Quick Reviews #23

It's been a while... So here's another round of quick reviews, this time looking at Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bookmart and Detective Pikachu. 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I don’t hate the 2014 Godzilla, but it’s easy to recognise that its fault lies within its human characters and the lack of its main Kaiju for most of the film. However, King of the Monsters has a lot more Godzilla in it but hasn’t really learnt its lesson from its predecessor as its human characters, apart from maybe Kyle Chandler, are dull as dishwater. Yes, there are big Kaiju fights but they’re mainly left for the supersized final act and usually covered smoke, water and darkness making it somewhat difficult to follow the action. My fondness for Godzilla means there’s a lot still to love here and I really enjoyed the journey into ridiculousness, but I can’t help but think that if you’re going to spend this much time with the humans then you’re going to have to make them a lot more interesting.

3/5

Booksmart

It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as Booksmart. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of Fast Time at Ridgemont High and Clueless. Like them, Booksmart will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love. It might just be my favourite film of the year so far.

5/5

Detective Pikachu

I'm surprised by just how much I enjoyed this one. I haven't cared about Pokemon since I was 10 maybe? So going in I had a very basic knowledge of the whole world, and despite the fact it just drops you straight in, I could very easily follow along. I loved the world, it was so interesting and different and it looked absolutely great, so great in fact that I can't believe this is the first time they've done this. It's such an odd/brave choice for the first live-action film into this world, a noir film without the classic characters and a Pikachu that sounds like Ryan Reynolds, yet it absolutely works. Well pretty much any way, the emotional beats don't fully land and it does away with its noir charm in the final act but overall this film works really, really well. I had such a blast with this film, I can't wait to see what they do next!

4/5

That's it for now. What did you think of these films? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Godzilla

I have been really pumped for the latest Godzilla film after all it's great trailers and posters. Even though looking back at the 1998 version now, it's awful, but I remember seeing it when I was younger and being terrified and in awe at the same time. And it looked as though the latest film had grown up with me and took a more realistic and serious look and what would actually happen if a massive lizard, whale, dinosaur thing appeared. This film is a lot different to the films before it and thankfully a whole bunch better then Roland Emmerich's version! Read on for my spoiler free verdict on the latest Godzilla.

I won't go too in depth to the plot because although it's a Godzilla movie, it's different. It's hard to explain but the less you know the more you will probably enjoy it. However don't go in thinking this going to be your average disaster movie filled with destruction after destruction after destruction, because it's not that. It's a film about humans more then anything, it's about seeing the rampage from a point of view that grounds it in a form of realism.

These human characters are played by Aaron Taylor Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen and Ken Watanabe. Cranston brings the raw powerful emotion with a force from the very beginning, he leaves you tugging at your heartstrings within 10 minutes. Which is all well and good but I wish the other characters had been just as awesome, because they fall short of this. Aaron Taylor Johnson is ok, we root for him but at times his character feels more like a plot device to get you from A to B than anything else. I wish I could care about his wife Elisabeth Olsen more, because she is also great but severely underused to make much of an impact. The film gets it right at times with the characters but always just seems to miss out on perfection after the first act.

Don't get me wrong though, there is heart to the story and it's helped along by beautiful camerawork and cinematography. The film is one big tease so when the camera decides to take a step back and admire the destruction scenery it does so with elegance that makes the image on screen look like a work of art. It's great to see that Gareth Edwards didn't just sell out to the big studios after his indie hit Monsters. You can definitely tell he had a big impact on the film and how it plays out.

One of my favourite things about this film is that it defies expectations. It's a film that doesn't give you what you think you need, it goes against all the general conventions of a Hollywood blockbuster and instead of just letting you watch the action play out, it cuts away and saves the best for later. It may be fustrating at first but what you get at the end, when you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation, is spectacular. The build up really pays off and there is no way you won't leave the cinema with a great big grin on your face.

The monster himself also looks incredible, never has there been a more glorious Godzilla on the big screen. The CGI is top notch and you will find yourself believing that the king of monsters is real. He looks great and when you finally get the full body shot complete with the iconic roar I assure you it will send shivers down your spine!

Godzilla will defy your expectations but that is not completely a bad thing. It puts characters first over action so it is shame that not all of them are worthy of your time or care. But everything else is pulled off brilliantly, it's great to see something a little different and unexpected at the cinema, especially from a big summer blockbuster. I had a great time and thourougly enjoyed the film, therefore I am rating it a 4/5. The king of monsters is back!

What did you think of Godzilla? Love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

My Most Anticipated Films of 2014

It's that time of the year where we can look to the future of films in 2014 and see which ones will be on our 'must watch' list. So before I go back and review this year, take a look at the films I am anticipating the most in 2014. And to make this list more approachable for American audiences I have not included films that came out this month in the states. If I had, Her and The Wolf of Wall Street would be at the top of my list! 

10. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (December)

Although I disliked the second outing in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, I am still cautiously optomistic about the third and final outing. It's going to be an epic spectacle with the showdown with Smaug and The Battle of Five Armies about to commence. I look forward to seeing a trailer for this one but I am still not going to get my hopes too high.

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (November)

I was pleasantly surprised at how good Catching Fire was, which has made Mockingjay, the first part of a two part finale of The Hunger Games, go up on my list. It will be interesting to see what the first film contains after the studio have split the book into two films. As a reader of the books I know there are a lot more twists and turns in place that I cannot wait to see on the big screen. 

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May)

Spider-Man is my favourite superhero but after 2012's disappointing first film I am being cautious about how excited I get for this one. The trailer looks awesome but they seem to have gotten rid of a lot of ideas and themes of the first film making this look like it could be just another Raimi esque film instead of taking a completely new direction. Sony have faith in the franchise now as they have just announced they are opening up the universe with spin off films for Venom and The Sinister Six, I won't know how I feel about this news until I see the latest instalment in May. Fingers crossed it doesn't disappoint. 

7. Muppets Most Wanted (March)

The Muppets reboot with Jason Segal turned out to be one of my favourite films, it was fun to watch and very, very funny. Although we are missing our human lead in the sequel I have no doubt that it will be great. I only need to leave the cinema half as happy as I did last time for this one to be great! 

6. Godzilla (May)

Any film starring Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen will have my money but if that film also happens to star Godzilla well then thats just a bonus. Wait, the film is also directed by Monsters director, Gareth Edwards? I want. I want now. This film has the potential blow your mind, just check out the trailer. This is definitely one to watch!

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April)

The Avengers made Captain America cool and now he just seems to be in his element after the new trailer for his second film came out earlier this year. It looks to be a lot of fun and no trailer has got me so excited for a new film like this one. I can't wait to see where they take Cap next!
4. Tusk (TBD)

Anything coming out of the weird and wonderful mind that is Kevin Smith's will put my bum in a cinema seat, unless of course it's a sequel to Cop Out. His latest film is based on an idea he had from one of his podcasts when he saw an advert on GumTree from a man asking for somebody to be his human walrus. Smith then turned this advert into an idea for a creepy messed up horror film that will see him re-teaming up with Micheal Parks to create a human walrus hybrid suit thing. It's going to weird but no doubt awesome.

3. Interstellar (November)

Any film from Christopher Nolan has my money. Any film starring Mathew Mcconaughey has my money. Well then Interstellar is a no brainer then because it has both! I think it's about space and black holes but who cares, it will no doubt be exceptional. 

2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (May)

With Bryan Singer back at the helm tackling the X-Mens biggest story yet, we will no doubt get excellence. Crossing over between the future and the past this could be an epic adventure that nothing can top. Oh wait, they just announced X-Men: Apocalypse for 2016!? The X-Men franchise is going to big places, I for one cannot wait!

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (August)

I want to see how Marvel handle this film because it's something a bit different to what we've seen before. It has a walking, talking, gun holding Raccoon. It could be awful but I have faith, especially with the leaked Comic Con footage from earlier this year looking very, very good. It tops my list because I can't picture how its going to look in my head but I have no doubt that Marvel wouldn't have invested in this risky project if it wasn't going to be amazing. I can't wait to see how Guardians of the Galaxy turns out!

What are you're most anticipated films for 2014? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #1

So as the 2013 San Diego Comic Con kicked off today I thought I would post my thoughts and opinions on some of the news that comes out of the event. Now unfortunately I am not at the event but like most of the Internet, I am still having a lot of fun at home sitting patiently for the next big piece of news from Comic Con. So this is the first of what could be many SDCC posts over the weekend.

So to kick things off, here is the teaser for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Hall H panel, which also happens to reveal Jamie Foxx's villain Electro.

Now although it isn't much, it's still enough to create some hype for Spider-Man sequel. Now although I was a bit disappointed with last years film, I am hoping that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 could be Spidey's best outing yet. Now I don't want to get my hopes to high but how cool does Electro look! Now we should be getting a full teaser trailer for the film in the next couple of days but for now this will do to wet fanboys appetites. I am still hoping that they change the title to something more original but unfortunately it looks like the only new addition is the number 2 at the end.

The second thing on this list is the reveal of the Comic Con poster for the remake of Godzilla.

This poster really shows off the epic scale of Godzilla and looks very cool! With Monsters director Gareth Edwards at the helm, this film promises to be one of the biggest of 2013, literally! There have also been other reveals of Godzilla that tease at a more faithful design to the Japanese original film. Again we should be seeing a teaser trailer for this one in the next couple of days! After seeing Pacific Rim the other day I cannot wait to see more giant monsters on the big screen!

Thanks for reading and keeping coming back for more of my thoughts on the latest news from Comic Con!