Maleficent - Analysis and Review

Not as bad as you think

By that I mean the character of Maleficent is not as bad as you think. This film is about showing the other side of the classic Disney Film, Sleeping Beauty, and a passion project of Angelina Jolie. This year will see the fruition of two passion projects, with the second one being Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Hercules. It is the beginning of a trend that is starting to take hold by showing the origin story of the villain rather than the hero. While Sony Pictures wish to take that a step further with their Spider-Man universe, this is the first film since the Star Wars prequels that really pegs the question: Can we root of the bad guy?

The Plot

Maleficent, a demonic looking kind hearted fairy, becomes the victim of one man's greed. A man she once thought loved her, but that isn't so. This changes her from the guardian of the fairies to their oppressor who sinks to wield her abilities against the man who betrayed her. That man had since become a king and sired a princess to whom Maleficent places a curse of "sleeping death," upon her once she turns 16. The tale is not the same as one knows.

Analysis

We live in an age of complexity. We require our heroes to be complex and our villains to be even more complex...er. These are qualities that we all love for in dramas or action films and even the superhero genre. Good has to be explained and evil has to be explained. But is that really the case? There is something terrifying about evil we don't understand. Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight was the embodiment of evil and chaos who gives a different origin for himself every time he decides to talk about his life. Given that he's never telling the truth, there is no clear point of origin for this character, and his madness just gets amplified. Even the police couldn't find out where he comes from. He just came into existent. He just is evil. Tim Curry's Darkness in Legend is not only the greatest interpretation of the devil ever put on screen but a being who is literally reveling in operatic evil. He is the way a fairy tale villain should be: unquestionably evil. For my thoughts on the matter of Fairy Tale films click here. 

Those villains benefited a lot from knowing little about them. Which makes them terrifying and almost unpredictable. But then you have a case like Darth Vader, arguably one of the greatest villains (and now a new Disney villain) ever put on film. In the original film, he made his entrance and already for some inexplicable reason you know he's evil. However with the events of Return of the Jedi and what was shown in the prequel trilogy, he may not be as cool or as evil as we once believed. While it works for the overall story arc, it does diminish his character as we originally view it instead of adding to it.

That's where Jolie's Maleficent comes in.

Review

I'll just get this out of the way and say this: Angeline Jolie IS Maleficent! There is literally no one who can play her. Not even that actress from Once Upon A Time could match up what Angelina has done. Yes, I know the Maleficent in Once Upon a Time is a different take on the character. At least that one turns into a dragon...spoilers. But despite that one problem that I had about her, Angelina is just mesmerizing as the demonic fairy who turns into the embodiment of evil. She makes it all seem easy when in truth it is difficult to pull off a character like that without the presence that she brings. 

District 9's Sharlto Copley plays King Stefan, the father of Princess Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty and the man responsible for turning Maleficent into a monster. Unlike his cartoon evil villain in Elysium, his portrayal of the guilt ridden king who slowly descends into madness even more horrifying than the evil that Maleficent has sunk to is truly amazing. You really believe that this guy is losing his mind out of fear and paranoia of losing his daughter but also from the guilt of knowing he's responsible. Is his madness really justified? I guess, but it looks like he descent way over the edge for the sake of giving the film a more horrifying antagonist due to the sympathetic nature of Maleficent in this film.

I can't really speak much for the rest of the cast. Though I have to say, the three pixies taking care of Princess Aurora. annoyed the hell out of me. I didn't like their CGI characters, and I did not like the performances. They're idiots because they have to be idiots so that it forces Maleficent to care for Princess Aurora. I know this story is suppose to be about making Maleficent look good, but making the pixies complete idiots was a little bit too much. Its a shame that such talented actresses (Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, and Juno Temple) were reduced to those roles. 

Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora was...memorable. Memorable in a sense that you're trying to remember just exactly how long one person can stay smiling through a whole movie. She didn't really had much to do except be really really happy. Though I blame the pixie magic that ensured that she will never be sad. But then there is the part of Prince Phillip played by Brenton Thwaites. The heroic prince who battles Maleficent in the animated movie is reduced to a glorified cameo in this movie. He serves the plot just to have a love interest right when they need him the most. 

It's not like the supporting cast was bad. They were good with what they're given. They were just given terrible roles. 

And the story. It would be really compelling if the storybook narration only stayed at the beginning and end of the film, instead of coming in every now and then to the point where it seems like we need to be walked through what is going on instead of just letting the viewer figure some things out. Plus there's something that happens at the end that just makes me quickly think if Disney has some hidden agenda in promoting a certain message. The reason why I say that is because it has been used in another popular Disney film this year. It works well one time. It might even work well in a couple years. But in one year almost consecutively. No. And to think this was written by the screenwriter of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. That makes me even more sad about this tale.

