THROWBACK REVIEW: Son of Kong (1933)

With the release of King Kong in 1933, people went bananas over the films popularity. Critics were raving, people couldn't get enough of it, and the box office easily turned up a profit. And with such a reputation, the film of course just had to get a sequel worked in there, right? Because if there was any movie that demanded a sequel, it was King Kong. (Sigh) You may already get the feeling that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this film, mainly because it's a sequel to a film I straight up called the absolute best giant monster movie of all time. It had a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. Hell, that ending is probably one of the most iconic endings in film history! Why bother with a sequel?

I don't know why they did, but they did, and even they knew it would likely be a bad idea. The Script writer even admitted she didn't bother trying to make it as good as the first, based on the logic that they couldn't outdo the first film. Instead, writer Ruth Rose went for a more light-hearted film with a comedic approach. That's right everyone, King Kong's sequel is a comedy. Do you guys understand why I pretty much said the franchise behind King Kong sucks? It's stuff like this that makes me shower the King Kong movie with praise, and makes me bring the hammer down on the franchise as much as I do. Look, I'll admit that I don't exactly have a good idea on how to do a sequel to King Kong. Kong isn't a monster like Godzilla that just keeps coming back, Kong had a great movie, a phenomenal one at that, and in that movie, he dies at the end. If I was asked to come up with an idea for a sequel, I'd have a very hard time coming up with one to do that movie justice. So you know what I'd do?

I wouldn't do it. 

I WOULDN'T DO IT!!!

But they did it and so...here we are. What's the result? Well it's not really good, but it certainly could have been worse. A lot worse (we'll get there). But I will say there are some okay moments in this film. It's just that a good majority of this film is either dull, or completely underwhelming. One thing I need to point out is that unlike King Kong, Son of Kong is considerably shorter. Where King Kong was around 104 minutes long, Son of Kong is considerably shorter, at just over an hour in length. And the worst part is, we don't get to Skull Island until about halfway into the film. Fantastic. A film about the supposed son of Kong, and we don't get to Skull Island, the place where he lives, until we're pretty much halfway through the movie. Good move there, movie. Good move.

I'm being overly critical here, but despite everything, there is some stuff that I liked. One thing I can immediately point to is the opening scene of this movie, which takes place about a month after Kong's demise atop the Empire State Building, where we see Carl Denham, the movie director from the previous movie, and the captor of Kong, now broke, depressed, and very downhearted. New York City business owners are bringing him countless lawsuits for property damages brought on by Kong's rampage, the press is hounding him, and he's in this state of mind where he actually feels sorry not only for the loss of life Kong brought upon New York, but also sorry for the monster itself. It's almost like perhaps there really was a bit of a message in the previous film of how we treat nature so blindly. It's arguably the strongest scene in the movie. Too bad it happens right at the very beginning.

Carl is called upon by his skipper friend, also from the first movie, and they decide to leave New York to try and finds some shipping business and who should they come across, but the very sailor who sold Denham the map of Skull Island in the first place. He tells them of a treasure hidden in the island that may very much solve all the problems that Denham is facing, and it's off to Skull Island once more to try and find this mysterious treasure. But while there, they also bump into an ape-like creature, very much resembling Kong, only smaller and albino, who takes a bit of a liking to the human explorers. And from there it's nothing but an underwhelming treasure hunt that reminds me of "The Lost Continent", only fewer dinosaurs, and no rock climbing.

Immediately Skull Island feels lacking. The Natives are barely in this movie. In fact they only get two very brief scenes, one in which they turn Denham away, and the other where we see a small group of them getting killed as the island sinks into the sea (yeah that happens). Everything from the original movie that made Skull Island feel like this vast mysterious no man's land, is gone. There are VERY few dinosaurs here. And even though there are some, they're just not as impressive or used as much. People note that the stop-motion animation of this film isn't as extensive as that in Kong, probably because this film was as rushed as it was, and it shows. The only thing they seem to note is a very brief, and I do mean INCREDIBLY brief chase involving a Styracosaurus. It's the only real event in the movie that made me feel like there was any real threat in this island. Heck, the longest fight in this movie, is between Kong's son...and a cave bear. A CAVE BEAR. Oh we're gonna set this movie on an island where prehistoric monsters have survived all these millions of years, but let's pit Kong's offspring against a bear! That'll wow audiences!

I guess one thing worth noting is that Willis O'Brien wasn't as directly involved with this film as he was King Kong. He supposedly thought that the film was too cheesy, and though he left his models for the film, he left his two sons to do the actual animating. Unfortunetaly this was a rather depressing time period of his life, and a rather dark one, and it might have affected the films quality, because the special effects just aren't as used much here. Heck, the films climax, in which this huge earthquake tears the island apart making it sink into the ocean is rather underwhelming, and just not that fun to watch. You know...like  "The Lost Continent". And I need to say that the supposed comedic effect that was supposed to be in this movie is very flat. Not once did I really laugh watching it. Because most of the comedy revolves around Kong's son, giving off these derpy looks, grunts, or other goofy emotions. The musical score actually plays off it as if to say, "okay, laugh now!" There's one part in the movie where out of nowhere,  Kong's son just gives this very silly shrug as if to say some cheesy one liner line "Well, it's a living!" or "What'cha gonna do?" It's just all very flat, with no real purpose.

My final criticism of this movie unfortunetaly goes to the characters. While a few return from the first movie (Denham, the skipper, and the Chinese cook who's still a stereotype), the newer characters in Helmstrom, and the girl that I can't remember the name for (because they only reveal her name in the opening credits and not once do they say it in the actual movie), are flat to me. Heck, the girl's acting in this is absolutely terrible. Half the time, she looks half asleep, and rarely conveys any hints of emotion. Like when she confronts Helmstrom, who killed her father, she just speaks in this dull monotone that isn't convincing in the slightest bit. It's actually very funny how little she seems to care. I like how developed Denham's character is in this movie (to the point where I can understand why his actor preferred this movie to King Kong), he's arguably the films greatest strength, but it's literally all it has, and as a followup to the greatest monster movie of all time? You can bet that your movie will be beyond disappointing.

I'm giving Son of Kong a two star rating out of four. I almost gave it a one and a half star rating, but I think it barely earns the two star rating. Barely. That's not saying much. This sequel is harmless...but it's below average. It really is. It's dull, wooden, flat, and just not as exciting as its predecessor. Not by a long shot. If you were a fan of Kong, and your curiosity got the better of you, and you wanted to watch this, there's nothing so condemning in this picture that would make me say, "Don't do it, it's not worth it!", but there's nothing that would make me really say, "yeah, go watch it" either. It's just a bland forgettable sequel that was doomed from the very start. Nothing more, nothing less.

Please feel free to suggest films you'd like to see me take a look at. Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts and opinions on the film, as they are much appreciated, and as always, thanks for reading.

