Friday, March 31, 2017

Ghost In The Shell (2017)

Huh, not bad!



The newest Ghost In The Shell movie is out and it's pretty good. Now keep in mind, this is an adaptation, not a remake of the original classic. Actually what really surprised me before I even saw the movie was it wasn't a strict remake of the movie, the film actually combines elements of the original 1995 film, and the tv show. You see why I reviewed both of those this week? The plot takes more basis from the movie than the show, with the Major being placed in a cybernetic body and is after a mysterious cyber criminal, hell it throws many nods to the movie, like the famous fight scene in the water, the frickin' spider tank, and many others but also uses sparse elements from the show, like the robotic geishas and the main antagonist is named Kuze, just like the boring ass antagonist from the second season of the show. So it shows they did their research and wasn't just going for a quick cash grab. There's even a nod to Cowboy Bebop near the end, which I thought was really cool. The film itself is heavily visual, with a very futuristic look but my God does it go full Cirque De Solei with it! The original movie and the show, while futuristic was very grounded in reality, the cars were basic, and the more I think about it, besides the cybernetics added to human beings it's pretty much like how it is now. Not in this movie. Welcome to hologram city! Where everything needs to look super flashy and impressive for no reason whatsoever! Seriously, why make it look so in your face? I found the basic city in previous installments much more interesting to look at. The music is very techno, and I dig that stuff like crazy, so soundtrack gets a big thumbs up! Now onto the cast! Now personally I never thought casting Scarlett Johannson was white washing, cause in the show and movie (Man I say that alot in this review) she looks caucasian! In fact...hardly anyone looks asian in them, so I never got the issue. Now in say Doctor Strange with the Ancient One, yes I see the point, but not with this. So everyone did their job well, the Major is obviously the center point but the guy they got to play Batou is pretty good, and the Chief in this is actually pretty friggin' badass! So cast did good, Scarlett who I still love was great to see in another movie and of course I look forward to her next one. Final sum up, good movie, obviously not for everyone, but if you're in the mood check it out.


Well that's all folks for this week, next week we got some things to look at, including a season of one of my favorite new shows, that has been in my opinion far far overdue.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Oh my God!! How did I do that? 52 episodes in 4 days?? Oh, my head...


Whew. Well I did it, another one checked off the list. Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex was the follow up to the original two feature films of the Ghost In The Shell franchise, taking place about 6 years after the original film, with Section 9 still hip deep in cybercrime with the Major still leading the force. Now I have to admit, it's two seasons long for the whole series and, the first season is vastly superior. The second one just kinda sucks, but only story wise. Okay time to back up, rewind! The first season deals with a super, mega, ultra, grade A hacker known only as The Laughing Man, and it's the overarching story for the first 26 episodes, it occasionaly springing back up. This season is awesome. With lots of memorable cases besides the story arc ones, fascinating ideas, and tons of great aspects that made this show as popular then as it is now. The second season delivers everything that you came to expect in the first season, outstanding animation, top notch voice acting, great action scenes, and memorable characters but then...the story happens. The whole damn season focuses on this whole refugee revolution happening in a district of Japan, with this mysterious figure even though we learn EVERYTHING about him throughout the season unlike The Laughing Man, who we don't even know his real name. This season sucks. The story sucks. Everything else is just as good, but my God does it drag story wise. True, we get an occasional epsiode that adds more character development to certain teammates, that is completely fine. I like those episodes a lot! But this, Les Miserable bullshit with corrupt government officials and a main antagonist who we could care less about, destroys this season! I think they knew to, cause they released a movie (Which I am not going to review, it was a miracle I got this done by today.) to fully cap off the series. So just stick with the first season, my batteries are burnt out on this show, watch it or don't, just be cautious with that second dosage. I will see you guys on Friday for the new movie. Where's my bed?

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Ghost In The Shell (1995)

Now, shall we begin?


