What movies have you seen recently?

[AUChase]

Sharknado!

[Baseballking888]

Monsters University: I thought it was very good. Not as great as the original, but it's one of Pixar's funniest movies. I didn't know how it'd work as a prequel since the original's heart is all Boo, and a prequel removes that. However, the film still manages to tug the heartstrings along with being hilarious. It has also possibly the bravest message so far in a Pixar movie, one that is very effective and a great asset. A-

[SPTO]

Godzilla Friday Review

Godzilla Rides Again (1955)


Plot Summary (heh)

Quote:

Koji Kobayashi, a spotter for a Japanese fishing fleet crash lands his plane on a barren island. His best friend, Shoichi Tsukioka, manages to find him and lands his plane next to his so he can be rescued. The two pilots are shocked when they see two giant monsters waging war before falling into the ocean. The two pilots race back to Japan to inform the government what they saw. Soon the world comes to the realization, that a monster closely related to the original Godzilla is on the loose as well as a new monster named Anguirus. Soon, the two monsters arrive in Osaka where they resume their battle

So you think we are super commercialized today? Well, this movie was produced and released SIX MONTHS after the original film so there's that. The quick turnaround REALLY shows itself as the plot is pretty thin and the movie doesn't have the original director or composer which were big parts of the success of the first film. (well other than the Big G himself) Despite these flaws the movie does bear an allegorical lineage to the first film in that the first movie was about the dangers and horrors of nuclear war while this movie attempts to show how society deals with the after effects of the devastation and destruction of warfare.

That being said the tone is a bit wonky in that it tries to present the horror in a subtle understated way that is cut down at the knees by a somewhat lighthearted presentation. Kobayashi is a bumbling oafish guy who has a subplot of wanting to ask a girl to marry him. Now i'm not completely sure but I THINK it's the radio girl named Hidemi who is Tsukioka's girlfriend. Kobayashi is actually an endearing character unlike a lot of the "comedic" type characters that we'd see in later Godzilla movies. Tsukioka is a pretty serious guy and Kobayashi's best friend who eventually avenges Kobayashi later in the film.

Really, the human drama plot ultimately doesn't work but it isn't as bad as it would get in some other Godzilla movies. Like I said, the tone at first was a bit somber especially after Godzilla and Anguirus destroy Osaka but then they laugh in the face of the impending doom of Godzilla being a threat and it becomes a bit TOO happy happy fun time.

The actual monster stuff was pretty good IMO. The fight between Godzilla and Anguirus had a semi-realistic technique in that they're clawing, biting and roaring at each other. The weird thing though is that the battle scenes were filmed on 3 cameras. 2 of the 3 were sped up which gives the monsters a slower plodding movement while one of the cameras was undercranked and made it look sped up which made it look slightly silly.

That being said, the Japanese cut is a million times better than the US version which reportedly butchered the movie to ribbons.

I give this about 2 stars.

Next Up: I have a couple other stuff within the Kaiju genre so next is Rodan (1956)

[The GIGGAS]

Admission: Enjoyable.

[st67]

Cabin In The Woods - I'd give it a 5/10, maybe 6/10 if I was feeling generous. I remembered hearing people talk about it and saying it was a fresh take on the whole genre, but after watching it - I'm not really sure why people were saying that. I'm also not really one to care much about what RottenTomatoes has to say, but when they give top-notch review on a film, usually said film turns out to be pretty good.

The way the film was shot was distracting the entire time - not pulling you in for a second, but making you wonder what the twist it going to be. Their transparency was just a distraction - and when the film kind of became its own, it made almost no sense and explained pretty much nothing. I mean - if you're going to have a film like this, at least give it an ending that's either entertaining, or ties the film together and actually gives the rest of the film meaning. It did neither.

Overall - I'd say if you're bored and want to see a movie (which I was), then it can't hurt; but there are thousands of other movies you'd be better off watching. I'm not saying it was bad - it was just pointless and never went anywhere.

I'm really kind of confused why it got such good reviews, and what people saw in it.

[Blzer]

Quote: Originally Posted by st67

I remembered hearing people talk about it and saying it was a fresh take on the whole genre, but after watching it - I'm not really sure why people were saying that.

I wouldn't say it's a fresh take. More like a fresh perspective.

Quote:

I mean - if you're going to have a film like this, at least give it an ending that's either entertaining, or ties the film together and actually gives the rest of the film meaning. It did neither.

Won't say either way on the film being tied with a pretty bow around it in the end, but it was certainly entertaining in my opinion.

Quote:

Overall - I'd say if you're bored and want to see a movie (which I was), then it can't hurt; but there are thousands of other movies you'd be better off watching. I'm not saying it was bad - it was just pointless and never went anywhere. I'm really kind of confused why it got such good reviews, and what people saw in it.

I think a part of the "pointlessness" is a strength that people really admired about it, depending on how you saw the film after finishing it. Obviously I'm not going to say that much about it, but this film is about "writer's/director's intent" heavy as you can get. What you got out of it was probably exactly what you were supposed to get out of it. Whether the viewer ended up appreciating that aspect or not is ultimately up to him or her.

[UWfan206]

Quote: Originally Posted by st67

Cabin In The Woods - I'd give it a 5/10, maybe 6/10 if I was feeling generous. I remembered hearing people talk about it and saying it was a fresh take on the whole genre, but after watching it - I'm not really sure why people were saying that. I'm also not really one to care much about what RottenTomatoes has to say, but when they give top-notch review on a film, usually said film turns out to be pretty good. The way the film was shot was distracting the entire time - not pulling you in for a second, but making you wonder what the twist it going to be. Their transparency was just a distraction - and when the film kind of became its own, it made almost no sense and explained pretty much nothing. I mean - if you're going to have a film like this, at least give it an ending that's either entertaining, or ties the film together and actually gives the rest of the film meaning. It did neither. Overall - I'd say if you're bored and want to see a movie (which I was), then it can't hurt; but there are thousands of other movies you'd be better off watching. I'm not saying it was bad - it was just pointless and never went anywhere. I'm really kind of confused why it got such good reviews, and what people saw in it.

I really enjoyed it. It's hella unrealistic but pretty entertaining in my standard.

[Bmore Irish]

I think whether you enjoy Cabin in the Woods or not is heavily dependant on what you're going in to the movie expecting. It's not meant to be your typical slasher/horror film; it's not supposed to be taken seriously in that sense. It's like an ode to the genre that verges on dark comedy, and I could even see how it be considered a bit satirical.

I really enjoyed it, but a couple people I watched it with just thought it was very strange. And it kinda is. It's certainly different.

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