Final Thoughts

The reason why I put Angelina front and center is because she saves this movie. You're drawn into her performance despite the movie not being anything worthy of such a performance. Only Maleficent and King Stefan were developed while the others were just window dressing. All I can say is that I now understand how the people who hate Man of Steel feel. Because like that film, this film will be loved by some and hated by others. I don't hate it, and I praise Angelina. But unless someone asks me too, I don't plan on seeing this again. 

SCORE: 6.7/10 - A powerful performance by Angelina Jolie saves the film 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Analysis and Review

One of the best outings by Marvel since Iron Man

I remember seeing this film at the "midnight" (11:00pm) showing at my not so local theater with a group of friends. That night would've been awesome if we didn't hang out at a nearby coffee shop/pub (weird those thing exist) that had nonexistent parking resulting into my car getting towed. Fortunately the film was an hour away and lucky for me and my good friends, the impound lot was just 20 minutes away. So I wound up spending 245 dollars that night (movie ticket included), to which my friends joked after watching the movie, "So, was that movie worth $245?" Well.........

I said it's one of the best since Iron Man, right?

The Plot

Comic book fans will know this famous Captain America story, but for the general public they're in for a treat:

After saving the world with The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) joins the international intelligence agency S.H.E.I.L.D. to continue to serve as the legendary Captain America. Under the orders of Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) Rogers discovers that the America that he is fighting to protect is not the America he originally believed in. With the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) showcasing the darker side of their missions he starts questioning the organization that is suppose to be protecting the world but instead tries to submit it into fear. But when a dangerous threat known as The Winter Soldier emerges, enemies from outside and within are revealed causing Cap to put his faith in a new ally, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to take on the battle head on.

Analysis

The statement I make in the headline is a personal belief of mine. Iron Man to me stood as Marvel's one true movie that was obviously created as not only a testing ground for their properties but as a nice balance with The Dark Knight. The subject matter was serious and the drama felt more real in the film than any other Marvel movie to date. Some still praise The Avengers as Marvel's greatest achievement, which it rightfully is, but I do not believe it is their best film. It is definitely a better movie than the others made post Iron Man but what i always hoped for was that sense of drama and real intensity. It is easy to argue with me that it is there, and I saw it was there the first time I watched it. But repeated viewings made me realize I did not care about the movie until the big battle finale, something that I should never be feeling for a movie other than a Transformers sequel. 

Even after The Avengers with Iron Man 3 they definitely had the right direction of how to bring back that dramatic effect like the first one did. However that film fell apart despite being filled with the right elements. And yes, I will contend that Iron Man 3 was a better third film than The Dark Knight Rises. But at least The Dark Knight Rises doesn't fall apart halfway through. It falls apart at the end. 

I do like Captain America: The First Avenger because I love retro pulp heroes and the film references that genre. But I would also like to point out that I like to call the film "Montage: the movie" because it really was a big montage of cool events. I get that they were trying to cover ground with WWII but it really made it seem like there was so much more happening that's being left out. Which is one thing I always wanted to point out: SET STORY FOCUS. Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Thor The Dark World, and Iron Man 3 had set story focus in that the story was within a short time period and only moved through a few locations. The First Avenger moved around too much despite having a story in place.

So come my surprise when I see a film that not only has the drama that I felt was missing since Iron Man and the set story focus of the other Marvel films (except Iron Man 2). 

Review

This is not a superhero movie. This is a spy thriller. And I'm not talking about the James Bond or Bourne films, this is an actual espionage spy thriller. Well... having superheroes in it does make it kind of like a Bond film but nevertheless it feels like an American conspiracy spy thriller. Which works so well for the next step in Captain America' evolution as a character. Or rather enforcement of his character rather than evolution. The one attribute that I like about this film is that it enforces the boy scout superhero who obviously lives in a dark world yet still believes in it. This is a criticism many people have with Superman but people tend to forget that Captain America was created at a time when Superman existed. So moral wise he is the most "DC moral" hero compared to the flawed Marvel heroes that populate it. He does have some flaws, but that flaw is perhaps his optimism for a better future. This is where I commend Chris Evans for playing a man who believes in the good in people but knows that there is evil in the world yet still hopes for better things. This isn't the story of a hero who finally realizes how messed up the world is but more of a test of how strong his morals are. And they are strong.

The cast of the film do a great job with their performances. The standout being Anthony Mackie who plays Sam Wilson aka The Falcon. He has the same optimism as Cap and also unwavering in his beliefs. In a world surrounded by lies it was perfect to have Cap America find an ally who is not only a veteran but shared his beliefs. Scarlett Johansson does a great job with the evolution of Black Widow from being a person who takes orders to someone who questions them. I'm still bothered by lack of a Russian Accent, but oh well.