Ghost In The Shell, one of the breakthrough movies from Japan that hit America in a big way follows a government branch titled Section 9 that help solve cyber crimes among other things, led by Major Kusanagi in the year 2029, where humanity has augmented itself with cybernetic enhancements which range from slight brain augmentation, to full cybernetic bodies with only a human brain that controls it. A pretty spectacular vision of the future don't you think? But all is not well, a mysterious hacker known only as the Puppet Master, has been hacking into people's cybernetic bodies to do various high stakes crime so Section 9 is brought in to stop him. What really strikes me about the movie is not it's surreal visuals, haunting music, outstanding animation, or quite frankly brilliant character potrayal of cyborgs but this great sensation of disconnect. This world filled with augmented cybernetic lifeforms, has a surprising dark and chilling look and feel to it all, you can almost tangibly feel this massive disconnect between you and the characters in the movie. And there are many examples of this. The movie raises the question, "What is huamnity? What makes a human, human?" and that alone makes for a quiet, uncomfortable feel to the whole film, and you do think about it. Needless to say this is a very cerebral movie, and it can get under your skin a little bit. It does sort of challenge the line between man and machine, what differentiates us from them? And in a world where the dividing line has become so muddled, what the hell does make a human? Science and philosophy does not fully have an answer, is it memories? Is it because we have a conscious? I think therefore I am? It's really quite brilliant how unapologetic this movie goes into asking these questions. That alone makes it a great film for adults, but then you add every other thing done so well in the movie that it rises above and beyond what you would expect. I say, go find this movie, rent it, buy it, whatever. Delve into the deeper, darker parts of your mind and see what you become when the credits start to roll.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Top 15 Animated Television Shows

Oh God....why must this be so difficult?? I could literally go on and on with cartoons but I can't. So let's do this.

15. The Boondocks - Hilarious. This show is hilarious. I cannot get enough of it, it really is a great show.

14. The Clone Wars (2008) - When I heard they were remaking The Clone Wars I hated the idea. We already had one and it tied together perfectly. But now with like, Rebels and all that it really does work better. It's very expansive, and actually makes it feel like a war for the galaxy. So, I was wrong.

13. Justice League - I include Justice League Unlimited in this as well, just because it's a part of the show. Classic DC characters do what they do best and build upon previous incarnation and make their own world in the process. And really, isn't that what comic books do?

12. Rick And Morty - You want to talk insane? Watch this show. You want to talk about comedy? Watch this show. Holy shrimp this show is out there, but in the best way possible.

11. Ruby Gloom - It's such a sweet little show. Criminally underrated, and needs to be seen by many more people. I am in love with this show.

10. Samurai Jack - Jack is back, and his show still kicks ass! Slick, stylized, and 8 different combinations of awesome, this show never will cease to blow my mind.

9. Teen Titans - I love this show and Teen Titans Go but the original takes the cake. Outstanding character development, a style unique to itself, and all the elements of an unbelievable kids show.

8. Pinky And The Brain - YES! Need I say more? It's Pinky And The Brain!! Brilliant writing, brilliant voice acting, brilliant comedy, this show has it all. And all shall watch it once I take over the world!

7. Looney Tunes. Classic.

6. The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy - One of the most creative shows you will ever see, dark humor, surreal visuals and a Jamaican Grim Reaper! Hell yeah.

5. Courage The Cowardly Dog - It may have scared kids including myself but the show has this amazing hypnotic power, always lots of fun and will have you scream with delight.

4. Regular Show - A surprising gem to be found, with great characters, outlandish situations stemming from everyday problems, and tons of laughs and joy. This show is a lot more than what it's name suggests.

3. Adventure Time - Dear sweet Christmas yes!!! Came out of left field, laid my ass out with it's awesomeness! Watch this show!!

2. Batman The Animated Series - Wow. Just wow. Good job guys. You made one of the best animated television series of all time.

1. Scooby Doo - Which one? All of them. My absolute favorite cartoon show of all time. The first I ever saw and probably the last I will ever see. It made me the person I am today. Thank you Scooby-Doo.

Well, that about does it. Wraps it all up. That was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. See you next week, goodnight everybody!

Top 15 Live Action Television Shows

Alright, here we go. You know the drill, it's just my opinion, blah blah blah, enjoy.

