Godzilla: King of the Monsters Review

Godzilla is one of the few characters of film that has had a long career on the big screen with an equal amount of films reaching highs and lows. In recent years, the Godzilla franchise has made its home on American screens with Legendary Pictures "Monsterverse," which marks its newest entry with the very good Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

The main story of the film follows the Monarch Organization, previously introduced in 2014's Godzilla, as they deal with the rise of other kaiju, referred to as Titans. The audience is introduced to Dr. Emma Russel (Vera Farmiga) and her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), with Emma studying the Titans with a device called the "Orca," which becomes a major item in the film. After an encounter, the scientists are attacked, introducing the human villain of the film, an Eco-terrorist group. This leads to the rising of several titans including Rodan, Mothra, King Gidorah, and Godzilla. 

Overall the performances of the film are okay for the caliber and acting needed. There is nothing that surprises in the performances or anything that can fully be labeled as bad. One actor's performance who I very enjoyed was Ken Watanabe as Dr. Serezawa returning from the previous film. Watanabe brought a sense of controlled wonderment to his performance, making him one of the most interesting characters in the film.

A performance I was also interested in was Millie Bobby Brown as Madison, as I am familiar with her performance on Netflix's Stranger Things, but sadly it is a mixed bag. Although I greatly enjoyed her being able to speak a bit more and have a bit wider rage of emotion, most of the film she is delegated to be sullen and not speak until necessary.

The story is clearly the weakest part of the film. The first third of the film ends with a twist that feels very undeserved and will bring more "huh?" than gasps. When it comes to the terrorist group, while there are interesting aspects to the idea, it is much of the same motivations seen before.

The strongest aspects of the story are seen more near the end of the film, mostly through the character of Dr. Serezawa (Ken Watanabe), who has one of the best scenes in the film. But the human story is not what people come for when they see a Godzilla film. They come for the monsters. 

Luckily the Titans and their respective battles are one of the best parts of the film. Each of the monsters introduction are breathtaking, making them seem like physical creatures. From moment one the film is not shy about showing off its creatures. The film wants to show them off, and the film is full of small cameos from other monsters from previous Godzilla films.

These creatures are fully able to show themselves off in their battles, and luckily the battles are large and great. Gone are the snippets seen in 2014 Godzilla. The film places the numerous battles front and center for the audience to enjoy.  The action is splendid in its creativity,

Even though Godzilla: King of the Monsters has its faults, at its core it's a Godzillla film and people come to see Godzilla. If a person wants to see kaiju duke it out on the big screen and see the return of old favorites, Godzilla: King of the Monsters will perfectly satisfy that itch. 

Aquaman Review

In the view of the general moviegoer, the DC Extended Universe has been a place of one high and many lows. The solo success of Wonder Woman did little to help the success of Justice League, and after a year away the DC Extended universe has returned with a solo film about Aquaman. The biggest question is, can DC let go of its previous failures and make a great film about one of its more joked about characters? The answer is mostly.

Aquaman tells the story of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), previously introduced in Justice League, as he is recruited to prevent a war between the surface world and the ocean world. Jason Momoa is a joy in the film, bringing pure energy to the role while also continuing to prove he was a great fit. On Arthur's journey we meet his allies Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe) and his enemy King Orm (Patrick Wilson). Heard begins her role very subdued, but as the film goes on she grows more likeable and seems to get into the character more, and Willem Dafoe plays his role well, give a performance you expect form Defoe. Patrick Wilson does a very good job playing King Orm, filling the character with the sense of superiority over others and making a character that the audience loves to hate. His motives can feel a bit preachy at times but even without it he still creates a good villain.

A special mention in given to Nicole Kidman and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, playing Atlanna and Black Manta respectively. These two play their rolls well, but suffer the same fate as a few of the other actors in having weak delivery in a few lines.

The story is mostly good. It fits neatly into what a superhero origin story is while allowing the character to exist in being known. I found the main characters to at least be interesting, and I also enjoyed how the film related Arthur's story to the story of his parents. A few criticisms I have is that the main chunk of the plot involves a pseudo-treasure hunt, which can feel like taking the characters from one set piece to the next, but there is enough variety in the locations that it's not grating. The lines also can occasionally be fairly awkward and could have used some polish.

