development with a wrong choice of lead as well as on lead. It was frustrating to see Bryan Cranston's character's such early departure from the story, agree with FC..he should have take the lead on confronting the monsters or they should have give that lead to a more mature young actor as A.T-Johnson looked totally blunt throughout the film. Totally agree with metternich & Michael about the "3D" thing...yeah, CGI was top notch but it was kinda failed to provide any sort of "3D feel" at most of the part.

BUT...after of this drawbacks, still I can't say I didn't enjoy Gareth Edwards' GODZILLA. Probably my love for this monster & huge anticipation about this movie were the reasons but I must admit it did satisfied me on many level. Though at times looked kinda mechanical but MUTOs are now amazing new additions to the franchise, looking forward to see them more in coming sequels along side with other legendary friends & foes of Godzilla. And about Godzilla...all I can say is...HAIL TO THE KING! Loved & cherished each & every moment he appeared on the screen & even in the 'TV' news broadcasting sequence! Though GE's JAWS-theory of showing less & building the anticipation for the final pay-off at the end weren't up to the mark but still it kinda worked 'finely' overall & glad he at least put an effort for it which is appreciating from a new filmmaker these days. I'll definitely won't mind to spend excessively higher ticket price for Godzilla again to see more of his actions (with freaking astonishing atomic Breath!) in whatever the sequels they're going to make in the future.

Perhaps as I was so desperately waiting for a Godzilla movie & my excitement to see him once again after all these years was so on the top of my expectation level that I'm now happily ready to forgive & overlook all those negative aspects of this movie. So at the end, it was indeed a visually stunning & satisfying experience for me as a Godzilla fan.

>>: B+

Lol::big grin::

Stage Fright (2014)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps9d39e991.jpg


Not a perfect movie by any means, but a LOT of fun to watch. It's a horror movie musical homage to teen slashers with some pretty clever songs and great acting. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily watch it again. Definitely recommended.


In Fear (2013)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps31a4cb45.jpg


Meh - Didn't find it particularly good or memorable.

'Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla II' (1993)

Phantoms Review: One of the best of the 1990's series. Plenty of action, great looking monster suits, and some decent FX. One of my favorites.

http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w396/p3Wy9...600VrIEpZR.jpg

Monsters (2010)

I was glad to see this added to Netflix streaming so I could watch it before seeing Godzilla, hopefully to get a sense of what Gareth Edwards is capable of. Pretty amazing effects and environments for such a low budget film, and the sense of danger throughout was unnerving. It's really more of a drama/romance than a horror movie, however -- not a terribly complex story arc, and not necessary original from that perspective, but the characters were likable and engaging, and I was rooting for them to fall for each other. I could probably complain that there wasn't enough monster action, but I'm not that big a fan of monster action movies anyway, so I'm not going to do that. If that's your expectation, however, you could be disappointed.

8/10

The Amazing Spiderman 2

I don't know....maybe I'm getting burnt out on CGI

And Paul Giamatti's Rhino was laughable IMO

You're Next-I thought it was quite good-worth a watch

thought this was muck..

"The Quiet Ones" (2014) 6/10

An ol' school Hammer production and a decent possession flick.

More visual scares would've been much appreciated instead of the usual cheap-ass loud noises galore, which i'm starting to get really sick of in horror movies these days.


"Cheap Thrills" 7/10

Starring the two lead actors from The Innkeepers this is a dark and grotesque comedy/thriller in the line of 13 Sins. I liked 13 Sins better.

21 Jump Street 8/10