15. The Incredible Hulk (1977) - Yes the only thing Marvel I truly love. For a show in the 70s this was actually a terrific show with good drama, great characters, and awesome moments when the Hulk transformed and wrecked stuff. Proof that superhero shows can be done in real life.

14. Supernatural - Yes it's a CW show, but if you give it a shot like I did you will find a very engrossing show, and I severely need to catch up on a season or two.

13. Blackadder - British comedy is big with me and this show is terrific. I have watched it multiple times and never cease to laugh when viewing it, it especially gets great when Hugh Laurie becomes a permanent cast member.

12. Bates Motel - Now I admit the first time I heard about this show I expected it to crash and burn. But I took a gamble, bought the first season, and it was so good every time I had to swap a disc I was a frantic mess. I had to know what was going to happen next! It is that good a show!

11. Criminal Minds - Basic show, sometimes interesting cases, but it's the characters that make me come back for more every time.

10. House - Back to Hugh Laurie! This show never gets dull for me. Maybe it's because of the cases, maybe it's because Hugh Laurie is awesome, probably that second one but this is a show I hopefully never will be cured of.

9. Star Trek - Yes the show that started it all. Even though it's nothing remarkable these days, to me Star Trek is still awesome, with unforgettable characters, very good stories, and able to say so much about humans, life, and the universe just by Kirk fighting a guy in a rubber lizard suit.

8. Mystery Science Theater 3000 - What a concept. Have people sit in a room, and make fun of bad movies! But they take it to the top level of genius with robots, spaceships, mad scientists, and hilarious snarky humor. I know it's just a show and I should probably just relax but, nah.

7. The Twilight Zone - A dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind, Rod Serlings genius comes full force in one of the greatest television shows of all time, combining brilliant stories, with unexpected twist endings, tied together with a bow on top of wonderful eerieness.

6. Sherlock - Now I don't think I need to say why this show is great, and why I love it. I wrote reviews on every damn series, go read them!

5. Hannibal - Yet again, another show I thought would fail miserably, and yet here I am, one of it's biggest fans. Strange how things work out huh?

4. M*A*S*H - Good God, this is a great show! Spanning eleven seasons, with memorable characters, great comedy, and taking a grim subject matter like war and making it a bit more tolerable, this show truly is one of the greatest of the greats.

3. Gotham - I had hope in this show and it delivered. Classic comic book characters, with an excellent mix of drama, comedy, mystery, and action. Many people wouldn't want to live in Gotham, but I certainly wouldn't mind.

2. Batman (1966) - What? What?? You don't love this show? You don't think it's absolutely brilliant behind it's campy, fun exterior?? That Adam West is without a doubt THE Batman??? Well you're just out of your mind.

1. Doctor Who - Yes this show might be pissing me off lately, but when you think about it, it's been going on for over 50 years. Obviously they did something right, and the fanbase proves it. Science fiction at it's best (and sometimes at it's worst) Doctor Who will always have a place in my hearts, somewhere in time and space.

And that's it! Thank you very much for reading, I got to admit this was a tricky as hell list to make, and I fear for the next list greatly. It's like asking which of your extended family should be allowed to live, it's just cruel.

It's Our Two Year Anniversary!!!

Huzzah! Another year of reviews, it doesn't really seem like it but hey I guess that means I'm enjoying it. I actually loved how I reviewed Power Rangers the day before because last year I reviewed the fricking animated Batman and Superman Movie, on the exact same day as the anniversary by the way. I don't know just seems more awesome that I reviewed Power Rangers. Oh, and I forgot to tell you somethimg in the review! I was walking back from the theater and I noticed there were these I kid you not, colored crystals. I picked up two blue crystals on my way home. So does that mean I'm going to be like Billy Badass from Power Rangers? I'm fine with that. Kinda makes me want to walk back and scour the land for other colored ones, it just seemed so surreal to find these like colored gems on my way home from Power Rangers. But anyway, what will we do today? Last year I did my top 20 films, but that was in accordance with my 100th review, not the anniversary. So this year I am rectifying the situation and will give you my top 30 television shows, since well this year has had a good chunk of tv show reviews, and no doubt will there be more. But...I am actually going to split the list up. I am a huge fan of animated shows and live action shows, so it would be very difficult for me to make a blended list of shows. So you get two lists for the price of one on our 2nd anniversary. 15 live action shows, and 15 animated shows. I don't think I'll add anime to the list cause well, we have to start this list sometime, and that will just open a whole nother can of worms, so for today it's just animation from my little corner of the world. It'll take some time to think, but I promise both lists will be put up today. Thank you so much for reading my reviews, here's to another year of it, and enjoy!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Power Rangers (2017)

Alright, that was a good movie!


