REVIEW: Arrival

I like me some Sci-fi. I like it a lot. And one particular scenario that always comes to mind in what I like in this awesome genre, is the potential first contact scenario we will have from beings from another world. Whether it's a violent extermination such as Independence Day, or When Mars Attacks, or a more peaceful approach such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, or Star Trek: First Contact, I'm always happy to see how humanity reacts when it is finally contacted by another world. And I'm happy to say that Arrival delivers on many of the ideas and concepts it portrays and introduces, making it the first film to really leave me on a good note this Autumn.  (About time, honestly.) But where Arrival can succeed with flying colors, there are times where I was rubbing my head in confusion as these strange plot points are kinda just dumped on us from out of nowhere, and your suspension of disbelief isn't really played with, more than it is forced on you. Ultimately, this leads to a lot of unanswered questions by the time the credits roll.

Despite the at times, drug out beginning, it doesn't take long at all to get the ball rolling in this film as these massive ships land all over the world. Who are they? What do they want? All these questions and more get asked, and I gotta say that it is all wonderfully done. Your characters, setup, and setting is all set up wonderfully. In a way, it actually reminded me of Independence Day, only not in a bad way. Here, we get twelve vessels that land in places around the world, in completely random locations. They don't position themselves over the world's famous landmarks, one straight up landed in Montana. The world of course takes notice, and confusion happens. Hysteria from the general public, tension with the military, I honestly believe this may be one of the most accurate portrayals of first contact out there. We're introduced to Dr. Louise Banks, played wonderfully by Amy Adams as an expert linguist, who is asked to help find a way to communicate with these mysterious beings. This sets in motion a solid first two thirds of film for me. There is always something keeping your attention, always piquing your curiosity, always wowing your mind.

My first criticism toward this film goes to the aliens themselves. While we don't exactly see them an awful lot in this film, mainly because most of their scenes take place aboard their ship, where they stand behind a literal glass wall of a sort, I didn't see their design to be that compelling. One can argue that as a fan of Star Trek, designs in alien races should be the last thing I criticize, but each race there is fleshed out so incredibly well most of the time, that you don't mind that 90% of the galaxy is humanoid. The aliens have no visible orifices, and seem more like large black squids honestly. I will say though that the way they communicate is great. I love the way they write their language, I love the idea that time to them is perceived differently from how we perceive it, it's all a wonderful blend of sci-fi mesh that again, kept my interest, despite the bland designs of the aliens...and their ship (the interior of this ship is really nonexistent).

As wonderful as the story is for the first two thirds of this film, there are a few things I've been pondering now that I cannot help but wonder. Louise communicates with the aliens by way of visual aid, and introduces them to our writing system, which introduces us to theirs. We see the humans work tirelessly to interpret this new language, and I cannot help but wonder why the aliens themselves didn't bother trying to understand ours. Or attempt to communicate with it. The aliens of this movie, despite having a presence, really don't serve much of a purpose to this film I can't help but feel. Heck, by the time the third act rolls around and the question of why they're there is answered (which I won't deny is actually pretty cool), I cannot help but feel that literally nothing was accomplished.

Spoilers up ahead. Skip this paragraph of you don't want any.

The aliens apparently come to earth because they're in need of humanities help in 3000 years. There are some basic ideas here with their perception of time here that are actually quite...to coin a phrase, fascinating. Where we perceive time as linear, time to them is more...whole? They can perceive the beginning, middle, and end. Or something along those lines (the movie explains it better than I can). But after we find out this goal, and how the aliens keep in communication and speak to one another...they literally just leave. And that's their story. This leads to an ending I'm not sure I really like. Out of nowhere, it kinda becomes this last minute romance film. While the two leads get some time to develop thankfully, I cannot help but feel that their actual relationship was kinda just tacked on. One of the things I didn't care for was how Louise apparently all along was this...person who could see the future and see ahead. It lays this whole convenient plot device down in which she may prevent a global war and where memories she thought were past memories were actually visions of her future. And what I cannot stand is that we get little to no explanation as to where she got this ability, or why she has it. Heck she doesn't even seem to tell her husband about it. In fact I'm gonna go ahead and say that I feel the ending of this film is...too happy? Yeah we know how it ends in a way, but at the same time, I cannot help but feel that it just kinda halts this movie. In the bad way. Heck, as the credits begin to roll, there were a lot of questions on my mind that I didn't feel were answered. 

That being said, I still think that the first two thirds are quite solid. Despite some quiet scenes and some small moments of confusion, the contact with the aliens themselves, and the process of communicating with them is really fun to watch. The films score, though nothing memorable, presents a very ominous and very big feeling. It's a very ambient score that's there more to show the importance of the visitors, more than it is to make actual music I guess. And it succeeds. It's not a bad score. And the casting of this film is great. Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner,  Forest Whitaker, they're all great in this film. It's all a wonderful combination to take in, and despite its faults, I am glad to say I saw it. 

I'm giving Arrival a three star rating out of four. The first movie of the Autumn season I've seen to thoroughly entertain me. Despite the flaws it has, it's impossible to say that it's not enjoyable. Even if the first two thirds outshine its conclusion, it does need to be said that it's still a film to admire. It has a lot of really cool ideas that will make you wonder just how accurate the film might be in protocols with first contact scenarios. Who knows how that day will act out, so long as they don't blow our landmarks to hell and back again, I'll be open to their own arrival.

Please feel free to suggest any movies you'd like me to look at. Leave a comment down below encouraging your own feelings of the movie, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991)

I can already tell you, about 90% of you Godzilla fanatics out there are going to hate this review, so why bother reading it? Get out of here. I'm trying to save you some trouble. I'm doing you a favor right now!  No?  You're staying? Well don't say I didn't warn you. I don't like Godzilla VS King Ghidorah.  In fact...I think it SUCKS! This is the one movie of the entire Godzilla franchise that baffles me as to why it gets praise. More than Shin Gojira! I've at least found some people there who don't like that film. This one? I've heard it hailed as one of the best from people like James Rolfe (aka, the Angry Video Game Nerd), WatchMojo...and I don't care. I don't care if I am the 0.01% of people who don't like this film, there is very little solid ground to hold this film up.  Three major things hold this back from being good. The lack of competent storytelling, the ridiculous origins of both Godzilla and King Ghidorah, and the absolute BUTCHERING of one of my favorite aspect of all science fiction. Time travel! It's like they didn't even try! How is this hailed as one of the best??? Now before I go on my critique, it is worth noting that this is one of four films I have in the Hensei era that I only have the dub of. This means, this is one of the four movies that I can only watch in the English language.  But honestly, part of me doubts it matters here because there's not that much difference in these films here. And I need to say that when I first saw this, I was ecstatic.  I'm a huge science fiction nut. I love Star Trek, Stargate, Futurama, The Outer Limits, the list is endless. And of course I love Godzilla. Well each of the franchises I just listed has dealt with time travel before. Time travel is one of my favorite things about science fiction, and hearing that they brought it to Godzilla? I was on board! THe idea of them going back through time to prevent the mutating of Godzilla is an idea that I will say is borderline genius. I love it! So....what went wrong?

Strap yourselves in guys, this is gonna be a long one.