Next week, we take a look at Japan's very first attempt at filming King Kong, in one of the most famous monster movies ever created. Does it have any meat? See you next week when I review the infamous,  "King Kong VS Godzilla".

Final Verdict: 2/4

CLASSIC REVIEW: King Kong (1933)

Happy 2017 everyone. If you don't already know (and if you don't, where have you been?), I'm a huge fan of giant monsters, and in a few short months, one of the most iconic monsters that has ever graced the screen with his presence, will make his return to the big screen. I'm of course talking about Kong. And though part of me is nervous, I cannot deny my excitement at seeing him once more on the big screen. And so to help with the excitement, until this new film is released, I'm going to be reviewing something Kong related each and every week. From beginning to end. And we of course start from the very beginning with an absolutely legendary film. The film by Merian C. Cooper, and Ernest B. Schoedsack, King Kong.

This is a very rare type of review I will do, because there are a few movies out there with such a legacy, such acclaim, that I really shouldn't need to review them. But now and then, I may just wanna add my two cents. But because these films have well earned their legacy and their iconic status, I won't dare rate them. Frankly, I shouldn't need to. I think my words should be enough. Besides...if you call yourself a giant monster movie fan, and you've not seen this 1933 masterpiece, I have only three words for you; "Shame on you."

Before I go on with my review, I may as well talk a bit about my history with Kong. Believe it or not, he was the first giant monster I ever saw on the screen, aside from Sharp Tooth of The Land Before Time or some other kid dinosaur movie. King Kong was the stepping stone for me in my love of giant monsters. Without Kong, I likely wouldn't have gotten into the Godzilla franchise. And I don't think I'd have it any other way.

So with all this said, what are my thoughts on the 1933 classic? Why bother asking?

Despite being over 80 years old, it's a film that has long surpassed the tests of time. The one thing I find myself saddened by nowadays is that the people I'm friends with don't always have a taste for the classics. Not everyone today can watch an 80 year old black and white film, and enjoy themselves. In a world where filmmaking is dominated by large budgets, CGI, celebrity power, and all these other things we've found out how to show on the big screen, not many really care about the old ways anymore, and it's a damn shame. Simply watching clips on YouTube of this movie, I shake my head at the comments of countless people who bash this film for the logic of its time, or how people behave in the film. It's absolutely heartbreaking to see this legendary film mocked by people who really have no idea what they're mocking.

Me? Here's my stance. Despite the film's dated effects, dated and inaccurate science, blatant and at times laughable racial stereotypes, there is a magic in King Kong that still works.  This is truly one of those films that proves it doesn't need to be flashy to keep your attention. There is a wonderful sense of adventure, intimidation, mystery, and thrill in this movie that remains strong all these years later. I'm sure we all know the story by now, in which a large oversized ape-like monster takes a fascination with a beautiful woman, and how his fascination with her eventually leads to his downfall. It's a classic telling of a beauty and the beast type of storytelling that had critics raving back in the day. Watching this in 2017, I cannot help but chuckle at some of the films dialogue. Despite being some of the cheesiest flub you'll ever hear in a movie (by today's standards), there is a hidden charm within almost every line. Whether it's Denham exclaiming how soon they'll proudly show Kong off on Broadway, or Driscoll brooding over how women make him uncomfortable and just get in his way. A favorite line of mine actually comes from the very beginning of the movie when Carl Denham straight up says "I'll find a woman for my picture, even if I have to marry one!" It's the golden age charm of this dialogue that makes you look past any cheese it has.

If you can't already tell, I love the characters of this movie. A few of them made my list of the best giant monster movie human characters a while back. The movie director Carl Denham, the first mate Jack Driscoll, and of course, the beautiful scream queen, Ann Darrow (and that's not much of a joke either, her screams in this picture do get very distracting). All are portrayed wonderfully by their respective actors and actresses, even if by today's standards, this acting is rather wooden by comparison. I will say that I don't often see a lot of development between Driscoll and Darrow to make me honestly believe they'd become a couple in this movie, but the banter between them both is still very enjoyable. Now one thing I should probably address is the racial stereotypes in this film. They're present and easily spotted. Like the Chinese cook, who literally talks like a stereotype ("Me no like crazy brown people."). And of course you have a few white actors playing black-faced natives on Skull Island. It's all behavior that's practically condemned by society by this point. Honestly I just remember when this was made. It wasn't right then, it isn't right now, but why raise hell over it? I'm not gonna censor it, it doesn't need to be fixed, it's just a reminder of the times, and honestly...it never really bothered me. And I'll admit...I get a chuckle watching the chef trying to volunteer to help find Darrow while wielding a butcher knife. Like I find it hilarious that we'd think someone would behave like that. Rifles being distributed, and this guy volunteers with a butcher knife. Should I feel bad about that? I don't know. I'm just gonna move on.

Watching this movie again, I couldn't help but really take note at how great the music score was. Seriously, it's been in my head all night. Max Steiner, one of Hollywood's key iconic composers back in the day, was originally told to recycle music he'd done in past films. Cooper wouldn't have any of that, and paid him $50,000 dollars of his own money to compose something new, and the result is absolutely incredible. Really amongst the best scores out there, and for its time, absolutely groundbreaking. I particularly love the piece that plays when Ann is being prepared by the Natives to sacrifice her to Kong. The score does a great job setting the mood, and having fun with whatever is going on onscreen.

But easily the best thing about this movie is its special effects. I shouldn't need to explain why. One look at this stop-motion animation, and you can tell you're watching something absolutely incredible. The mastermind behind it all, Willis O'Brien, really did up his game for this picture. He'd already impressed with his stop-motion animation before in the 1925 silent film, "The Lost World", but compared to this, it really was nothing more than a warm up project. While he'd go on with other projects where his animation would only improve (such as "The Black Scorpion" which is a mediocre movie with amazing animation), this really is his crowning achievement. From the monster, to the dinosaur models, to the occasional human models which can get attacked, picked up, watching them try and flee or pound against their attacker,  everything feels alive, and to have a film convey that kind of feeling over 80 years later, is nothing short of phenomenal.

The main setting of this movie, Skull Island remains one of my absolute favorite film places I've ever seen, and one of the places I'd never ever ever wanna set foot on. The film really does show how menacing a place it is. Skull Island I'm sad to say isn't shown in its entirety in this movie, as there was a lot of very famous footage, cut from this film. I'm sure many of you have heard about the infamous Spider Pit scene. For those who may need a visual reference, it makes an appearance in the Peter Jackson remake (but we'll get there when we get there), well this sequence was supposed to be in the movie, but was cut in the end. Even without it, Skull Island does give off the idea that this really is no man's land. An island where literally everything is out to get you. Even the plant eaters of this film. There's an awesome scene in which a Brontosaurus (or Apatosaurus for those who prefer the modern term) actually mauls a sailor, and it's wicked awesome. You can tell there is some very dated science in this movie from the dinosaur behavior, but it's still such a treat to watch.

