Film Review: King Kong vs Godzilla (Kingu Kongu Tai Gojira)

Here it is:  the most gargantuan battle of monsters anybody could come up with.  From the west, there's the massive gorilla that was worshiped by natives and went on to climb the Empire State building.  From the Far East, the giant fire-breathing lizard spawn from the atomic age that crushes entire cities.  This film unites the two iconic titans in a vicious match of pure bestial muscle power.

As cool as it all sounds, the film may inspire more absurd laughter than actual thrills.  When the two beasts collide, King Kong throws his arms around in a hokey ape-like manner, while Godzilla throws a hissy-fit and flaps his arms erratically.  In the confines of gaudy rubber suits, it looks incredibly silly.  The actual mass destruction is plentiful, but these scenes seem so few and far-between.  By the film's end (after a ridiculous scene where Kong is airlifted by balloons), the conflict just kinda fizzles out with no clear winner or loser.  It's a cheap and dated film with horrid special effects and bad costume work; even if you look past that, the execution is so weak that it can't be taken seriously.

Of course, if you don't take it seriously (and you probably shouldn't for monster flicks anyway), then it's still pretty fun.  Fans should get a kick out of the epic clash, despite all its cheesiness and flaws.

The story is pretty standard stuff; most characters exist to simply to provide a human conduit for the audience to follow as the monsters roam around.  The plot does take a few stupid turns (seriously, King Kong flying around on balloons? And since when can he grow stronger with electricity?).

This film is pretty cheap, featuring okay photography and editing.  Acting is pretty cheesy, and is made even worse with terrible English dubbing.  Writing is pretty nutty (possibly marred by the changes of the US cut).  This production uses some cheap and gaudy sets, props, costumes, model-work, and some horrid-looking compositing effects.  Music is okay.

This film has had a pretty spotty history.  For the US, parts of it have been cut out, and many new footage has been cut in, in a manner similar to Godzilla:  King of the Monsters.  I don't know what the exact changes are, but the added news reports and exposition feel quite forced, and some of the explanations given seem misinformed, and possibly biased to appeal to Americans.  Even in Japan, parts of the film have gone missing (some of which has been restored for home video releases), and the overall condition of the film has been poor. 

This film is probably best seen for watching the two titular beasts duke it out, in all their cheesy rubber-suit glory.  It's not a good film, and the story is pretty dumb (at least for the US version), but if you ever wanted to see two of the biggest and most popular monsters engaged in epic combat, this film has its moments.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Story:  Marginal | Film:  Marginal)

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Film Review: Only God Forgives

For much of 2013, it seemed like the movie's poster, with the dragon in neon lights, was beckoning me, perhaps even taunting me and daring me to watch this film.  Since Drive was such a big hit just a couple of years earlier, this follow up from Nicolas Refn and Ryan Gosling looked like it'd be more of the same, but fans may find that Only God Forgives is a totally different animal of a film:  many find it distasteful, weird, shallow, and just plain bad.  I would have agreed with those assessments at first glance as well, but as with most works of art (especially in film), it took a fresh new viewing to look past the initial expectations and appreciate it as it is.  This is not Drive; this is Valhalla Rising, with all the same primal brutality, but swapping out the lands of the Norse with the seedy grungy streets of Bangkok.

This film moves with a slow and brooding pace, which will strain the patience of many viewers.  For those with the patience, the film will be mesmerizing and hypnotic, thanks to the film's beautiful compositions and vivid lighting.  Despite the pacing, most scenes rarely linger, and the film is pretty short overall; I think it's actually pretty notable that the film uses just as many scenes as it needs, cutting out the excess and keeping things simple.

The story is pretty simple and small-scale, but the narrative is not easy to digest.  Few words are spoken, and when they are, they're pretty quiet and they reveal very little.  Most of the film's story is relayed best through its imagery and the characters' expressions; the burden of the pathos rests purely on the way the characters regard each other, the way they treat each other, and the way they take revenge on each other.  Paying attention to these small nuances can reveal much about the characters, but without any straightforward answers, a lot of the story is left wide open to interpretation (and many viewers would probably dismiss it all as pretentious nonsense).  As I regard the story, I believe it lays out some basic archetypes (especially on a theological level) and sets up a massive series of eye-for-an-eye conflicts that lead up to an expressionist finale.  Ultimately, the characters go on to express themes of temptation, sin, vengeance, and authoritarian terror.

