MOVIE REVIEW: GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS

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.

C+

Movie Reviews: TRICK R TREAT

Thursday, October 22, 2009
Movie Reviews: TRICK R TREAT
ON DVD



TRICK R TREAT



It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem...the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety—human and otherwise—try to survive the scariest night of the year.

Cast: Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Tahmoh Penikett

Director: Michael Dougherty

Originally intended release date October 5, 2007

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity, horror violence and language

Genres: Horror, Psychological Thriller, Ensemble Film

Review:

Stories of studio buffoonery are hardly anything new. Some movies and directors get tossed and beat around when a studio can’t figure out what to do with a film. Some never see the light of day at all or are given an unceremoniously short theatrical release followed quickly by being shoveled off to DVD. Michael Dougherty’s Trick R Treat sat on the shelves for nearly 2 full years before Warner Brothers decided to finally let it see the light of day via a direct to DVD release. Typical films cast off to direct to DVD hell are justifiable horrible and are probably best suited to have been seen by as few people as possible. Trick R Treat is not one of those films. It’s a true oddity that really makes you wonder how studio head couldn’t see the potential in this film. Michael Dougherty wrote and directed this incredibly fun Halloween anthology that pays homage to classics like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt. Dougherty wrote a razor sharp script that’s effectively funny and frightening. He’s clearly a genre fan and it shows throughout as he interweaves the 4 divergent storylines into each other in a non linear fashion. He gives us fairly established motifs and conceits but gives them a nice little spin to make them interesting and fresh. Sam, the burlap masked midget, is equally familiar yet different and he doesn’t react the way you’d expect a character like him to. The direction is fun and colorful, doing a wonderful job of capturing the Halloween spirit when it’s in full force. Dougherty keeps a brisk pace moving the stories slow enough for you to savor them but he never lingers too much, kind of like going from house to house trick r treating. The director’s energy and enthusiasm is palpable and it extends to the cast as well. The most recognizable faces are Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Dylan Barker. They all do very well in their roles playing up their stereotypical characters with a wink of a potential twist. The younger members of the cast, made up of primarily unknowns, are surprisingly effective and deserve big kudos for their work. At 82 minutes Trick R Treat is terribly short and it flies by, a good trait for films like this which make repeat viewings easier and required.

A