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Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Come Play (2020) in Movies
Dec 10, 2020
This movie was more entertaining than I expected. Decent acting all around. Really good cinematography and some pretty cool effects. The monster was definitely creepy. Some predictable parts and a few jump scares but that's pretty much true of most "horror" movies anymore. Overall a very good creature feature. Worth a watch.
Kim Newman recommended The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) in Movies (curated)
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Raids Again (1955) in Movies
Jun 1, 2019 (Updated Jun 1, 2019)
Second Godzilla movie (and the last in black and white) hits on the idea that would sustain the franchise for decades to come (monster wrestling!) but doesn't quite perfect it. Two pilots in the fishing industry discover a second Godzilla has appeared, along with another monster, Angilas. With the secret of the weapon used to destroy the first Godzilla lost forever, it's thinking caps on for the government and armed forces...
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
The movie starts with pace and energy, even if it doesn't really have the intensity or powerful subtext of the original film. The city-flattening clash between Godzilla and Angilas comes relatively early on, though, and its impact is lessened somewhat by the fact it's arguably filmed at the wrong speed. After this comes a long and honestly dull soap opera subplot about the workers and management of a fishing company affected by Godzilla's attack, before we come to a protracted and quite laborious climax. Obviously of interest to fans of the series, but it really misses the presence of Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube as director and composer. Not a great or even particularly good film, but an important one in monster movie history.
Dean (6921 KP) rated Monster Hunter (2020) in Movies
Jan 29, 2022
I can't say I've played the game it's based on but had hoped for a good monster movie. Unfortunately another poor video game made into a film. There isn't a lot of variety or dialogue making the film a little bland. Some good fight scenes and special effects are the only things going for it.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Relic (1997) in Movies
Jul 14, 2020
Somewhat bungled monster-horror movie. A trail of decapitated bodies leads from the Chicago docks to the city's Natural History Museum. A police detective and an evolutionary biologist figure out that recently-arrived samples from Brazil may be involved, and that something new may be living in the museum basement. Should they stop the imminent gala evening? Nah!
Definite potential here for an odd mash-up of The X Files and The Poseidon Adventure, but problems with the pacing, exposition and structure mean that the movie never quite takes flight in the way it could have. Decent performances, some good dialogue in places and a decent monster, but should have been much better. As it is, passes the time reasonably engagingly.
Definite potential here for an odd mash-up of The X Files and The Poseidon Adventure, but problems with the pacing, exposition and structure mean that the movie never quite takes flight in the way it could have. Decent performances, some good dialogue in places and a decent monster, but should have been much better. As it is, passes the time reasonably engagingly.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated The Host (2006) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
Profoundly idiosyncratic, but also overlong and sloppy. Should it be sufficient that this has something to say about Korean culture, excessive US force, and familial relationships when it dawdles *this* excessively and is more passive about its (still very sound) ideals than anything? Mainly tries to be a satiric spin on the prototypical monster movie, but ends up being this pseudo-Del-Toro-esque comedy that doesn't really have all that much of a benefit as opposed to if it were played straight. There is stuff to value here: that monster is pretty fucking cool, the cast act their hearts out, and there's some okay cinematography every now and again. But most of the positives fizzle out as this drones on. One of those monster movies that center around the characters over the monster itself - which would be fine - if they weren't such nonentities in their own story, defined by a single quirk each. The plot isn't much better as it fails to reconcile with the scope of itself - throwing in deus ex machinas that are supposedly momentous but just sorta come right out of nowhere, acting like they had sufficient buildup but... they didn't? Desperately wanted to love this, as everybody involved shows full commitment to this project, but it just does too many things wrong. Kind of a chore, predictable, and of very little consequence. A way better monster movie - at least - than 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘙𝘪𝘮: 𝘜𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨.
Kevin Phillipson (9925 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
May 10, 2018
Emily blunt (1 more)
Creatures
To say the least this film made me jump several times during the film when u think the cretures are going to attack. Not many films can do that to me. Anyway loved the movie intresting take on monster movie that attacks on sound. Emily blunt plays the mother under threat protecting her family while especally pegant john krasinski also stars and directs as the father does well for first time director thimbs up
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Mara (2018) in Movies
Jan 13, 2019
Another take on sleep paralysis. It was ok. The acting and cinematography weren't bad. The story played out well enough. Had some creep factor at times. Mostly though, this movie was kinda predictable. I've seen other sleep paralysis creature features. This one was not the best. The characters were kind of dull and the monster was just a very skinny "old looking' woman. That being said, it's entertaining enough for a movie night. Kinda worth a watch.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Kong: Skull Island (2017) in Movies
Mar 18, 2019
Considering no-one has managed to make an entirely satisfactory King Kong movie since the early 1930s, and also bearing in mind that the same company's Godzilla movie left a bit to be desired, my expectations for this one were low, to put it mildly. Government survey team, aided by semi-unhinged Vietnam veterans (the setting is the 1970s), fly off to unexplored tropical island and discover all manner of weird wildlife awaiting them, including the greatest of great apes.
Truth be told, ostensible stars Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson feel a bit surplus to requirements (Sam Jackson, John Goodman and John C Reilly chew the scenery quite satisfactorily), but in all other respects this is a hugely enjoyable pulp monster movie that isn't afraid to relax and have some fun. It does feel a bit odd to do a Kong movie entirely set on the island, but the story hangs together well, there are some interesting creatures, and the set-up for the next Godzilla movie is well handled. Doing a monster movie in the style of a Vietnam film is also an inspired touch. Raises the bar for the rest of the films in this series; highly entertaining stuff.
Truth be told, ostensible stars Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson feel a bit surplus to requirements (Sam Jackson, John Goodman and John C Reilly chew the scenery quite satisfactorily), but in all other respects this is a hugely enjoyable pulp monster movie that isn't afraid to relax and have some fun. It does feel a bit odd to do a Kong movie entirely set on the island, but the story hangs together well, there are some interesting creatures, and the set-up for the next Godzilla movie is well handled. Doing a monster movie in the style of a Vietnam film is also an inspired touch. Raises the bar for the rest of the films in this series; highly entertaining stuff.