The silent villain The Winter Soldier is definitely a terrifying villain. While he is not Loki level of having a lot of depth and memorable lines, the action set pieces between him and Cap America are by far one of the best superhero combat ever filmed in a Marvel film. I'm not joking. The combat is the best superhero combat film ever put in a Marvel Studios film And to think that this was directed by the guys who made episodes of the comedy show Community. Bravo Anthony and Joe Russo! However, the final showdown was lackluster. Like most superhero movies it builds to the world is at stake and has a big finale. It really did nothing for me compared to the other action set pieces in the film which have been excellent. 

Final Thoughts

So no, to me this movie does not surpass or equal the first Iron Man in my eyes. And for those who compare it to The Dark Knight, there is no comparison because The Dark Knight is a legit movie. This film could've been but that final battle as well as the firmly established Marvel color palette really prevents it from being seen that way by me.

Having seen this film twice, I know my answer to the question asked above. This movie is not worth seeing for $245. But it is still awesome.

SCORE: 8.8/10 - The best film Marvel has made since Iron Man post Avengers

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Analysis and Review

And this is where it all went wrong

The pressure is admittedly on. Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe is ever-expanding that with Guardians of the Galaxy it will literally become a universe instead of a Earth and a small portion of the galaxy. Sony went through great efforts to ensure that the rights to their most profitable superhero property remains with them. But with Marvel expanding and Fox deciding to finally broaden their X-Men universe, what is Sony to do? Everything it takes. For better or for worse.

Plot

Peter Parker/Spider-Man finds himself at a crossroads in life. He wants to be with his the one girl he love, Gwen Stacy, but is haunted by the promise he made to her father: Stay away. But when the return of an old friend triggers events that would make Spider-Man's biggest fan into his greatest enemy, things begin to spiral out of control.

Analysis

The need to compete with the big boys is obvious. It shows from what Sony studios plans to do with their Spider-Man franchise. And while it may please comic book fans that they are finally expanding their horizons and thinking bigger, that is not exactly a good thing. Or it can be if thought out with a clear head. And would be great if it had been stretched out and explored in other films. But for one film to accomplish so much, it is not possible.

This film suffers the same syndrome of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3: putting too many things into a plot that clearly wasn't designed to hold all of them. It was clear from the start that this was intended to be a one on one battle between Spider-Man and Electro. That's the way it was promoted at first and that was the way director Marc Webb had talked about wanting to do. Whether or not that storyline would've been amazing is questionable though. So questionable to a point where it is where they started then immediately started adding on a storyline that arguably seems to be more interesting than the one originally intended. But it almost seems like Webb and his team didn't want to let go of what they said they would set out to do. So they tried to find a way to make those plots work. But then of course there's a certain event from the comics that happens in this movie that really starts bring up a lot of questions. Did they think any of this through? They obviously did because the filmmakers seemed to have come up with something that could've worked. Could've. But let me just get to the review.

Review

I am probably one of the few people out there who really enjoyed Marc Webb's first Amazing Spider-Man film. It had a serious tone with a sarcastically playful Spider-Man going up against a dull villain. It had its problems but it definitely worked. I always felt like something was missing that would've made the film special. Something that the Sam Raimi films had. I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it was missing something. With this film I hoped that whatever it was missing would be there. Well... I guess what I was missing was entertainment, because I was entertained by this film. But at the same time I was cringing.

The film has so many good things about it, but at the same time so many horrible things about it. A good thing thing that I have to put out there right now is that Andrew Garfield IS Spider-Man! In this film he completely disappears into the role becoming the iconic superhero from the comics. He literally does everything a comic book fan would hope he would, making him a far superior Spider-Man than Tobey Maguire. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is phenomenal. She is the whole package in terms of what guys hope to fall in love with. She's everything a guy would want in a girl and she does it well. Usually in a superhero film, the love interest storyline can feel so forced but in this film the relationship between Peter and Gwen is one of the standout highlights of the film. The whole time I believed these two really love each other and it was the most real thing about this movie. Sally Field does a very well performance as Aunt May who goes through an emotional arc in this story. Dane DeHaan does a good job as Peter's long lost friend, Harry Osborn. And then there's...

Now let me just say this. Jaime Foxx and Paul Giamatti are fantastic actors. Incredible actors. And they act the hell out of the roles they are given. The problem? The roles they are given. In a film that established as being the more real and grittier take on Spider-Man, Foxx's Electro and Giamatti's Rhino are cartoon characters. Not the awesome cartoon characters from the gone too soon Spectacular Spider-Man TV show. I mean cartoon characters from a Looney Toons skit. Well, Foxx's Electro was cool. But before becoming the electric Dr. Manhattan, Foxx had to play Max Dillon. A caricature of the pathetic loser that people want to feel sorry for if he wasn't so creepy. It was a cartoon character but after becoming Electro he become a one dimensional stereotypical evil character. Giamatti's role for Rhino was such a big Russian stereotype that it was annoying. He's not even a player in the film, more like a glorified overused cameo. And with these characters lie the problem.

