Month: December 2014

Released: June 1980

Directed By: Irvin Kirshner

Rated PG

Run Time: 124 minutes

Cast:
Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford: Han Solo
Carrie Fisher: Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams: Lando Calrissian
Frank Oz: Yoda(voice)
Darth Vader: David Prowse, James Earl Jones(voice)
Alec Guinness: Obi-Wan(Ben)Kenobi

When Star Wars: A New Hope was released back in 1977, it sent shock-waves throughout the entire movie-making community.  Nobody had ever seen or done anything like what George Lucas did.  From the use of models to the way camera moved during the battle sequences, the movie blew everyone’s minds.  It shattered records, won 6 Oscars, and was nominated for several more.  There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Star Wars was something special.  It gave us incredible special effects, characters, story and a rousing musical score that blew everything else away.  No other movie came together so perfectly.  It also came out of nowhere.  Names like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Darth Vader became household names overnight.  The merchandising was off the charts.  Records, books, comics, and toys came soon after the movie was released.  It came as no surprise that a follow-up film would be in the works.  George Lucas soon began work on the follow-up film when he received word of how successful his movie was.  Because he had spent so much time and effort trying to get Star Wars made, he gave up the director’s for the second movie.  Irvin Kirshner took over as director and as a result, we have the best sequel to any movie ever made: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

After the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance is on the run from the dreaded Galactic Empire.  Taking refuge on the remote ice planet Hoth, the Rebels plan their next strike against the Empire.  Meanwhile, the Empire has sent thousands of probe droids throughout the galaxy in an attempt to flush the Rebels out.  Because of the Death Star’s destruction, Darth Vader has taken a particular interest in Luke Skywalker.  Skywalker receives a vision from the late Obi-Wan Kenobi telling him to go to Degobah.  He is to train under the guidance of the legendary Jedi Master, Yoda.  Suffering a devastating defeat at the hands of the Empire, the Rebels scatter throughout the galaxy, and Luke heads to Degobah to begin his training as a Jedi Knight.  I don’t think that people were surprised to hear that a sequel to Star Wars was coming, but I think people were surprised at how amazing it was.  The filmmakers took everything that was great about the first movie and amped it up for The Empire Strikes Back.

Story-wise, it feels like a natural progression that the Empire would unleash its entire military force on the Rebels.  The Rebels had destroyed the Empire’s prized Death Star after all.  The opening battle sequence on Hoth shows you just how hopelessly outgunned and outmatched the Rebels really are, both technologically and in manpower.  So, it’s only natural that after the Alliance’s first major success, they are handed a very sound defeat.  The Rebels are running one way, with Han and Leia outrunning Imperial Star Destroyers and TIE fighters in another direction.  Luke is flying solo to a remote and swampy planet to train as a Jedi, so things are looking pretty grim at this point.  That’s another thing that took people by surprise: The Empire Strikes Back is a much darker film than the previous entry.

The Empire Strikes Back introduces three new central characters to the story.  The first is the Jedi master, Yoda.  This diminutive creature has trained Jedi for 800 years and exiled himself to Degobah to hide from the Empire.  He takes Luke under his wing to train Luke in the ways of the Force.  The next character is another charming rogue: Lando Calrissian.  Billy Dee Williams is simply fantastic as Lando.  We learn that Lando was the previous owner of the Millennium Falcon that he lost to Han in a card game.  The final character is the bounty hunter Boba Fett.  Clad in Mandalorian armor, we never see his face or hear his actual voice.  The character is as mysterious as he is lethal.  Each of these characters play a significant role in the events of the film.

As I mentioned in my review of the original Star Wars, what makes these movies special is their use of visual effects and sound design.  From the laser blasts of the Imperial Walkers to the metallic engine whine of the Falcon, the sound really hits you from all sides.  Visually, this is as distinct a movie as you can get.  The icy environments of Hoth are appropriately chilling.  Yes, that pun was intended.  Degobah is a swamp planet that is wet, muddy and riddled with bizarre creatures.  Cloud City on Bespin is something to behold.  It’s massive, and some of the most important conflicts in the movie happen here.  From Leia and Lando’s escape to the lightsaber duel between Luke and Darth Vader, it feels pretty claustrophobic at times.  The action sequences are incredible.  The opening battle on Hoth with the walkers is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, even today.  Then you have the sequence where the Imperials are chasing the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field.  This is one of the most memorable moments of the film.  It’s fast paced and absolutely intense.  Since the film’s been out for 34 years, everyone pretty much knows how the lightsaber duel ends in this one.  The choreography is fantastic, but it really hits an emotional core towards the end of the fight.  When Vader reveals that he is Luke’s father, everything changes.  Nobody was expecting that.  Even the actors were kept out of the loop during the making of the film.  That was to make the impact that much more visceral and it worked.

