Members of the crypto-zoological agency
Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty
Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the
three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species-thought to be mere
myths-rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence
hanging in the balance.
Director: Michael Dougherty
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie
Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas
Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O'Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe,
Zhang Ziyi.
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Action, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rated PG-13 for sequences of monster action
violence and destruction, and for some language Runtime: 2 h 11 min
Review:
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a movie at
war with itself.The obvious main
attraction is the monster mayhem promised in the title and on that basis alone
it succeeds.The battle sequences are
beautifully shot even if they tend to be a bit dark in spots.Portions of the epic battle sequences almost
look like some sort of insane renaissance painting of carnage.So is that enough to make a film enjoyable if
the human portion of the film feels like it was lifted out of a bad 90s summer
blockbuster?It’s difficult to tell
since those portions are just so bland and terribly scripted.The cast assembled is incredibly strong but
they’re mostly wasted spouting hackneyed lines.Character motivations vary from act to act and the logic behind some of
the people’s actions are ludicrous.To
say that the film lags in spots would be an understatement since it’s a series
of ups and downs in terms of excitement.On the most basic level, Godzilla: King of the Monster works as a
mindless and summer blockbuster that delivers some of the best kaiju action
ever.Sadly the overstuffed run time
could have excised entire portions of the human side of the story and the film
would have been better for it.
Yesterday I abandoned my coworkers, turned my back on the best weather day of the budding summer, and hid inside a dark cinema with a monster monarch and pop music king.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from trailers and clips.
First on my agenda, Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
With Earth threatened by Titans and eco-terrorists, it's the King of the Monsters himself to the rescue.What I expect from a Godzilla movie, first and foremost, is for the monsters to be huge and impressive. Godzilla: King of the Monsters delivers that in spades, and I didn't even see it on the biggest/best screen at my cinema. I can only imagine how spectacular it looks in IMAX! The CGI sleek and effective, and the light effects on various creatures add some punch to a movie that, overall, is rather dark and sometimes hard to see. The disaster and even weather effects are also a sight to behold. A cast that boasts names like Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, and Ken Watanabe might ordinarily be relied upon to elevate a movie beyond "just a monster movie," but, unfortunately, this monster movie is the equivalent of cement shoes on its actors. I was a little embarrassed to watch such quality talent utter this poorly-crafted dialogue, and I groaned out loud more than once at putrid attempts at humor. That aside, Bear McCreary's score smacks of old-school Godzilla pictures, and solid wall-to-wall action makes for a fast-moving couple hours of summer escapism.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters runs 131 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of monster action, violence, and destruction, and for some language."
It's not the best Godzilla movie ever, but King of the Monsters certainly isn't the worst. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Godzilla: King of the Monsters gets six.
Next on the docket, a movie for which it feels like I've been waiting forever: Rocketman, a musical fantasy based on the life of Elton John.
Dearest reader(s), I am utterly in love with Rocketman. I want to talk about this movie. I want to talk about this movie a LOT. If you don't care to dive right into the thousand words that will undoubtedly follow, just get off the couch, put away the laptop, and get out to the cinema now. Do it. If you *do* want to dive right into my thoughts on Rocketman, well, here ya go...
The first words I said to anyone about Rocketman were: "That's not just the best movie I've seen this year; that's the best movie I've seen in ten years." While it'd take a bit more careful consideration to see how close that statement is to actual fact (it's only been nine years since two new entries, The Social Network and How to Train Your Dragon, jumped into my all-time top ten), I'll stand by the enthusiasm. Rocketman is a truly extraordinary cinematic achievement.
Rocketman is staged like a Broadway musical, with John recounting his childhood, rise to fame, and difficulties with addictions and relationships through musical numbers. The film moves deftly from heartbreak to passion to euphoria without ever feeling disjointed or like it's lost its way. Though the real strength of the musical numbers lies in John's timeless tunes, the staging bursts with fantastic choreography and brilliant costumes. John's story is fascinating enough in its own right, but here it's brought to life with a theatrical flair reminiscent of Bob Fosse's brilliant biopic All That Jazz, another of my all-time top-ten movies, which I was disappointed to discover recently is not available for rental or streaming...if I want to watch it, I have to dig out my old DVD. How very 1998!
Rocketman features top-notch work from a delightful cast. Taron Egerton gives up every inch of himself to *become* Elton John, and if I had the whole of the Internet I couldn't say enough about his performance. Masterful, exceptional, and entirely expected of Egerton, who is unfailingly extraordinary. He does his own singing here, too, in case anyone was wondering. If Egerton perfectly captures the cacophony of Elton John, Jamie Bell's stalwart Bernie Taupin serves as the movie's quiet cornerstone. Bell has been turning in brilliant performances literally since he was a child, and this one moved me to tears more than once. The remainder of the cast, particularly Richard Madden as John's sexy, sleazy first love and manager John Reid, fantastically fleshes out the highs and lows and brights and darks of John's world, nary a weak link to be found among them; even the young kids are terrific.
