ciarandino

I am a big fan of this movie. The Godzilla fan base is fairly divided on this film, but personally, I love it. It has wonderful cinematography, acting, themes, music, special effects, characters and all around brilliant.

The characters are likable and well written, they are believable. The music, while you cannot compare it to the work of Akira Ifukube, is still excellent and goes very well with this film. It is very well shot, with many wonderful scenes with a great atmosphere. The special effects are done, as per usual in this series, with great skill and talent. Suitmation is very underrated and all too often the subject of disdain. This film shows just how excellent suitmation can be, as well as all the other practical effects, which come together to create a believable and stunning world.

The themes were well handled, not forced violently down your throat as they were in the 1992 version of Godzilla vs Mothra (which is still a good movie, but the environmental message gets to be rather preachy and forceful at times).

The buildup to Godzilla's arrival is excellent, and when he does show up, it is a spectacular sight seeing him rise out of a volcano (however, going back to the 92 Godzilla vs Mothra film, I think the very similar scene from that film does it much better). The film contains two excellent monster battles, in which Godzilla goes up against the very creative monster Biollante, a combination of rose, human and Godzilla DNA. It's an artful movie, and shows that Godzilla movies are not just cheesy crap like most people seem to think they are (I personally think most of the films are good).

I had problems with this movie. For one thing, mothra looks like a plastic toy, both in larval and adult stages. The military artillery and miniature buildings look less convincing than before and like mothra, they often look like toys. The film is definitely inferior effects wise to the previous and subsequent Heisei films (with exception of Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla). The final battle, though enjoyable, is a little bit of a let down. Godzilla doesn't put up much of a challenge for the two moths and is bested with uncharacteristic ease.

However, there are things I like as well. Despite the slightly shoddier effects work, it is still an enjoyable Godzilla movie. It retains the darker tone of the Heisei series. Battra looks fantastic in both larval and adult form, and of course, Godzilla looks awesome as always. Akira Ifukube provides a spectacular musical score, and hearing the numerous songs sung by the twin fairies is always an awesome auditory treat, and are very fitting for the deity-esque nature of mothra. Godzilla's emergence from Mt. Fuji is spectacular, and far surpasses his previous volcano escape in Godzilla vs Biollante, and is by far the most impressive special effects sequence in the film, and one of the best in the history of Godzilla movies.

And of course, though I complained about the special effects, it is really only a minor gripe. Though I prefer the better effects of most of the other Heisei films, this one still manages to impress visually, and there are Godzilla films with far cheaper effects work that I love. So overall, not the best Godzilla film ever, and one of the weaker entries to the Heisei series, but still a good and enjoyable movie. I recommend that fans of Godzilla and just giant monster movies in general should see it, though it may not appeal to people who are not fans of the genre.

This truly is one of the greatest films I have ever seen in my life. It is very much a masterpiece. It is a highly evocative and deep film. Everything is top-notch. The acting, the lighting, the visuals, the musical score, the choreography, everything is just so wonderful.

The movie is about China before it became a single united land and was a series of warring nations. A nameless warrior comes before the king of the nation Qin having slain his three greatest foes, the assassins known as Sky, Broken Sword and Snow. As he tells his story, however, the king works out that Nameless is lying to get closer to him, and the truth begins to unravel.

This is a film that makes you sympathize with all of the characters. The king of Qin, though at first he may appear to be little more than a tyrant, is eventually revealed as a man who longs for peace, peace that he wishes to achieve through uniting all the nations. You sympathize with the assassins because what they have gone through is harsh. It is understandable that they wish to kill the king of Qin because their nation has suffered because of him.

The score heightens the emotions of the film, and it is a very beautiful and touching score. The visuals are just stunning, and the movie uses locations, set pieces, choreography and colour spectacularly, and the results are a treat for the eyes.

This film is without a doubt a work of art and a masterpiece. Any-who, that's my review, so I must bid you adieu.

I didn't really enjoy this film terribly much. I found it to be a bit of a bore, and I f*cking love martial arts films. This film has no idea what it wants to be, and ends up trying to be several things at once. Martial arts comedy, archeology mystery and historical romance. It swings back and forth between present day Jackie Chan and his visions of his past life as the general, and it's pretty jarring, since we never really spend enough time in either story to get to like any of the characters. Not to mention that the two styles don't mesh well at all. As I said before, the present day is more comedic while the historical side is more serious and dramatic, and it's like watching two completely different films. Now I must mention a character I can't stand. OK Soo. Good god is this character annoying. She is the general's love interest, and all she does for the entire movie is whine and complain. There's nothing remotely compelling about her in any way. Also, there is the stock villain introduced about two thirds of the way into the movie, because, you know, we need a villain. They might as well call him 'Dark Evil Mcbadguy' because he was just so cliché and bland. Now, this isn't to say that there aren't good scenes in the movie. The opening scene is quite impressive, and I enjoyed the scene where Jack and his friend (who's name eludes me) are escaping from the angry locals in Dasar after they wreck the tomb in the temple. There is the scene in the glue factory, which I found to be quite enjoyable. However, the rest of it was pretty bland. I wish it had focused on the comedic martial arts archaeology story and cut out the historical scenes. I know that would make it a different movie, but that's just the side of the story that I find more compelling. Any-who, that's my review, so I must bid you adieu.