The tonal shift of the movie is sporadic. The prologue dealing with what happened to Peter's parents matches the serious tone established in the first film then suddenly shifts to an entertaining tone during the first act. This isn't a bad thing for a Spider-Man film to be entertaining, but the tone shift between serious to entertaining to cartoony to serious to romantic are all over the place. There are some tones that go hand in hand but the cartoony take on the villains combined with the entertaining tone makes it seem out of place from the serious tone rather than a relief. It makes every amazing scene that promises an incredible film get immediately followed by a terrible scene that shows that this could've been a horrible film. Believe me, it shows you this could be amazing then immediately shows you it could also be horrible.

I blame the tone shift and the incoherent multiple story plots on Sony's need to compete against Disney Marvel, Fox Marvel, and now even Warner Bros. DC. The problem is that trying to accomplish that all in one go can prove to have devastating effects on the quality of the film.

Final Thoughts

Believe it or not I still enjoy this film. Will I go out and buy it? No. Will I go out and buy the complete Blu-Ray box set that is bound to be released once all their run on Spider-Man is done? Yes I will. It is a fun film that doesn't know what it wants to be. There is enjoyment from the film but there is also cringe inducing moments. Surprisingly the romance story is not one of those cringe inducing moments. Valiant Effort to establish a universe all in one movie. Let's see how DC does with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

SCORE: 6.9/10 - It's fun, but not electrifyingly amazing

Rurouni Kenshin (2012 Film) - Analysis and Review

Hey! Where's the U.S. Blu Ray Release?

That is the question that I asked myself when I first saw this film recently. How I did that, I will not say, but just know that when this film finally gets to the states I will BUY it. I'm currently writing this in the year 2014 when this film premiered in Japan and some U.S. cities in 2012 which to this day has still not been given a Blu Ray release in the U.S. Now I'm writing this review to pave way for the inevitable premier of its two sequels this year in August. And I can guarantee that I will not be able to see them here in the U.S. until later or through alternate means.

The Plot

When a wandering swordsman with a reverse blade enters the lives of a young dojo instructor, their world gets completely turned upside down when an opium drug dealer wants to claim the instructor's land for their own. It is up to this mysterious kind swordsman with a strange scar on his face to protect the instructor and those that the drug lord put in harm's way.

Analysis

I don't consider myself an otaku. That was me in Freshmen and Sophomore year in High School. But I do still love me some good anime. And what I always hoped for was a good live action adaptation. However, when this film was announced, I wasn't very interested. Anime and manga adaptations that I have seen prior to this film have always come off looking a little bit cheap. The storytelling was still there but it looks like the production values and cameras used were not up to par with what the story requires. Sometimes I would give those films the benefit of the doubt by just thinking maybe that's how Japanese films look like. But then I saw Japanese films that are not based on a manga or anime. They looked incredible. Which had me thinking, does Japan care about their anime properties enough? Sure, in manga and anime there is more room for storytelling and less money to spend on spectacular effects. But in a world where America is really starting to embrace the goldmine that is the comic book industry, would Japan finally start to pay more attention to their anime properties. From the looks of this film and the latest live action iteration of Lupin the 3rd premiering this year, it looks like it.

Though I am aware that this film was produced by the Japanese branch of Warner Bros. Pictures, which may have contributed a little bit as to why this movie looks like a legitimate movie. It even looks like a film made by the home American Warner Bros. studio, but with Japanese stars. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Because for all I know it was the Japanese studios intent on making it look like an incredible stand alone film. And from the looks of it, whoever idea it was, they succeeded.

Review

I remember seeing this anime when I was younger. Dubbed in English of course, but still had the story in tact mostly. I did read the first few volumes of the manga, so I knew what I was getting into. And I can tell immediately that this story was a mixture of the first story arc all rolled into one big plot. While hardcore purists will immediately be displeased by this. But for anime fans who are just happy to see their characters being brought to life on the big screen with a story that seems familiar yet new, this is definitely the movie they've been waiting for. As someone who remember very little, I can even say that I saw this as a viewer with almost no knowledge of the source material yet still enjoyed it. This is a really great movie.

The casting of this film is incredible, with character that really breathe life into these famous hand drawn characters. Takeru Satoh does an incredible job playing Himura Kenshin (the titular Rurouni Kenshin), the seemingly harmless man who gave up a life of violence yet is capable of switching on his badass fighting abilities when needed. A key component of the portrayal of Himura was someone who is able to switch back and forth between innocent and vicious which Satoh does extremely well. Emi Takei does an excellent job portraying the eager dojo instructor Kamiya Kauru. She exudes the right amount of brash thinking, hopeless romantic, yet mature young woman that her character is suppose to be. I could go on and on forever about the cast of this film as they all give really great performances that work well within the story of the film.