Following so quickly on the heels of the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, comparisons are inevitable, so, for whatever it's worth, here's how the two films stack up for me. Throwing no shade at Bohemian Rhapsody, which I loved, Rocketman is a much better film. The most objective and therefore critically relevant reason is simple: It's just more self-aware. Bohemian Rhapsody wanted so very badly to be taken seriously, and ultimately it succeeded, but for my money it skimmed too lightly over the dark times and hard questions to earn it. Rocketman was only ever billed as a fantasy, so, though it's based on some real-life people and happenings--and not all happy ones--it could always be whatever it wanted...and it is EVERYTHING. More subjectively, though I'm a big fan of Rami Malek, I've always believed Taron Egerton could do anything, and in each and every project he proves me right. Malek was terrific as Freddie Mercury, but Egerton inhabits Elton John in a way I've seldom seen, not even from the most experienced and decorated performers. Finally, Queen made some epic, legendary music and I love all of it, but it's never moved me in the way Elton John's music does, and that's allowing for the fact that my favorite Elton John songs--Madman Across the Water and Funeral for a Friend/Love lies Bleeding--are unrepresented in this picture. So...if you're going to make the comparison, for me it's not a hard call: Rocketman is a better movie than Bohemian Rhapsody by far and in every way.
Rocketman clocks in at 121 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some drug use, and sexual content."
Rocketman will break your heart and mend your soul. I haven't stopped smiling since I saw it, and I can't wait to see it again. There aren't nearly enough Weasleys to give this movie the rating it deserves, so I'm just going to beg you: GET OUT AND SEE ROCKETMAN NOW!
Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American
newspaper -- The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham
races to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of
government secrets that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents.
Together, they must overcome their differences as they risk their careers --
and very freedom -- to help bring long-buried truths to light. Director: Steven Spielberg Release Date: Jan 12, 2018 Cast: Meryl Streep,Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson,
Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon Rated PG-13 for language and brief war
violence Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min. Genres: Biography, Drama, History
Review:
The Post is a highly polished,
well acted prestige film from Steven Spielberg that couldn’t feel timelier if
it tired. The film is set the in 70s but
it hard not to see modern day parallels throughout. Spielberg tries his best to keep the film
self contained but its hard not to see it as a message movie. In the hands of a lesser talent the film
would have come off as more overtly preachy.
The top tier cast helps that by putting on some stellar performances. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks are front and
center for most of the film and each turns in impressive but varied
performances. Streep turn as Katharine
Graham is a study in subtleness and nuance as we watch her character find her
place and ultimately her resolve to lead.
Tom Hanks is a rougher around the edges but still likable and relatable
even though he and Streep play fairly Waspy characters. The supporting characters are all played by
top level character actors, like Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon and Bradley
Whitford, and they give the film a strong steady feel throughout. While the film has all the right ingredients
there’s just something about it that keeps the audience at arms length that
keeps it from being a classic. The Post
is still strong enough to make for a perfect companion All The President’s Men.
A young African-American photographer (Daniel Kaluuya) is nervous at the
thought of meeting his white girlfriend's parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley
Whitford) for the first time during a trip to the latter's country estate. However,
his anxiety soon turns into outright terror when he discovers that the family's
seemingly idyllic community is hiding a sinister conspiracy, one that involves
the disappearance of several black people in the area. Jordan Peele, one half
of the comedic duo Jordan Peele, makes his directorial debut with this horror
thriller. Allison Williams, LaKeith Stanfield, and Caleb Landry Jones co-star.
~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi
Director: Jordan Peele
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry
Jones, Stephen Root, LaKeith Stanfield,
Allison Williams
Release Date: Feb
24, 2017
Rated R for Language, Bloody Images, Sexual References
and Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 44 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Get Out is a fine debut for Jordan Peele even if it isn’t
a landmark horror benchmark some have made it out to be.Get Out plays more like a comedic satire of
classic horror movie tropes with a racial slant.As it plays out, it’s clear that Jordan Peele
is a fan of classic films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Stepford
Wives.On the downside there are few
surprises for anyone who’s watched any of these films, resulting in a few jump
scares but very little in the way of tension.Thankfully, there’s a fair amount of laughs as the increasingly
uncomfortable weekend unfurls for our protagonist.Daniel Kaluuya is solid as the lead even if
he isn’t given much to do outside of act uncomfortable and mildly
terrified.Allison Williams, and her
dead eyes, is perfect for what the role calls for, which is very little.Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are
given fun roles, which they clearly relish, but there is practically mustache
twirling unsettling from the get go.As
a result, there is a very little surprise about where any of these characters
end up.LaKeith Stanfield is given the
best role in the film as Chris friend who spends the majority of the film
telling him there’s something seriously off about the situation.It’s a credit to Jordan Peele’s talent that
he can make you overlook these short coming and deliver an enjoyable film.Get Out isn’t a hallmark in horror
filmmaking, the majority of hardcore horror buffs may walk out disappointed,
but it’s a solid debut.