All that being said, the story is hard to take at face value.  Parts of it are hard to believe, if not outright unrealistic.  Parts of it make little sense, and the finale is pretty weird.

The film is as beautiful as they come.  It boasts some superb photography and editing.  Color and lighting are extremely vivid and powerful, painting each scene with bold imagery that drives the story and gives the whole thing meaning.  Acting is notably odd; most actors are statuesque and silent, but their expressions, movements, and compositions are very nuanced.  Writing is pretty minimalistic.  This production uses some very good-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Locales are authentic.  Cliff Martinez's music score is pretty awesome and accentuates the visuals beautifully.

Only God Forgives:  it looks like the companion piece to Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void, and it feels like Stanley Kubrick.  Its narrative and pacing is not nearly as palatable as Drive, and if you're expecting something on that level, you will likely be disappointed.  But what the film lacks in narrative or straightforward dialogue, it makes up for with pure expressionism.

Since the film is so polarizing, I'd only recommend renting this film first, to see if it can captivate you the way it's captivated me.

4.5/5 (Experience:  Good | Content:  Good | Film:  Perfect)

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Film Review: RoboCop 3

The part-man-part-machine-all-cop hero is back! Unfortunately, he's not the same.  The third film in the franchise swaps out Peter Weller for Robert Burke, and director Fred Dekker doesn't have nearly as much guts his predecessors.

The good news is that the film is still pretty fun.  There is plenty of action to be had, with lots of shoot-outs, chases, and explosive scenes of all-out revolution.  RoboCop continues to beat the snot out of bad guys (including samurai robots), and in one daring scene, he even straps on a jetpack and flies!

However, the experience of this film is substantially fluffier and more lightweight than the last two films.  As a PG-13 film, all the pulp and gore is stripped away, setting a totally different tone and style.  This also leaves the door wide open for a plethora of scenes that are silly and cheesy.  Even though the film maintains a decent pacing, and it can be serious when it wants to, most of it is ridiculous to the point of being unamusing and daft.

The story has a few bright spots:  it is pretty interesting to see how OCP becomes so Nazi-esque that they incur RoboCop's wrath.  However, the film takes a few liberties that might be upsetting for fans (especially concerning one of the series' most beloved characters).  Aside from that, the story plays out in a pretty standard fashion, and little is added to the established characters.  Despite a few interesting ideas, there's little satire or thematic depth to be found.

This film uses good, but rarely great, photography and editing.  Acting is pretty silly and over-the-top from the whole cast; it worked great under Paul Verhoeven, but with Dekker's direction, this level of excess is not nearly as effective.  Writing is average at best.  This production has some okay-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  The music score brings back the classic theme of the first film, but doesn't really much variation on it.

RoboCop 3 is the film where RoboCop commandeers a pimpmobile, catches a bullet with his bare hands, and where ED-209 becomes loyal as a puppy.  This is pretty much on the same level as 1995's Judge Dredd; both films have the potential for some serious edge, but it is dulled pretty heavily by simply being too cheesy and lightweight.  It's easily the worst of the original series, but still entertaining as a guilty pleasure.

Recommended only to the most diehard of RoboCop fans.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Average | Film:  Marginal)

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Film Review: RoboCop 2

After a phenomenally exciting and bloody debut, who wouldn't want more of RoboCop? While this sequel doesn't quite carry as much manic energy or thematic strength as Paul Verhoeven's film, it does continue in the same vein and deliver more of the same.  It's still a wild, ultraviolent world full of rip-roaring action and pulp.

RoboCop 2 boasts some decent standout moments.  Its opening is an intensely seedy sequence that tracks multiple people getting attacked and mugged, one after another, setting things up for RoboCop to bust in and take care of business.  There are a few decent chases and shootouts, especially during the finale, which pits RoboCop against a robot criminal.  The film suffers just a little bit of drag, but it manages to maintain the same tone and spirit of the original film, making it consistently entertaining.  Yep, there are even a few great fake commercials thrown in.

