Godzilla

Godzilla
2014
Director: Gareth Edwards

I know nada about Godzilla and to be completely up front, I've never seen a Godzilla movie from beginning to end before. Not even that crappy one from 1998... and I only say it's crappy because I think it was universally hated by most people. All I know is that after the first trailer for this reboot and the fact that it starred Walter White, I was sold. Tonight I got to saddle up and take my first ride on the Godzilla train.

Synopsis: I think you can figure it out.

While I really enjoyed myself at the movies tonight, Godzilla wasn't a masterpiece. It's flawed in a lot of ways, mainly the underuse of its acting talents... mainly Bryan Cranston. There are a few lulls in the front end involving humans with their feelings and shit. The film starts to take a big turn after the first hour and the last half become worth the wait.

The special effects are incredible and the monster designs are perfect mostly. Add that up with great direction and you have yourself a fairly pleasing monster movie. It's a fun time and what you'd expect from a blockbuster of its caliber.

My top five scenes:
1. The skydive scene.
2. Cranston's interrogation scene.
3. The opening credits.... loved them.
4. Godzilla flame!
5. Godzilla swimming.

Miami Connection

Miami Connection
(1987) [Trailer]
Directors: Woo-sang Park (as Richard Park), Y.K. Kim (uncredited)

So bad it's good. That's a phrase that gets thrown around a bit, especially with Miami Connection. I do believe in that mantra and I love a good shitty movie from time to time. So I made the $15 dollar blind buy on the blu-ray and went all in on this ninja masterpiece.

Synopsis: A Taekwondo rock band (yes, you read that right) are targeted by a group of secret ninjas for extermination... and I'm not really sure why.

This movie is definitely bad. Real bad. The acting is hilarious, it makes the film a comedy. I'm not really sure who told Y.K. Kim (the main protagonist) he could act, but thank God they did, because he sucks in the best way possible. I love that the kung-fu band are all orphans, all live together, play in a band together, and all go to college together at the University of Central Florida (which was made apparent in many scenes). 

The band also plays some pretty sweet tunes including this masterpiece:

There are a slew of weird things about this movie. Things that make no sense. It's fun sitting back and watching it unfold and thinking to yourself "Why? What in the hell were they thinking?" Like why is the black dude always walking around the house with his pants unbuttoned? Or why do the cops show up with guns drawn to an empty parking lot, then seemingly just give up trying to figure out where all the bad guys just went? Great police work there guys.

Or why they decided to film this scene?

This film is a trainwreck, but worth a poke just to see how awfully awesome it is.

Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Peter Berg [IMDB]

Before watching Lone Survivor I read a bunch of negative reviews, basically stating it was America Ra Ra and pro-military. I had also heard a lot of positives from people on facebook, many of whom were military themselves. So I was interested in seeing how it would unfold. I like Peter Berg's films mostly (not including Battle Ship) and thought how bad could it be?

Synopsis: The retelling of a failed mission by US marines in Afghanistan and their fight to survive.

I don't get it. This film didn't feel like pro-war or pro-America at all. If anything, it's ultra violent and makes war look unfun. The haters of this film just think that way because it's a modern tale from Afghanistan... which for many is an unpopular war. But take this story... a unit trap behind enemy lines fighting to get out, and place it in WWII, and everyone would love it. No matter what your politics, war is ugly, and Berg captures that masterfully in Lone Survivor. Going in, I knew what would happen, most people do, but waiting for it all to transpire was nerve racking. When the battle ensues, I was locked in and inthralled.

Berg also succeeded with the score, cinematography, and cast. Marky Mark and Tim Riggins were impressive and it was good to see Emile Hirsh playing some what of a different role.

The action felt a little over the top and Holly Woodish at times, which surprised me, but ultimately it wasn't enough to even come close to ruining it for me.

Lone Survivor is in theaters now and I believe #1 at the box office as of last weekend. Shit... Berg is ballin hard.

All Is Lost

All Is Lost
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: J.C. Chandor [IMDB]

All Is Lost was a film I really wanted to squeeze in before I made my Top 10 List for 2013... sadly I didn't get the chance. After watching it, it probably would have made it in there, or been really close. Here's why.

Synopsis: A man is stranded at sea... you watch... you enjoy.