I've really gone on in this review haven't I?Regardless of a few nitpicks, King Kong is as strong today as it was back in 1933. The legacy of this film is unmatched by any giant monster movie today. To see this film influence such a genre in the way it has is nothing short of incredible. And this is why I say, that despite having believed otherwise before, I'm fully convinced that this legendary film is without a doubt, the absolute best giant monster movie of all time. Surpassing some of my absolute favorite films, such as "Them!" or even the ever so iconic "Gojira". While Godzilla does remain my favorite movie monster out there, I'd be lying to say that his debut film surpasses King Kong. It's just not true.

Why? Why do I say this, when Godzilla has potentially further influenced the Kaiju genre as we know it? Why do I say this, when it's initial message criticizing the use of nuclear weapons has been so hard hitting to this day? Well I'll tell you why.

My father pointed something out to me about this movie that I never really noticed before. Something he told me actually saddens him to the point of never really wanting to see this movie again. This film portrays mankind's uncaring attitude toward how it can treat nature. Seeing Kong in chains as "a show to gratify your curiosity", or seeing him gunned down at the very end, is actually pretty damn haunting today. And...God I hate to bring it up, but in many ways, it's a behavior that's still there. Remember Harambe? No jokes from me, I think the Internet outrage over it went a little too far, but I think my point is made just saying his name (and it'll be the only time I'll say this name). Aside from that, you know there's continued issues from poaching to deforestation, and this film does kinda serve as a grim reminder that it's still very much an issue. Was it this film's intent to portray such a message? Probably not. This was made when such concerns weren't even thought about most likely.  But the message can most definitely be seen, and should be respected. It is a message that is still very much a relevant thing. I'm not downplaying that the messages of Godzilla aren't important, but the threats of WWIII aren't really on the horizon anymore as they were 60 years ago. So as much as I support that message, it just doesn't have much of an impact if you ask me nowadays. The fact that this message can come from a movie that didn't even aim to portray that kind of message really does showcase the kind of film we're talking about.

But if that's not enough, all you need to do is look at this film compared to that of Godzilla and see the influence for yourself. When the producers of Godzilla first saw this film, they wanted to do what Willis did. Shoot Godzilla in stop-motion animation. And there are times in that film that it does come into play. But they didn't have the time for such a time consuming process. I also feel that the story is just overall more classic in Kong. It's just hard to beat, especially when it comes to the films climax. You cannot compare Godzilla's climax to that of Kong, it doesn't even come close. While I understand it's meant to be a more somber climax, it's very underwhelming to me. They very much just kinda...kill Godzilla. And that's it. Yeah there's more to it, but compare Godzilla's underwater death scene to King Kong climbing the then very new Empire State Building, holding Ann in his hands, before making his final stand at the very top, fighting off biplane fighters, and of course, we get that one very classic line of dialogue from Carl Denham; "T'was beauty that killed the beast." It's exciting, tense, and even again...a bit heartbreaking. And coming from a film that was meant mainly to be a fun horror film, there is really just no equal. I can no longer deny this film its proper title of the absolute best of the best when it comes to giant monster movies.

And so once more...to all those giant monster movie fans out there who have yet to see this film, and I know there are indeed a few of you, this is a must see. Even if you don't take away the things I take away from it, even if you disagree with my claim of it being the absolute best, you cannot deny that this is something you need to see at least once. An essential for your collection, and just an all around classic. This is ranked number 41 on the AFI's list of the greatest films ever made for God's sake. What more do I need to say? Go watch it. Go watch it now.

Thanks for joining me on the first entry of my Kong-a-thon. Now don't worry, there are a few films I'll probably go see while doing this, so I don't over-Kong you, but I think this will be...somewhat fun. And I do put emphasis on the somewhat, because there's plenty of crap in this franchise that I'm not looking forward to watching, but...hey. Kong's returning to the big screen. See you next week when I review the...unneeded sequel to this film,  "Son of Kong", and as always, thanks for reading.

THROWBACK REVIEW: Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (1999)

Gamera 3 is everything you could want from a Gamera movie and much much more. I'm once again forced to hammer home the point, that it's movies like this that make me incredibly harsh towards things like Godzilla. The fact that an underbudgeted film coming from a franchise that's often mocked for being a knockoff, can pull off so much more than any Godzilla film has from any era, is a real testament to Gamera and these films he put out in the late 90's.  You heard that right. This film is superior to almost every single Godzilla film out there. It tops Destoroyah, it tops Giant Monsters All Out Attack, it tops Tokyo S.O.S., really the only film I can't see it topping is the original 1954 film,  and I'll go ahead and say I do enjoy the 2014 Godzilla a bit more, but I don't like comparing Japanese and American filmmaking...too much. With all this said, is Revenge of Iris perfect? No. It's got flaws, but it did take some notes from the shortcomings of Legion, and did improve the story.

Iris gives us a much darker tone of any Gamera movie. Before this film, Gamera had always been looked at as this hero of a monster. During the Showa, he and Godzilla shared many common traits in these films, but during the Heisei era, Godzilla turned more back into that enemy he's commonly known as. Gamera wasn't exactly a hero persay in the Heisei era, but he was no enemy of humanity. He fought and defended them, but humanity still had contingencies for Gamera. Well, here they nearly completely drop the hero side of Gamera, and the result is easily the darkest Gamera film you'll ever watch to date. Here, Gamera is responsible for a lot of destruction, and death, and it results in a child growing up with a huge grudge against the Guardian, and bonding with a monster that nearly kills him. This take on Gamera is so unique, so unthinkable, a child hating Gamera, that it's just...wonderful to watch.

Now it should be said that the story isn't perfect, but again, it does improve on the last film. One thing I found disappointing was that despite Gyaos having a bit of a roll in this film, there's not too much action involving Gyaos here.  Which is a damn shame because Gyaos looks absolutely...wonderful in this film. The effects crew need to be credited with this film, because the effects aren't as dated as previous Gamera films, and they look just...wonderful. more on this shortly though. They manage to have some fun with the story, and their characters. Almost to the point of it being ridiculously silly. I had a small laugh at the family who apparently guards this tomb which houses the monster Iris. The thing is they barely do anything in the movie, and the only one that does contribute to the plot, in the form of a decent love interest, is always getting thrown around. I'm surprised he lived in this movie honestly. Yeah the family of Guardians does a pretty lousy job in this film, but they're still likable. We also get the returning characters like Asagi in this movie, and they do have a better role than in the pervious film. They help flesh Gamera out more in this film, and explain a bit more about how things are with him better than in the previous films. 