The story takes a few random tangents, but they are good ones.  If you ever wondered what was going on with Murphy's family, this film expands a bit more on that.  The film takes a pretty amusing turn when OCP decides to transform RoboCop into a less violent crime-fighter, focusing more on community service and being all goody-good.  The film's main track, however, dives into a conflict surrounding drugs, gangsters, corporate greed, and OCP trying to find a better RoboCop.  It all adds up to a pretty decent expansion on the original story, and it's quite fun overall.  When it comes to the finer points, however, the satire, social themes, and themes of humanity will come up a little dry when compared to the first film.

Irvin Kershner directs this film competently, with solid photography and editing.  Peter Weller and Nancy Allen reprise their roles comfortably, and everybody else does a decent enough job.  It can be a little startling (maybe even offensive) to see a kid playing a serious gangster role, complete with adult language.  Writing is okay.  This production uses good-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects.  Music is okay.

Not quite as tight or deep as the first film, but this sequel still offers a satisfying follow-up, and it is pretty darn fun.  Recommended for anybody who wants more RoboCop.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Film:  Good)

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Film Review: RoboCop (1987)

Things will get worse before they get better (if they ever get better, especially in Detroit).  In one possible future, it could become a mad world of ecological, economical, political, and commercial excesses.  It could be a terrifying breeding ground for more extreme and violent crime, which would call for a more extreme and powerful type of police officer.  Enter RoboCop:  a hybrid of man and machine to make a perfect cop.

This film starts off hard and fast, and remains perfectly entertaining throughout its short run-time.  It's jam-packed with pulpy hardcore action, with loads of shootouts, chases, and some really gnarly kills.  The film strikes a perfect pace, never lingering too long on any of the action or drama, but still offering just enough to satisfy.  The film gets really extreme with its exaggerated (perhaps cheesy) level of acting, its level of bloodshed, and its satire, but it's awesome that way.

Most of the film's appeal, however, is that it's so fundamental and simple.  It goes through a basic death-and-rebirth storyline, which provides the origin of the character and drives the rest of the story through retribution and corporate conspiracy.  There is just enough attention to the characters to make them relevant and endearing.

On top of that, however, the film also packs in a lot of thought-provoking ideas.  Some of the funniest and most memorable scenes include faux news reports and commercials with a strong satirical edge, which provides more background on the crazy world RoboCop inhabits.  The film breezes through numerous themes regarding capitalism, the mass media, gentrification, and overall dystopia.  The film also raises a bunch of pertinent questions regarding technology and its application, especially with a strong man-vs-machine theme at work.  Alex Murphy proves definitively that law enforcement can't be fully automated; an officer needs human compassion and free-will.  No matter how hard the enemies try to destroy all that makes Murphy human, he triumphs every time, over the machine of society and the machine within him.

This film features some crazy and intense photography, the likes of which only Paul Verhoeven can direct.  The shots are often tight, with some scenes that use wild and unusual angles.  There are a number of point-of-view shots, which are ingenious.  Camera movements are solid and smooth.  Editing is decent.  Acting is over-the-top and exaggerated, for fantastic effect; Peter Weller and Nancy Allen are pretty earnest and great to watch, while Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox, and Miguel Ferrer all excel at being bad guys we love to hate.  Writing is concise and sharp, and there are quite a few good, memorable lines.  This production uses some cheap and outdated props and sets, but the architecture and technology is often used to create a unique post-modern look and style.  Costumes are great, and the special effects hold up well.  Music is pretty catchy too.

RoboCop is one of those films that feels longer than it is, because within the confines of its simple and fundamental story, it crafts a dense storytelling experience that's full of energy as it is full of ideas.  Best of all, it's a film with some serious guts:  a piece of pulp sci-fi the likes of which you probably won't find too often in Hollywood anymore.

Over the film's home video history, there has been both the original R-rated cut and the unrated director's cut available.  Really, it only amounts to 30 seconds of additional footage (mostly violence).