Power Rangers are back and I love it. The movie was a lot of fun, had good effects, and yeah it had faults, more nitpicky than major but we'll get to that. Okay positives, the kids are great. I actually love how they made them these sort of bad kids, like they are not infallible teenagers who always do the right thing because they're such goody two shoes, they have problems, Jason screwed his scholarship by letting pranks get out of hand, Billy lost his dad and is on the autistic spectrum, Kimberley did some bad things like knocking this guy's teeth out and leaking a solicit picture of one of her classmates, Zack is taking care of his terminally ill mom, and Trinni is a distant closed off kid. And that's the beauty of it, they are not these perfect little kids, they have issues and act like, oh I don't know TEENAGERS! Also I love the fact that they can't fully fight, when they morph they are very competent fighters but martial artists they are not. But truth be told, Billy is my favorite, both in the show and this movie, he is Billy Badass to me. The Zords looked great, classic Zords with updated technology. Bryan Cranston was pretty good as Zordon, and he always does good performances in supporting roles which makes me wonder how amazing he would be in a lead role (No, I have not watched Breaking Bad yet!). But not everything went smoothly. Okay, Elizabeth Banks you were not a bad Rita but you could not top the original, I'm happy you had fun with it and gave her a good menacing character with a history but didn't work for me all that much. The Power Coins were...useless. Now for those of you who are new, Power Coins are what allows the teens to morph into the Power Rangers, that is how their technology works. In this movie they do nothing! They never use them, oh sure they find them and that automatically makes them Rangers material but they replace it with this nonsense, "You must be at one with each other in order to morph." so they never really morph until the end. Which doesn't make any sense because they sell the Morphers and the Power Coins toys in store, so I fully expected them to use their Morphers. They never did! That sucks. Also, criminal underuse of the theme. You know the theme. They use it once, when all the Zords roll out and it is magnificent, I waited until the end of the credits to hear the theme in it's entireity. Never did it happen. The music is good though, my favorate pieces is when they all finally morph, it sounds very Tron Legacy, it's awesome! And for fans or hardcore fans of the show, there are easter eggs and little nods, it's great fun and make me geek out in the theater. They do set up a bit of sequel bait, nothing major like (I wish) Lord Zedd would come down and start wrecking stuff, but it makes me excited at the prospect of a future film. Also quite an ingenious decision to have the after credit scene a little after the credits begin, since kids don't have the patcience to wait until after all the credits have rolled, so nice touch guys. Oh, and did you know the original producer of the television show, Haim Saban helped produce this movie? Awesome! I would recommend this movie, especially to fans, and maybe others who want a fun movie that might interest you in a global phenomenon over 20 years old and still going. The majority of the people in that theater were little kids, like before they even reached 12 years old, the fans are still there for the Power Rangers, generation after generation. And you know what? I want to watch the show all the way through now. So when I buy the movie when it hits video, I can have more fun with it. Well that's it for today but tomorrow, something big is coming.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie

Oh man, this movie is a riot!