Are there forgettable characters? Oh absolutely. There are some characters in this movie that I found entertainingly bad. Like this one weirdo who keeps on claiming that the end of humanity is near and whatnot. He always has this weird smile glued to his face, like someone in the Purge movies might have. And he has the most laughable last words ever. The ceiling of a train station is coming down on him, and his last words are along the lines of "Oh my! This is indeed very scary!" I had a good laugh at that. There's also this girl who...honestly I can't even remember, but she dies after trting to pray all the evil away or something, and crazy guy just kinda laughs as she dies. You also got the family of the girl who hates Gamera...who dies, except for her kid brother, who's barely in the movie anyway, and so on and so forth. The characters are strong, but not all of them are exactly memorable or serve purpose to the overall story.

But my God, you just don't care when you see the monsters on screen. The action in this movie is absolutely phenomenal. EASILY the best I've seen from any Japanese monster film. It's quick, it's destructive, it's intense, even intimidating. It's kinda scary to see Gamera bring so much death upon humans. One might think it something that doesn't work, but I believe it strangely only strengthens this story out. Whenever Gamera is on screen, which ironically isn't much in this movie now that I think about it, you're going to have a lot of fun watching. But even when he's not, when we're getting introduced to Iris, or whatnot, there's something in this movie that holds everything together with little effort. Now I will day that I still kinda think Legion is the better monster compared to Iris, but Iris is still one of those really fun monsters that Godzilla just can't seem to create nowadays. Intimidating, cool origins, powerful, and unique. It just continues to up the ante against Godzilla. And needless to say, the fight Gamera has with Iris is absolutely stellar. Again, no monster fight in Japan has ever looked so damn good. 

If you're reading these, and are a fan of Godzilla, a lot of you may not have liked my stance on these films. Me claiming how a vast majority of them are so damn superior to Godzilla films. And this is coming from a guy who grew up with Godzilla, and still loves the big guy. Well I hope I've at least made you think a bit about why I'm so harsh towards a lot of Godzilla films now. With Gamera pulling what it did, there's no reason Godzilla films should be so...I hate saying this, but...half-assed as a lot of them are. There are way too many sequels in that franchise that completely disregard the film they're following. There are way too many plot devices, and "because movie" moments in those films. There are way too many absolutely forgettable characters, and story arcs that go nowhere. And again, there's no excuse for it. None. Not when you have a trilogy like this come and just do so much right, give a solid and satisfying beginning, middle, and end, and rise up on top when it didn't have nearly as much success or resources as Godzilla did. If you think there is an excuse, I'll be waiting to hear one. But so far, most Godzilla fans I've talked with on this matter are pretty damn stumped. I hope Toho will one day take some serious notes from this trilogy. Godzilla could be so much more than what it is right now, and while I'm thankful we did get a boost in quality in the early millennium, it still doesn't really match this trilogy. And after Godzilla Resurgence...well you all know how I feel about that film. 

So with that rant out of the way, what do I think of this third Gamera film? 

I wanted to give this film the fullest rating I could. I really did. But there are those minor annoyances that do hold it back just barely. Still, I'm giving Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris a solid three and a half star rating out of four. It is my favorite of the Gamera films, it outdoes it's predecessors at almost every turn, it ties in nicely to the previous two films of this trilogy, and concludes it wonderfully. In fact, the ending of this movie is easily one of the coolest endings of any monster movie you'll ever see. I won't dare spoil it. It's one you need to see for yourself. And it only makes me that much sadder that this is pretty much the only thing Gamera has been up to lately. While we had a new Gamera movie in the early millennium with Gamera the Brave, I've yet to see it, and have heard it does fall short of the Heisei trilogy, and there's not been much since then. And I'm a bit sad that with the fiftieth anniversary of Gamera having come and gone, not a lot was done to celebrate the Guardian of the Universe. We got a short film that many confused as a film trailer, including new, which looked incredible, but that's about it. With Godzilla now on the big screen again, I for one hope the Guardian makes his return again. He is gaining my respect more and more, and if Godzilla continues on the path he's treading...Gamera may just take his place on my list of favorite monsters out there. Time will tell. 

But that's my views on the Gamera Heisei trilogy. And with this being the last Kaiju review of the 2016 year...it's time to get myself mentally prepared for the Kong-a-thon...I hope you'll join me then as I get us ready for Kong: Skull Island. Until that time, please feel free to voice your own thoughts on your own views of this movie, leave a comment requesting a film you'd like to see me look at, and as always, thanks for reading. 

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

REVIEW: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I'm so bummed that Gareth Edwards left Godzilla. Like so much. I really like his direction and ideas of how to shoot a film. So...yeah, I was really pleased to see his concepts and ideas put to work in Rogue One. There are times where his ideas of shooting the action from a human perspective are absolutely gorgeous in this film, especially in that final act, but I can't help but feel that there's just a little something missing in the opening act of this film.  But I will say that compared to last years Star Wars project, I do believe that Disney is getting better in their Star Wars ambitions. While I thoroughly enjoyed last years film, I can't help but feel in my excitement of seeing it, that certain things escaped my critique. There were a lot of unanswered questions. If I we're to rate that film again right now, I'd probably score it a 3, as compared to my original 3.5 rating out of four. However, with Rogue One, Star Wars remains in somewhat safer territory, telling a story in the universe we already know. That's what this is, a Star Wars Story. A story about the first major victory that's talked about in the opening scroll of the very first Star Wars film we ever saw. And it's as enjoyable as ever.

But despite this, I cannot help but feel there is something missing from this film. Particularly in the first half. I couldn't make connections to many characters, I didn't really care about any of the conflicts being presented, and I just couldn't get invested in a lot of what was going on. They try to blur the lines as they so often try to do with this universe with the line of good and evil, and honestly...that's just not really possible in this universe. Star Wars has the most obvious villains, and the most obvious heroes. So when I see the films primary antagonist at the beginning of this film tackling about the extreme that will ensure peace, you have no reason to side with him...because you know what they're talking about. In fact, I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that from the very beginning, you'll know how the film will end. So I am kinda left with this underwhelming feeling that can come from the prequel films, knowing how things will end. But unlike the prequel films, this film actually tries to have a decent plot without so many obvious plot holes, and that's the strength of this film for me.

Right off the bat, I was a bit surprised actually at the lack the the traditional opening scroll. This film instead just kinda gets the ball rolling, and I didn't mind that too much. The visuals are all wonderfully done, all to a musical score that might as well have come from John Williams himself. I'm telling you all, Michael Giacchino is your go to guy right now. I wish he would have taken a few more risks with the score to give it his own personal touch and whatnot, but he does the music proud in this film, and they could not have had a better substitute. Yes right off the bat, the film does its job of looking and sounding like a Star Wars movie, but whether a different writing team may have been needed or not, the film takes its time in getting the ball rolling.