This film immediately sinks its teeth into you and doesn't let go for the rest of the ride. I loved it and was captivated by every minute of it. It's like a procedural for surviving at sea and almost has a weird documentary vibe to it. There's no dialog... minus the monologue in the beginning, Robert Redford says all of 4 words in the whole thing. It doesn't really need that though, I was just caught up in the act of him staying alive and keeping his shit together. Redford rules the role and is convincing enough that I think he may have lived on a sailboat in real life at one point.

I feel extremely satisfied with All Is Lost and I haven't seen anything like it before. It takes the whole "lost at sea" sub-genre (if there is such a thing) and reinvents it in an interesting way.

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Gore Verbinski [IMDB]

I'm not going lie and say I was looking forward to seeing this back in the summer and never got around to it. Fact is, I kind of wanted to see it, but thought it definitely didn't merit the price of admission at the time of its release. I never watched The Lone Ranger as a kid, so this review will be a little unbiased, because who wants to hear some dude bitch about how Disney is ruining the memories of the original.

Synopsis: After his brother is killed, a straight laced lawyer finds his alter ego, The Lone Ranger. He teams up with Tonto, a loner Indian, to set out and find the man responsible for killing his kin.

The Lone Ranger wasn't a bad film, but far from great. I was surprised at how much I actually liked about it, but there were absolutely some elements of the film that didn't work.

I really could have done without the framing device with the old Tonto and kid, I found all of those scenes to be pointless and annoying. The film was extremely long, they could have easily cut out an hour of this thing and still achieved the same result. The action spikes high in the beginning and at the end, but in between there's not a lot of excitement going on.

Tonto, The Lone Ranger and the horse Silver save this film for me. I enjoyed Depp's performance and his banter with The Lone Ranger was interesting and funny at times. Most of the scenes involving Silver got the most laughs from me and the way they utilize him was pretty clever. I also thought Armie made a good Lone Ranger and was a perfect casting choice.

Technically the film is solid... the sets, locations, cinematography, score and costumes were all awesome and Gore Verbinski captured the essence of a great western. I could see myself revisiting this at some point, for me it has some charm that saved it from being completely lame.

Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Peter Jackson [IMDB]

The LOTR/Hobbit films will probably always score a 4 Arnold or higher as long as Peter Jackson is handling them and I will always go out to see them in the theater... why? Because they are awesome, that's why. At this point you're either on board or you are not, so really... it's like preaching to the choir doing this review. Jackson has crafted the art of Hobbit film making and I don't think you can win over anyone who's not already in agreement with me on that.

Synopsis: Bilbo and his posse continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain in order to reclaim Erebor from Smaug... the badass dragon.

This installment is a lot more energetic than An Unexpected Journey (click that link to read my review... do it.) and I found it to be more entertaining. The special effects, especially on Smaug and Sauron were fantastic, some of the best CG work I've ever seen. The action was innovative, including a fight that took place going down a river that was incredible and felt like nothing I'd seen before. Kate from LOST was a new addition to the roster and now I have an elf crush on her... but seriously she was great and perfectly cast. The Lake town of Esgaroth looked insane and to think of the time it must have taken to render that blows my mind.

The film ends on a cliff hanger and it just made me end up wanting more. I can't wait till next year... no... actually I can't wait till 2016, so I can own all of them and have a super Hobbit/LOTR mega marathon.

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Greengrass [IMDB]

Big fan of Paul Greengrass... big fan! When I heard my man was teaming up with Forrest Gump to make a movie about pirates and the high seas, I was sold. I finally got around to watching Cappy Phil last night and here's what I thought.

Synopsis: Tom Hanks is a shipping boat captain who must keep his shit together when his vessel is overrun by Somali pirates.

Captain Phillips is a quality title, and like all Greengrass films I've seen, It builds up pressure and stress in a harmonious way. I thought Tom Hanks was ok throughout and then at the last 10 minutes he cranks out one hell of an oscar worthy moment. The pirates were all pretty believable and from what I understand, were not actors, which is kinda cool. The hand held aesthetic, that Paul Greengrass is so well known for, seemed fitting here and help sell the realness of the situation... it felt like the perfect story for him to direct.

There weren't too many flaws here, that I can think of, maybe the family man dynamic they tried to work in, it felt a little weak and not built up enough. Overall... I really loved this film and will definitely rewatch at some point.