Some may be disappointed that the backstories of characters such as Myojin Yahiko, Takani Megumi, and fan favorite Sagara Sanosuke are not flushed out enough, but then again some of the other major players are not flushed out with other major players being left out in general. This is no way a detraction, as I said before, for how they were all utilized in this story it works perfectly fine. That is something that anime AND American comic book fans need to learn about adaptations: THEY CAN'T COVER EVERYTHING. The best filmmakers can do is to hope to craft a story that does the characters justice, and lucky for them they did.

And speaking about craft, this is the second manga/anime live action adaptation that looks really well done, but the first that I actually would consider looking extremely clean throughout the whole movie. I say this because the first film that I'm referring to is the 2010 film Space Battleship Yamato, which had extremely high production values but the CGI didn't look completely rendered and not smooth. Contrast with this film that didn't really need such things (though I have to wonder if Sanosuke's sword was CGI) it is a really beautifully crafted film. From the look, to the costumes, to the incredible sword fights. It found that line of being true to the design of the characters while at the same time grounding it in the historical reality that it is based on. Yes, the fight sequences are heightened, but not to an overblown extreme. I haven't seen samurai sword fighting done this way since 13 assassins, but this is heightened sword fighting that makes it incredible to watch. My props to director Keishi Otomo and his team for a great accomplishment

Final thoughts

An extremely well done film that is a definite crowd pleaser. The story is simple, yet anime fans will appreciate how much of their beloved story lines and character get nicely packed into this simple story. It is a definite good look at the future of anime/manga adaptations. If DeathNote was a stepping stone that led to the higher production values of Space Battleship Yamato then this film is definitely a giant leap to something good.

SCORE: 8/10 - This is a good film that definitely shows a promising future for anime 

Godzilla (2014) - Analysis and Review

The Return of the King

I feel like I'm in the minority of my circle of friends when it comes a film called Pacific Rim. Apparently it was suppose to make me feel like a kid again because its Kaiju (Giant Monsters) fighting Mechs (Giant Robots). Who wouldn't be excited by that? I'm not saying I wasn't. I enjoyed the film. But I didn't have that sense of nostalgia that apparently triggered in them. However, for the new American remake of Godzilla directed by Gareth Edwards, that is when my childhood came flooding back with a big smile on my face.

The Plot

Caught in the middle of a conspiracy, Lt. Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and his father Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) witness the awakening of an ancient threat. The only thing that can possibly save the world from this old terror is a creature just as ancient. That creature being Godzilla.

Analysis

My plot summary is not the official summary of the film, but that is the straight forward plot of the movie. And while I did say that Godzilla has to "save the world," that doesn't meant that he's trying to save mankind. He's literally just a creature of instinct. It is his nature to seek out gigantic beasts and kill them then go back to the sea. At least that is the explanation of this iteration of Godzilla. Which has always brought up a question of debate as to whether or not Godzilla is a hero or villain. The answer that this film was able to hammer home was simple: he's neither. 

This Godzilla is depicted as a FORCE of nature. One that comes and goes the same way a hurricane or a tsunami does. The connection is made obvious in a scene when Godzilla causes a tsunami that kills many people, even when all he was really doing was just getting out of the water. He is indifferent about the lives of humanity because we are honestly nothing to him. We are his equivalent to ants. Small things that just happen to be in our way whether we're aware of it or not. It really makes it clear that he's really just doing what he does, which is rise up out of the ocean if a gigantic radiation hungry beast starts wandering the Earth, and really that's it.

This is definitely a slight departure from his destroy humanity nature which was in the original Godzilla (Gojira) film as well as some of the Heisei films (the 80s and 90s reboot). However, the idea of him being a Guardian was something that the Showa films (the original 50s-70s run) made loud and clear. So in fact, this Godzilla is a mixture of all that came before. He does borrow some of his nuclear metaphor origins but really it is more about the unstoppable power of nature that takes hold of what he represents for our generation now.

Review

Having read and seen reviews prior to watching the film, I was well aware that the most common complaint of the film is that Godzilla is not in it too much. Having went in with that mindset I was surprised by how much he was in it. Though the definition of "wasn't in it" probably means him on land and doing stuff. He is in the film a lot, just mostly swimming.

The story is serviceable enough to bring back the King of Monsters to the big screen. It does a smart move in giving Godzilla fans the things they love about the franchise (Godzilla vs giant monster(s)) as well as injecting a reality that can only be compared to what Chris Nolan did with Batman (real and gritty). However, I'm not saying that this is anywhere near close to a Chris Nolan movie, but it definitely has enough realism to amplify the absurd nature of the movie. The monsters were treated as animals acting out on instinct rather than some sense of wanting to destroy the world. It is a great take on the giant monster genre that usually drums up needless world destruction. Not that I'm criticizing it, because let's face it Godzilla fan love massive destruction. But in this film it is rather subdued to make it feel more like a catastrophe than destruction porn.