The characters are characters that I really really REALLY want to like. In ways they remind me a bit of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but they're not that interesting, they're not really fleshed out as other characters in this universe are when we first see them, and I just couldn't make the connections I wanted to make. The Force Awakens on the other hand did an incredible job of introducing us to new characters. Despite knowing so little about her, we have made so many connections to Rey, and there are God knows how many theories regarding just who she is. And Finn is fleshed or wonderfully in that movie, and it easily makes one of my favorite characters in this entire franchise. I don't get any of that here. And I'm sad to say that this was one of the same problems that the Gareth film Godzilla (2014) faced. While I like that movie a lot, our main protagonist in Ford Brody really just wasn't as interesting as his father Joe, who's killed 30 minutes in. I want to lime these characters, I think they're all really unique, really fun characters that with proper development, really would have made me enjoy this film so much more. The blind force worshiper, and his gunner Guardian, the reprogrammed imperial Droid  (which my friend actually made a character like in this tabletop game we play), the imperial pilot, they're all TONS more interesting than our leading roles in Jyn and Cassian! I want to learn more about THEM!

We also get our fair share of cameos from the original film itself, my favorite being Grand Moff Tarkin. Thought I was gonna say Vader, didn't you? Don't lie. Tarkin to me was the one antagonist I always wanted to see more of. I hated that he was killed off so soon. So seeing him play a decently central role in this film was a huge treat to me, but I gotta address the elephant in the room here, because the CGI they use on his face stands out...so damn much. I didn't want to focus so much on this, but there were times I thought his cheek had a mind of its own. His face just doesn't look that convincing. I loved his role, but they probably should have gone the makeup route. And yes, without spoiling anything, you'll get your taste of Vader, and the taste is good. Though I'll say certain cameos were completely unnecessary, I also loved the minor cameo appearances of the Red and Gold leaders of the first film. And let me tell you, THEY looked really convincing.

And speaking of Red and Gold leader, it's time to talk about the action, and it's this film that will slightly raise the bar for future Star Wars films. Gareth is absolutely phenomenal in directing action. He tends to shoot it at ground level as a person would see it happen a lot of the time, and it's absolutely phenomenal. The ground combat is some of the most enjoyable combat the franchise knows. I daresay it rivals the Battle of Hoth. The first time I saw those massive AT-AT walkers appearing in the smoke of battle, I got chills. And finally seeing some Space Combat in these new films, a trait absent in The Force Awakens, it really does show off just what the future can hold for this franchise under Disney. It's absolutely incredible to watch the first major victory of the Rebel Alliance unfolding before your eyes. It's full of tension, suspense, and a lot of the time, you really don't know what exactly is going to happen.

So while flawed, I'm giving Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a three star rating out of four. It intrigued me once things began to get rolling. Does Gareth need to improve his lead roles? Yes he does. Let this film be a fair warning to him on that. I think he's a great director, but there is room for improvement. But what he gets right in this film, he does with flying colors. This film does a great job of adding just a bit more life into this beloved franchise, and yes....I may as well say it, it is my favorite prequel. I'm funny.

Please feel free to request any movie you'd like to see me tackle. Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts on the film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)

Gamera 2 continues the excellence I've come to expect from these films in more ways than one, but I will say that this film isn't as good as its predecessor. Despite some really awesome action, some really cool concepts, and one really really REALLY badass Kaiju, it does suffer a few problems that nagged at me, both in the film kaif, and technicals. But don't let that fool you into thinking I don't like this film, because nothing could be so very untrue. It does need to be said that much like its predecessor, this film does outshine a vast majority of the Godzilla films that came out during the Heisei era.

So what are my problems with the film then? If it's still impressing me in ways Godzilla failed to do, what is wrong with the film. The biggest issue that I can really say that nagged at me the most was the lack of a connection to mossy of the human characters here. Of the trilogy of Gamera during Heisei, I do remember this being the one film I just couldn't connect fully with. Granted, watching it just now, in my condition where I was a bit tired, and facing a little holiday exhaustion, I can't exactly say I was on the right mindset to watch this. If I were to watch it again, more relaxed and awake, I might be able to connect more. But despite everything, I just didn't feel much of a connection to our human characters of this film, so when they did things on screen, I didn't find myself caring too much for what they did, and whatnot. I'm thankful they didn't become Godzilla type of characters, characters so weak they may as well be cutouts in a film of the 40's, but they were missing something. I enjoyed watching the commanding officer in the army as he debated firing against Gamera, or supporting him, but not much else really stood out to me. Even the returning character from the previous film,  Asagi, didn't really have much of a role in this film. And pardon the minor spoiler here, but by the end of this film, she loses her spiritual connection to Gamera. But...didn't that happen last film? Am I missing something here?

And I gotta express my frustration at the subtitles of this movie. The DVD I own just....can't stop messing up. I'm sure the translations themselves are fine, but...why are they so delayed? I mean that too. Credit where credit is due, they did a better job translating out newspaper headlines and locations thankfully, but it's like the subtypes had to load or think about what was being said before displaying it. If I'm being unclear, I'll try my best to explain what I mean. One character is talking to another character, and he says a generic line like... "Gamera is on his way to Tokyo. Shall we intervene?" However he only says this in Japanese, and I get no translation for a second or two. Then character two starts talking,  and gives a generic line,  "Yes. Deploy all defensive units around Tokyo at once! We cannot take chances!" But by the time he saying this, the subtitles are translating out what the other character just said. This at times can get so annoying, so frustrating, and so confusing, that I had to finish the movie at home, because my Blu-ray of this film doesn't do such a God awful job of translating. Maybe it's just the company that did the dvd or collection or whatnot, but these subtitles are awful. Someone's they barely stayed on the screen for a second! They're subtitles! How hard can it be to get these things right???

Okay now that I got that out of my system, what is actually good about this movie? Well pretty much everything. I will say the story suffers a bit due to the weaker characters, but the concepts, the monsters, the action is all absolutely wonderful to behold. I don't wanna say this, but if Toho or any other film company in Japan wanted to remake the classic 1954 monster movie, Them!, this is a really good film to watch. There were a lot of times this film seemed to draw from that old film, and I love that. Them! I feel at times doesn't get enough credit for what it did to influence giant monster films. It's easily one of the best creature features I know.

The story centers on these mysterious alien life forms that fall to earth in a freak meteor shower. When it's discovered that these alien life forms invade planets by launching themselves into space, by means of building up oxygen in the atmosphere, the nation must rely on Gamera, as there's just so much oxygen around these plants that any attack from the military would be risky. While this is one of the more far fetched plots of Gamera, I do like how they flesh out this race of Monsters. No other Kaiju movie I know has put so much effort into gotta these things live, how they act, or whatnot. Even how they move! Not even Godzilla 2014 has done that, and they actually made an effort to flesh out their monsters and their origins. Most of the time Godzilla films hand-wave it away. STOP IT, TOHO! Make me interested in these many monsters you shove in my face!

