Predators (2010)

8/10

Directed by: Nimród Antal

Written by: Alex Litvak & Michael Finch

Inception (2010)

7/10

Written & Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

10/10

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Written by: Edgar Wright & Michael Bacall

Based on the graphic novels by: Bryan Lee O'Malley

Expectations were ever so high for this beauty ever since I first read about it in Empire Magazine. I had never heard of the graphic novel before, but even though many people have grown tired of Michael Cera's geeky awkwardness, it is something I personally like, and to imagine him in a cartoony action film was more than enough to make it a need, not just a want.

The whole idea of the film (a boy falls in love with a girl, but to be with her he must battle her seven evil exes whom have super powers) was too good to pass up, but once I found out it was Edgar Wright directing (Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz) I knew this film was destined to be amazing.

Every performance in the film was excellent and not a single cast member let the rest down. Every character had their cooky traits and personalities that cause every second of this film to be fun and nothing less. A particular highlight is Scott Pilgrim's (Michael Cera) roomate Wallace, whom is played flawlessly by Kieran Culkin.

If the plot doesn't catch your fancy, then it will be the fight scenes. Each fight is unique and memorable. All are beautifully choreographed and accompanied by amazing visual effects that help each fight stand out. The Evil Exes also make each fight fun with their conversations with Scott whilst fighting, particular that with Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh).

Finally, the soundtrack is incredible. There isn't a bad song in the movie. Between The Sex Bob-Ombs, Clash at Demonhead & Crash and the Boys, there is enough catchy and cool tunes to keep you interested.

Whether it be the plot, the performances, the laughs, the action, the soundtrack or the pop-culture jokes and references, there is definitely something in this film for everyone. If by some chance you don't enjoy this film, then there is something wrong with you. I have personally seen it three times, and going for a fourth.

Gozilla Vs. King Ghidorah [Gojira vs. Kingu Gidora] (1991)

4/10

Written & Directed by: Kazuki Ohmori

After watching the American '98 Godzilla and preparing for 2012 reboot, I decided maybe it would be time to catch up on some Gojira history. I started with Vs. King Ghidorah.

Most people would be instantly turned off by the idea of a human rampaging through miniature models of cities in a monster suit, but I tried to appreciate it for it's time, because that is how it was done.

Sometimes, the giant monster and blue screen shots looked spectacular, but this was equalled by the amount of dreadfully tacky shots of the giant monsters and terrible blue screening. The special effects helped very little too, but at the time I guess that couldn't be helped.

The few amazing shots that were included showed that there really is a place for the monster suits and miniature cities in modern film making, but only if it was used sparingly well, otherwise CGI would be the way to go.

The plot itself falls a bit flat, though not dreadful. It brings up interesting questions and concepts about the future. Unfortunately, the plot develops it's own time travel paradox when characters change history. Changing history is never going to make sense, but this was an exceptionally poor effort of doing so. Every single character was aware of what had changed and what they had missed. When Godzilla was reborn (as the original's birth was thwarted) some characters said he was "worse that the original". But of course, the original never having existed means that they would have never known of Godzilla before.

Whether the subtitling was done wrong, the dialogue didn't translate well into English or maybe the script was badly written in the first place, but the dialogue for the film was terribly average at most points and absolutely ludicrous at others. There is even a terrible Steven Spielberg joke, And I mean terrible.

Overall, I wouldn't bother with this film. If you are a fan of giant monster films then give it a go, there are interesting parts to it and someone fantastic looking shots. But mostly, it is a weak entry in a powerful series.

Mothra Vs. Godzilla [Mosura tai Godzilla] (1964)

4/10

Directed by: Ishirô Honda

Written by: Shinichi Sekizawa

NEWS: GODZILLA 2012

The news itself is a little old, but I felt it was worthy enough to gain a mention on this blog.
In 2012 (as if I should be excited at all, let alone this early on), a new American Godzilla film is being made. This is a reboot, not a sequel to Roland's 1998 attempt at the franchise.
They say that they are going to try and be more true to the story of Godzilla, which is good, because Roland Emmerich didn't even like the original films and only made it because he was promised sequels. Sorry, Roland. It didn't go that well did it?

PRODUCTION DRAWINGZZZZ
ENJOY!



That is super bad ass.

The Godfather (1972)

10/10

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Written by: Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo

Based on the novel by: Mario Puzo

So I guess I probably got to The Godfather about 38 years to late. Which I think is excusable. I'm nowhere near being 38 years old.

With a young Al Pacino & Marlon Brando starring and director's seat being occupied by Francis Ford, this film was destined to be something great, something brilliant.

The film is nothing short of spectacular, even 38 years after it's creation and 41 years after the novel was published. There is a not a single disappointing or dull moment in this film.

The performances in this film are amazing. Every actor and actress pulls at all the right strings, engaging the audience emotionally. Al Pacino's character Michael Corleone's transformation and conflicts keep us intrigued for the duration of the film, but it is Marlon Brando's performance as Don Corleone that keeps the audience captivated. Every time his character's heart broke, mine broke. His performance as the honest, family loving gangster is what made this film. He is widely considered the greatest movie actor of all time, and it isn't hard to see why.

What makes this even more interesting is the lack of action even though it is essentially a gangster film. This film is an absolute must for any single person alive. There isn't a dull moment in this film, and you will instantly fall in love with most of the characters. But more importantly, it is an absolute must for any film lover.

Godzilla (1998)

6/10

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Written by: Dean Devlin & Roland Emmerich

Often, people talk negatively about this film. Acceptable really, as the film is called 'Godzilla' yet it lacks the title character. The monster in this film, the so-called 'Godzilla' was so inaccurately depicted that even the original company Toho have renamed it 'Zilla' to differentiate it from their own creation, disliking Zilla so much that the even inserted Zilla into their own Godzilla franchise only to kill him off in a single movie.

This film is often regarded as being so terribly average that they are making a new american one, which will be far more true to the story. 2012 is when that one is due. 2012? Roland... Are you trying to tell us something?

The key to watching this film is to forget anything you know about Godzilla. To accept that the creature is called Zilla and is a completely different beast. If you go in expecting to see Godzilla, you will be disappointed. If you go in expecting to see a giant monster movie, then you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.

To view this movie, I had to forget that I was watching a Godzilla film, rather I had to think I was watching a giant monster film. When viewing it that way, this is a decent film. It has decent action scenes and the CGI was very good for its time that it still stands strong to this day. From the look of the effects, this could have been made 5 years for all I knew. The acting isn't anything stand out, nor is bad though. It's well worth it though, Matthew Broderick before he faded into obscurity and Broadway.

This is no way a must-avoid film. I would never say rush out a grab a copy either, but if you are given the opportunity, why the hell not?