I mentioned that one of the greatest things about Star Wars was its music.  The Empire Strikes Back is no slouch in that department.  John Williams introduced a few new themes.  A new romantic theme for Leia and Han, Yoda’s theme which is elegant and emotional, and the Imperial March.  The March is the Empire’s theme and it’s very powerful and sinister, just like the government it represents.  Like the film before it, The Empire Strikes Back gets everything right.  For millions of fans, The Empire Strikes Back is the best film in the series, and it’s really, really hard to argue that point.  This is exactly what a proper sequel should do: Give fans what they love and know from the original film and expand upon it with new and exciting stuff that fits in with the movie’s mythology.  As I mentioned in my Star Wars review, George Lucas went back and did some tinkering with Original Trilogy when the tech became available.  Unlike the first movie, some of the changes in Empire are mostly cosmetic like the Falcon’s approach to Cloud City as well as some of the city’s vistas.  It’s really hard to improve on something that’s so well done that there’s really not a whole lot to improve.  There is a particular change that was made to the DVD release of the film, and that’s with Vader’s conversation with the Emperor.  In the DVD and Blu-Ray releases, Ian McDiarmid reprises his role as The Emperor for the film.  It’s one of the changes that I agree with, as it adds more continuity to the series.  Overall, that basically covers it for the additions to the film.  Like the film before it, The Empire Strikes Back still stands up after nearly 40 years, and will continue to do so for who knows how long.  It’s a film that you can watch again and again and still get excited about, and that’s the mark of a great movie.  I only wish that this trilogy would be re-released in theaters before The Force Awakens is released.  I haven’t seen the Original Trilogy in theaters and I would love to be able to.  The Force is strong with this one: 10/10.

Released: May 1977

Directed By: George Lucas

Run-Time: 121 Minutes

Rated PG

Cast:
Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford: Han Solo
Carrie Fisher: Princess Leia
Anthony Daniels: C-3PO
Kenny Baker: R2-D2
Peter Mayhew: Chewbacca
David Prowse: Darth Vader
James Earl Jones: The Voice of Darth Vader
Peter Cushing: Grand Moff Tarkin
Alec Guinness: Obi-wan(Ben)Kenobi

In 1968, a little science fiction movie called 2001: A Space Odyssey was released by Stanley Kubrick.  While the film garnered mixed reviews, the one thing that everybody seemed to agree on was how realistic it appeared and the way that special effects were used was unique.  It was nearly a silent film and relied mostly on what unfolded on screen and the music.  Nothing like that had ever been seen or done before.  9 years later in 1977, the way movies were MADE was turned upside down by another little movie by the name of Star Wars.  Released in May of 1977, Star Wars took the world by storm.  It featured visual effects and techniques that nobody had ever seen before.  Director George Lucas was inspired by the serials of the early to mid 30s and the Akira Kurosawa films.  The success of Star Wars launched an entire universe of endless possibilities in terms of story telling and characters.  The opening of Star Wars shattered box office records.  People lined up for blocks and blocks.  Some of them had seen it dozens of times.  It was clearly a well-received film that made people interested in science fiction again.  The film has inspired generations of not just filmmakers but also fans.

Drawing on the mythological archetypes described by Joseph Campbell, Star Wars tells the story of Luke Skywalker(Mark Hamill).  A young and idealistic farm boy, Luke gets caught up in the civil war between a Rebel Alliance and the evil Galactic Empire that has ruled the galaxy for decades.  Recruited by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke and the two droids that were sold to him embark on an adventure that spans the galaxy.  Meeting up with the rogue Han Solo(Harrison Ford)and Chewbacca(Peter Mayhew), Luke and Kenobi attempt to leave Tattooine without attracting Imperial attention in order to deliver the droids C-3PO(Anthony Daniels)and R2-D2(Kenny Baker)to Alderaan.   For all three of you that have been living under a rock for the past 37 years, this is basically the introduction to Star Wars.  What an introduction it is.  The way a movie opens tends to be very important, because it sets the tone for the rest of the movie.  When the Star Wars logo appears to the famous musical score by legendary composer John Williams, you know you are in for something special.  Just when you think that the opening scrawl was awesome, it gets better.  When the first ship shows up, it seems like it’s pretty big, right?  Well, when the Star Destroyer passes overhead, audiences went wild.  This was something new and spectacular.  The opening sequence was just the tip of the iceberg.  One of the main characters is perhaps the most recognizable villains in cinema: Darth Vader.  he was big and he was scary.  You knew he was a bad guy.