Okay....how do I explain this? It's not a good movie but...it's so enjoyably cheesy and ridiculous, it's kinda hard not to like it. Now I have to admit, since I was born in 1995 I wasn't a Power Rangers fan very much, my cousin Megan was though. She saw this movie in the theater, huge fan, watched the show with her many a time. She was the hardcore fan, so really this review is dedicated to her. She basically introduced me to the series, and I did own this movie on VHS and I watched the show on Fox Kids way back when, I remember it was watched often. To a little kid, this is a great movie! They can get into it real quick. I do not hate this movie by any stretch of the definition, but...it has faults. Mostly hilarious faults, with such a 90s look and feel, I'd almost dare say this is a timecapsule of the 90s. The plot is basic but it's what they add in, sort of supplemental material besides the plot is what makes this movie the true rare gem it is. An ancient evil has been unearthed and Zordon calls upon the Power Rangers to destroy this evil before he, you guessed it takes over the world. About as bare bones a basic story if there was one, but it defies words how this movie is. You have to see this movie in order for me not to sound like a raving moron. It's so out there. This is one of the most impossible films I have ever had to talk about. All I can say is, it's Power Rangers. I know that's like, the worst thing I have ever written and is my worst review. But how do I explain it? It's Power Rangers. Now let's change subject here and talk about the more intricate parts of the movie. First off, many of the same people who both starred and worked on the show, worked on this movie. Believe it or not, this movie was made while the original series was still going on, so it went: a few seasons of the show, movie, then immediately back to the show. I can't even think of another example of that! But the main cast is great, in that beautifully flawed cheesy way, with one liners, 90s references, and sometimes slightly off deliveries but by no means is that a bad thing. The fights are actually, believe it or not, fantastic. The fighting choreography is spot on, very well done and quite impressive, with lots of creativity and style, albeit with some ludicrous and hilarious moments. Easily the second best thing in the movie. What's the first? The villain, Ivan Ooze played by Paul Freeman. Oh...my...God. This is amazing. I have never seen a villain as funny, or even fun as this guy. If there was ever a reason to see this movie beyond it being a Power Rangers movie, it's this guy! He was the most entertaining part of the entire movie, he is awesome! Now the negatives, the cgi is terrible. It's terrible. But I cannot seriously complain about it because of the budget the movie had, it was slighly above the budget for the tv show so I'm not expecting Pixar quality of animation. Which does make me wonder why they didn't do a tokusatsu style approach like they did in the show, with guys in elaborate costumes duking it out over a model city. I know it had to seem flashier and more of a spectacle but I loved those elements from the show. It's funny how Power Rangers was basically a low budget martial arts show with nothing but stock footage to go off on, and yet took the world by storm like Pokemon did. Man the 90s were awesome. And yet over twenty years later it still has a big fan base, it's still popular, it's still remembered fondly by so many people including myself. You better believe I am psyched for the new movie tomorrow! It's Power Rangers!!

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Recommendations For The Week

1. Don't go see Beauty And The Beast. If you wanna watch Beauty And The Beast from Disney, then go watch Beauty And The Beast. Not this remake. It's not worth your time when a classic is at your disposal.

2. In preperation for the new Power Rangers movie, I will be looking at their first trek into feature length film with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers The Movie. But if you are curious to know more about them, uh I highly recommend Linkara's History Of Power Rangers. Highly informative, he covers every team since the first, you can find it on YouTube, it's very entertaining and the man knows his stuff.

3. On Friday...it's morphing time.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Babe Pig In The City

That was a great sequel.