Right off the bat things get rolling in this film. There is no recap of the previous films, there is no time to get what's going on, you just see a flying saucer flying in the skies over the world, we see our main characters talking about said flying saucer, and then we see a guy preaching in the museum about dinosaurs and how they'll save mankind or something. I'm going to get this out of my system right now, this movie is likely the most random movie of the entire era.  Things happen...because reasons. For example, maybe five minutes into the movie, writer character is talking to old soldier character (I don't know their names) in which old soldier character tells writer character that a dinosaur saved his troops during a battle in WWII, but that none of them reported the event because they were the only garrison to survive, and that no one would have believed them. Well if that's the case, why is he preaching about the dinosaurs saving them in the museum? The pacing of this movie is so clunky at times, that I wonder if they even tried with the whole idea of a transition.  When King Ghidorah is rampaging, we cut to a...slightly romantic scene? In which two of our characters are sharing their inner thoughts about the situation and whatnot, before it just immediately cuts to the destruction again. It's just very awkward.  I might as well get the ball rolling on the characters of this movie.  They're really....really bad.  Stupidly bad. This might be the dub's fault, for not portraying them perfectly, but I can't blame everything wrong with this film on a language difference. The characters are just so forgettable, and bad. The only two that even made an impression on me were this Android character named M-11, and this guy who throughout the movie claims his garrison was saved by the dinosaur in WWII. M-11, gave me reason to laugh because of how poorly portrayed he is for an android. They pull every trope out of the book for him taking tips from the Terminator, Robocop, and other silly robot science fiction movies. He is ripe with bad special effects, and while I'm aware that Japanese filmmaking is highly budgeted, if budgeted things like Star Trek could actually give a good  good portrayal of an android...EARLIER than this film, then  this really should not have been difficult.  There was an effect that stood out so embarrassingly bad at one point that I actually had to pause the movie to laugh it out (he was running through the jungle, and for a split second, you could tell he was on a coaster or something because his actual legs weren't moving). And then we have old soldier dinosaur man who does nothing in this film but be sad and depressed that his dinosaur savior is destroying Japan.  His last scene is incredibly stupid.  He just decides he's gonna die because movie. His exact words are "Let me have it my way." Someone play some Frank Sinatra for him.

I might as well talk about the dub problems of the film. The film is absolutely ripe with laughable lines and awkward lines that are read for these actors. I can tell that had this been the actual Japanese cut, I likely wouldn't have laughed so much at these bad lines. One moment I love comes when a jet is flying through the air in pursuit of Ghidorah, and he does a roll in the air.  The guy providing the English dub for him decided it would be a good idea to straight up say "I'm...I'm spinning!" As if he were in some sort of peril. I can't take too many points off this film for dub flaws, so I'll just move along.

One thing I never liked, and the fan inside me actually kinda refuses to accept as canon is the ludicrous origin story of Godzilla in this era. I never really liked the idea of the Godzillasaurus. I understand that Godzilla is in fact a radioactive lost dinosaur...unless you're in the present era, in which case have fun with your radioactive lungfish, but the origin story that they present in this film is so absolutely ludicrous and laughable that it presents the weakest point in this era if you ask me. What I mean is, all the mystery, all the terror of what made Godzilla...well...Godzilla in 1954, is just wiped away when we see our heroes travel back in time to WWII in the Pacific. A concept again, I'd like to make perfectly clear, that I was open to. But the way it's executed is just pitifully stupid. We see the United States and Japan fighting in the war as our time traveling party keeps out of the danger, somehow watching the conflict from the safety of their time machine, and then we see the Godzillasaurus, in all its rubbersuited glory tromping through the forest. How did it survive? What does it eat to stay alive? Who cares? I'm still trying to figure out how the Japanese commander identified it as a dinosaur when he was in his bunker to begin with. (But this is the least of my gripes)

There are two major things I hate about this scene. Firstly, I gotta acknowledge the elephant in the room. The depiction of the Americans in this movie is a complete joke. Again, this movie was made when our nations were in an economical tension. I understand that we likely weren't hosting favorable views of Japan. But when Ishiro Honda says you've gone too far....then movie, you screwed up. While acting has never been impressing to me in these films, the Americans in this movie are laughable. Everything they do or say makes....little to no sense. Two officers see what I'd only see as a meteor, they watch it crash on the island and immediately say it came from another planet. But do they report it? No, they just say "Let's keep it a secret." ...WHY?  If you're gonna claim you just saw a UFO, then screw you, I don't care who you are, I'm telling someone! Does the term national security not mean anything to you? Sure you could tell your son about it, but what good would that be if Little Green Men do indeed take over your planet? Fast forward to the Godzillasaurus attacking the troops and we see some horrible acting when they're reporting the dinosaur attack, in which little gunfire is working, even from a bazooka...I'll buy it I guess. The navy unloads on the Godzillasaurus, giving it quite a bombardment, a navy officer gives possibly the best worst line I've ever heard in my life ("Take that you dinosaur."), and then because movie, the Godzillasaurus gets up and just kills the American soldiers and leaves the Japanese soldiers alone in a storm of awful effects and stupid plot reasons.  Then because movie the Americans just decide, fuck it, we're leaving. To hell with burial retrieval and no man left behind. Let's get the hell out of here. This is one of the most incompetent military forces I've ever seen in a movie. The military in Godzilla 1998 are BUTCH compared to this, and I gotta say they were pretty incompetent themselves. This was just a big slap to the face of America. Makes Biollante's American characters almost likable. Again, I understand that negative publicity was a thing during this time. But that isn't an excuse for me. I don't even like it when Hollywood does that kind of thing. It's just stupid.

But my other big gripe about this scene comes from the Godzillasaurus itself. How does it survive? Because the movies have me believe that it was radiated via nuclear testing in the 1950's. Yet the navy gave it quite the whooping. We aren't told how it managed to survive despite being on its near death bed, and what's even more stupid is that our protagonists are there to teleport it into the ocean in the future to prevent it from ever becoming Godzilla...AND THAT SHOULD KILL IT.  This is my biggest issue with this story. What they're doing should thoroughly kill Godzilla. It has yet to be irradiated, mutated, or changed in any way. So their teleporting it to the ocean should just straight up drown Godzilla. Does it? Of course not. I guess dinosaurs don't have to worry about drowning, we see him just walking along the bottom of the ocean later on in the movie, as happy as a clam. But if that wasn't stupid enough, the origin they have for King Ghidorah was stupid on a whole other level.  They introduce these little mini Ghidorah's with only one head, called Dorrats, which they replace the Godzillasaurus with in secret so that when the nuclear testing happens, King Ghidorah will be created.  Couple questions here. Firstly how do the Futurians as they're called in this movie know that leaving three dorrats on this island, exposing them to radiation would create Ghidorah? They say that nuclear weapons and whatnot are banned where they come from, so they likely didn't have the resources to test this little theory.  Ask me, these dorrats should have died, seeing as how they're barely the size of a tribble. Second question...I understand that Ghidorah is a three headed monster, but how does a little radiation mutate three little dorrats into this hulking monstrosity of Ghidorah? It made more sense with Godzilla, an already big beast. Here, they're stretching the already stretched suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, expecting me to believe that three small creatures somehow merged, giving up limbs, wings, body mass, and becoming one of the most iconic creatures of the franchise. I don't buy it.  Not for a second movie! I understand that they wanted a different origin for Ghidorah, rather than just doing with the monster from space routine again, but sometimes, older is better. And I still haven't discussed my issues with how they rebirth Godzilla. It's way too instantaneous. They literally just send a nuclear submarine down to awaken him, they sink, and Godzilla is suddenly bigger and more violent than before. Okay, I'm guessing Godzilla doesn't work like a cup of noodles. You don't just add radiation, and get an instant King of Monsters. I think it would be a bit more complex than that. I can think of many things that could have fixed this right off the top of my head. 

But none of this goes into my biggest issue with the movie.  Time travel. The thing that should have been one of the coolest things this franchise ever attempted, is actually one of the things I wish they never even touched.  Why?  Well to quote Dr. Emmet L. Brown, this film doesn't "think fourth dimensionally". At all. Any interesting complex aspect that comes with Time Travel is completely absent in this film. There is no cause and effect, and there's no consequence. They go back in time, teleport Godzilla to the future to prevent his transformation, and they go back, and it is literally like none of that ever happened. They get back and the head Futurian literally said, "We just got the report, Godzilla has vanished from history."  If that's the case, then why does EVERYONE STILL KNOW HIM?! I mean that too.  EVERYONE knows the name Godzilla. Despite that Ghidorah supposedly took his place, everyone knows of the devastating past that Godzilla had. HOW?! If Godzilla vanished from history, that means that literally NOTHING of the past films would have happened, which means absolutely no one of that time period who didn't travel back to 1944 would know the name or the history. Hell, I can take this further.  Plenty of people who died would still be alive. Japan likely could have built better and even stronger cities than before. The futurians may not even exist anymore. And who's to say that King Ghidorah didn't do any of the rampaging that Godzilla did? Why does literally no one know who Ghidorah is? Is any of this addressed?  Absolutely not. Instead, Time travel is reduced to one's typical trip to the grocery store, and as soon as they come back, everyone is shocked that Godzilla is gone, but suddenly this Ghidorah is just devastating Japan after appearing "out of nowhere". Again. Not how it works. All the aspects that make Time Traveling a compelling, and even tense aspect of science fiction are gone.  They weren't even touched. The first time I saw this, I was fuming. And I'm no more forgiving watching it now.