From the scavenging Jawas and the Imperial Storm-Troopers to Han Solo, Luke and Leia, Star Wars introduces us to a wide array of unique and colorful creatures and characters.  All of them are memorable, and the way they are introduced is also memorable.  The universe portrayed in these films is so vast, it’s hard to fathom.  Star Wars draws its inspiration from many different sources.  Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is one as well as the Flash Gordon serials.  Star Wars has also been inspired by Westerns.  You can tell that by looking at Han Solo.  He’s basically a cowboy in space.  Look at the way he carries his weapon and the way he moves.  That reminds me of the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns of the 60s.  The themes present in Star Wars aren’t particularly unique.  The battle between good and evil is basically the same deal in many movies that came before, but the way these themes were presented was original.  The action sequences for example: The gun fights come right out of a good old fashioned western.  The space battles are actually fairly reminiscent of the WWII combat plane footage.  All of these sequences were done practically with models and miniatures.  No CGI.  The way that George Lucas moved the camera, nobody had done before.  There is not a sequence in this movie that doesn’t stand out.  The performances in this film are incredible and don’t come across as cheesy as you would expect from a 70s sci-fi flick.  Star Wars doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t overstay its welcome.  It’s a faced-paced adventure considering its 2 hour running time.

I mentioned Joseph Campbell because a lot of the archetypes that he mentioned were used prominently in Star Wars.  You have the young idealistic farm-boy who finds a mentor in an old man, and then they meet up with a roguish character.  Star Wars isn’t the first to use these archetypes and it wasn’t the last.  In fact, some of the movies that have been released in the past decade have taken inspiration directly from Star Wars.  Eragon is a prime example. Unfortunately, Eragon, follows the Star Wars formula exactly.  But that’s neither here nor there.  The point is, is that when you watch movies these days, it’s hard not to notice that the same themes present in Star Wars are also present in movies like Lord of the Rings.  Filmmakers like James Cameron and Peter Jackson have clearly been inspired by Star Wars.

Star Wars is a thrilling space adventure that has some of the most iconic themes, music and characters that we’ve ever seen.  I know I tend to throw that word around a lot, but it’s absolutely true.  I grew up with Star Wars, as did many people of my generation.  It’s one of the most exciting movies ever made and even nearly 40 years later, it still manages to excite people of all ages.  On a side note: In 1997, the Original Trilogy was re-released to theaters featuring new footage and special effects, including CGI elements.  While it didn’t necessarily bother me at the time, the addition of the new effects actually degraded the quality of the film to a certain extent.  Star Wars was special because Lucas had to use the technology of the time to make everything work, and it was exquisite.  George Lucas’s reasoning for going back to “finish” his movies was for that very reason, the lack of technology.  Truthfully, I think that rings hollow.  He managed to accomplish more in terms of special effects because he didn’t have the technology that we have now.  So, for Lucas to go back and tinker with his movies just doesn’t seem….proper.  Granted, some of it works quite well, while other elements are completely out of place.  With the advent of DVD and recently, Blu-Ray, Lucas continued to mess around with something that didn’t need screwing around with.  Do these new additions detract from the experience as a whole?  I personally don’t believe so, but it does strike me as odd.

Overall, Star Wars is probably one of the greatest science fiction films ever conceived.  It has inspired generations of filmmakers to dare to experiment with movies the way that George Lucas did.  This movie is filled with incredible gunfights and space battles, while peppered with awesome character interaction that is both amusing and heart-breaking.  Never before has a movie captured the imagination of millions of people.  For nearly 40 years, the Star Wars universe has expanded and blossomed into a cultural phenomenon that will never die.  Star Wars is a film that is for all generations, both young and old, to enjoy.  I truly hope that these films will be preserved for future generations, to show them how movies can be both fun and inspirational.  Star Wars is one of the main reasons why I do this, why I write about movies.  It’s because there is so much to tell.  For me and many others, Star Wars is a timeless adventure that never fails to thrill.  With amazing music, story and effects, Star Wars is where it’s at.  10/10.