Speaking of the monsters, holy shit Legion is amazing. You can say what you want about the quality of Gamera films compared to Godzilla films (unless it's Heisei, because Gamera is superior there, period), but the Gamera films do know how to make some intimidating, unique, and really cool Kaiju. I thoroughly believe Gyaos is more intimidating than Rodan. I thoroughly believe that Knifehead from Pacific Rim was influenced by Guiron. And despite being in a shamefully horrible movie, Zigra is a really cool idea, and design that needs to be used again (minus the musical back because that was stupid). And Legion continues this awesome tradition of the very fun Kaiju that get so little attention. Why do we not have more swarm-like Kaiju? This is why I love Them! so much, the tight of hundreds of thousands of giant ants the size of cars is scary! Those things can lift 50 times their own body weight! How is that NOT intimidating? If the swarm factor isn't enough, just LOOK at Legion! Most of these monsters I can tell someone is just in some rubber suits. Legion? Not so much. All those limbs, the structure of the body it looks fantastic! And his abilities might even give GODZILLA a run for his money! Legion really is one of the coolest monsters I've seen in any Kaiju film, and he really does steal the show here.

Which brings me to the action, which is very similar to that seen in Godzilla VS Destoroyah. There's plenty of monster brawling, but there's also a lot of action involving humans, and it can get really gruesome. The opening scenes of this movie can be incredibly bloody. The fact that it's this series, originally a children's series, that continues to be the bloody mess of Kaiju films is something that continues to confuse me, but does show just how far this franchise has come. Even when it gets a little over the top, there's nothing that made me think of it being too stupid or whatnot. It's one big treat to my inner monster fan.

When all is said and done, I do enjoy this film in more ways than one, despite a few steps taken back from the previous film. But despite everything, it still stands in a league of its own compared to most of the other Godzilla films. I'm not joking when I say that Toho needs to start taking some serious notes for their future Godzilla movies. I'm sure they got most of Japan eating right out of their hands with their films right now, but me? I'll continue to ask for more from them, especially when severally inferior budgeted films like this one will leave Godzilla films in the dust.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion earns a three star rating out of four. Despite the faults it has, it does still manage to be of enjoyable quality. Though I do understand why there might have been some debate in 1996 when this would go on to win the Nihon SF Taisho Award (the Japanese Nebula Award). It's got some really good material, but I'm sure that if I looked hard enough, there might have been a more deserving science fiction piece to get that award. But the fact that Gamera is getting awards at all in this point is a real statement to the quality of these films. If this doesn't convince some fans out there that these films are actually worth looking into, I don't know what will convince you.

Feel free to request any film you'd like me to have a look at. Leave a comment down below on your own thoughts of the film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)

Gamera! Gamera!
Hirohito Gamera!
Hirohito Gamera!
Hirohito GAM-ER-AAAA!!!

I can never resist that silly song. Thank you for taking a lot at the start of my reviews of the Gamera Heisei trilogy, which will wrap up 2016! But before I get into Guardian of the Universe, I should probably just talk Gamera real quick. Unlike Godzilla, who I got into in elementary school, I wouldn't get into Gamera, or even hear about him for years to come. I estimate, high school years. Unlike Godzilla, which I can point to and say how I got into him, I cannot do the same with Gamera. Why? I guess mainly because sadly, Gamera has always been treated as a watered down version of Godzilla, and for a while, it really wasn't hard to see why. While my film critic side has seen worse movies, the Gamera movies of the Showa era were cheap, jumbled, flawed, ridiculous, and just...weird. And Japan can defend them as much as they want. They're pretty damn bad, and a number of them may even appear on my Top 25 Worst Big Monster movie list.

I don't exactly like saying this because I actually...really like the monster. As ridiculous as a giant flying fire breathing turtle sounds, I think he's one of the most unique monsters Japan ever conceived. Godzilla may be more iconic, but at the end of the day, we've seen giant dinosaur monsters before, some even predating the king of Monsters. While Gamera may have been created to try and compete with Godzilla, it's safe to say that there is nothing quite like Gamera, and there never will be. And so you can imagine my delights when I first watched his absolutely wonderful trilogy of the Heisei era. While not exactly perfect, these are the definitive Gamera films for me when it comes to the absolute best of the best...and even on a whole when it comes to giant monster films. I'm sure a lot of Godzilla diehards don't like admitting it, but this is one trilogy that I honestly believe can blow a lot of Godzilla films out of the water. Even when it comes to his absolute BEST films. Godzilla fans may not like admitting it, but...hard to say otherwise. Heck, some of you might recall how I said I kinda think Godzilla VS Destoroyah was as good as it was, because Gamera started his trilogy that year, and it kinda raised the bar. Godzilla had to take some notes. And it isn't exactly an implausible theory because guess who distributed this film, and the other two of this trilogy?...you guessed it. Toho. Who'd have thunk? Though I'm willing to bet even Toho lies to themselves on the existence of these films. 

If you can't already tell, I love this film. When I first watched it, I was actually shocked it was as good as it was. Like...does a Gamera film deserve to be so good? Because I hate saying this, but this one film, took almost everything I hated about the weaknesses of the Godzilla films of the Heisei...and just erased them from existence. The story is easy to follow, and interesting. The characters are ten times stronger than 90% of your average Godzilla films. And the action and effects, even if a few are a bit dated, do impress and coming from a Gamera film, a monster that's been brushed aside as a cheap Godzilla knockoff, to be accomplishing so much from one film alone? Let me tell you that there is absolutely NO excuse that Godzilla films don't meet this kind of excellence more often. And you just TRY and excuse it because of budgets. You compare the measly estimated budget of this film of only about five million yen, to a WHOPPING 12 million US dollar budget of Godzilla VS King Ghidorah and tell me that budget is an obstacle. Just you fucking try. And with the budgets of Godzilla films only getting larger, I don't buy it. Not for a second!

This first entry, marking Gamera's thirtieth anniversary, isn't a flawless product, but I'm sure that after years of the Showa nonsense, anyone watching would be pleasantly surprised. Here, they pretty much wipe the entire slate of Gamera clean. So unlike Godzilla in 1984, where they kept the original movie canon, the original movie here isn't in the same continuity. And I'm happy for that. Despite some pretty fun scenes and city destruction, that movie is rather ridiculous. Instead here, we are pretty much lead to believe that Gamera is the creation of an ancient society similar to that of Atlantis or whatnot, created when their failed creations in the Gyaos Birds destroyed their civilization. This is probably the one aspect of the story I didn't care too much for. The concept of a long lost and ancient civilization being so advanced to the point of actually being able to create Kaiju? It's just a bit much for me. As this story unfolds, you realize that though this movie is maturing and taking risks it's not done before, they do keep to the traditional Gamera sprit in multiple ways. From signature roars, to how Gamera looks when he flies, to having him in a connection of a sort with a young child. Only instead of the child being young, bratty, and annoying, we actually connect with her.