All these problems plague this movie for the first two thirds. So...how about the third act? Well despite a few film contradictions which I'll get to, I actually like the third act of this film.  The action, true to the Hensei spirit, is a wonderful treat to see, and I gotta say that the battles that Godzilla and Ghidorah have are incredibly violent, even if they're not as bloody as those between him and Biollante. It's all a marvelous treat to watch, and even when Ghidorah is out of the picture, Godzilla's city rampages of this era continue to be a marvelous destructive treat to enjoy. Almost to the point where i can forgive a few of the faults of the third act.  They say that no two of the same beings may be in one area of time as the other (I don't know why, since we saw that in Back to the Future and Star Trek, but whatever), yet once Mecha-Ghidorah comes into play, it thouroughly places two Ghidorahs in the same time period. You got one on the bottom of the ocean, and one doing the fighting. And that mecha Ghidorah falls into the ocean, which would mean that there are actually two Ghidorah's on the bottom of the sea now? They completely ignore this plot hole, but I don't care too much. Another thing is that they don't really bother explaining how a mortally wounded Ghidorah managed to stay alive for two centuries on the bottom of the ocean to become revived. But when you're seeing the battling going on, you just don't care.  The third act of this film is very solid, despite the few faults it does have, and it's what I enjoy most about this movie. I just wish I didn't have to sit through two thirds of crap just to watch it.

At the end of the day, I likely take this film much too seriously, but I think I have a small right to. I'm sure a lot of you don't like what I have to say about this film. And if you enjoy it for whatever reason, I can certainly see why. That third act is wonderful, and even when the film is bad, it's not un-entertaining. I can see many of you labeling this film in the so bad that it's good territory.  In a lot of ways it is. But the lack of competent storytelling to me is just a bit insulting now.  Don't even bother trying to say that it's not as big a budget as hollywood, you don't need a budget to write a competent story. This is a clear example to me when I say that Toho at times just doesn't care about their Godzilla stories.  The reason I'm being as harsh as I am with this movie is because I want to give you the idea that I want a good story for these films.  I'm not asking for a best picture. I'm not asking for better looks. I'm asking for a story to care about. Something that makes me really root for our heroes as they struggle against one or two monsters. Two monsters that mind you, are easily amongst the most iconic monsters of the franchise. Godzilla himself, and Ghidorah...arguably his biggest Nemesis. I wanted something to really give these two monsters justice. This movie is not that movie. We may laugh at silly dubbed lines, or awkward acting at times, you can spend all day laughing at a turd. At the end of the day, it's still a turd. And that's how I feel about this movie.

Godzilla VS King Ghidorah gets a one star rating out of four. I almost gave it the initial one and a half star rating, but I can't be too generous.  I want to send the message that I want quality.  This is another reason I was so harsh with Godzilla Resurgence earlier this year. I want Toho to care about their films. I want them to care about their audience. And I want them to care about Godzilla. I didn't see that care in this film as I have in other films.  And it is for that reason, I cannot in my right mind say this is one of the best of the franchise. One or two good monster fights do not make a good movie for me. And when it comes to things like Time Travel, unless you explicitly lay out your rules for how you play it, I will not take too many rule breaks. I have seen worse films of this franchise, but I did include this on the list of the worst monster movies I've seen back in the day for a reason. And watching it again, I'm genuinely sorry to say, that I hold to that stance. I know a lot of you may enjoy ripping me a new one for that stance, but I do expect better from Toho, and I am thankful to say that we have gotten better films since then.

Please feel free to suggest any films you'd like me to review down below.  Leave a comment explaining your own thoughts or feelings of the film down below, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 1/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Godzilla VS Biollante (1989)

Godzilla VS Biollante is one of the few Godzilla films of this or any era that puts any real effort into the story behind the monstrous showdown the title advertises, even if the story itself falls short of other stories of the series.  That's not to say that no other Godzilla films are entertaining or fun to watch, that's me saying this is one of the few films out there that puts any effort into the actual story behind the origin, and background of Godzilla's nemesis in this film.  And that is a real good thing.  Despite the Hensei era being amongst my favorite eras, this is one of only two films that actually does this, the other being Godzilla VS Destoroyah, but it needs to be said that the story here is very hit or miss. I will say that most of the Hensei films are a lot of fun, and superior to other Godzilla films, especially those made during the Showa era, and even a few during the Millenium, but still, a lot of them are guilty of having very little reason to actually exist, other than pit one iconic monster against another. Again, I don't want anyone to mistake this for hating any of these films, because truth be told...I only really dislike one of the Hensei films. But we'll get to that film when we get to it.  Onto Biollante!

Despite my liking of this movie, this is the first film of the era to really showcase the weak story trait of most Godzilla films. We get an opening recap of the previous movie of Godzilla rampaging in Tokyo, before we get a monotone, and uninteresting recap of it in the style of an American news broadcast, before we see three characters which I guess are American soldiers? Stealing Godzilla skin samples, gunning down Japanese military (no doubt putting tons of offscreen diplomatic tensions between the two nations) before they're just gunned down by...token Japanese badass gunner, who's only literal lines in this movie revolve around "Damn...it's Godzilla!". I just described the first few minutes of this movie. Who are these English Speaking soldiers? What were they gonna do with the skin samples? Who cares? Certainly not the movie. Actually while I'm on the subject, the depiction of America in this film...and of other films in this era for that matter is absolutely laughable. This can be attributed to some economical tension between the two nations at the time I guess. There's a scene in the beginning of the film, in which two American...spies? Thieves? I have no idea... But these two obviously American characters (one of which looks like a Japanese actor), are wearing two baseball hats with blatant American flag designs, in which they're focused on nothing but the looks of a woman. I find this kind of political message absolutely laughable at how bad it is.  This is the equivalent of me creating a political character for a movie, and blatantly labeling them with a parody name tag of who they are so obviously supposed to represent, while having them behave like a five year old. Did the director of this film REALLY think that was how Americans dressed? They're from America. They must wear American flag attire! And be easily distracted by a female character. Why are we depicting America like this?  Because America sucks. We don't like the current economical situation we have with them. And I guess America bombed Japan.  Take that America! That'll teach you...I guess? Seriously, the grudge that Japan had against America at this time is so obvious in these films, that it's kinda...mind-numbingly annoying. It seems that it's only there to serve as a blatant "We don't like America" message for ten year olds. It contributes nothing to the story. At all! The two thieves we're introduced to are killed, and though we get a brief glimpse into who they are and whatnot, they literally serve no other purpose than to just be the forced Political message for the movie.  A message that is nowhere near as strong as the film's predecessor mind you.

I will give credit to this movie, it's one of the few out there that actually attempts to have characters that are in any way memorable or likable and easy to connect with. Particularly when it comes to Dr. Shiragami. He has very believable motivations and goals in this film, even if they are a bit far fetched. The whole "talking plants" thing in order to preserve the spirit of his deceased daughter was a bit silly. Especially since it was kinda just thrown out the window when a psychic character out of the blue just pretty much said, "There's no sign of your daughter anymore, it's just a monster like Godzilla!" Despite the weaker story there, he remains one of the more connectable characters of the film. And while there are other likable traits by other characters, he is easily the strongest. And even some of the more minor characters are pretty fun.  I had a good laugh at a soldier who gave a one liner, "Medicine is ways best when taken orally.", before firing a bazooka of bacteria into Godzilla's mouth, before getting killed. Moments like that are in this movie. Which is a pity because like other Godzilla films, there are a LOT of characters in this movie that straight up suck. Like token Japanese badass gunner who has two lines in this entire movie. You can say "Oh but he wasn't Japanese, he worked for that foreign nation in this film." I don't care.  It's obviously a Japanese actor. He's wearing shades more than to look like a token badass. His accent is noticeable. He has zero personality in this movie and is just there to serve as a plot device to axe off characters you actually kinda like.  Like Dr. Shiragami. The "bad guys" of this film have very little motivation in this entire film.  In fact, I'm still unsure who the bad guys even are.  Is it the Americans?  Is it some unnamed Middle Eastern country? I mean it's a possibility, they were talking about plant genetics to help plant growth in the global deserts.Yet they serve little purpose other than to just be there, and be evil. I laughed when they heard that they'd lost a valuable anti-nuclear eating Bacteria organism, and their first resort was to just...axe Dr. Shiragami. Our plan failed.  Guess there's nothing to do but see if we can steal back the organism, or get some Godzilla Skin samples of our own...nah, let's just kill the guy who made the discovery. 