This is a highly enjoyable movie, with some good scenes in it, and I have a lot of nostalgia for this movie as well. However, I do of course have some gripes. The biggest one is the huge lack of Godzilla in this film. You'd think that a film called Godzilla might actually feature, ya know, Godzilla, but instead we get a completely different monster that we're expected to think of as Godzilla. Now don't get me wrong, GINO (Godzilla In Name Only, as pretty much every G fan knows) is an awesome monster. He's very well designed, and pretty damn cool. But really, the movie should have been called something else, because calling it Godzilla is false advertising. Heck, the director, Roland Emmerich, didn't even like Godzilla movies very much, making one wonder what on earth made him want to direct one (money). But in spite of all this, this is still a highly enjoyable monster movie.

Now the thing that I like the most in this movie are the scenes with the monster. They're all very enjoyable. First is the scene where GINO attacks a Japanese fishing ship. It's very effective when the monster shows up on the sonar and everyone is freaking out, and then the awesome pause where we hear that ominous groan the creature makes before all hell breaks loose and its claws break straight through the ship. Next of course is when GINO shows up in NYC, with a brilliant shot to reveal him rising from the sea, and a subsequent scene which shows as little as possible of the monster as it rampages through the city streets. Of course there are also the scenes where GINO goes up against the military, which are all enjoyable scenes.

Now for the things that annoy me, apart from the movie not actually featuring Godzilla. For one thing, the characters. They are all 2 dimensional idiots. The only likable one is the french guy, who's name I cannot recall. Next is the fact that they set up the monster as a sympathetic creature, and yet expects us to celebrate when it dies. It spoils a kind of sad moment when it dies, and there's silence, and suddenly everyone bursts into applause. And of course, there are the baby Godzilla's. They kind of felt like an unnecessary addition to the story, pretty much just filler. So over all, I think it's an enjoyable movie with some great moments, but of course, it does have a good number of flaws, and calling it Godzilla was just milking the name, because it was really its own thing. Anyway, that's all I have to say on the matter. Ta ta

This is the first godzilla movie I ever saw, when I was about five years old, so naturally, I have a lot of nostalgia for this flick. It introduced me to the wonderful world of godzilla movies. I personally think this was an awesome movie. It has four monsters, three awesome monster battles, an ancient prophecy, James Bond esc elements and a killer soundtrack. This is a real return to form for Godzilla after the dismal Godzilla vs Gigan and Godzilla vs Megalon (I actually liked Godzilla vs Hedorah, and I enjoyed the final battle in Gigan, but overall GvG was pretty awful).

I love the designs of the monsters. The godzilla suit from Megalon was reused, but it was dramatically improved with an altered head, which had an angry frown and smaller, sharper teeth, which made the suit look a lot more viscous, not like the previous head which made big G look way too cutesy. The Anguirus suit from Destroy All Monsters was reused, which I have no problem with, because the suit looks damn awesome. King Caesar is an awesome monster, though considering he was so integral to the prophecy in the movie, he didn't really do much when he was actually awakened other than get his ass royally handed to him by Mechagodzilla. And now we move on to Godzilla's foe for this movie, his mechanical twin Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla just looks incredible. The thing looks damn evil, what with those glaring orange eyes. It sounds evil too, with that screeching roar it makes.

The movie has brilliant build up. After their first confrontation ends in a tie (with godzilla seemingly dead), godzilla and mechagodzilla leave to recover. After that point, the movie builds up to an epic climax, and it does not disappoint. Godzilla and caesar fight mechagodzilla in one of the most action packed monster fights ever seen. I highly recommend this movie to any godzilla fan, anyone who's new to the series, or anyone who just likes old B movies.

Unfortunately, I have yet to locate a copy of the original Japanese version, so I only have the bastardized dubbed version to review. Anyway,I'll get on with the review. I had mixed feelings about this film. There are elements of this film which I like, and others that I don't.

I'll start with the things I do like. For one thing, the soundtrack is brilliant, perhaps on a par with Ifukube's music. It is dark and foreboding, giving the movie a real ominous feeling. Next is the effects work. I'm a longtime fan of suitmation, which I feel is an unappreciated special effects style. Not to mention the intricate Tokyo set. I love miniatures, and the mini Tokyo in this film is a doozy. I really love the opening, and also the first time we see Godzilla, emerging from the mist, growling threateningly, and subsequently destroying the power plant. It's a truly brilliant moment, especially with that tense and creepy music playing.

Now for the things I don't enjoy. For one, when Godzilla finally does show up in Tokyo, it's a bit of an anticlimax. Big G doesn't really destroy much, he just walks around a bit. Don't get me wrong, the rampage isn't the only reason for watching the movie, but it is an integral part of many Godzilla movies (I say "many" because in some of the films there is very little city destruction, as they focus more on the combat of the monsters, which is fine for films with two or more monsters, because you don't need the city destruction as much when monsters are fighting), and the fact that Tokyo is left largely intact is disappointing to me. This one only applies to the bastardized version only, and of course, that is, the added scenes of American actors. Pointless, dull, bad acting and annoying. So that's my two scents on Godzilla 1985, or The Return of Godzilla, or just Godzilla. Whatever you want to call it.