Chaplin vs Keaton (The General and City Lights)

I am no expert on silent films, I've seen maybe 5 my whole life, but I want to better myself as a person... I want to expand my horizons... I don't want to shelter myself from new (old) things. So I decided to take a stab at two silent film heroes. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. One of the five silent films I've actually watched was Chaplin's Modern Times, which I liked a lot, you can read about if you want... RIGHT HERE. I had heard Keaton is also awesome, if not better, so I'm going to compare the two and let you know where to start... or if you've been there and done that... you'll be able to sit back and feel accomplished.

The General
(1926)
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Synopsis: A train conductor during the civil war goes behind enemy lines to try and save his love interest after she's stolen by The North.

I was extremely impressed with this film. For a movie from 1926 it holds up and was surprisingly entertaining. Its most obvious strength is its action set pieces. Some of the stunts and ideas Keaton unleashes in The General are incredible for the time they were conceived and you can obviously tell this title had a huge impact on other movies that followed. I don't know why, but I expected Keaton to be very goofy, but he plays it more serious than Chaplin, still you'll get those little funny flourishes throughout the movie, which lightens it up. The General would be a perfect movie for someone looking to start with silent films, it's easy, fun and keeps you at bay throughout its run time... which is short.

City Lights
(1931)
Director: Charlie Chaplin

Synopsis: The Tramp stumbles through a series of ups and downs while trying to win the love of a blind flower girl.

I liked The General more than this, but I still think City Lights is a fine movie. It dragged a little at times and I didn't feel as engaged as I did during The General. Like Modern Times (which I also enjoyed more than City Lights) you get tons of funny moments and you can see why Chaplin was considered the innovator that he is. One thing I think he mastered is how to convey a story in an entertaining way, without sound. It's really fascinating seeing what he did when you think about working with that limitation. At the end of the day, I'd recommend this, but I think Modern Times would be the title to start with first.

Ninja III: The Domination

Ninja III: The Domination
(1984) [Trailer]
Director: Sam Firstenberg [IMDB]

Yesterday I commented on the social media platform known as the Facebook, that there needed to be more movies about ninjas. When I said that, I meant more movies like Ninja III: The Domination. Ninja III is a blast from the past and a film that inspired me to dress up as a ninja and run around my neighborhood like an idiot at the tender age of 8. So when I saw that Shout Factory (my favorite movie studio ever) cranked out this bad boy on baby blu, you know I had to pick it up.

Synopsis: The spirit of an evil ninja takes over the body of that chick from Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.

This movie is awesome. I still love it and I found rewatching it to be a nice treat. It's a fun mash up of a horror movie and a ninja flick... which I think is a great idea, don't you? My viewing of Ninja III was like a leisurely stroll down nostalgia lane. When I was a kid I remember wanting to have a ninja cave stocked with weapons like this film, too bad that never happened.

Don't get me wrong,  this isn't a perfect movie and many who find themselves unfamiliar with ninja movies from the 80's will probably think it's shit... they would be wrong however. The acting is pretty abysmal at times and some of the dialogue could be better, but it's a movie about an evil ninja, so who really cares?

I'd definitely pick this up just for the campy 80's-ness of it all. Or, if you're in NYC come over and I'll let you borrow it... I'm cool like that.

More Star Trek - The Next Generation Films: Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis

I'm continuing my love of Star Trek and reviewing the last set of the films in the franchise I haven't yet addressed on this site... The Next Generation movies. I've done the Evens, the Odds, Into Darkness (which also contains a mini review of Star Trek 2009) and now these films. From here I patiently wait for JJ Abrams, or whoever Hollywood decides to hand the reins to, to make another chapter... or I can just go watch re-runs of Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Generations
(1994) [Trailer]
Director: David Carson [IMDB]

Synopsis: The Enterprise tries to halt the activities of a maniac hell bent on finding a passage into a alternate dimension... just give the dude some LSD.

Generations is the bridge film between the old and the new. It feels like it had to be made from some reason... as if Shatner demanded it or something. It's a decent film, I think the one thing it lacks is proper closure. It feels a little rushed and not very climactic. Maybe it was Malcolm McDowell as the villain... I just felt like he wasn't ominous enough. Who knows, but for me the back end of Generations didn't give that wow factor... whatever that is. I do like it mostly as a whole and would definitely rewatch it.