I gotta ask this...what is with the almost impossible to understand English language in this movie? I'm not trying to sound flat-out racist here, but I gotta bring up the previous Godzilla film I watched, in which some characters spoke English, yet were not easily understandable.  The DVD...which is an unofficial copy mind you, gave subtitles for what they spoke. And even without them, I likely could have understood better than what I heard here.  Here? On an actual official release, some characters speak English, with a HEAVY accent.  Yet there's no subtitle options for them. I gotta go from the hip on what I think I hear.  Another note on the DVD subtitles, I can tell that a few of the translations are either way too literal, or just straight up wrong. I had a good laugh at the translation "We are looking for a stuff." Nice one there guys.

Honestly, I know I'm being a little harsh at the moment, but I don't hate this film.  It's actually a very satisfying film. I thought the idea of a bacteria that could eat away Nuclear Material was very very fun. A clever idea indeed, even if executed a little sloppy. It's up there among other fun ways to stop Godzilla such as the infamous Oxygen Destroyer of the original film. I also like how this is one of the first films in this era to really cling to the science-fiction aspect of this franchise in more ways than one.  Even if we got terrible characters, some characters of this film are psychic, and gifted with limited communication with Godzilla and Biollante. It kinda serves as a plot device, but a likable one.  I also love the military technology, which undoubtedly throws any Post WWII military restrictions right out the window with the Super-X2, and these tanks that fire lasers and whatnot. It leads to some of the funnest concepts of the era, and undoubtedly some of the coolest action.

Speaking of which, the action in this movie is absolutely GLORIOUS. The monster fights between Godzilla and Biollante are easily some of the most graphic and brutal fights of the entire franchise. We see Biollante bleeding sap all over the place, we see Godzilla's hand and skin get pierced by the vines, we see Biollante spraying acid all over Godzilla's face, we see Godzilla burning Biollante alive with his radioactive heat. It's all glorious.  But despite this...I can't help but feel it to be very underwhelming. Mainly because of how glorious it is. Biollante is a plant. A plant is fighting a giant radioactive death breathing dinosaur. Who do you think is gonna win?  Despite the action being fun to watch, there's really not that big a payoff in the whole combat. Especially when you start to realize that all Godzilla is doing is standing there, unleashing radioactive death. Yeah they grapple and whatnot after on, but a lot of the time, it's very stiff and that's when you get feelings of it being underwhelming. And since the conclusion of this fight really just confuses me more than anything...I really can't say  it's flawless. Biollante just kinda dies, and Godzilla just kinda wanders into the water after the bacteria affects him...only to rise again completely fine. I don't buy their water temperature theory either. 

All in all, it's a nice way to followup the wonderful 1984 return of Godzilla, but I can't help but feel this film was rushed in more ways than one, and therefore, suffers. Despite being a roller coaster of good and bad, there's not too much oomf in this film to make me really consider it one of the best.  It's certainly not bad, it's good, I like it, but from what I remember, most of the other Hensei films had a stronger approach. But we'll see as we get to those.  I'm giving Godzilla VS Biollante a two and a half star rating out of four. It's a lot of fun, it'll make you laugh, whether it's actually funny, or laughably bad in areas. It's got some of the coolest action of the franchise, even if a bit underwhelming, and honestly, one of the coolest monsters the franchise ever created.  I think Biollante is terrifying! Yeah, it has its weaknesses, but that alligator plant beak and those vines make for one very cool monster. I give this film a thumbs up, despite the flaws it can have.

Please feel free to request any film's you'd like me to look at.  Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts and opinions of the film, and as always, thanks for reading.

See you next week when we review...(sigh)...Godzilla VS King Ghidorah.

Final Verdict: 2.5/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Godzilla (The Return of Godzilla) (1984)

Godzilla, or The Return of Godzilla is a dated, but still very strong example of Godzilla done right. It began a new Era of Godzilla films that would be known as the Hensei films, but in this, it would also start a long history of continuity confusion that lasts to this day. What I mean by that is, that this film literally wiped the slate clean of its history, aside from one film. The original 1954 Gojira. In this, Godzilla (1984)...whatever you wanna call it, acts as a direct sequel to the original iconic film, and the start of an era that includes some of my absolute favorite Godzilla films to date. It takes a step away from what the Showa era did, and makes Godzilla intimidating, and begins a trend of darker films for the Godzilla franchise, while holding on to a few light-hearted tropes that make the franchise fun to watch.  But I will say of all the Hensei films we got in the 80's and 90's, none of them really match the depth and the overall mood of this particular film, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Big G.

I'm sure many of you are probably getting sick of my comparisons to Toho's newest Godzilla film in Godzilla Resurgence, or Shin Gojira, but if you want a Godzilla film, with political undertones, done right, then this is about as good as it gets for the Godzilla franchise, and I mean that in the best way possible. It does everything, from highlighting threats of Nuclear War, to referencing the Warsaw Pact. While I will still say that politics is the last reason I will watch any Godzilla movie, the parallels that Toho did to mirror the nuclear tensions of the Cold War era during this particular period were fantastic. One of the things I criticized the newest film over was the particular depiction of America who seemed to react rather fast to Godzilla by saying to just nuke 'im. Maybe being American, I'm a bit biased when I say, I doubt we'd straight up rush to that conclusion, but in this movie, they bring that same conclusion to the table. And so does Soviet Russia. At first I scratched my head at this, but looking deeper into it, when both nations were in tense relations and when full scale nuclear war looked as if it could break out at any moment, I gotta say that this is perhaps ironically, kinda accurate. I will say the resolution of "If Godzilla were attacking Moscow or Washington D.C. Right now, would you be so fast to use nuclear weapons?" Solution was maybe just a bit...silly? Like honestly, you'd think a ten year old could come up with such common sense. But regardless of it, it's still wonderfully executed, and it gets even more interesting when the Soviets accidentally launch a nuclear missile in this film. That actually marks a first! We've never seen nuclear weapons used prior to this, and if memory serves right, we'd never seen them used again until Godzilla (2014). 

Godzilla as a monster I gotta say is a bit of a mixed bag. While he looks, and sounds intimidating (that animalistic roar is absolutely wonderful to hear and terrifying at the same time), there are a few things that make him stand out just a bit in some wrong ways. One thing that immediately comes to mind is the eyes. They're huge. While not the worst I've seen from Godzilla, the eyes seem just a tab bit too large for this particular monster if you were to ask me. And while Godzilla isn't exactly the largest here as he is in later films, it should be said that his size doesn't factor much to intimidation in these films.  He can still take a beating, and demolish anything in his way.  And that's what matters when it comes to the big guy. I can overlook a few flaws in design which honestly, was probably just a product of the times. When his foot comes crushing through the streets, nearly crushing terrified civilians, it can be a lot of fun to see.

One thing I will say is that the effects of the film are surprisingly well done.  That's not to say they are perfect, I counted more than one effect that stood out. But a lot of the time, the line between fantasy and reality was most certainly blurred. One of my favorite scenes in this film, and in all the franchise takes place when Godzilla first attacks Tokyo in this film. Not only is the military attack fun to watch, but when Godzilla attacks, unleashing that trademark atmoic breath, it is a sight to behold, and a gruesome one at that. We get full on views of soldiers being burned alive, incinerated, and of course we see all of man's deadliest machinery fall to the Destroyer of Worlds. This film also held to the concept of futuristic sci-fi in a way I always loved with special tanks that shoot beams, and a heavy warship that if I remember right was exclusive to this film, the ship Super-X, which actually succeeds in bringing down the big guy. It's not often mankind can harm the big guy like that. And while it's not exactly a matter of effects here, I gotta say that the musical score to this film isn't half bad. Godzilla scores aren't usually something I'm impressed by, as many of them tend to lean too much on that iconic, yet repetitive theme that can get a little old. This film however did a good job of composing new music that is actually pretty decent. 