Yes it needs to be said that the characters aren't perfect, but I can tell you that I was thoroughly more interested in what any of them were doing in this movie than I was in most Godzilla films. The problem with characters in those movies is that they don't have a sense of purpose, or motivation. They're there because the script has them there. While development of the characters in this movie isn't perfect, nothing seems forced. One thing I despise about Godzilla's characters is that a lot of them in the movies get involved with each other romantically. I have nothing against this, but at times there is absolutely no development between them. A lot of the time, one character will straight up reject the other. But by the end, one is promising to show the other the world as they walk down a beach holding hands. Here, each character seemed to have a distinct purpose and role. It wasn't just some generic robot pilot, or some generic evil company owner. In fact, the humans here all worked together to fight Gyaos. Sure the military now and then opened fire on Gamera, but they still presented it in a very believable way. I think they may have even briefly mentioned the post WWII military restrictions just...barely. It's not as fleshed out as in Shin Gojira, but it's still pretty cool. And true to the Showa spirit, Gamera does form a bond with a young girl, but if you're worried about it being as stupid as the Showa series...well it's a hundred times better. Instead of Gamera just immediately becoming friends with some annoying child, there's more of a spiritual bond formed with one character, who kinda becomes this "priestess" in the story. Or something. Honestly it's not my favorite thing about the movie, seeing how they go the whole prophecy route, but it's still interestingly done.

The monsters? Intimidating, impressive, well executed, and even if I'm not completely on board with their origins, they're still given a reason to exist in this movie, aside from just having one monster fight another. I absolutely love how Gyaos is this predatory bird that preys on humans, even if at times I can't help but wonder if humans would really ever sate its appetite. Or if it would really abandon some much more meaty horses when it hears a boy on a bridge cry. And on a related note, the movie manages to put in its own little Jurassic Park "one big pile of shit" joke in there when they dig into the droppings of one and find human belongings. Ha ha movie... Oh well, it is still quite a monster to behold. And don't get me started on Gamera. His introduction scene is one of the best monster intro scenes I've ever seen (though I'll be honest the introduction of Godzilla 2014 will be very hard to top). Gamera when he first appears in this film, rises out of the bay, and immediately just slams this Gyaos bird into a power plant of a sort, in this fiery explosion, before letting out his signature roar. He just rises up, kicks ass, and takes names. Never seen Godzilla do that!

One thing I was pleasantly surprised to see was that I couldn't find ONE model in this film. While the cities are destroyed in the same ways that Godzilla films are, there was something more convincing about this film, and I don't know what. Because some of the effects are very much dated. I could also spot some unpolished areas (I'm unsure, but in one shot of a helicopter, I can't help but feel they forgot to add in the sky over a blue screen in the widow), and areas where corners were cut (they did reuse a shot if a guy rolling off the rocky alcove) and at times these effects can stand out, yet in the same way, I couldn't find ONE model tank, or model boat being destroyed. Granted they do use what appears to be stock footage of certain things in this area, but there was no obvious model destruction. And this was a trick that Godzilla was still pulling in this time! So...basically what this film has done is present a great story, with superior characters, badass monsters, and more convincing effects, whilst being severely outmatched as far as its budget is concerned??? DOES THIS MOVIE DESERVE TO BE SO DAMN GOOD???

How's the action? Why bother asking? We all know the answer, it's gruesome, it's violent, it's chaotic, it's fun, it's all one big sight to behold, even if at times there is little explanation to why things happen as they do. Like at the end, how does Gamera revive? No explanation. It just kinda happens. But for the ride I got going up to these few and far between moments of confusion, you can bet I'll be forgiving when it comes to criticism here. The fact that a Gamera movie, on a limited budget, during a time when Godzilla was dominating the Kaiju films, to just come, do its monster justice, keep the spirit of that monster in place, while giving us so much more to behold is just unheard of. I think Toho needs to watch this film again and start taking some serious notes.

My final complaint for this movie isn't so much the movies fault as it is the people who subtitled this movie. While all the dialogue is subtitled well, one thing I found myself annoyed with is the lack of a translation when it came to Japanese text. There's little blurbs and bits of text that can appear that have zero translation. Even the newspaper headlines they show don't have a translation. I'd attempt to translate myself, but haven't the slightest clue how to read Japanese. Instead i'm just left there wondering "where are we now" or what does the paper say? Mattress sale? Oh well, it's just one annoyance I have that I can't take out on the movie.

I never thought Gamera would have a film...let alone a TRILOGY of films that would rival anything Godzilla has. It seems unheard of! Yet it was, because I think the Godzilla franchise noticed it, and stepped up their game for Godzilla VS Destoroyah. While I enjoy the Heisei era of Godzilla, really there are only two films that go into the range of excellence in that film. The others can be underwhelming, nonsensical, or even just straight up...bad.   So for Gamerato just straight up surpass it on the first try? You can bet I'll be giving massive kudos to it, and you can bet I'll question if Toho has a bit of a grudge against this film...or even regrets distributing it. I don't know. I'm just happy Gamera kicks ass here.

I'm giving Gamera: Guardian of the Universe a solid three and a half star rating out of four. It's fun, it's glorious, it's thrilling, it's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be. It finally gave Gamera the justice he deserves, and it easily blows any of his Showa films out of the water, a hundred times over. It's no wonder this is often considered amongst the absolute best of Japanese daikaiju movies, and you can bet that I'm only more excited to see what part two has. But I can tell you it's still great. Let's go Gamera!

Please feel free to suggest any films you'd like to see me review. Leave a comment down below about your own thoughts to this movie and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Godzilla VS Destoroyah (1995)

Godzilla VS Destoroyah is Exhibit A when it comes to my expectations of a good Godzilla movie. Plain and simple, end of the sentence, class dismissed. This is one of the movies I look to when I set my expectations for new Godzilla movies. THIS FILM...is one of the reasons I was as harsh as I was to films like Shin Gojira! Watching it again, I found myself even more surprised with certain things. The one thing on my mind right now is that I need to get myself in the Japanese cut of this film, because in Toho, this is one of the elite films of the Godzilla franchise. Is it perfect? No. It still has common flaws that plague other Godzilla films. But when putting into perspective the absolute best of the best, if this film isn't in your top five, then shame on you. And if you're wondering why I'm tackling this film this week? I got plans I want finished before January.

Watching this film, I can't help but wonder if the other five films in the Heisei era are even necessary. I mean sure, events in certain films do happen which carry over into this film, but watching this, I can't help but feel that I sat through five films of filler just to get to this film. Oh well, I'm not here to complain about the other films. Let me just say that it was well worth the wait to get to this monster of a film. So with it being as good as it is, I'll once again address my problems with it before I shower the praise. The first thing that comes to mind is the setup. I think the concept of Godzilla on a meltdown, which threatens the world is a really really cool idea, but it suffers in the way the Supernova does in the Star Trek reboot film of 2009. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, in that film, a highly unstable star explodes with such force that it threatens a good chunk of the Milky Way Galaxy. The thing is, had the comics not explained why the explosion was so powerful, you'd be left with a big sense of "bullshit". And again, you'd need to read the comics to understand that. However,  Godzilla doesn't have that kind of luxury, so we're left only with the suspense of disbelief, that Godzilla will reach a breaking point, explode/meltdown, and take the world with him. There's no explanation why. I would have liked one.

