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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Godzilla Minus One (2023) in Movies
Dec 14, 2023
Surprisingly Human...for a Monster Movie
The BankofMarquis just viewed one of the most entertaining films of 2023 - and it’s a GODZILLA film.
Yes, a GODZILLA film.
From famed Japanese Studio Toho, makers of the original Godzilla film from the 1950’s plus other “man in a rubber suit” monster movies like MOTHRA and WAR OF THE GARGANTUANS, Godzilla Minus One subverts the genre for a moment for instead of presenting a “Monster stomping on buildings” movie with some people in the background, this film is about the Japanese people and how they deal with the aftermath of World War II while (also) running from a giant monster stomping on buildings - but the monster story is the “B” story and the people story is the “A” story…and this subversion of the genre works very very well.
The title of the film, Godzilla Minus One, refers to the fact that…after World War II….Japan was “starting from zero”. When Godzilla starts attacking, it knocks Japan back another peg, hence…Godzilla Minus One.
Director and Screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki tells the tale of Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who encounters Godzilla towards the end of WWII and freezes, causing the death of his fellow soldiers (so his PTSD continues to tell him throughout the film). Once back in Japan, he encounters a young woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe) who has been left orphaned, homeless and alone and is sheparding an abandoned baby. This unlikely trio form a bond…and a home…while trying to rebuild their lives and (in Koichi’s case) tries to make sense of the devastation he encountered in the war.
Into to this rebuilding stomps Godzilla.
This story is effectively told by Yamazaki, who knows when to focus on the people aspect of the film and when to focus on the building stomping of Godzilla. It’s a delicate balance that is helped by the performances of Kamiki and Hamabe…and the special effects that brings the spirit of the 1950’s and 1960’s Toho monster films to light.
A surpwisingly rich entertainment, Godzilla Minus One will entertain you with monster stomping…and deep human emotion.
Letter Grade: A- (I’m as surprised as you are)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Yes, a GODZILLA film.
From famed Japanese Studio Toho, makers of the original Godzilla film from the 1950’s plus other “man in a rubber suit” monster movies like MOTHRA and WAR OF THE GARGANTUANS, Godzilla Minus One subverts the genre for a moment for instead of presenting a “Monster stomping on buildings” movie with some people in the background, this film is about the Japanese people and how they deal with the aftermath of World War II while (also) running from a giant monster stomping on buildings - but the monster story is the “B” story and the people story is the “A” story…and this subversion of the genre works very very well.
The title of the film, Godzilla Minus One, refers to the fact that…after World War II….Japan was “starting from zero”. When Godzilla starts attacking, it knocks Japan back another peg, hence…Godzilla Minus One.
Director and Screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki tells the tale of Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who encounters Godzilla towards the end of WWII and freezes, causing the death of his fellow soldiers (so his PTSD continues to tell him throughout the film). Once back in Japan, he encounters a young woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe) who has been left orphaned, homeless and alone and is sheparding an abandoned baby. This unlikely trio form a bond…and a home…while trying to rebuild their lives and (in Koichi’s case) tries to make sense of the devastation he encountered in the war.
Into to this rebuilding stomps Godzilla.
This story is effectively told by Yamazaki, who knows when to focus on the people aspect of the film and when to focus on the building stomping of Godzilla. It’s a delicate balance that is helped by the performances of Kamiki and Hamabe…and the special effects that brings the spirit of the 1950’s and 1960’s Toho monster films to light.
A surpwisingly rich entertainment, Godzilla Minus One will entertain you with monster stomping…and deep human emotion.
Letter Grade: A- (I’m as surprised as you are)
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Awix (3310 KP) rated King Kong (2005) in Movies
Feb 26, 2018 (Updated Feb 26, 2018)
Peter Jackson's labour of love takes itself awfully seriously for a film about a giant gorilla living on an island full of dinosaurs. Proof that even hugely successful, talented people occasionally need someone to tap them on the shoulder and say 'You need to think again about this.'
I mean, I love monster movies as much as the next person, but not when they last three hours and are stuffed with dead-wood character subplots like this one (what exactly is going on with Jamie Bell's character?). Attempting to make Kong wholly sympathetic throughout is also arguably a mistake. Movie looks great and has brilliant creature designs, but overall loses the sense of pulpy fun and excitement which the best Kong movies have; ends up feeling just a bit pompous.
I mean, I love monster movies as much as the next person, but not when they last three hours and are stuffed with dead-wood character subplots like this one (what exactly is going on with Jamie Bell's character?). Attempting to make Kong wholly sympathetic throughout is also arguably a mistake. Movie looks great and has brilliant creature designs, but overall loses the sense of pulpy fun and excitement which the best Kong movies have; ends up feeling just a bit pompous.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Predator (1987) in Movies
Feb 13, 2018
Testosterone-drizzled SF action movie. Elite team of mercenaries - 'veer wescuers, not assahseens!' declares Arnie at one point - are dropped into Latin American jungle on shady political mission, proceed to kill everyone in sight (maybe they need to reconsider how they think of themselves), discover formidable alien big game hunter has plans to turn them all into trophies.