The acting in the film is great with Bryan Cranston being the standout performance in the film. We feel an immediate connection to his character that really helps us the audience and his onscreen son played by Aaron Taylor Johnson get sucked into what's happening. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and David Strathairn give great performances with what they are given. While it can be argued that Johnson's character was one of the weakest elements of the film, I don't believe that his performance detracted from the film as a whole. Even Juliette Binoche has a small but pivotal role that enhances the standout performance that Cranston has.

While I can criticize by saying that yes the story was serviceable but not anything amazing and that Godzilla doesn't show up too much I think the real criticism on everyone's mind is this: Cutting away from the Action. The film does a great job building up the tension between two monsters facing off throughout the film but always cuts away when they actually begin to fight. While I didn't mind it because they give a full blown monster battle at the end of the movie, I can understand why people would be upset about being teased through the whole film. I would argue that had they shown half of the Airport battle between Godzilla vs the male MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) then it would've sated people's need to see a battle throughout the film. However all they did was show the start then immediately cut away to the aftermath on the news. Again, there is a full blow battle between Godzilla and the MUTO couple, which completely justifies holding off on all the action till the end.

The two movies I would compare this iteration of Godzilla to are Jaws and Michael Bay's Transformers. Both movies hold off from showing the titular character as well as having human characters drive the story. However Jaws is an excellent example of this type of storytelling while Transformers is a fun film but there are times when the characters act like idiots. If anything this Godzilla is the middle ground between the two while leaning more towards the greatness of Jaws while borrowing some destruction from Transformers.

Final Thoughts

This film did what Pacific Rim could not: bring a smile to my face. This was me reliving my childhood in a more realistic sensibility. As a huge Godzilla fan, this was definitely a treat for me. Though I can understand why some Godzilla fans may not like this film, I respect them for that. However, this is a really good film. Not great. But I have a feeling when a sequel comes along, all the problems with this film will be fixed in the next one. Also as a final note: I still enjoy the Roland Emmerich Godzilla even though I can see how horrible it is.

SCORE: 7.9/10 - A great modern retelling of the legendary King of Monsters

Party 7 - Analysis and Review

Don't judge a movie by its cover

This is definitely one of those cases. I mean, just look at that cover. That could be anything. It literally could be anything. I can guarantee that someone who is unaware of the indie Japanese film scene would definitely think that this is the poster for an Asian Porno! I mean, come on who wouldn't think that this looks like a porno. But that's just the cover. And why do I say don't judge a movie by its cover? Because by some miracle, the actress on this cover never appears in that outfit in the film. I'm being serious. Not once does she strip down into that number. In the film she's conservatively dressed...okay so her abs are showing but she's pretty much mostly covered. But back to the point, just by looking at this cover, what the hell is this movie about???

The answer...may be a little bit weird. And as an American, the view of weird films from Japan is actually not shocking, but we're still shocked. However I wouldn't call this film shocking nor confusing, but rather...head scratching? Yeah, I'll call it a head scratcher.

The Plot

A gangster steals money from his boss. A man he sees as a brother is charged with finding him. His ex-girlfriend demands payment for all his debts. Her new boyfriend is afraid she's leaving him. A peeping tom discovers a secret lair. In that lair is the mysterious Captain Banana. A psychotic hitman plans on eliminating the gangster. And all of this takes place in a hotel! Who will come out rich?

Analysis

If you find yourself confused by that, it's okay, I was confused too. But all in all the plot is about a string of interesting characters that converge in a hotel room. The best way to describe is fairly simplistic but for an American audience to understand it has to be said this way: It is a collection of Anime Characters thrown into a Tarantino style story.

Each character is an archetype of an anime character. The cocky laid back protagonist. The badass rival. The sexy criminal. The lovesick nerd. The pervert. The costumed hero. The psycho clown. All of them are characters that can fall easily into an anime archetype. It should be more evident due to the anime opening title sequence.

I should point out that how I discovered this film was through an anime. I was a huge fan of the 2009 anime film, Redline, that was frequently touted as the first full hand drawn anime in a long time. It was a visual spectacle that shows just how far hand drawn animation can be pushed without the aide of cell shaded CGI. The director of that film was Takeshi Koike, and I wanted to find out more about this ambitious director. That's how I discovered this gem. He wasn't the director of the film, but he was the creator of the aforementioned anime title sequence. The chair of director actually belonged to the man who gave Takeshi the story for Redline: Katsuhito Ishii.

Review

As I've said before, this is an unusual film. The setting is very standard. In fact there are several American low budget films that dominantly take place at a hotel or even a single hotel room. What the film has going for it though are a cast of really interesting characters. You got Shunichiro Miki (Masatoshi Nagase) the pompadour gangster with a pink leather jacket. Shingo Sonoda (Keisuke Horibe) the badass (or at least he thought so) clad in black gangster who grew up with Miki. Kana Mitsukoshi (Akemi Kobyashi aka the hottie on the cover) the ex-girlfriend of Miki. Todohei Todohira (Yoshinori Okada) Kana's new very nerdy boyfriend and fiancé. These four make up more a majority of the titular Party 7. Their plot in this story mainly consists of Miki stealing money from his former boss in order to leave a life of crime. Kana and Sonoda track him down to the hotel he's staying at for different reasons while Todohei arrives at the hotel simply because he was afraid Kana was cheating on him.