One of the biggest questions about the film leading to its release was how the film would work majorly underwater. I'm happy to saw that the effects are near perfect. The special effects make the world seem to be fully believable and I was happy that the world was used to its full effect as well as making the characters speak clearly underwater, a noticeable upgrade form Justice League. One of the greatest things is the world of Atlantis and the other kingdoms. These places are beautiful. They evoke the combination of futuristic technology, mixed with a fanciful blend of underwater life that makes the who place astounding.  While we don't see much of the other kingdoms of the ocean, each of them evokes their theme well and seem like they theoretically could exist.

James Wan is the director of the film and for the most part he does the job fairly well. He knows how to create shots that are well done and give a sense of awe, as well as creating excellent fight scenes that look like almost one shot. One criticism I do have is that peppered throughout the film are numerous slow-motion sequences, ala Zack Snyder, and while some of them are done extremely well and give some of the most beautiful shots in the film, many of them are unnecessary and are overused to the point it’s a bit distracting.

In the end Aquaman is a step in the right direction for DC. It brings the viewer into a new world and makes it looks beautiful in the process. The story, while having a few missteps, works as an introduction to the characters that make up the world as well as making a good story. It suffers here and there with a few creative choices and lines, but in the end the film is a great superhero story and a definite positive for the future.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

In the history of comic books and even in comic book movies, there are few characters as famous and widely recognizable as Spider-Man. Spider-Man, and subsequently Peter Parker, is a story that has been woven into the fabric of American culture.  But in the comic book world, Spider-Man has been a story changed and explored using many different styles, worlds, and characters. That is where the Spider-Verse comes in. A multiverse filled with dozens of stories about different interpretations of Spider-Man. It’s a place finally explored in the absolutely wonderful Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales, a teenager adjusting to a new school, while also discovering he has gained the abilities of Spider-Man, a person already existing in his world. After discovering a device creating a wormhole under New York, he comes into contact with an alternate universe Peter Parker. Shameik Moore voices Miles and does a phenomenal job, making Miles into a fully formed character, providing the voice that accurately sounds like a teenager, while also bringing great emotion with his performance. The alternate universe Spider-Man, designated as Peter B. Parker, is portrayed by Jack Johnson. Like Moore, Johnson does an excellent job. He makes Peter his character and is able to play it well as a man who is so very tired of his job.

As Peter and Miles go on their journey to shut down the device, they encounter other alternate spider people, including Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Ham. These characters are played respectively by Nicholas Cage (playing a great hardboiled type and straight-man), Kimiko Glenn (brings a nice amount of bubbliness to Peni), Hailee Steinfeld, and John Mulaney (who is hilarious as always). With these many characters, it may seem like they wouldn’t get much time to shine, but the film utilizes the characters effectively, giving several of them arcs to go through in the film that gets wrapped up nicely.

Speaking of arcs, the most powerful in the film is Miles and Peters. Both of theirs are about family and the relationship between an adult and their child. It is a story I was not expecting in the film, but one I really enjoyed. The film also tells a story about heroism, but not like ones that we have recently seen. It goes beyond the typical “with great power comes great responsibility” and goes into detail about what makes a person a hero and about using their own ability to become one.

The biggest trait that makes this film worthwhile is the animation. The style of the film is stunning. Even from the get-go, it embraces the comic book style (even putting a comic code authority seal on screen). It’s a film that wants to be seen as a comic book. Every image in the film is a work of art and one that only grows in beautiful creativity as the film goes continues. When it brings in the other Spider-people, they do not automatically blend into the style. They are allowed to stand out, from the cartoon style of Spider-Ham to the anime style of Peni. It’s a joy to look at and more importantly something new and creative done in the medium of animation. Something like this may be possible in the realm of live action, but it would defiantly lose creativity.

A small note I want to make is the use of sound in the film. In a few scenes of the film, several songs were used very effectively. They do not break the immersion from what is going on, and in certain cases, increase the emotion of the scene. The score of the movie was also very good. The score makes the characters their own, with a distinctive score for the villain The Prowler, and for Miles himself. Each of the characters is allowed their own music that evolves throughout the picture and makes it have a truly distinctive sound. 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a joy at almost every level. It brings something new to the world of animation in its creative stylings, and it was a risk that paid off enormously. The story does an excellent job serving as an introduction to characters we have never met and gives us enough to want to see them again. It’s a movie not afraid to tell an excellent story in a new medium for superhero cinema. It is simply one of my favorite movies that came out last year and I cannot wait to go back to that world.