While characters have never been a strongpoint in the Godzilla franchise, this movie does a decent job of telling its story around its set group of characters.  While many of the character arcs are kinda forgettable, like the whole controversy over that one guy's journalism (I can't remember his name off the top of my head), most of the story arcs they bring to the table are not only satisfactory, but contribute something new to the franchise. One thing I love so much about this film, was that for a film, meant to reintroduce Godzilla as this terrifying monster, and not so much a hero, it goes beyond simply retelling the original 1954 film. There's added problems, new obstacles, and newer elements of story and that is a very good thing because there were times this film could practically mirror its 1954 predecessor. And I will admit that this film had a few moments that legitly had me chuckling.  Such as one or two scenes involving this homeless guy who gets some screentime during the Godzilla attack, and both times, he just kinda blatantly curses and insults Godzilla. It's silly, adds nothing to the story, and it made me laugh.

I'm giving Godzilla...or The Return of Godzilla, whatever you wanna call it, a nice solid three and a half star rating out of four. While there are indeed times that this movie can drag itself out, the story is told well to keep your attention, and again, there are some things here that are in no other Godzilla film that just make this one stand out as one of the best for me.  Hell, I ranked it amongst the top 25 absolute greatest giant monster films out there if any of you remember that list. And I stand by that stance. It's not the model Godzilla film, but it's still one of the many I will recommend, and it pains me to say that I don't officially own it. If Toho would just release it officially over here, I could change that, but my copy will do for now. For those of you who are with me in the states, there is an American edit of this film that you might be able to find, but I believe I can safely say that the original Japanese cut is far superior, though it is cool to see Steve Martin (the reporter from the American 1956 edit of Gojira) back for a small cameo. If you have the resources to get ahold of this film, I'd recommend giving it a look see. It's one of the best starts of any Godzilla era out there, and I'm honestly tempted to go through that era now.  Maybe I should.

Please feel free to suggest any films you'd like me to have a look at down below.  Leave a comment expressing your own thoughts and opinions on the film itself, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Godzilla (1998)

Autumn movies this year kinda suck. I've been to three so far and I've not been impressed. I'm hoping some other movies I've come across change my mind but this weekend, I found myself in need of something fun. So I watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Both films I absolutely love. Through this little experience, I came into contact with a few people on G+ who disagreed with my review of Godzilla Resurgence. Unfortunetaly...dealing with the Godzilla fandom isn't exactly a favorite thing to do on my list (and neither is dealing with the fandom of Star Trek, which in some ways can be worse), but I held plenty of discussions and debates about what they liked about this film and whatnot and all I can say is...I'm no expert of Japanese politics currently. Hell, I don't give a damn about politics here. I'm actually kinda sick about politics. And I think people know that about me because they just love throwing it in my face about how the political satire of Shin Gojira is something my "American mindset" that must only love explosions like I'm some mindless Michael Bay zombie must not comprehend. (Facepalm) If I can enjoy political movies like Godzilla (1984), or other political movies for that matter (Star Trek VI), understand them, and enjoy them...then I'll just laugh at your "defense" of Shin Gojira. What the hell does this have to do with the movie I'm gonna be talking about? Well if all I care about are explosions and nonstop action, then this movie must be a fucking Godsend. Right? RIGHT???

I wanted to tackle this movie on some other special occasion, but with all that's going on, I guess now is as good a time as any to show the nonbelievers that I might actually have competent reasons for disliking Shin Godzilla. And to back this up...I'm gonna throw arguments that have been used against me into this analysis of America's first ever attempt at Godzilla filmmaking. I'm actually surprised to say, but happy to say that there aren't too many people on my case about my opinion of Shin Gojira. But they are persistent. Which is kinda what led to this. And by the way, I'm going on the record to say that when I put this movie on today, I watched it with my friend, who's an exchange student from Japan. I don't know if he's a huge Godzilla fan but we talked briefly about the new film (which he hasn't seen), before moving on to Roland Emmerich.

This is the "Godzilla" movie that most fans will call the absolute worst of the worst. A film so bad, that Toho went out of their way to claim that the monster in this movie in no way was related, or represented the King of Monsters. And if that wasn't enough, they bought the rights to the film, just to kill the monster in Final Wars. For many Americans, this was actually the film to introduce them to Godzilla. However for me personally, I didn't see this movie until about halfway through high school. 2006-2007. And I'd already established myself as a fan of the big guy. I still remember my first movie (Godzilla VS Mothra: Battle for Earth), and remember the endless trips to Hollywood Video just to rent some Godzilla dub that I hadn't seen yet. It drove my parents insane. I didn't care. The first time I saw this film, I was much like the fanbase. I kinda hated it. But as years passed, it gained my attention, and now I see it as rather...harmless honestly. Not good, but the worst? I wouldn't call it that.

Despite what others would have you believe, this film doesn't just crash and burn at every angle. In fact, I'll go on a limb and say there is a lot of very well done aspects in this movie. The monster design. I loved it! If not for a point that we'll get to soon enough, this monster would actually be one of the coolest things on screen. It needs to be said that the dated CGI definitely shows at times. It can stand out like a sore thumb, but Roland has been there, done that, got the shirt before, and his visuals can still be very wonderful to look at. But that one point that I mentioned up above comes into play here. For a monster called "Godzilla"...there's surprisingly very little resemblance to Godzilla. But ironically enough, here's where my first argument for Shin Gojira comes into play. I've been told that my problems of the monster itself in that movie are irrelevant because it's a new incarnation, and not the same. So "New Godzilla" can be different. Well if that's the case then this Godzilla should have been flying high. Sure he can be wounded by the military, lack his trademark atomic breath, look more animal-like, and eat fish. This is a new Godzilla! The possibilities are limitless! This is point number one. If Japan can go through, not one, not two...but FOUR different eras and even more incarnations of Godzilla, why didn't this reimagining get a little less trash from the fanbase? It was America's first attempt. Their first incarnation. Surely no wrongs could be done! Hell, the opening credits strictly state that the character is "based on" the Toho monster of the same name. Based on. So we obviously did nothing wrong with this monster....Do you see the logic of this argument? I sure don't. I think I've made my point.

The characters of this movie can be ridiculously clichéd, if not downright annoying. One thing Godzilla movies never seem to nail are characters. They're so bad at this, that I actually made myself make a list of the Top 25 Best Human Characters in Monster Movies. And guess what...a few characters from this movie actually made the list believe it or not, because there are a few in this movie that are actually pretty fun. I like Colonel Hicks, the French Agent Philippe. Even Nick Tatopoulos got a mention...but I had to specify that it was the incarnation from the animated series, because the moment you see fucking Matthew Broderick on the screen, you wanna knock his block off. Why did they hire him off all people? The token Roger Hebert, and Gene Siskel characters are more than likely intentionally annoying, and Audrey...oh my God Audrey and the rest of the news channel characters in this movie just suck. They. Suck. I honestly believe their role in this movie was meant for a completely different story at times, as their interactions with other characters kinda just seem to drop the fact that there's a 100 foot tall radioactive lizard tromping all over New York City.

But when they're not on screen, the movie can be a fun watch. The action of this movie is very well done. Even if you're looking at scenes that borrowed heavily from other films from Alien to Jurassic Park, I find myself having a lot of fun watching the monster run through the streets of New York, outsmarting helicopters, and causing all sorts of havoc. I enjoy watching our protagonists trying not to get eaten alive by the hundreds of infant monsters in the ruined Madison Square Garden. But this action isn't backed by all that impressive of a story. While I will say that their reimagining of the origins of "Godzilla" can be very fun, bringing up comparisons to things like Chernobyl and whatnot, once that initial first wonder is done, very little can hold this story up. The middle acts can drag and be rather uninteresting. Again, the character interaction between Nick and Audrey can be very...off putting. It doesn't belong in this movie. In fact...I hate any scene that features only Audrey. She just complains about how she isn't treated fairly by her boss, or cries when she messes up Nick's reputation with the army. The political side of Herbert and Siskel is laughable at how pointless it is. You could literally cut it from the film and nothing would be different. I think Roland just wanted to give the finger to two of the best film critics out there who weren't impressed by his films...but they weren't even killed in the movie. Good job there Roland. And with little interesting story, the film quickly becomes its own excuse to blow up every NYC landmark it can. The Chrysler Building, Metlife building, Madison Square Garden, the Brooklyn Bridge...I'm surprised half the buildings remained standing in this film. This brings up point number two that I've been getting...where people say I didn't like Shin Gojira because it wasn't just explosions and nonstop action. Well compare that to this movie which kinda just...is that at times, and you find that I'm still not too impressed. The only thing I've really complimented this film on is the decently original beginning parts of the story. Before it just becomes a big cliché. The only reason I liked that is because it was competent enough and told well enough to keep my attention. Shin Gojira focused roughly 75% of its story telling to people sitting around tables. Tell me how that is good story telling for a two hour movie. Just try.