Star Trek: First Contact
(1996) [Trailer]
Director: Jonathan Frakes [IMDB]

Synopsis: The crew travel back in time to stop the Borg from destroying Earth before we made our first jump into warp speed.

Lets be honest... this is the film all Next Gen fans wanted. The Borg were/are the greatest adversaries the Federation has ever known and they needed their own film. Commander Riker takes the director's chair and knocks it out the park. I love this film and it's light years ahead of any of the other TNG titles. First Contact is a really well balanced film and takes all the elements that made TNG great and elevates them. I'd say if you're only going to watch one Next Generation film, it should be this one, but go ahead a watch all of them, okay?

Star Trek: Insurrection
(1998) [Trailer]
Director: Jonathan Frakes [IMDB]

Synopsis: A loner planet is the source of internal youth and the Enterprise steps in to protect it from a threat within the Federation.

Insurrection is widely regarded as the worst Star Trek film ever made and after watching it I realized it was the only film in the franchise I hadn't seen. I'm not sure why I actually never got around to watching it, maybe it was because it got such a bad wrap, but I have to say after checking it out... I like it. I don't understand why it gets the hate it does. There are a few corny moments, but as any fan of TNG will attest to, so did the series. It does feel like a glorified TV episode, but it was still fun to watch. Shit, even my wife, who hates Star Trek, liked it. Don't get me wrong, it's not great by any stretch, but it's still a solid installment.

Star Trek: Nemesis
(2002) [Trailer]
Director: Stuart Baird [IMDB]

Synopsis: Tom Hardy is a genetically modified, younger, Jean-Luc Picard with a secret past and now he's looking to help the Romulans plan an attack on Earth.

First thing I noticed when watching Nemesis, is how similar Tom Hardy's character is to his Bane character in The Dark Knight Rises. Only thing is, he's not as effective in Nemesis and he's one of the better elements of the film. I felt like this one dragged its tail a lot and would definitely be my least favorite of all the TNG titles. It's feels like its story arch peaks early then you're on this extremely long climax that just seems to keep going and going. I didn't hate this film, I was just bored with a lot of it.

Elysium

Elysium
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Neill Blomkamp [IMDB]

I've been looking forward to checking out Elysium for some time now. I enjoyed Neill Blomkamp's first film District 9 and the trailer for Elysium looked to be within the same wheelhouse. Visually speaking, Blomkamp is one of the best directors working in the sci-fi genre, but can he bring another hit or will he suffer from the sophomore slump?

Synopsis: In a dystopian future the Earth and all its poor folk are left to ruin while its wealthier inhabitants live on a lush space station overlooking the shit show down below.

All the people that teared apart Prometheus for its plot holes can suck it. This film makes Prometheus look wired tight. I normally don't have a problem looking past plot holes, but there are way too many glaringly obvious ones with Elysium.

Skip the following list and head to the next paragraph if you're worried about spoilers.

Plot holes:

1. In the late 21st century with all the technology the people of Earth have (imagine the internet by then), you're telling me there's not one person down there that can't figure out how to make one of those medical beds? 
2. Why exactly do they need humans to man factories when they now have these super advanced robots that are fully capable of policing the Earth? 
3. Why doesn't Elysium enact the no fly zone everywhere? They could only open it up for their ships, thus getting rid of the constant threat of rogue ships flying there. 
4. Speaking of rogue ships, why would anyone from Earth try and fly to Elysium knowing that most of the time they only get blown up, or immediately captured and sent back.?

That's enough, there are way more, but this is getting lengthy. I know it sounds like I hated Elysium, I didn't. It was a highly entertaining film and I never felt bored at any moment watching it. It does excel in the visual department, as I expected, but there were also a lot of gory moments which ruled. The set pieces and locations were well constructed and absolutely sell the crap world Blomkamp is trying to give you. Matt Damon was good, Jodie Foster was average, and the South African bad guy was a little over the top... but I didn't mind him. 

Sadly, this could have been a better film, but the loose plot and weak story just didn't do it for me. I will end up buying this and rewatching it at some point, I think it may get better with time... who knows. 

Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer
(2013) [Trailer]
Director:  Byran Singer [IMDB]

"Nibble, nibble, gnaw who is nibbling at my little house?" Hansel and Gretel answered "It's not us, its Jack!"  The witch confused as to what fairy tale it was said "Jack be nimble Jack be quick? Hurry up to the clouds upon those windy green sticks!" The witch, still in a state of confusion from the children's hungry collusion, to see a little clearer, decided it was time to consult her mirror. Mirror Mirror on the wall . . . could this be the worst fairy tale <dramatic pause> of them all!

Synopsis:  Long ago magic beans created a windy green stalk that allowed evil giants to come pillage our lands.  A great and noble king created a mind control crown to conquer the giants and send them back up the stalk which he subsequently chopped down.  He had the the crown and remaining beans buried with him for all eternity until an evil would-be king dug them up to gather the giant army to lay siege upon the lands once more.  Somewhere along the way an 18 year old Jack, gets tossed into the mix and has to slay the giants to save the beloved princess and all the land.

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum Hollywood's desire to modernize childhood fairy tales is . . . quite dumb!  A glutton for punishment after watching two, I should have called it and been through.  With those two,  Hansel &Gretel Witch Hunters (awful) and Snow White and the Huntsman (decent) that I did review, I should stopped ahead and bid adieu.  Unfortunately, the WFR trifecta was needed so with this review my warning should be heeded!

Jack is a limited tale with plenty of CGI which left me to wonder why-oh-why.  I should have stopped at number two but the trifecta forced this onto my queue.  As I followed along with their magical trek I realized they were only in it for the paycheck!

Take my advice and save yourself time because you will likely be more entertained by these musings and rhyme.



  

Battle Beyond the Stars

Battle Beyond the Stars
1980 [Full Movie]
Director: Jimmy T. Murakami [IMDB]

A childhood favorite of mine right here. I remember this movie being an epic one as a young lad, but up until now I had forgotten it mainly... except for some imagery. I recently discovered it on blu-ray, so I decided to give you a review and I also made a poster.

Synopsis: A peaceful planet must seek out the help of mercenaries to defend itself against an upcoming invasion.

This movie is basically Seven Samurai in outer space. Take that and mix it with the most popular movie franchise at the time, Star Wars, and you have Battle Beyond the Stars. It's campy, it's fun, and also not that great of a film... but I still enjoyed watching it. The score by James Horner is massive, it's truly a work of art to behold. The special effects and model work (partly by James Cameron) will remind you of Star Wars big time, but they still hold up mostly. Battle Beyond the Stars is toted as a Roger Corman cult classic, although I don't know how much he actually had to do with it, as far as I know he was only a producer. Still... it feels like something he would direct.

The main negatives are character development and plot. Lots of weird holes are left open and most of the seven mercenaries are forgettable.

I included a link to the full movie on youtube up at the top of the review, so if you wanna get your retro 80's sci-fi action on... feel free.

Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Guillermo del Toro [IMDB]

I wanted to take another stab at adding some more exclusive content to Williams Film Review, so I designed the poster for this review. I think it has a nice minimalist vibe to it. Check it out over there to the left. You done? Ok good. On we go.

I've been looking forward to checking out Guillermo del Toro's newest film, the monstrosity (pun intended) known as Pacific Rim. It stars Idris Elba, aka Stringer Bell, who I love and based off what I saw in the trailer, it looked like a knock out... let's see if it holds up to its promise.

Synopsis: Sea monsters come from a parallel dimension that opens up from a crack in the Pacific Rim. We create giants robots to fight them. There you go.

I was totally on board for the Pacific Rim express and found it to be exactly what I want from a summer block buster. It's del Toro's take on Godzilla or any of the other Japanese monster movies, only more stylish and modernized. The story and characters are what you would expect from a block buster, they weren't perfect but Guillermo manages to inject enough of his own vision into the equation to really have those elements not stand out in a negative way. The one thing I thought I was going to hate, I actually liked... the special effects. I was worried Pacific Rim would end up being a shitty CG love fest, akin to Transformers, but I found everything to be well crafted and quite the opposite. Having it set in places like Sydney and Hong Kong helped give it a unique feel, and the robot/monster designs felt inspired but fresh.

Pacific Rim won't win Oscars for its drama, but it totally offers a fun time at the movies and it's perfect for the season.