Yeah...not many people know about the sequel to Babe. The first was a succesful film, not a blockbuster but a succesful film, went on to win an Academy Award for best effects but then, that was it. No one asked for a sequel, and yet somehow I have no fathomable idea how, it got a sequel that went straight to video 3 years after the first! And it's a really good movie, I could even argue it's better than the first but that still needs some thought. So the movie picks up right after the first with Babe winning the competition for sheep herding, but all is not well on the farm afterwards. Arthur gets in a bad accident while fixing his well, leaving him bedridden from his injuries, the bank is ready to take the farm, so Esme and Babe have to visit a world fair to gain money to save the farm, but even that doesn't go well. They miss their flight and are stuck in a massive city, where they seek shelter in a hotel where they keep an abundance of animals of all kinds, even apes. Through too many events to recount and explain, some very heavy and emotional, and one I'd have to warn you could be very traumatizing to your child which involves almost an attack on the hotel where all the animals are captured and put into a facility. Pretty much the most heavy scenes are that scene and the one before, I won't spoil it but it does make you go "Jesus movie, what the heck?" but afterwards when Babe rescues the animals and has one of the most creative and imaginative climaxes to a movie you will ever see, it does have a very happy ending. The characters from the first return full swing from all the animals to Arthur and Esme Hoggett, with famed voice actress E.G. Daily who you might remember as Dottie from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure or Tommy from Rugrats, voices Babe in this movie, but we also get some new characters. The apes are great, with an orangutan who might be my favorite character in the whole movie, and the landlady of the hotel who is without a doubt my favorite character in the movie played by Mary Stein is...incredible. I love her performance. It is unreal how good she is, and I swear I'm the only one who truly loves her in this movie. I'm probably going to lose all credibility as any form of critic when I say this might be my favorite performance of all time. I am so not even kidding. She is that great in my eyes, just the way she carries herself, how fastpaced she talks, and how much she gives to a relatively small character in the grand scheme of things must truly be commended. I think that's why this might be my favorite performance because she takes a role barely bigger than a cameo and brings so much energy and appeal and surprisingly good character development to it, that she really does stick in my mind. I love her in this movie! Hardly anyone has seen this movie and it is highly underrated in my eyes, I could see why someone might like this movie better than the first or they like the first one better. They didn't have to make this. No one was asking for a sequel to the movie Babe. But they made it, they didn't treat it like a cash grab or didn't put a lot of effort into the movie, because they did! They wanted to make a good, entertaining, and wonderful sequel to a great movie. And they highly succeeded. I still have my tape of this movie, still watch it, still love it, still held high in my memories. Give this movie a shot, and please don't tell me I'm crazy about Mary Stein because she deserves so much credit for this.

Babe

How does one describe this movie?


I was thinking a while ago, what movie sort of personifies springtime to me, and I thought about some movies and for some reason this movie came to mind. Green meadows with flowers in bloom, spring rain, animals, almost a celebration of life kind of. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Babe was one of my favorite movies to watch when I was a little, little kid. I mean when I barely knew how to walk kind of little and it was just one of those movies that stuck with me throughout my life, I do have fond memories of watching it but sadly one day I lost the tape and have never watched it since. So whenever I noticed it was on Netflix I knew I had to see it again, and upon watching with a more I guess developed mind I didn't fully understand all the surprisingly mature and kind of dark subtext. Now this is a family movie but at one point I literally asked out loud with no one in the room but me, "This movie was made for kids right?" because what it deals with, and how it deals with it, and even the more sort of implied moments really made me think. I mean the story is basic, a little pig named Babe is brough to live on a farm by Arthur Hoggett and his wife Esme, and it follows his life there and in a strike of originality genius, the pig learns how to herd sheep, and it leads to this big contest at the end, but by no means is the contest the whole goal of the movie. This movie moves at a very relaxed, very quiet, very slow pace. It takes it's time with these characters and these situations, to where you really get emotionally invested very, very quickly. It deals with emotion, life, death, family, where one belongs, and the idea of choice vs. fate. It's incredibly well acted, with the real shining stars being James Cromwell who really is a terrific man and an actor who sorely needs more work because of how darn good he is, and Christine Cavanaugh as Babe who brings such a kind, sweet, and loving persona to an animal and you want nothing but the best for Babe throughout the entire movie. But when I say every actor does an outstanding job, by God I mean it. Plus, I just love the narrator's voice, Roscoe Lee Browne who sadly passed away has the perfect voice for a movie like this. But seriously though, this movie has some really heavy moments, with not one but two scenes where just thinking about it makes me want to bawl my eyes out, I mean this movie not only tugs at the heartstrings, it plays it like a harp. It's just such a wonderful, humble, just plain nice and pleasant movie to watch although it does make me an emotional mess through the whole movie. It's not a movie that can truly be described but felt. Needless to say I will be buying this movie again, because of how truly great it is. Babe always has a place in my heart, and hopefully it does in yours too.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Kong: Skull Island

Holy shrimp!!!!