With as many problems as there are in this movie...I'm surprised I don't really bash it too much. Well there's a reason. I think the movie can be an entertaining watch from time to time. Take away the obvious problems, overlook atrocious characters, and focus on the actual decent elements in this story that pop up from time to time, then throw in a pretty decent musical score by David Arnold, and you actually have a decent monster movie. But that's the key word there. MONSTER movie. That's not what this movie was supposed to be. The title is Godzilla. When you put that as your title, there will be expectations, and nearly all of those expectations were absent in this film. Which is why I'll be honest and say I'm surprised so many seem to like Shin Gojira. It can tackle all the problems this movie tackled 18 years earlier. Differences in origins, monster design, hell...the military actually makes Godzilla bleed a lot in the new film. And that's just on the monster alone. I won't even get into how forgettable those characters are. The characters of this movie may be bad, but at least they're memorably bad enough to make an impression.

Godzilla is a movie I find very hard to rate. It's not good. But it's far from the worst. I doubt I'll ever really see anything worse than Godzilla's Revenge in this franchise. But for what this movie was...it wasn't a bad monster film. In fact, it can be a lot of fun...as a monster movie. If it had any other title, I'd be tempted to rate it a strong three stars out of four. But the title holds it back. When you call your movie Godzilla, there will be expectations. Expectations this movie failed to meet. And so while not the worst, I cannot rate it higher than a two out of four stars. It's...average. Maybe even slightly below it. But not nearly enough to annoy me in ways other Godzilla films have. I actually kinda commend this film in a lot of ways. It gave us a good monster  even if it is the butt of everyone's jokes in the Godzilla fandom. But plain and simple, this movie isn't worthy of the title it bears and doesn't earn it. It's a damn shame because if this were to be renamed...Beast from 10,000 Fathoms...it would have faired so much better. It follows that movie much more faithfully than Godzilla. But it doesn't have that title...and therefore suffers.

Well there you go...I hope I've made my criticisms of Shin Gojira a bit clearer to those who disagree. Though I know deep down a lot of you probably won't get it still. Toho isn't perfection to me and never will be. They'll make mistakes as any other movie company will. I certainly hope their future Godzilla projects will be better, but if you'll remember right...I said that at times, this movie had more going for it than Shin Gojira. I know, how dare I. I'm sure that angered a lot of the fanboys but what can you do? They keep the fandoms alive, and they aren't going anywhere. I can admire the passion many of you have for Godzilla, and tip my hat to you...I just hope I can make my stance on things clearer in the future and whatnot.

Please feel free to suggest any movies you'd like for me to review. Leave a comment down below explaining what you thought of this movie, and as always...thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 2/4

Star Trek: Music of the Frontier

While we all have our differences in this franchise. Some of you might think me craft for liking things like Voyager, Generations, or the reboot films. We all have our differences in this franchise, but one thing I think we can all agree on in this particular franchise, is that the music is absolutely incredible. Whether you're sporting the old school original series, or lost in the Delta Quadrant with Voyager, the Maddux of this franchise has almost never disappointed me. And I won't lie, I kinda pride myself in knowing when I hear a good soundtrack. A few exceptions withstanding (said as I eyeball that bad pop rock theme to Enterprise), this music has always been on target from the very start. It's some of the most iconic music of science fiction. But I'm gonna focus particularly on the music scores of the films. Unlike a TV series, a film is much more dependent on a good film score. Nothing against the Star Trek music of the series, but in the shows, it can take a back seat to the actual story a lot of the time. That's not to say that it can't be great, the flute theme from Inner Light remains one of my favorite things in this franchise's music, but unlike the films, it can suffer one it two bad episodes with little fear. A movie doesn't get that luxury if you ask me. But something strange that I see is that even in this franchise's WORST movies, the musical score can be absolutely phenomenal. It can really help carry the film when everything else is failing to do so. And the scores of these films can vary so incredibly well. So I'm looking at all 13 movies again, and I'm ranking them by how memorable their soundtracks are.

Please note, that story, characters, and other things are not the focus here. This is focused entirely on music. It also needs to be said, that I in no way consist any of these soundtracks, bad. Each are incredibly memorable in their own ways. So don't think of this so much as a worst to best, as it is a good to greatest. So sit back, and enjoy how I rank the 13 Best Musical Scores of the Star Trek films. Click the links for standout tangs from each score.

13. Star Trek: The Voyage Home (Leonard Roseman)
https://youtu.be/mMbLDQVrd5A (Main Title)
https://youtu.be/PjDXz4bWqTY (Crash-Whale Fugue)
https://youtu.be/siD30IEz6LU (Hospital Chase)

Whenever I hear the main title of this film, my pulse begins racing.  It's one of the most triumphant pieces I know that on its own, carries the entire soundtrack. It's not often I'll give so much credit to one piece of music.  The film's soundtrack unfortunately doesn't compare as much to this one piece alone, at times taking a backseat to the hilarious story, at times getting a bit goofy for a Trek soundtrack, which is why I'll say it's probably among the weaker scores of the franchise, but it's still a good score altogether. 

12. Star Trek: Nemesis (Jerry Goldsmith)
https://youtu.be/wwI-88jfEw0 (The Knife)
https://youtu.be/wMOLH7gke5w (The Scorpion)
https://youtu.be/1b1AnNuCtrY (A New Friend)

Nemesis has a very intense score, which is kinda unique for most Star Trek scores, aside from one we'll get to shortly. But it certainly fits this movie which features one of my favorite space battles of the entire franchise. It can be intimidating, tense, and at times a real treat to listen to, even if there are times it doesn't take a break from the tension. But whether it's calm or tense, it stands out more than simple background music.  The music gives Shinzon an intimidating presence on screen in ways that aren't shown with other villains.  Not even Khan. 

11. Star Trek Into Darkness (Michael Giacchino)
https://youtu.be/mu6xJsHKw58 (London Calling)
https://youtu.be/DwlFeVttLMg (The Kronos Wartet)
https://youtu.be/Y2xalm5xvDk (Brigadoom)

You can say what you want about the reboots as far as story or setting. But if you even think of saying that their music is bad around me, you will get a fucking lecture about music appreciation, because I thoroughly believe that the scores to EACH reboot film are absolutely incredible. Again, remember that this list isn't so much a worst to best list.  I love each and every one of these scores. And this is that other really intense score. If you'll remember, of the reboots, this is the one I like the least as the action at times doesn't fit, but at least the music is a treat to listen to. From the softer piano melodies, top the intense music played during the chase scene with the Klingons, this score is a testament to the intimidation that is throughout this film. It may be a weaker film of Star Trek, but the soundtrack isn't one I'd call weak.

10. Star Trek: Insurrection (Jerry Goldsmith)
https://youtu.be/poOdzrYzLpQ (Ba'ku Village - Visual Contact)
https://youtu.be/xKSOUBcsxSQ (Underwater Search - The Hollowship)
https://youtu.be/5vgejKmGJhQ (The Riker Maneuver)

Despite my disliking of Insurrection, it does have a wonderful score. I love the calmer theme of this score, which perfectly portrays "Paradise". The score provides an excellent atmosphere at times, which brings out the film's absolutely gorgeous scenery, from space to the landscape. Even when the action comes into play, the music can keep up, and it does make for one of the film's stronger suites thankfully. Good thing too because that's all I can really say about the movie itself. 