The cast is charismatic, the action is exceedingly well-staged, and there's a very good monster (Jean Claude van Damme was originally supposed to play the Pred but was sacked for complaining about the suit and not being beefy enough). There's also a surprisingly understated subtext about the Vietnam War, for which fighting an invisible monster in the jungle is a not-unreasonable metaphor. Not far off the quality of the other big-name 80s SF movies; inability to produce an equally memorable follow-up suggests the Predator is a one-trick pony, however.
The cast is charismatic, the action is exceedingly well-staged, and there's a very good monster (Jean Claude van Damme was originally supposed to play the Pred but was sacked for complaining about the suit and not being beefy enough). There's also a surprisingly understated subtext about the Vietnam War, for which fighting an invisible monster in the jungle is a not-unreasonable metaphor. Not far off the quality of the other big-name 80s SF movies; inability to produce an equally memorable follow-up suggests the Predator is a one-trick pony, however.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) in Movies
Apr 11, 2021 (Updated Apr 11, 2021)
You would think that a film about massive monsters battling out wouldn't be boring... but it was. My friend had warned me, but I thought maybe she was being too hard on the film. These Godzilla/Kong movies are normally big, dumb fun. This one? Snore.
The monster fights were the best parts, seriously, cut all the humans and I would have actually enjoyed it. I want to know where these scientists get their degrees, because they are all dumb af. There wasn't even someone attractive to keep me engaged, my chicken tendies and the promise of the big monster fight at the end were basically the reason I stayed.
I imagine I'll forget this film by tomorrow, much like I did the other two Godzilla films. At least the previous Kong film had Tom Hiddleston in the tight blue t-shirt to keep things interesting.
Just go re-watch Pacific Rim.
The monster fights were the best parts, seriously, cut all the humans and I would have actually enjoyed it. I want to know where these scientists get their degrees, because they are all dumb af. There wasn't even someone attractive to keep me engaged, my chicken tendies and the promise of the big monster fight at the end were basically the reason I stayed.
I imagine I'll forget this film by tomorrow, much like I did the other two Godzilla films. At least the previous Kong film had Tom Hiddleston in the tight blue t-shirt to keep things interesting.
Just go re-watch Pacific Rim.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mothra (1961) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018 (Updated Feb 11, 2018)
You're going to need some bigger mothballs
The film that sets the standard for rampaging-giant-mystic-butterfly pictures is one of the best Toho monster movies, clearly owing a debt to King Kong but adding a lovely veneer of charming Japanese weirdness to the recipe. Evil Rosilicans (i.e., Americans) gatecrash a Japanese expedition to a mysterious island and end up kidnapping the twin fairies in charge of the place and forcing them to appear in a stage musical (this film has some banging tunes, by the way). Disgruntled natives wake up Mothra, butterfly-god protector of the island, who promptly heads for Japan to express displeasure as only a 180 metre long larva can.
Much more of a fantasy movie than the rest of the Godzilla series (with which it is in continuity; Mothra and Godzilla have been fighting together and against each other for over fifty years), and also with an unambiguously sympathetic monster, this is probably a more technically adept and simply enjoyable film than any of its immediate predecessors from Toho. The story is vaultingly peculiar in some ways, but at least it has originality on its side. The attempt to disguise where Rosilica is really supposed to be falls flat as soon as we learn one of its major cities is called New Kirk, but you can't fault one of these movies for being just a little bit odd. Perhaps the lack of another monster for Mothra to fight at the end is a weakness in the story, but if so it is less obvious than is usually the case in this sort of film. An endearing and engaging piece of entertainment.
Much more of a fantasy movie than the rest of the Godzilla series (with which it is in continuity; Mothra and Godzilla have been fighting together and against each other for over fifty years), and also with an unambiguously sympathetic monster, this is probably a more technically adept and simply enjoyable film than any of its immediate predecessors from Toho. The story is vaultingly peculiar in some ways, but at least it has originality on its side. The attempt to disguise where Rosilica is really supposed to be falls flat as soon as we learn one of its major cities is called New Kirk, but you can't fault one of these movies for being just a little bit odd. Perhaps the lack of another monster for Mothra to fight at the end is a weakness in the story, but if so it is less obvious than is usually the case in this sort of film. An endearing and engaging piece of entertainment.
Lake Nowhere (2014)
5.0
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Movie
From the vaults of the golden age of slasher films comes LAKE NOWHERE, a raucous, bloody romp which...