Yes! Yes!! A thousand times yes! This film kicked ass! Kong is back and his movie is great. Several of my predictions came true. The movie takes place in 1973 (Awesome!) with a research team headed by John Goodman to Skull Island to prove that monsters exist. He is backed by military personel immediately after the Vietnam War ended, and with the help of a tracker played by Tom Hiddleston they head to the island. What follows is a rush of monster brawls, interesting mythos, good acting, great action, and sets up a whole world of classic giant monsters. Several lines specifically put this in the world of the 2014 Godzilla movie, with the Monarch branch, sadly no Dr. Serizawa but you get the gist of it, and oh boy the ending. I knew damn well there was going to be an after credit sequence, and I have never been more hyped in my life. I would almost say to see the movie just for the after credit scene, if you're not a big fan of Kong still see it for the after credits scene. It is that spectacular. The special effects were awesome, it hardly took anytime for Kong to start kicking some serious ass around here and it was highly entertaining. Now me being the monster fan I am you know I am going to say go see this movie. So go see this movie. Now.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

King Kong (2005)

Not as long as I remembered it.


Many people question the fact is the new King Kong better than the original, and to that I say this, without a doubt. It fixes many problems with the last movie in every respect. Now some might say that's not fair, film has grown so much since the 30s and the technology available of course could do so much more. Now I don't hate the original and I'm not just saying the effects are better, oh no, everything is better. The acting, the editing, the cinematography in general, just every little issue I had with the 1933 version has been rectified. Ann goes from just a screaming woman to a more developed and enjoyable character, Carl Denham played by Jack Black is an interesting casting choice but by God he goes all in with it and really rocks in this movie, the music is terrific with individual themes for the main characters and Kong himself, the film is beautiful to look at in some places, and yes the special effects are phenomenal. Andy Serkis doing motion capture for Kong is mindblowing, the dinosaurs look terrific, the island itself seems vast and dangerous, and New York in the Great Depression really cement the visual appeal for me. I could not find much wrong with this movie mainly because it fixes many of the problems from the original. Like I said, Ann is now something more than just a screaming Fay Wray, she is an entertainer who travels to the island and when she meets Kong at first the screaming is in full force, but it's after the genius T-Rex fight that she warms up to him and you can tell she genuinely gives a damn about the big ape. Hell, my favorite scene in the entire movie is not the fight with the T-Rex but afterwards when Kong takes Ann to his home, hardly a word is said and yet you can feel so much. Film is a visual medium and that scene alone tells a story perfectly without saying or even really doing anything. I might even be so bold as to say, this is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. Now while some people question Jack Black as the director in the movie, I roll with it, he is very eccentric, harboring on obsessed to make his movie even when his crew starts dying, he just has this sort of....like, back stabbing, manipulative, sort of megalomaniac thing going on and I like that much better than Robert Armstrong as the director in the original. In terms of the natives on Skull Island, this takes it to a whole new level. Gone are the lavish costumes and almost sort of regal feel to them, now they are bloodthirsty, terrifying, and dangerous people, it doesn't feel like a racial stereotype it feels like a cannibalistic tribe! It's unbelievable! If I had to describe this film in one word I would call it, supplemental. It is not an update to King Kong like the 70s one, it takes place in the 1930s, and feels like a more elaborate and detailed version of the original. Everything has more depth and meat to it, and yes the movie clocks in at over three hours long, but I never really noticed. Man whenever I first saw this it felt like an eternity for the movie to end, and I watched Lord Of The Rings on an almost regular basis at that age but it felt just so long. But now, I get by it much easier. Just whenever I compare the original to the remake, the remake is the much better film! How many times can you say that in your lifetime? Every aspect, every detail, every action is done so well! I wish this movie had sequels like every other frickin' King Kong movie! The original had Son Of Kong, the greatest movie brawl in history King Kong Vs. Godzilla (Suck on that Civil War you hacks!) had King Kong Escapes where he fought a robotic King Kong, the 70s King Kong had the outrageous King Kong Lives, but this one couldn't?? Betrayal!!!