9. Star Trek: The Final Frontier (Jerry Goldsmith)
https://youtu.be/EBWKRp-4zEM (The Mountain)
https://youtu.be/0WaOYxxTGJg (A Busy Man)
https://youtu.be/GZDnzlCNYIU (Free Minds)

Even the film which most will call the worst of Star Trek has a good score. Jerry Goldsmith brings back more of the classic themes you're so used to, some bringing in a rather majestic atmosphere which can fit the mood perfectly. From their entrance into the Center of the Galaxy, to them landing on the planet, and finding..."God", the music doesn't fail this film in ways that everything else kinda...well, does. Credit where credit is due.

8. Star Trek: The Search for Spock (James Horner)
https://youtu.be/dMy1zZ6VGMk (Prologue and Main Title) 
https://youtu.be/aEmAi8Yp-A0 (Stealing the Enterprise)
https://youtu.be/_D9SteuGn3I (The Katra Ritual)

Honestly, as good as the score is, this score doesn't do too much to make itself unique. It's not bad persay, but nothing really stands out at me when I watch it. It doesn't have as memorable a theme as Wrath of Khan, or as triumphant a feel as Voyage Home. To me, the score is just kinda...there. But that's nothing against it. It just didn't make that big an impact on me personally. Despite some wonderful melodies, I personally feel that at times, it leaned a little too much on its predecessor's score, and didn't make too much out of itself. That might be because James Horner once again was behind this score. But none the less, it does have some great music.  A particular favorite comes during the stealing of the Enterprise from Starfleet.

7. Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country (Cliff Eidelman)
https://youtu.be/GT-wunjnEXA (Overture)
https://youtu.be/0YN5Gy1URlk (The Battle for Peace)
https://youtu.be/g9jpAV3G5rY (Sign Off)

The final film of the original crew is my favorite film of the franchise, though its soundtrack isn't exactly its strongsuit.  The doesn't mean it's not a good soundtrack at all, because it has a lot of very strong moments, particularly at the very end.  The sign off track can bring a tear to my eye, and it's for more reasons than simply watching all the signatures of the original bridge crew cast display themselves on the screen.  It's just the perfect sendoff for this crew, and the perfect music to have played for it. 

6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Jerry Goldsmith)
https://youtu.be/Nt9dOIdGIeM (Ilia's Theme)
https://youtu.be/ARcgqTx3NOg (The Enterprise)
https://youtu.be/kPQjYQZ7wW0 (V'Ger Flyover)

How ironic is it that the film I will call the absolute worst of Star Trek, has some of the most beautiful, and most iconic music in the entire franchise? Let me just put it this way, if the entire film were meant to be just a big mega suite of Star Trek music, set to nothing but the opening sequence of stars at the beginning of the movie, I'd totally put it on for background music. Jerry Goldsmith was probably one of the best things that happened to Star Trek music. He'd compose countless scores, and many themes. He composed Voyager, and The Next Generation took its theme straight from this film. The film may be boring as hell, but this music is far from that.

5. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (James Horner)
https://youtu.be/TDW5-VczFHo (Main Title)
https://youtu.be/eoit0OdKt-I (Surprise Attack)
https://youtu.be/xh0dEIb8enY (Buried Alive)

Horner gets a lot of praise for this soundtrack for good reason. From a memorable theme, to intense battle music, to unsettling tension, or somber sadness.  It's a real testament to the late Horner's career, which if you ask me, stands unmatched in his entire career. I may not give Wrath of Khan the most credit when it comes to it as a film on a whole. I still think that the middle of the film seems kinda nonexistent, but you'll never hear me declare this soundtrack to be uninteresting. It's amongst the best for a reason.

4. Star Trek: Generations (Dennis McCarthy)
https://youtu.be/FBdmVGGaJEE (Generations Overture)
https://youtu.be/uN8H3RhqaUk (Out of Control/The Crash)
https://youtu.be/75Y6-6_kr24 (The Nexus/A Christmas Hug)

Say what you want about Generations, it has one of the best soundtracks of the franchise.  The overture alone could go as a theme for any future series to come out of this franchise. And I do have to say that the atmosphere of the Nexus, and battle music of this film can be outright gorgeous. I love this score so much, that I often listen to it when writing up Star Trek projects of my own.  From start to finish, it's got a lot of oomf. Dennis McCarthy doesn't get enough credit for his musical contributions to Star Trek, well this is a great monument to that if you ask me.

3. Star Trek (Michael Giacchino)
https://youtu.be/UkijbBY1QUA (Enterprising Young Men)
https://youtu.be/zpnaRE1vEb8 (Nero Death Experience)
https://youtu.be/4WZblBDaorU (End Credits)

From the time we see the shuttles fleeing the destruction of the USS Kelvin at the beginning of this film, and we hear the soft beginning of an incoming theme growing louder and louder, to the time we see the films title amidst a barrage of timpani (being a former percussionist, and having played timpani myself, I have a soft spot for them), I knew I was listening to one of the best scores of the franchise, if not one of the best scores I've ever heard, period. It's the perfect score to introduce this darker timeline of the franchise, in more ways than one.  If it's not that awesome theme, you got some really cool Vulcan themed music that can get to you each and every time. And of course, the rendition of the classic original theme is absolutely priceless.

2. Star Trek: First Contact (Jerry & Joel Goldsmith)
https://youtu.be/K0BC4YoBKa4 (Red Alert)
https://youtu.be/f7Dy5F6hLfM (The Dish)
https://youtu.be/X9rtsG21ncg (First Contact)

For the longest time, this was my favorite score, mainly because of the music that plays during the landing of the Vulcans. It's perfect. But it goes beyond that.  The combat music, the music when the Borg invades Earth Space...screw it. EVERYTHING in this score is absolutely brilliant, but damn it if that music when First Contact officially happens doesn't bring a tear to the eye each and every time.  I love the movie, I love the soundtrack...but there is one film I feel with the superior soundtrack, and it just came out.

1. Star Trek Beyond (Michael Giacchino)
https://youtu.be/XPvPp6dOjf0 (Thank Your Lucky Star Date)
https://youtu.be/BZpXNZXLoDU (Night on the Yorktown)
https://youtu.be/EgLPN06E6j0 (Hitting the Saucer a Little Hard)

The newest film's soundtrack takes first place in my book easily. Why? Because it's the one soundtrack that I honestly believe is as close to perfection as you can get. It's emotional, it's intense, it sets the right mood almost each and every time.  I will say that for a film marking the 50th Anniversary of the franchise, "Night on the Yorktown" IS perfection. The music during the destruction of the Enterprise.  Perfection. One of the things going in to see this movie that I made sure to pay attention to was the soundtrack, because of how great the other two reboot soundtracks were.  I wasn't disappointed one bit. I really do believe that it will be hard to top this soundtrack in the future.  But you never know I guess.

And there you have it, my rankings of the Trek films by their soundtrack.  Agree?  Disagree? Let me know what you believe is the best Star Trek soundtrack down below, and as always, thanks for reading.

REVIEW: Godzilla Resurgence (Shin Godzilla)

Oh for the love of God...

I'm not gonna lie, I went into the theater very nervous for this one. Not only has Autumn been a very disappointing season so far for me involving movies, but each and every trailer I've seen for this film has not impressed me. Hell, I still have no idea what this movie is about or what happens since the only trailers I've seen have zero dialogue whatsoever. And I KNOW that if I didn't like this film, the fandom would tear me a new one, because apparently, Toho Godzilla is perfection to about 90% of the fanbase. It is the devil. And I'm a pretty big Godzilla fan. I own most the films, I've devoted a lot of time and energy to the big guy, even in his worst moments. Even in my adult mind, I enjoy him. But I can't help but criticize this just a bit for how Toho has handled this film. Allow me to explain...