Josh Burns (166 KP) rated Megashark vs Crocasaurus (2010) in Movies
Jun 21, 2019
Is this B Monster Movie worth the watch?
Megashark vs Crocasaurus has a decent concept behind it as far as B Monster Movies go. 2 ancient giant animals somehow survived, hidden away, only to wake up for what is hopefully an epic clash. But does it deliver?
The acting amd writing is about what you'd expect from a movie like this. It's passable most of the time, but sometimes, not so much. That being said, top notch acting amd writing is not why anyone watches movies like this.
The movies biggest downfall is it's monsters. They look absolutely terrible and have inconsistent size from scene to scene. Let me break each one down.
The Megashark: this may be the least intetesting "giant monster" I've seen brought to screen, and unfortunately, itbis the star of the franchise (yes there is more than one Megashark movie). Terrible CGI aside, it's kills were extremely underwhelming, mostly resorting to flopping out of the water, to smash ships with it's tail as it hurtles over them, causing little CGI explosions. As an example of the inconsistent size, when it's fin sticks out of the water upon approaching a ship, it is about the size of the whole shark when it is seen flopping out of the water.
The Crocasaurus: This one is marginally more interesting with a wider range of terribly animated kills and the ability to be on both land and water.
The Clash: This was a laughably bad "battle between the two monsters. Most of it consisted of them forming a circle, both with the others tail it it's mouth, as the military poured missiles into them.
Overall, it's not at all a good movie, but I'm pretty sure that's intentional to a point. It has its moments where it reaches levels of fun for fans of the genre. If you catch it on TV ir maybe a streaming service (it's on Amazon Prime now), it might be worth a watch, but I don't recommend spending money on it.
The acting amd writing is about what you'd expect from a movie like this. It's passable most of the time, but sometimes, not so much. That being said, top notch acting amd writing is not why anyone watches movies like this.
The movies biggest downfall is it's monsters. They look absolutely terrible and have inconsistent size from scene to scene. Let me break each one down.
The Megashark: this may be the least intetesting "giant monster" I've seen brought to screen, and unfortunately, itbis the star of the franchise (yes there is more than one Megashark movie). Terrible CGI aside, it's kills were extremely underwhelming, mostly resorting to flopping out of the water, to smash ships with it's tail as it hurtles over them, causing little CGI explosions. As an example of the inconsistent size, when it's fin sticks out of the water upon approaching a ship, it is about the size of the whole shark when it is seen flopping out of the water.
The Crocasaurus: This one is marginally more interesting with a wider range of terribly animated kills and the ability to be on both land and water.
The Clash: This was a laughably bad "battle between the two monsters. Most of it consisted of them forming a circle, both with the others tail it it's mouth, as the military poured missiles into them.
Overall, it's not at all a good movie, but I'm pretty sure that's intentional to a point. It has its moments where it reaches levels of fun for fans of the genre. If you catch it on TV ir maybe a streaming service (it's on Amazon Prime now), it might be worth a watch, but I don't recommend spending money on it.
They Fought in the Creature Features: Interviews with 23 Classic Horror, Science Fiction and Serial Stars
7.0
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Book
These men and women saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, monsters, zombies, and other bloated,...
The Rocky Horror Show
9.3
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Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Mothra (1992) in Movies
Mar 1, 2018 (Updated Mar 1, 2018)
Barnstorming monster movie delivers everything you want from this kind of film, as well as reintroducing Mothra for a new generation. Meteorite manages to stir up Godzilla, Battra, and Mothra simultaneously (crikey, that's unlucky); explorer Takuya must help the benevolent Mothra and its fairy spokespersons protect humanity (while also sorting out his family problems: it's that kind of a movie).
Essentially a remake of both Mothra (1961) and Mothra Vs Godzilla (1964); as such Godzilla doesn't turn up properly until quite near the end. The storyline with Mothra and Battra is still very engaging, though, and the various call-backs to the 60s movies are fun. Excellent special effects, banging soundtrack, and the tone is pitch-perfect for this kind of film - dramatic without being absurdly serious. You could possibly argue that Battra is a fairly dull monster and superfluous to proceedings; apart from that, in every area that matters this is as good a Godzilla (or Mothra) movie as you can find. A highlight of the franchise.
Essentially a remake of both Mothra (1961) and Mothra Vs Godzilla (1964); as such Godzilla doesn't turn up properly until quite near the end. The storyline with Mothra and Battra is still very engaging, though, and the various call-backs to the 60s movies are fun. Excellent special effects, banging soundtrack, and the tone is pitch-perfect for this kind of film - dramatic without being absurdly serious. You could possibly argue that Battra is a fairly dull monster and superfluous to proceedings; apart from that, in every area that matters this is as good a Godzilla (or Mothra) movie as you can find. A highlight of the franchise.