Well people it's speculation time, Kong Skull Island hits theaters tomorrow but here are my predictions and thoughts on it. I think it will be great. The movie looks like it's set in the late 60s, early 70s. Don't believe me? Well let's see, the girl uses a camera (a very old camera) that uses real film, not even a self respecting hipster would use that, the slightly disturbing Vietnam vibe when they drop bombs on the island out of helicopters (Oh hi Apocalypse Now! Funny seeing you here!), they use a legit projector, you know with physical slides in it, and the ever so slight image of a Nixon bobblehead!! Fraking what?! And they use the song Bad Moon Rising which was released in.....1969. I rest my case. Now people might be saying, "Dude this Kong is going to fight Godzilla from the 2014 movie, how could it be the 70s or the 60s? He'd die before the present day!" well apes, specifically gorillas can live long lives, upward to 60 years, and since Kong isn't exactly a normal ape, I'd dare say he can live to be over 100 in human years. So I'd say he can live long enough for the rematch. Which is also safe to say, he won't die at the end, hell he probably won't even leave the island. So I'm expecting lots of monster fights, good acting, an entertaining story, and the good news is the king is back.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

King Kong (1933)

New Kong movie this week? Well I think it's time don't you? No more monkeying around!


King Kong is one of the most groundbreaking and timeless tales in movie history. It combines, action, fantasy, and romance with outstanding stop-motion effects by Willis O'Brien and has inspired countless filmmakers and special effects creators. So plot time, a movie director is currently making a picture and hires a young lady to act in it as they travel to the mysterious Skull Island for a few shots, only to have it be more than they bargained for. The entire island is like a microcosm of prehistoric dinosaurs, and a giant ape heralded as a god by the natives named Kong. The film crew is in danger, the young actress Ann played by Fay Wray is taken captive as a sacrifice for Kong, yet Kong for some reason takes a great curiosity and liking to her and takes her for himself. What follows is unbelievable fights between the film crew and the various monsters on the island and my personal favorite scene, Kong fighting a Tyranosaurus Rex to save Ann. It is almost too good to be true. But soon Kong is captured, brought to New York City (What could possibly go wrong?), breaks free, rampages through the city, finds Ann and climbs the friggin' Empire State Building to prove his utter dominance. Oh my God. There is a reason why this is a classic. Not only is the story imaginative, the acting done very well, the special effects being mind blowing, the great and expansive musical score, among many other aspects, I think it's just the strange yet endearing romance between Kong and Ann that makes it that more special. Now the movie isn't perfect,  I have to admit the actual filming in the film is...a bit hokey. Granted this was made in the early years of sound movies so it can go a bit odd but nothing that ruins it, it just makes you tilt your head at moments. Plus the racial stereotypes are a product of their times but you still can't commend it for it's realistic potrayal of asians and ugh, tribal people. God I feel bad just typing it! But beyond those poor choices, it's a great movie. Definitely watch it if you never have before.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Logan

Screw The Shack, if you want a movie that highlights life, family, the sense of home, and the importance of helping people just go see Logan.


This is a damn good movie, highly deserving of the R rating it has, but still a good movie. Now granted I haven't seen every X-Men movie, so some things were lost on me but never once did it ruin my enjoyment of the film. So Logan has been living with Charles Xavier for several years, and they are soon in contact with another mutant named Laurel, we don't know too much about her but we learn more as the movie goes on and I thought she was awesome. She's a beast on the battlefield, and some might argue your tolerance and enjoyment of this movie hinges on this one girl, but I don't think so. She fits right in. But of course, bad guys are on her trail so Logan and the Professor need to get her to safety before she is used as a weapon against mutants and non-mutants alike. What really shocked me about the movie was not the stellar gore and action scenes but rather the more quiet moments, when Logan and Charles travel with this girl it almost seems like a family movie, it has that real heart and emotion to it and just for that alone gets two big thumbs up from me, but then you add layer after layer of story, character, action, drama, and just pure emotion that really does have you leave the theater satisfied and yet very melancholy too. Very good movie, despite the utter and not in any way possible good joke of having Deadpool at the beginning before the movie really begins. Oh God, if you left that out we wouldn't miss anything! But no! Use the Superman theme and have Ryan Reynold's ass on the screen. Just the right introduction to a surprisingly good drama with one of the best comic book characters of all time. Good job Marvel. Where's the alcohol?