Their story consists mainly of conversations that reveal some hidden secret about themselves to everyone. And that's pretty much it. They talk and they reveal hidden secrets. The opening anime title sequence makes this movie seem like its going to be an action movie where all hell will break loose. But no, its just people talking and revealing secrets they didn't want to reveal. That's the A-Plot.

The B-Plot revolves around two peeping toms: Captain Banana (Yoshio Harada) and Okita Souji (Tadanobu Asano). Okita is a recently released inmate who discovers that his father built a secret room in a hotel room specifically for peeping, which ironically is what got him in jail in the first place. It is there that he meets Captain Banana, a pro peeping tom pervert in a superhero outfit that wishes to make Okita his new sidekick. They spend a majority of the movie watching the A-Plot. And...That's what happens. They talk, and watch the A-Plot.

Then there is the final member of this titular Party 7. Wakagashi (Tatsuya Gashuin) the psychotic hitman who is hired to kill Miki and Sonoda to retrieve the stolen money. His badass action scene was mostly in the opening anime title sequence. He barely shows up in the film but makes himself prominent at the end of the film when the real action goes down. However that action, if choreographed better, could've been truly a funny end but it was funny because it was so horrible. I would've preferred if that final action scene was done as an anime due to how over exaggerated it would've been.

It really seems like there's nothing interesting here, but as I stated before, the CHARACTERS are what would keep one locked into watching this whole movie. The dialogue is interesting and does drive whatever plot it is trying to drive. Though halfway through you do wish something else would happen besides talking. Some might even wish that Kobyashi did strip down into the striking number she posed in for the cover just to add more visual. You just keep hoping for SOMETHING to happen. And when it does happen it is rather comical. Whether intended or not, it is very comical.

I can't really comment on the acting due to having only seen a few Japanese films but seeing a young Tadanobu Asano did caught me off guard. Some might remember him as being Hogun in Thor. I look forward to what his performance will be for legendary anime character Zenigata in the live action Lupin III film.

Final Thoughts

This movie is not for everyone. Especially if you're looking for action or hoping that Akemi Kobyashi does something sexy (the cover is the only thing you're going to get from her), then this movie is not for you. However if you want to see an interesting play of words among really weird characters being watched by two peeping toms that are all being hunted by a crazy hitman then this is for you. I enjoyed it, but again, its not for everyone. But a little curiosity doesn't hurt, right?

SCORE: 6.5/10 - A fairly entertaining Tarantino story starring Anime Characters

X-Men: Days of Future Past - Analysis and Review

The First Marvel Movie that is actually a Movie that's not by Marvel

From that title one should already know my opinion of Disney Marvel film versus Fox Marvel/Sony Marvel films. However while Sony seems unsure about how to handle their one remaining Marvel character (Spider-Man) Fox on the other hand knows full well how to use their properties.

Make a good movie first! Not try to compete with the Parent Company by trying to shove in an entire universe to expand on later into one movie. Make a good movie! That is what Bryan Singer does with X-Men Days of Future Past. He makes a great movie. Not an entertaining movie. A GOOD MOVIE!

The Plot

If you are an X-Men fan then the plot of this film should be no surprise to anyone. But for those who are not aware that this is one of the most famous story lines in comic book history then here's the plot:

In a dark grim future where humanity has control of these monstrous gigantic robots called Sentinels that hunt mutants as well as humans who will later produce mutants, one can expect the X-Men are not doing so good. Enter the surviving members of the X-Men team: Prof. X (Patrick Stewart), Storm (Halle Berry), and Magneto (Ian McKellan) who join forces with refugee mutants led by Bishop (Omar Sy). Among the refugee mutants are former X-Men Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) who has developed the ability to send a person's mind back in time to their younger bodies. The plan: send Prof. X's mind to his younger self (James McAvoy) in order to stop Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the creator of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), and becoming the seductive villainess known as Mystique. However the strain of sending an elderly Prof. X's mind several years into the past would prove too dangerous, so Wolverine volunteers to go through with the mission. This mission will not only require the help of a young Prof. X but the "help" of a young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) as well.

Analysis

The film combines the casts of two different time periods of the same franchise. For the future scenes: the original X-Men franchise actors, and for the past: the new younger actors from the semi-reboot X-Men First Class. The story utilizes the time travel plot in order to bring these two massive casts together into one really really large ensemble. Now, I'm going to immediately compare it to three films. Those films are Spider-Man 3, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Why those three specifically? The Avengers is often lauded as being the greatest superhero movie to bring together all theses individual characters into one film. An ensemble. Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are often criticized for having TOO MANY villains in their movies which becomes the widely accepted notion as to why they failed.