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Movie Trailer

Released: November 1992

Rated R

Cast:
Gary Oldman: Dracula
Anthony Hopkins: Van Helsing
Keanu Reeves: Jonathan Harker
Winona Ryder: Mina
Richard E. Grant: Dr. Jack Seward
Cary Elwes: Lord Arthur Holmwood.
Bill Campbell: Quincy P. Morris
Sadie Frost: Lucy
Tom Waits: Renfield

Dracula.  He is arguably the most recognizable and iconic movie monster of all time.  Originally played by Bela Lugosi in the original 1931 film, Dracula, the character has been played by many different actors.  From Christopher Lee to Leslie Nielson, Dracula has seen many incarnations throughout the years.  However, most of the time, he’s portrayed as pure evil.  Even the most recent “Dracula” made the character out to be a total monster.  In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola unleashed his vision of Bram Stoker’s character on audiences world-wide.  You would never expect a filmmaker of Coppola’s caliber to give us one of the most memorable interpretations of Dracula ever.  It seems unusual for a director that gave us the Godfather movies and Apocalypse Now, would give us a straight-up horror movie.  In actuality, he really didn’t.  It’s actually a clever combination of different genres, but it is a horror movie at its heart.

Based on Bram Stoker’s story of the same name, Dracula tells the story of a man, Prince Vlad(Gary Oldman), who after going to war returns to find his beloved wife dead after Turks shot an arrow containing a deceptive message that Vlad had died in battle.  Vlad’s wife threw herself out of the window.  Cursing and renouncing God, Vlad becomes something more than man, a creature of the night.  Four centuries later, young accountant Jonathan Harker(Keanu Reeves)is given an assignment to secure the purchase of Carfax Abbey by the mysterious Count Dracula.  This assignment was originally supposed to be handled by Harker’s predecessor, Renfield(Tom Waits), but Renfield returned from Transylvania appearing to be insane.  Leaving his bride-to-be, Mina(Winona Ryder), embarks on journey to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania where he witnesses some very bizarre things.  Arriving at the castle and welcomed by the Count himself, Harker discovers that Dracula is more than he appears to be.  Dracula see’s Mina’s picture and it is the spitting image of Dracula’s dead wife.  So, naturally Dracula wants to take Mina as his bride.

The story of Dracula has been told so many different, but it’s never felt entirely compelling, at least not until Francis Ford Coppola’s film.  It’s a great story, with a powerful character that’s actually based on an actual historical figure: Vlad Tepes III, or “The Impaler” if you will.  Coppola’s film portrays Vlad as a man of God who wages war against the Ottoman Empire to defend the rest of Europe.  Of all the actors to portray Dracula, Gary Oldman stands out as one of the finest examples.  While the character he plays is definitely ruthless, he’s not without his own code of honor.  This is Gary Oldman’s show, through and through.  Oldman is one of those actors who can truly disappear into a role, and you wouldn’t be able to recognize.  Gary Oldman has played Sid Vicious, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Ludwig Von Beethoven.  There is no denying his talents as an actor, but Dracula is one of his best roles in my opinion.  He gives the character a very creepy, yet dignified stature as a man who felt betrayed by God and became something different.  He also gives the character a sense of tragedy and actually ends up making the character feel more human than the rest of the characters in the story.  Gary Oldman isn’t the only one who can steal the show.  Anthony Hopkins portrays the eccentric, yet dedicated Professor Abraham Van Helsing, who infamously battles the eponymous vampire.  Hopkins, like Oldman, is one of the most captivating actors I’ve ever seen.  While you can tell he does take the material seriously, Hopkins is clearly having a good time with the character even during times of tragedy.  Most of the other actors do a good job, the exception being Keanu Reeves, but I’ll deal with him later.  Winona Ryder is beautiful and elegant as Mina, and Ryder just inhabits the role.  Richard E. Grant is fantastic as the intelligent and sometimes clumsy Dr. Seward.  Cary Elwes brings a very upright stature as a nobleman from England and is Lucy’s fiance.  Sadie Frost is stunning.  The character of Lucy is supposed to be very seductive and attractive and Frost just nails it, even when she’s turning into a vampire.  Bill Campbell plays Quincy P. Morris, the only American character of the bunch, and he gives the character a very convincing southern accent and stature.  Tom Waits does a fantastic job playing the lunatic Renfield.  The character has completely lost his mind.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a very unique and visually stunning film to look at.  It has a very dark and gothic vibe throughout the picture.  From Dracula’s castle to Carfax Abbey, there’s a very distinct look that makes the whole movie feel….otherworldly, despite it being it a period piece.  The costume designs are extraordinary, especially Dracula’s wardrobe.  While he’s out in the public during the day, he’s wearing a very distinct and extravagant suit that’s appropriate for a prince.  Likewise, the dresses that Mina wears are simply stunning and befitting a woman in her position.  Most of the outfits are appropriately Victorian Era.  The atmosphere of the film is one of foreboding and dread.  There’s a lot of fog throughout and when you combine that with the set design, it’s unusually creepy.  The visual effects are wild.  There is not a single trace of CG, anywhere.  It’s mostly done practically.  You see a lot of miniatures including the trains and vista shots around Dracula’s castle.  The opening sequence of the film where Vlad goes to fight a war is very unique.  It all done in a silhouette style.  It’s bizarre and yet very appropriate given the tone of the film.  The film does get violent, and there’s plenty of blood flowing.  Given that this is a vampire movie, one should not be surprised at the amount of carnage that the film displays.  It’s not outright gory, but it’s still pretty brutal at times.  All the blood and violence is done practically and on screen.  Granted, this was before CG really became mainstream, but still: The lack of CG in Bram Stoker’s Dracula is nothing to sneer at.  It is a major achievement.  The music by Wojciech Kilar just simply sells the film as a gothic horror movie.  It’s grand and eerie at the same time.

