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Awix (3310 KP) rated Dogora (1964) in Movies
Jul 20, 2019 (Updated Jul 20, 2019)
Bonkers Japanese sci-fi from the Godzilla team makes most of those movies look like models of restraint and gritty realism. Odd things are afoot in Japan as seemingly random objects - coal, trucks, bank robbers, buildings - start spontaneously floating into the air. 'I never jump to conclusions but I think a giant space monster is probably responsible,' says the lead cop investigating the case. Of course, he is correct, and it's up to the usual team of cops, scientists, and soldiers to save the day.
The really weird thing about Dogora - and this is saying something - is that the giant diamond-eating monster element is not the oddest thing about this film. Most of it looks and feels like a particularly frantic cops-and-robbers thriller with the odd giant floating blob sequence edited in under protest. Still, the script has Shinichi Sekizawa's usual cheerful wit and the special effects are, believe it or not, excellent. Good fun if you like tokusatsu movies; the climax, in which wasp venom is used to try and petrify the monster and a gun battle turns into a dynamite-chucking contest, has to be seen to be believed.
The really weird thing about Dogora - and this is saying something - is that the giant diamond-eating monster element is not the oddest thing about this film. Most of it looks and feels like a particularly frantic cops-and-robbers thriller with the odd giant floating blob sequence edited in under protest. Still, the script has Shinichi Sekizawa's usual cheerful wit and the special effects are, believe it or not, excellent. Good fun if you like tokusatsu movies; the climax, in which wasp venom is used to try and petrify the monster and a gun battle turns into a dynamite-chucking contest, has to be seen to be believed.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Colossal (2016) in Movies
Nov 2, 2019
An interesting idea
I remember seeing a trailer for this film when it was first released, and as didn’t play at my local cinema I hadn’t seen anything from it since until it popped up on Netflix recently.
It’s a very interesting idea and a great take on the traditional monster movie. Without going into too much detail, this film really doesn’t pan out the way I was expecting. It took me a little while to adjust to this, but I actually really enjoyed it and the ending was beyond satisfying. It was great to see Jason Sudeikis play something other than his usual type of comedy character, and Anne Hathaway was wonderful as always. I do think Dan Steven was ridiculously underused and they really could’ve given him a much better part.
The effects are a tad dodgy at times but given the low budget, it’s not a massive surprise or issue. I do think there are some slightly irritating plot holes and it does drag a little at times, but overall still a rather good film and a refreshing change to the traditional “Godzilla” style films.
It’s a very interesting idea and a great take on the traditional monster movie. Without going into too much detail, this film really doesn’t pan out the way I was expecting. It took me a little while to adjust to this, but I actually really enjoyed it and the ending was beyond satisfying. It was great to see Jason Sudeikis play something other than his usual type of comedy character, and Anne Hathaway was wonderful as always. I do think Dan Steven was ridiculously underused and they really could’ve given him a much better part.
The effects are a tad dodgy at times but given the low budget, it’s not a massive surprise or issue. I do think there are some slightly irritating plot holes and it does drag a little at times, but overall still a rather good film and a refreshing change to the traditional “Godzilla” style films.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Dreamcatcher (2003) in Movies
Nov 9, 2019
A little bonkers
I’ve read the book, and I still found this film to be bonkers and completely crazy. So I really don’t know how anyone who hasn’t read the book can watch this film and have a clue what’s going on.
To be fair, even for Stephen King this story is a bit far fetched and a slightly confusing mix of genres. The film follows the basic plot from the book although obviously missing a lot of the more detailed aspects. It has a good and very decent cast, although sadly some like Timothy Olyphant and Jason Lee. And I’m really not entirely sure how I feel about Morgan Freeman being the bad guy, he definitely feels a little miscast. The effects in this are rather poor too, even when considering it was made in 2003!
Overall it’s not a bad film and watchable if you’ve read the book, but the crazy plot isn’t made any less sane and I really don’t think the boys friendship is highlighted as much as it should be like it has in some of King’s other films (IT and Stand By Me for example).
To be fair, even for Stephen King this story is a bit far fetched and a slightly confusing mix of genres. The film follows the basic plot from the book although obviously missing a lot of the more detailed aspects. It has a good and very decent cast, although sadly some like Timothy Olyphant and Jason Lee. And I’m really not entirely sure how I feel about Morgan Freeman being the bad guy, he definitely feels a little miscast. The effects in this are rather poor too, even when considering it was made in 2003!
Overall it’s not a bad film and watchable if you’ve read the book, but the crazy plot isn’t made any less sane and I really don’t think the boys friendship is highlighted as much as it should be like it has in some of King’s other films (IT and Stand By Me for example).