In 2014, I absolutely loved our reboot of the big guy. Despite its flaws, I walked out of the theater with a smile on my face, and satisfaction. It was a great film to me which did justice Godzilla both in name and spirit. Was it different? Yeah. But I'm open to different. I pay practically no attention to fans who just trash it or complain about it just because it's different or doesn't have a lot of action. It's a favorite. But when Toho inevitably came back into the Godzilla scene after a decade of retirement, despite praising it, they kinda just did this 180 on the film which rubbed me the wrong way and said they "wouldn't bow to Hollywood" or something along those lines. I kinda have a sour taste in my mouth after that because it gives me this idea that Toho is full of itself. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to sound like I believe Hollywood is perfect, but back off, Toho. This film has now been in theaters in Japan for a few months with some hailing it as a masterpiece. Big words. I have some bad news for each and every Godzilla fan. There is no such thing as a Godzilla Masterpiece. There never was one, and there never will be. Not even the original. It can enter discussions, due to the cultural impact it had on a post WWII Japan, but despite helping pave the way to other giant monster films alongside other great films like Them!, or Beast from 10,000 Fathoms, it has overacting, and some absolutely forgettable story arcs, and characters. For the time it was impressive and still a great watch today. But if you were to tell me it was the best film from Japan in 1954, you'd be sorely mistaken. Seven Samurai rightfully won that award for a reason. And the sequels? The countless sequels? They're fun. But a lot of them, and I mean a LOT of them are junk. In some ways, Godzilla is more guilty than the films of Transformers for trying to make a quick buck for your want of mayhem and destruction. Pick any random Godzilla sequel, and tell me five major events that happen in that movie. Like elements important to the overall story. It's harder than you realize because there are times I think Toho honestly doesn't care about Godzilla in story anymore. So when I see them going about this movie, and Japanese critics praising it as it they are, they're only raising my bar higher and higher. Well...it's finally here in America. It has a mediocre name...partly because I'm still somewhat angry that Independence Day Resurgence was as dull as it was, but it's here. And I'm watching it. 

Is it good???

No! Don't believe the hype. Because I don't think a Godzilla film has ever been so incredibly....BORING! Goddammit Toho, what have you done?!

I'm not kidding. I'm willing to bet that over 75% of this film revolves around Japanese politicians sitting around tables...talking. Seriously?! This is the "masterpiece" we were supposed to get? THIS-

Okay, let me calm myself. Despite what you might think, the movie doesn't do everything wrong, there is some very decent stuff here, and some really cool concepts. And I'm not gonna lie, some of the camerawork is absolutely gorgeous. But that is literally all I can say for this film. As the movie kept rolling, I was just compiling a list of things that weren't working, and that list kept growing, and growing, and growing. The monster, atrocious. The characters, forgettable.  The story, nonexistent. I hate saying this, but I'm wondering if this is one of the worst Godzilla films I've ever seen. You can say what you want about 2014's film, but it at least knew how to keep the story rolling. If I want to be brutally honest? Godzilla Resurgence should probably be named Japanese Godzilla Politics. Because that's what this movie is. 

It needs to be said that continuity will be as confusing as ever, because this movie once again wipes the slate of Godzilla films clean.  Only in this case...not even the original movie happened.  You heard right, 1954's film never took place. I'd have been open to this if the origin story of this Godzilla wasn't so completely botched up. Here...Godzilla isn't a dinosaur in origin.  He's some mutated lungfish. I'm not joking, that's the exact word they compared him to, and with his very silly introduction scene where he kinda just slithers around in some of the most ridiculous ways I can picture. He's a creature or lungfish that fed off radioactive waste at the bottom of the ocean...so nuclear testing is now out of the picture, and he rapidly evolves in the to become one of the goofiest incarnations of the creature I've ever seen.  Seriously, I hated it before I saw the film, and I hate it still.  The design of this Godzilla very rarely appears intimidating, and it doesn't help that its mouth almost never closes in the entire movie, giving off this strange goofy smile. Credit again where credit is due, there are indeed some camera shots and angles that are stunning. One of my favorite shots involved a camera inside a moving train, looking up at Godzilla as he tromped around Tokyo. And though a LOT of the CGI seems out of place, there are times that it looks brilliant, and shows how Japan is beginning to embrace it to enhance their filmmaking. But that isn't enough here. Godzilla barely does a thing in this movie. There are times he just idly stands around while all the military unleashed their might against him. And it needs to be said that despite my love of Godzilla being this unkillable walking god of destruction, they went over the top with his power levels here.  Not only does he fire his atomic breath from his mouth here, he shoots it all over the damn place ifrom his back, and even from his tail,  at times lighting up the screen like I'm at some dance rave. Was this really necessary? It looks....dumb honestly. But I will say that when he first unleashes his atomic breath, it is a sight to behold, almost perfectly symbolizing the powers of the atomic bomb.  

So Godzilla failed to make much of an impression.  Strike one. What about the setting? Well the camerawork over Tokyo is great, but again, over 75% of this movie revolves around politicians sitting around tables talking about what's going on, and about how the world is reacting and whatnot. And it gets old real fast. If you thought them cutting away from the action in Godzilla (2014) was bad, just wait until you see this film, in which they'll show a few seconds of something happening with the monster, before returning to the tables for another fifteen minutes. Dialogue in this movie is repeated countless times as people confirm orders, and take dramatic pauses in how they'll be looked at in history for what they decide to do. Movie...I have three words for you here.  NO ONE CARES. This is a Godzilla movie! Not the Presidential Debate! I'm not trying to trash talk Japanese policy or whatnot, but I don't watch Godzilla for this! When I watch Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo, I know the city is being evacuated, and I know the military is organizing the counteroffensive. I don't need or want to see the Japanese Prime Minister issuing countless orders to evacuate residential areas. That shouldn't be the focus. And I most certainly do not care or want to see him complaining about soggy noodles. Yeah that happens. The characters of this movie are beyond forgettable. I barely remember anyone's name. I remember a lot of silly complaining, a lot of jabs at America being the country that wants to just blow everything to hell without a second thought, and that's about it. The story here is literally about Godzilla attacking a city. There's no other monster.  They were trying to remake Godzilla 1954. Only not nearly as memorable, and without the impactful message of carelessness of nuclear weaponry. Instead, Godzilla is just kinda branded a god, and that mankind will just have to live with him. 

The music of this film is absolutely forgettable. In some places, it doesn't fit the scene at all. THe first time we see Godzilla charging up his atomic breath...which they call fire in this movie by the way, the music being played is this heavenly sounding song. There are times that the music goes into this intense electric guitar driven song as if to try and show that the final effort is being planned, when in all honesty, it's just more talking. And as if to try and call back to the original, it sounds that some of the movie and sound effects were ripped straight off the director's DVD copy of the original movie, as if to try and give off a little nostalgia. Unfortunately, it just kinda stands out awkwardly. 

...

I'm actually kinda at a loss for words right now, because I wanted to like this movie, I really did.  Godzilla is a huge piece of my childhood, but this film took so many steps backward.  For me to be told by Japanese media that this is a masterpiece? How? I'll admit that some of the politics had my attention.  There is a lot of references to post WWII Japan military restrictions, and the United States DOES have to help Japan out in this movie, but these moments of interest, and action are so few and far between, that it's hard to give this movie much credit. Godzilla has always been an icon for children in more ways than one, while also bring this giant metaphor for nuclear destruction, and nature in all her fury.  There's something for everyone in this franchise, but a lot of people introduced to the big guy, are of younger ages. If I were to show this film to a child, I doubt they'd make it ten minutes. The focus of this film was a complete mess, and so I will stand by my stance.  This movie is bad. It's really bad. Is it one of the worst? I don't know yet, but you won't find me giving it a second watch any time soon.  When I can tell you more about what happened in Godzilla's Revenge?  You know that you have a problem. Fuck this movie.

Godzilla Resurgence earns a one and a half star rating out of four, and that's me being generous. While certain concepts work to the film's advantage, and while some of the camerawork and action can be great to look at, the fact that the rest of this movie seems so nonexistent really takes a toll. Now the fact remains that I may not have enjoyed this, simply because I don't understand Japanese politics.  Maybe this is a Godzilla film for Japan mainly...butI can't excuse it for that if that is indeed the case.  It failed to keep my attention.  It failed to convince me the stretch my believability, and it failed to entertain me in ways other Godzilla films have.  Even Godzilla 1998 had more going for it. I am happy to see Toho back after 12 years of no Godzilla from them. But to see this from them as their return? It doesn't work.  And the fact that they're hinting at a sequel?  I'm not on board.  Toho, if you want to do more...you need to drop this movie like a dozen eggs, and really think as to what makes Godzilla so very fun to begin with...

Please feel free to suggest any movies you'd like me to review down below.  Leave a comment of what you yourself thought of this film.  If you're in the Godzilla fanbase...go easy on me with the hate. Please. And as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 1.5/4