Now, we come to the one and only real weak link of the film: Keanu Reeves.  I don’t hate Keanu Reeves.  I really don’t.  Given the right material, he’s absolutely fantastic to watch.  He has a very laid-back quality about that really suits some his other roles.  But not here.  Reeves is simply WRONG for the role of Jonathan Harker.  The character requires a particular sense of stature and emotion, and Keanu Reeves just doesn’t have it.  He was great in the Bill & Ted movies, because those served his surfer-boy attitude.  Here, you can tell that he’s holding back from saying, “woah.”  And that accent of his: He just butchers it.  He’s not convincing at all, and when stacked up against the other great actors in this film, he is simply outclassed in every way.  Like I said, I don’t hate Reeves, I just don’t think that he’s cut out for certain parts that he’s been offered.  Coppola’s casting of Reeves is simply incomprehensible.  I realize that he needed a young actor to play the part, but he could have gone with somebody else.  Obviously, Reeves went on to have a pretty decent career, so Dracula may have helped him a bit.  Thankfully, Keanu’s performance didn’t damage Bram Stoker’s Dracula as a whole so everything ended up working out for everyone in the long run.

Bram Stoker’s character was clearly inspired by Vlad The Impaler and some of the notorious acts that he committed, and Francis Ford Coppola incorporated some of that into the film.  The opening sequence is kind of a prologue detaling the character’s fall from grace.  The whole film is about Dracula’s transformation from man to monster.  Yet, throughout the film there are times when you see the character seems like he’s been made to suffer for his actions.  There are times when you really sympathize with him.  There are times when people lose their faith in God, and the story of Dracula is a bit of an analogy for that.  While some of the other movies based on Dracula are fantastic, I believe that Francis Ford Coppola’s film is unique in how it portrays its antagonist/protagonist.  You’re not entirely sure if you’re rooting for the character or wanting to condemn him.  That speaks volumes about how Gary Oldman portrays Dracula.  Combined with the other elements of the film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I feel, is the definitive film about the character.  With the exception of Keanu Reeves, the film is simply amazing in every way.  It’s awesome production values, music and visual effects help this movie stand out from the rest and I can easily recommend this movie to fans of vampire movies.  It’s the best one.  9/10 is my verdict.