The Avengers comparison? This is pretty much "The Avengers Event" for the Fox created X-Men universe in that it brings together the old cast and the new cast. It is a large ensemble that spans through time connected by a singular character, Wolverine. One can argue that the strength of The Avengers is the ability to juggle six characters (Iron Man, Thor, Capt. America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye) in leading roles. While Hawkeye was merely shafted to silent villain for most of the film, it does a pretty good job in balancing out the character screen time. This is where Days of Future Past has a slight weakness. There are SO MANY characters crammed into this one film. The thing that might upset comic book fans is that most of the new characters and even some of the old ones are merely just small cameos. They don't have much depth other than they're present. Essentially the focus of Days of Future Past is mostly on Young Prof. X, Young Beast, and "Young" Wolverine with supporting roles from Magneto and Mystique. That is a total of... FIVE characters to focus on as opposed to the SIX in Avengers. 

Also while there are the Six Avengers there are the four supporting roles including the villain. In Days of Future Past there are.... 12 supporting roles. And that is also including the two primary villains: Trask and Stryker. Though the total should really be THREE villains as Young Magneto is clearly still an antagonist unlike his redeemed Older self in the future.

That is where the Spider-Man comparison comes in. TOO MANY VILLAINS. That is the argument for many people as to why those films failed. Spider-Man 3 had Sandman, Green Goblin 2, and Venom. Amazing Spider-Man 2 had Rhino, Electro, and Green Goblin. As I stated before, Days of Future Past has three villains. The same number as the other Spider-Man films. Yet what sets them apart, is that they are utilized perfectly. In Days of Future Past the villains are given the amount of time they need to clearly become a threat as well as get their motivations clear. In both Spider-Man sequels the villains are merely put there for the sake of being put there either to appease fans (Venom) or for plot device (Green Goblin). The fact that writer Simon Kinberg (with some help from First Class writers Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman) was capable of handling these three villains in such a natural way shows that the excuse of "TOO MANY VILLAINS" is not a genuine excuse anymore.

In fact, the same argument can't be said about how the HUGE ensemble was handled. While I pointed out there are five main characters and 12 supporting, it could be easy to say The Avengers have the upper hand of which one used ALL of their characters for the best. But the fact that Days of Future Past has 27 characters given enough to make them important to the story while funneling down the focus to the primary five shows just how incredible this is. 

The Avengers may have screen time for all eight of its characters, but Days outnumbers it with enough for all of them. In fact, the Sentinels in Days of Future Past are far more threatening than the easily killable Chitauri in The Avengers.

Review

This is the best storytelling seen in any superhero movie. This is the first film that I believe rivals The Dark Knight in terms of being a genuine film. Marvel has made ENTERTAINING movies but never an actual MOVIE. Iron Man and Captain America: The Winter Soldier could fall into that category, but they are nothing at the level of The Dark Knight or Days of Future Past.

First and foremost, this is a Science Fiction film that just happens to have comic book characters in it. And good sci-fi is hard to come by these days. Especially good time travel movies. And this one excels at being both. What makes the X-Men film franchise so great is that they are first and foremost sci-fi dramas first with the spectacle coming second. Having been created in a time before the Marvel Film domination and the death of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise, it was touted as being real and serious. What gives this film an edge over the Marvel films of the current age is that it doesn't lose sight of its realistic yet fantastical roots. And by real I mean the drama.

The cast is perfect. James McAvoy delivers a powerful performance as a broken young Prof. X who has to learn to accept that he will become the great leader Patrick Stewart portrays. Michael Fassbender shows us a Magneto in his prime that compliments Ian McKellan's more redeemed older self. Hugh Jackman is brilliant as ever as Wolverine. Jennifer Lawrence was not my favorite part of X-Men First Class mainly because Rebecca Romijn as Mystique was just so vicious, but in this film Lawrence shows the turning point in which she is starting to turn into the vicious and sexy Mystique from before. While I could go on and name the rest of the cast as great in their performances, the real stealer of the show is Evan Peters as Peter Maximoff aka Quicksilver. His scenes will have one hoping and begging that he comes back in the sequel.

While the continuity of the film series may not exactly make sense, this film's mission of not only being a good movie but to fix all those problems was accomplished beautifully. This is truly a great film that showcases the return of Bryan Singer as well as a proper send off to the original cast members. Because as sources have stated, from this point onwards it is up to the First Class cast to carry the franchise now...and maybe Wolverine.

Final Thoughts

A well layered and complex movie that does not lose sight of itself in the complications of Time Travel. However I'm not sure how an audience member would feel about the ending of this film if one has not seen the previous installments. Regardless, they should walk away believing that it was a good film. But for those of us who love X-Men movies, this is an E-X-CELLENT film!

SCORE: 9.5/10 - The Best Marvel Film is made by a Non-Marvel Studio