Avatar does have some great things going for it. The cgi effects are pretty damn good, and watching it on the big screen in 3D is good entertainment. However, pretty graphics don't save the film. Its plot is paper thin and has been done a million times before, its characters are dull and cliché, and at times, it's so, so boring because of this.

Overall, it's entertaining enough the first time, especially on the big screen and in 3D, but re-watching it, I looked past the special effects wizardry that made it entertaining before and saw how terribly droll it was. Pretentious and boring, but it's okay for one view. Any-who, that's my review, and now I must bid you adieu. Ta ta.

Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite directors, and not one of his films had disappointed me. Totoro is no exception, and is wonderful to watch when you don't feel like watching a movie with car chases, or transforming robots or bond villains or whatever. It's just a really relaxing film to watch and can really calm you down. Despite lacking in plot, it gains its story from everyday situations, and leaves you feeling satisfied at the end. A great thing for me was how much it reminded me of my own childhood, how you would wander off and get lost, exploring and the excitement of moving into a new house. I totally recommend this for anyone. People call it a children's movie, but to be honest, anyone can watch and fall in love with it.

Princess Mononoke is my personal favorite Miyazaki flick, because I feel it has the best plot of them all. I would even go as far as to call it epic. It is beautifully animated and has a plot with a serious message, with brilliant, well drawn-out characters, each with their own unique personality. The climax of the film may freak some viewers out because of how, well bizarre it is. But all of Miyzakai's films are quite strange, but the idea is to simply forget about that and immerse yourself in the story and become one of the characters. Princess Mononoke is a film you will never forget, and I would recommend it even for people who dislike anime.

Godzilla is a classic. It's undeniable. People always turn their noses up at it, probably because they associate Godzilla with some of his later films which upped the cheese factor. But this is a dark, dramatic, emotional and enthralling story about the threat of Nuclear weapons. I mean, this film comes from Japan, the only country to ever experience the trauma of a nuclear attack, an that is conveyed very well in the film. For example, the aftermath of Godzilla's rampage when people lay dead and dying in a hospital, or the haunting scene where the hall of girls sings a prayer of hope. The characters are very well drawn out and each fits in perfectly to their roles, all of which are played brilliantly by the actors. One of the best performances, or at least in my opinion, is the character Dr. Serizawa, a man who hides so much and is tortured by his secrets. Godzilla truly is an underrated film, with critics complaining about it because of its shoddy effects work and low budget. It's too bad, because they don't know what they're missing out on.

Alrighty then, The Day The Earth Stood Still remake, 2008. Well, I actually saw this one before the original, and thought it was okay. Then I watched the original and realized what a bad film the remake was. It seems nowadays, that nobody can come up with any fresh ideas, and we are instead being swarmed by remakes. Bad ones at that. This one is a brilliant example of such cr*ppy movies that don't resemble the quality of the original at all. All movies now contain whiny, annoying, hateful brats, and this is no exception. Jaden Smith's annoying as hell performance only adds to the sheer awfulness of this movie. Jenifer Connely puts on a performance that's just, okay, and Keanu Reeves, well, he's well cast. Script, okay, acting, okay, special effects, well, the Special Effects are fantastic as in most movies now, but they alone cannot save this movie from its okayness. IT'S JUST SO OKAY. That in turn made me board, and thus, wallah, it's a bad movie that's... Okay.

Well, I suppose I was expecting a little too much from this movie. And with my high expectations, I watched the movie. I should of known. Michael Bay has never ever made a movie with a good story or acting. In the first film, he was under the wing of Spielberg, and it turned out to be a blast. A couple of care free hours where giant transforming robots seem to become a part of reality. With great action scenes, some dialouge that wasn't half bad, and some hilarious moments made this one of the best films of 2007.

But when Dreamworks saw how much money the movie made for them, they decided, hey, let's give Michael Bay more freedom next time, cus he executed this one pretty darn well. And of course, Michael's mind consists of explosive action, err, explosive action, err, lame comedy, cr*ppy dialouge and a plot with so many subplots that you get easily confused. A subplot can go away for a while and then just suddenly pop back into the film, and your like, wait, weren't you just talking about something else. And then before you know it, there's more action again. Half an hour in and I was bored as hell. That first half hour is actually okay. The action isn't so consistent and actually pretty good, the dialouge is exceptable and there's actually a few quite funny moments. But then Optimus Prime dies and it pretty much goes downhill from there. When Optimus died, I felt myself feeling no emotions, and when Sam died, I was just like ,yeah, yeah, get on with it, and of course, the little b**tard comes back to haunt us. The climax of the film is so dull, It's just running, shouting and stuff blowing up. By god I hope they lock Michael Bay into some rocket and send him into orbit around the moon. Lock the doors and destroy the key and leave his crazy mind to go wild, instead it boring the hell out of all of us people of Earth. Bad director=bad movie. Nuff said.