Awix (3310 KP) rated Midway (2019) in Movies
Nov 12, 2019
Wallowing historical re-enactment is technically an independent movie but certainly feels like a by-the-numbers Hollywood war film. On one level this is a decent attempt at a more even-handed re-telling of the first part of the war in the Pacific, including events like the raid on Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle attack on Tokyo, and the battle of the Coral Sea before moving on to the battle of Midway itself. However, this just results in a bloated narrative which struggles to stay focused and often feels repetitive.
Much money has obviously been spent on special effects, but the film is too often becalmed in the nautical equivalent of the uncanny valley. Too much of it takes place at the pitch of a single note of macho, stoic patriotism. There are some good performances amongst the cast, but Ed Skrein's lead character is difficult to warm up to. It's never actually dull to watch, but neither is it especially thrilling or moving. In the end it passes the time, but I can think of other Emmerich movies which are less respectable but much more fun.
Much money has obviously been spent on special effects, but the film is too often becalmed in the nautical equivalent of the uncanny valley. Too much of it takes place at the pitch of a single note of macho, stoic patriotism. There are some good performances amongst the cast, but Ed Skrein's lead character is difficult to warm up to. It's never actually dull to watch, but neither is it especially thrilling or moving. In the end it passes the time, but I can think of other Emmerich movies which are less respectable but much more fun.
Sara Cox (1845 KP) rated The War of the Worlds in TV
Dec 3, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was really excited for this series. I have read the book a number of times and it is one of my favourites. I thought at first they were keeping very true to the book, although I have no idea why the writers decided to add an unnecessary love triangle into the mix which has no bearing on the story whatsoever. The filming and effects we good, I was really impressed with the tripods. However, when we finally saw the martians I was disappointed with the way they were portrayed, I was expecting tentacles and these beings (that I might add were meant to be of higher intelligence and based on the tripods have good dexterity) seemed a bit weak and useless. The acting on the whole was good, although at times it seemed people were unaware that the martians were terrifying and just seemed to be taking a leisure walk away rather than the chaos and fear driven manic you would expect. This is better than most adaptation of H.G.Wells's classic. The final episode was weak and didn't follow the storyline which was highly disappointing.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Hidden Life (2019) in Movies
Jan 22, 2020
Based-on-a-true-story drama set during the Second World War. An Austrian farmer decides he does not agree with the actions of the Nazi government and refuses to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler, regardless of the risks to himself or the effects this will have on his family's status in their village. Obviously a serious film dealing with an important topic, presented in a measured and very skillful way: this is a Terrence Malick movie, so obviously it's going to look tremendous.
On the other hand, it's a Terrence Malick film, and no-one's ever come out of one of those saying 'Yeah, I liked it, but it could have done with being a bit longer and slower' - this film is knocking on three hours in length, and I'm not really sure it needs it. There are probably several too many scenes of villagers scything the corn or digging up turnips as the wind whistles down the valley. Still, it handles a weighty topic with the proper respect, and stories like these deserve to be remembered. Worth watching, but probably best to take sandwiches.
On the other hand, it's a Terrence Malick film, and no-one's ever come out of one of those saying 'Yeah, I liked it, but it could have done with being a bit longer and slower' - this film is knocking on three hours in length, and I'm not really sure it needs it. There are probably several too many scenes of villagers scything the corn or digging up turnips as the wind whistles down the valley. Still, it handles a weighty topic with the proper respect, and stories like these deserve to be remembered. Worth watching, but probably best to take sandwiches.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Feb 5, 2020
Entertaining
I tried to into this one with an open mind. I'm not a big fan of Kristen Stewart and I got what I expected from her performance-a pretty bland, non-emotional showing. Having her half naked through a lot of it didn't really save her performance either. The rest of the cast and crew were pretty good, however, so they more than made up for it. The cinematography was good-dark and murky-but what you'd expect from a movie shot under the ocean. The story, however, was pretty fascinating and surprisingly entertaining. Not all entirely believable, but(here's my nerd side speaking), seeing as how we've only explored a mere 5% of the world's oceans-especially what's underneath-the creatures and effects were pretty cool. I watch a lot of animal planet shows and after seeing some of the weird creatures that we DO know about at certain depths, this movie really makes you wonder what we DON'T know about under the earth's oceans. This movie had plenty of creep factor and a few gruesome scenes but nothing that younger viewers couldn't handle. Good one for a scary movie night! Worth a watch!
Dillon Jacoby-Rankin (202 KP) rated Unstable Unicorns in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2020
High player limit (3 more)
Fun and cool theme
Amazing Artwork
Simple Rules
Crazy fun party game
Players: 2-8
Time: 30-45 minutes
Players: Can play up to 8? Anything that plays up to 8 is a plus for me. We have different player amounts for our group all the time and sometimes you need a bigger game.