Recommended for mature audiences.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Very Good | Film:  Very Good)

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Film Review: The Men Who Stare At Goats

It's a premise so hard to believe, it can't be true.  Or is it? Jon Ronson dug into it and discovered that, apparently, the US military invested in programs to develop soldiers with psychic powers, to include the ability to become invisible, walk through walls, disarm opponents, and even stop a goat's heart just by staring at it.  Ronson's findings were published as a book, which started off sounding cooky and silly, but went into some dark, eye-opening territory by its second half, as the book drew some connections with the modern War on Terror (primarily with the use of subliminal messaging, drug experimentation, and unusual torture techniques).

In 2009, this film came along, dramatizing Ronson's book.  With an upbeat tone and a quirky sense of humor, the film induces some decent laughter; some of the biggest highlights include seeing a general trying to walk through a wall, seeing the military embrace New Age hippy culture, and of course, watching guys staring at goats.  The tone is straight-faced, making it all seem the sillier, but without sacrificing too much of its plausibility.  The comedy doesn't always work, and the film's pacing suffers from a few hiccups, but otherwise it's rarely a bore.

The film takes many liberties with the source material, to the point where it distances itself from its non-fiction roots and becomes, simply, a story.  The narrative follows the same path as the book, but uses a few more twists and dramatizations to make it stand out more as an actual story, rather than as any type of journalism.  So, as a comedy, the film is decent; as a presentation of the book's findings, there are a few embellishments, exaggerations, and a lot of facts tweaked around (including name changes galore, more added to the events, more added to the narrator's life story, and some other stuff omitted).  Ultimately, there may be some truth scattered around this film, but it's dramatized to the point where it's best seen for its entertainment value rather than anything enlightening.

This film uses good and steady photography and editing.  Acting is great; George Clooney steals the show throughout with a perfectly nuanced and humorous performance, while Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey all do the best they can.  The writing is decently sardonic and witty.  This production uses good, real-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Music is good, especially with the old-fashioned rock.

Looking at this film from the comedic level, it satisfies on the same level as a Coen Bros movie, although it's not quite at the same level of brilliance.  If you're looking for more actual facts on the movie's subject matter, you'd be better off reading the original book and doing some more research.  Overall, I'm still not even sure whether or not I really believe in the subject matter's validity, but on film, it is pretty amusing.

3.5/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Film:  Pretty Good)

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Film Review: Mothra (Mosura)

Among Toho's repertoire of gargantuan and highly-destructive kaiju, who would have ever thought that a giant moth would become one of their most endearing characters? In the years that would come, Mothra would make an appearance in seventeen films, including a bunch of Godzilla films.  In the beginning, though, the lepidopteran made its debut in this old-fashioned monster flick.

1961's Mothra runs pretty evenly, allowing the story to breathe adequately before dishing out some modest mass destruction.  The film's first acts, with scientists exploring Infant Island, remind me greatly of Skull Island from King Kong; the manner in which they use the fairies as a sideshow is not too far off from Kong either, only instead of unleashing a giant monkey's wrath, the fairies sing and summon a giant larva.  It's weird stuff, but the film plays everything out with a straight face.  This film ultimately sets the pattern for future incarnations of Mothra (you seriously can't have Mothra without the singing faries, the larva, or without specific phases of attacks).  As the original feature, however, the only formula this film adheres to is that of the classic monster picture, with a bit of adventure thrown in, and it's neat that way.

The story's pretty much outlined above; it is a well-structured plot with a cast of alright (and sometimes goofy) characters.  With all the fairies and monsters on display, I always felt that Mothra was a grade more unbelievable than most other monster movies, but thanks to the film's earnest tone, it works as a fine and dandy fantasy (and it's pretty neat to see such fantasy being opposed by modern and ultramodern weaponry).  The story touches upon a few themes concerning capitalism and greed, but is never overbearing. 

This film uses solid, quality photography and editing.  Acting is good from the original cast (but might be marred heavily by the English dubbing if you chose to watch it).  Writing gets the job done pretty well.  This production shows its age, but still uses fine-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Special effects are a bit rough, but for its time, they are smashing.  Music is not bad either.

No matter how silly or fantastic it gets, I have a soft spot for Mothra, especially in seeing her future clashes with Godzilla and other monsters.  The first and most original Mothra film presents the basics of Mothra-lore, which in turn echoes parts of the original King Kong, and would stand proudly next to classic monster flicks like Godzilla.  Fans of the genre should give this original film a rent.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Film:  Good)

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