Another thing is that despite how incredibly awesome the climax is, I do feel that it is very underwhelming. In fact, it can be very deus ex machina in a way. I felt that the final killing blow of Destoroyah (pronounced Destroyer) was really not that impressive, and in a final film, that should have gotten me out of my seat cheering. I feel like we also get a bit of a forced happy ending, but I guess I'll talk a bit more about that shortly.

There is not a lot of room to complain here. I'm very impressed with this film. And I only own an English dub. Despite a few of the common flaws I've come across in all of these films, I loved the characters here, which branched from characters of the original film of 1954. You see Toho, this is one way of giving me a reason to care about your characters. That short explanation of Dr. Yamane having an adopted grandson who studies Godzilla often, and comes up with theories gives me a reason to care! Was he executed perfectly, no not at all, but I could follow him...even if he doesn't do much in this movie at times. The psychic characters, the pilots which remind me of Yuki from the last film, the scientist that invents that micro-oxygen, I feel these characters were all handled well, and contributed to the story. There is no dropped subplot, everything is here for a reason. And there was no forced romance! Thank you Toho. Now just remember how to make these characters so I can care about them again!

Another thing I'm giving props to strangely enough is the soundtrack. Despite having a lot of the common classic tracks that we've grown used to in these films (that make me glance over it most of the time), I do believe that more was done in this soundtrack to enhance it, and make it stand apart from other films. It made an impact almost immediately after it started playing, so Akira Ifukube gets some mad props from me for the kickass soundtrack here.

It doesn't take long to get the ball rolling in this film. In fact, right off the bat, Godzilla is rampaging in Hong Kong, and we see him scarred with that famous burning scar as we get that fun, but implausible end of the world threat. And we see a scientist conducting research in something eerily similar to Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer, used to kill Godzilla. This was something I actually kinda liked, despite knowing that all the work on that weapon was destroyed. And it doesn't just rehash that plot! It does give us something new, and something very intimidating I must say. The only criticism I have here is that for a bunch of people facing the end of the world, there is a lot of stubbornness. One of the older characters, I think she's also from the original movie, I guess doesn't want anything like the Oxygen Destroyer ever created...yet it's hinted at that this is the only way to save the world. And so this woman was pretty much willing to destroy the world so that the thing that could save the world, which was used to save Japan before, doesn't get made again...woman I see where you're coming from, but to quote Spock... "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." This is the end of the world we're talking about! Let them make the damn thing.

This whole thing sets in motion one of the coolest stories of the entire franchise, and builds up one of the coolest monsters Godzilla will ever fight. Destoroyah. What I like about this best is that he's not just a big monster to fight Godzilla. It's this plethora of creatures that tangles with soldiers, can swarm Godzilla, combine itself, and has some really awesome powers, Destoroyah is just a beast in this, and he looks badass. Godzilla? Why even bother talking about him? He's Godzilla.  His roar is fantastic, the burning is brutal...even Godzilla Junior was somewhat charming. Never thought I'd say that.

And if the monsters themselves weren't fun, the action...easily the best of the franchise. While I still think the overall effects look slightly better in Godzilla VS Mothra: Battle for Earth, the intensity, and gruesome atmosphere of these battles is on a whole other level than anything of the Heisei era. And I could be somewhat mistaken, but I do believe some of that success owes a thank you to a certain film which began its trilogy earlier that same year...you know the one.  Regardless, each monster fight is an absolute treat to watch, and you will get your fair share of them, because it feels like the entire second half of this movie is pretty much a big monster fight. And it's not just monster fights. There is plenty of action that involves the humans, and it is all wonderful to watch. At times is actually downright intimidating. It's a fun cherry on top, even if the monster fights are the main spectacle here.  Of course by the end, I was slightly put off by the forced happy ending, and a little underwhelmed by the lack of showing us what exactly they were describing. What I mean by that is they pretty much declare Tokyo to be an uninhabitable wasteland, but they don't really show us anything of it. A little showing of the consequences after the fight would have been great. Then we get the forced happy ending with Godzilla Junior...suddenly alive as the new King of Monsters. No explanation, despite getting obliterated by Destoroyah, he's alive and well. And the fact that we only see a split second of it just kinda irritates me. A little more explanation as to what happened after Destoroyah is defeated and Godzilla melts down (spoiler) would have been very much appreciated, and we don't get that. And before anyone asks, no, I didn't cry at that scene. I doubt a Godzilla movie will ever make me cry.

Regardless of these few flaws, Godzilla VS Destoroyah is still among the absolute best of the best. I'm actually gonna put my foot down and I say that out of all the current films that have ended Godzilla eras, from Destroy All Monsters to Final Wars, this is the best of them. When I say I hold Togo to expectations of a Godzilla movie they actually try on, this is a perfect example. It's not a best picture, I'm not even sure I wanna call it the best Godzilla film. But I can tell that they tried harder here than they did with other Godzilla films that I've been harsh towards. The characters aren't perfect, but I still liked them. The story isn't flawless, but it's still exciting. And despite it being so  present in this film,  I don't just consider this to be some big monster brawl fest. It's a satisfying conclusion to one of the best series of films in this franchise, which isn't afraid to take a few risks, and even give us afew nostalgic moments here and there without leaning on it. 

It's my go to example of a proper story closing in this franchise, and therefore it easily gets one very solid three and a half star rating out of four. As much potential it did have to gain that full four star rating, there are flaws that do get at me that withhold it from that rating, but that should not matter to you because this film is amongst the best, if not the absolute best of the Heisei Era, maybe even topping Godzilla (1984). So don't question it, just watch it. It's awesome. It's spectacular. It's mind blowing.  A film I'm happy to end this marathon with. And I'd have it no other way.

And that's it! That's the final Heisei Godzilla film (even if technically Godzilla is still in the Heisei era)! I'm done, and I gotta say I'm kinda thankful. You might think watching a lot of Godzilla in consecutive weeks isn't that big a deal, but when you're 26, and have a hobby of film critique, let me tell you, even with the nostalgia goggles, Godzilla doesn't always leave a good taste in your mouth. And despite my love for the Big G...a lot of the time, his movies are really silly ludicrous. Even if the final film was wicked radical.  I need a beak from Godzilla. So....

LET'S GO GAMERA!!!

Gamera! Gamera! Hirohito Gamera! Hirohito Gamera! Hirohito GAM-ER-AAAA!!!

See you all next week when I tackle the Heisei trilogy of everybody's favorite giant flying fire-breathing turtle monster. But until then, feel free to request any film you'd like to see me review, leave a comment down below explaining how you felt about this film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4