Time: Not only is it a larger group game, but it plays fast. Turns are so quick you guys. Read a single card and follow the text. It's that fast.
Simple Rules: Literally your turn is either draw 2 cards or draw 1 card and play 1 card. Then follow the text on the played card and keep up with ongoing effects. Example. The yay card says you can't be neighed(stopped from playing a card). Super simple to keep up with.
Artwork: The game is made by TeeTurtle. Shout out to them for the artwork in the game. It's all cutesy unicorns and such. If you don't know. TeeTurtle makes shirts and such. They have a cool and hip style which makes this a fun and great game to look at. Each card is unique.
Time: 30-45 minutes
Players: Can play up to 8? Anything that plays up to 8 is a plus for me. We have different player amounts for our group all the time and sometimes you need a bigger game.
Time: Not only is it a larger group game, but it plays fast. Turns are so quick you guys. Read a single card and follow the text. It's that fast.
Simple Rules: Literally your turn is either draw 2 cards or draw 1 card and play 1 card. Then follow the text on the played card and keep up with ongoing effects. Example. The yay card says you can't be neighed(stopped from playing a card). Super simple to keep up with.
Artwork: The game is made by TeeTurtle. Shout out to them for the artwork in the game. It's all cutesy unicorns and such. If you don't know. TeeTurtle makes shirts and such. They have a cool and hip style which makes this a fun and great game to look at. Each card is unique.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Spawn (1997) in Movies
Mar 16, 2020
Where you're going, every day is Halloween.
Spawn is a 1997 anti-hero film based on the comic book character of the same name. the film stars Michael Jai White in the title role, and is one of the first films to feature an African American actor portraying a major comic book superhero.
Al Simmons is a mercenary who, after accepting a mission is double-crossed and assassinated on the orders of Jason Wynn. After selling his soul to Malebolgia, Al soon returns to Earth as a demon, a hell spawn with a raging thirst for vengeance.
After being reborn, Spawn has little time to understand his new being and must act fast all whist learning new abilities along the way.
Though not as dark as it's comic book counterpart and a little more humorous, Spawn is a nice addition to a pre MCU world, which would have been amazing to see this version of him team up with the likes of Wesley snipes Blade and future hero's like tobey Maguires Spiderman & Nicholas cages Ghost Rider.
Visually entertaining & always a personal favourite.
Love the CGI Cape.
Al Simmons is a mercenary who, after accepting a mission is double-crossed and assassinated on the orders of Jason Wynn. After selling his soul to Malebolgia, Al soon returns to Earth as a demon, a hell spawn with a raging thirst for vengeance.
After being reborn, Spawn has little time to understand his new being and must act fast all whist learning new abilities along the way.
Though not as dark as it's comic book counterpart and a little more humorous, Spawn is a nice addition to a pre MCU world, which would have been amazing to see this version of him team up with the likes of Wesley snipes Blade and future hero's like tobey Maguires Spiderman & Nicholas cages Ghost Rider.
Visually entertaining & always a personal favourite.
Love the CGI Cape.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies
Mar 22, 2020
Could've been better
Shazam has been on my box to watch for quite some time, and after finally being persuaded to watch it I have to say I'l was a little unimpressed.
This is a very child orientated and almost childish film, which for me was a surprise considering it's set in the DC universe. Understandable to a point as the main character is a 14 year old child, but some of the silly childish jokes and the very super cheesy family friendly final act made me cringe. There were some decent laughs and these mainly came from Zachary Levi acting like a teenager. Levi shines in this film and if it wasn't for him this film would've been pretty dire. Even the usually reliable Mark Strong was wasted in this, and his villain wasn't particularly evil - although the effects used for the seven deadly sins were quite impressive.
Overall this was a rather underwhelming film that dragged on for a little too long. Whilst I didnt hate it as it did at least raise a few laughs, it's not a film I'd rush to watch again.
This is a very child orientated and almost childish film, which for me was a surprise considering it's set in the DC universe. Understandable to a point as the main character is a 14 year old child, but some of the silly childish jokes and the very super cheesy family friendly final act made me cringe. There were some decent laughs and these mainly came from Zachary Levi acting like a teenager. Levi shines in this film and if it wasn't for him this film would've been pretty dire. Even the usually reliable Mark Strong was wasted in this, and his villain wasn't particularly evil - although the effects used for the seven deadly sins were quite impressive.
Overall this was a rather underwhelming film that dragged on for a little too long. Whilst I didnt hate it as it did at least raise a few laughs, it's not a film I'd rush to watch again.