Dearest Blog, yesterday I braved the holiday throngs for a couple movies I hoped would prove worth it, Saving Mr. Banks and American Hustle.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First on my agenda was Saving Mr. Banks, the story behind the story of Mary Poppins, and of Walt Disney's struggle to bring the beloved classic to the big screen.
If ever one of my reviews required a disclaimer, it's this one, so here it is: I HATE Mary Poppins. I hate the character, I hate the story, and if you start singing one of those stupid songs within my earshot, I will pull out your vocal cords through your eye sockets. I was recently scarred by an attempt to watch I'm Not There despite the fact I despise Bob Dylan, so, if I feared my distaste for the subject matter might leave me unable to enjoy this film on its own merits, it's understandable. As it turns out, I needn't have worried.
Saving Mr. Banks is a glorious piece of filmmaking, carried squarely on the shoulders of its magnificent leads, Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks. The two so thoroughly embody P.L. Travers and Walt Disney that it's almost jarring when the old photos used in the end credits don't have their faces. Thompson makes Travers a sympathetic character, even at her stiffest and most difficult, and Hanks...well, if Mr. Disney and Captain Phillips land him two spots on the "Best Actor" lists come year end, that's fair. The supporting cast is also pretty special, with standout performances from Ruth Wilson, Colin Farrell, and Paul Giamatti.The story-within-the-story flows smoothly between flashbacks and present-day happenings, and the costumes and scenery effectively dictate the feel of each sequence and scene. "Nice" is so vanilla that it almost doesn't seem like a compliment even when it's meant as one, but Saving Mr. Banks is just a nice movie that I think pretty much anyone will enjoy. If the film is sentimental, it's in a good way, rather than the eye-rolling way of some of the unfortunate trailers running with it. I cried so much I had to sneak out the back door of the cinema because I was embarrassed to walk through the lobby! If it had that effect on someone so utterly UNsentimental about Mary Poppins, those who love the book and/or the movie had better bring a whole box of Kleenex with them!
Saving Mr. Banks runs 125 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements including some unsettling images."
Young or old, Mary Poppins fan or not, I don't think a person could help but enjoy this movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Saving Mr. Banks gets eight.
Next up was my birthday present from Hollywood, American Hustle.
When a pair of con-artists is busted, they're forced to work with the FBI in an attempt to hook some bigger fish.
It will come as no surprise to anyone when I say awards season movies aren't necessarily my cup of tea. That's not to say I don't often enjoy them, but my taste generally runs more summer blockbuster than Oscar bait. When I start seeing "Academy Award Nominee" and "Golden Globe Winner" before all the names in the trailers, that's exactly what I'm looking for in those movies, performances that knock my socks off. I am pleased to report American Hustle delivers more than a few of those in a fun, exciting ride that will hold your undivided attention from start to finish.
Christian Bale is terrific in the lead, the formerly cut Bruce Wayne barely recognizable as a paunchy fashion nightmare with a bad combover. Bale gained 40 pounds for the role, and, sadly, this movie makes more of a point of showing off his flabby bare belly than the last Batman did of his six pack. His performance is extraordinary, smart and subtle when it needs to be, over the top when it has to be, just all-around perfect. Bradley Cooper is terrific as the FBI agent slowly losing his grip as he tries to make his name on the case, as is my beloved Jeremy Renner as a politician trying to do the right thing in perhaps not quite the right way. On the ladies' side, Amy Adams is fantastic, but can't help be overshadowed by another stellar showing from Jennifer Lawrence. If you were harboring any inexplicable, lingering doubts as to whether Lawrence is actually the most perfect human being in existence, well, this should erase them for good. Finally, I was absolutely delighted to see two of my Boardwalk Empire favorites, Jack Huston and Shea Whigham, who are both great in smaller roles.
American Hustle begins with the warning: "Some of this actually happened." Like Pain & Gain, these people's behavior is sometimes too stupid to believe, and yet...there it is. The movie goes from serious as a heart attack to laugh-out-loud funny in the blink of an eye, the plot zigging and zagging to keep you on the edge of your seat, without getting muddled or confusing. The awesome 70s soundtrack is bound to bring back fond memories for those who remember the era, even if the hairstyles and fashions do not!
American Hustle clocks in at 138 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language, some sexual content, and brief violence."
For all the time I spend at the cinema, I think I deserved a really great movie for my birthday and, with American Hustle, I got it. Of a possible nine Weasleys, American Hustle gets eight and a half.
So, dear Blog, that's all the news that's fit to print for now. If time and the listings cooperate, and if I can manage to make myself see something besides The Hobbit, I've got a half-dozen new releases to squeeze in over the next seven days before I can finalize my year-end top ten. Fingers crossed!
Until next time...
Would you believe me if I said these are three of Hollywood's hottest leading men??
The long gestating Joss Whedon produced horror project recently got a release date and the trailer has come out.
I’ll admit I only knew a little about the actual film but after watching the trailer I’m a lot more interested than before as it hints to some fun genre bending intrigue.
By the time it hits the screen it’ll be 3 years since it wrapped filming, maybe it’ll be worth the wait.