Directed By: Gareth Edwards

Released: May 2014

Rated PG-13

Cast:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Ford Brody
Ken Watanabe: Dr. Serizawa
Bryan Cranston: Joe Brody
Godzilla: Himself

Godzilla. If there’s any movie monster that needs NO introduction, it’s Godzilla. When one hears that name, what does it bring to mind? A giant reptilian beast with atomic breath destroying cities. In 1954 in Japan, Godzilla was first introduced to audiences in a black and white film. It featured a man in a rubber suit tearing up miniature cities. There have been many classic monsters before Godzilla: Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. But when Godzilla showed up in the early 50s, it rocked the house. The original name is actually Gojira, but still, an impressive film with impressive production values. There have been so many movies featuring the titular monster, I can’t even count. I’m not counting the 1998 travesty, because let’s be honest, that’s not Godzilla. It’s an overgrown iguana. So after that and two more Godzilla movies, the monster needed a rest. Ten years later, Godzilla hits the big screen again.

Godzilla opens up as a Japanese scientist Dr. Serizawa(Ken Watanabe) is flying to a mining site, where there was a massive collapse. After exploring the underground tunnels, they discover the remains of an ancient and giant monster that existed millions of years before we did. Some time later in Japan, a scientist, Joe Brody(Bryan Cranston)has discovered unusual electromagnetic signatures below a nearby nuclear power plant. What appears to be a massive earthquake destroys the facility and kills Joe’s wife. 15 years later, Joe’s son, Ford(Aaron Taylor-Johnson)is in the Navy and has a family of his own. Ford’s father is arrested in Japan for violating a quarantine zone and Joe goes to Japan to bail him out. Both discover that there is no radiation, but rather, the government has been hiding a major discovery under the remains of the nuclear power plant.

This being a Godzilla movie, you would expect there to be giant monsters, and it delivers, but the first one you see isn’t big G himself. The one that you see is a winged monster. And it is HUGE. There’s also a second monster that’s similar but larger and doesn’t have wings. Then we come to the main guy. Wow. To the film’s credit they try and NOT show him too early, but just bits and pieces. It’s enough to give you the chills in anticipation. Then we finally get to see him in all his glory and I was blown away. It’s very, impressive how they brought Godzilla to life. This is not the iguana from the 1998 movie, but this more like the original Japanese monster, albeit larger and less static in terms of movement. This thing is more like an organic creature than a man in a rubber suit, which while that had it’s charm back in the day, here it would’ve been out of place and very hokey. So, CG was the only way to go here, and they really outdid themselves. With Godzilla back on the big screen, people wonder, if he’s got the stuff that makes Godzilla, well….Godzilla. Oh, yes. He stands up on hind legs, he’s got the spikes on his back and he’s got the super long spiked tail. He also has his infamous atomic breath.

As with giant monster or kaiju movies, some level of destruction is certainly expected. Godzilla definitely delivers the goods. However, it’s not Pacific Rim levels of destruction. It’s not completely mindless, but rather restrained. I know, restraint in a monster movie, right? Doesn’t make sense, does it? In this case it does, because the story has these massive monsters basically going after radioactive sources for food. Godzilla shows up to fight them, so there is collateral damage, but unlike Pacific Rim, the destruction is actually very restrained. The two cities that really take a pounding are Las Vegas and San Francisco.

I mentioned Pacific Rim because that movie is Guillermo Del Toro’s love letter to the Godzilla movies of the 50s and 60s. It’s a fantastic movie with great visuals, but it’s just NOT a Godzilla movie. There is something about Godzilla that makes a movie like that special. I also mentioned the 1998 Godzilla. That one isn’t Godzilla because, while he had the spikes and the roar, the rest of him just wasn’t that impressive other than his size. They also killed him at the end of the movie. You don’t kill Godzilla, are you kidding? Godzilla’s one of those monsters that you just have to root for. When he’s on the screen with other monsters, you find yourself rooting FOR a monster. There’s a definitely a human element to this movie, and it takes place from a human’s perspective, but it’s done in a fairly believable way.

Are there downsides to the new movie? Yes. The one that’s going to bother people the most, I think, is how little Godzilla is actually in the movie. Yeah he shows up, but there’s a considerable waiting period between appearances. But I think it was done in a way that really adds to the anticipation of the Final Battle, and when the big guy is one the screen, all the attention is his. The other is Bryan Cranston. It’s not that he was bad, not at all. it’s that he wasn’t really in the movie for very long, which is a shame, because his character was pretty important. Godzilla’s roar is definitely there, but it’s a little different than what I’m used to hearing from him. Overall, this is a fantastic movie to kick off the summer, and is actually a pretty damned good Godzilla movie to boot. He’s back, ladies and gentlemen. I give the movie a solid 9/10. It’s good to be the king.