Daily Archives: January 9, 2019

Jan 9 2019

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

Director: Hiroyuki Seshita, Kobun Shizuno

Writer: Gen Urobuchi (Screenplay)

Starring: (Voice Talents) Mamoru Miyano, Takahiro Sakurai, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Yuki Kaji, Reina Ueda

 

Plot: Humanity, their alien allies, and Godzilla all enter their endgame as the powerful destructive entity known as Ghidorah arrives on Earth.


Tagline – This Gold will burn even Despair 

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Disappointing Conclusion

 

Story: Godzilla: The Planet Eater starts where the last film finished, Mecca-Godzilla was defeated, Haruo is feeling the guilt of losing Yuko in the battle with her holding on with the metal infused with her body, Godzilla is left in a dormant state with Metphies turning to religion to bring the monster back to life.

The next threat is coming from of planet who want to destroy the technology that could bring Godzilla back, only for a new threat to arrive, Ghidorah who can only be defeated by using the power of Godzilla, who will take the endgame?

 

Thoughts on Godzilla: The Planet Eater

 

Characters – Haruo Sakaki is lead soldier that made the difficult decision in the last film, he is still recovering from losing Yuko and must go into hiding until the military side of the war have moved on, only he learns about the bigger plan and must stop Metphies from total destruction. Metphies revealed himself last time out, he was a victim of the global destruction off his own planet, he wants to continue the destruction of the people not worthy of being part of his big plans for the universe. Godzilla is the iconic figure who is now dormant, he is barely used in this film which is a massive disappointment. Ghidorah is the creature that comes to Earth only to become the most difficult opponent for Godzilla, this creature looks wonderful, as it consumes planets.

Story – The story continues the trilogy of the Godzilla anime films, we pick up right back where we finished the last movie, as the battle has ended for now, only the next threat to come, one that could destroy Earth forever and Haruo must come to face his own emotions if he can stop the destruction. Now with this one you do need to have seen the previous two films which are crucial to understand the struggles Haruo faces. If you do come here to see Godzilla in action you will be disappointed because he is barely used in the film. the story does seem to fizzle out for the scale of the battles we have seen too.

Sci-Fi – In the world of sci-fi Godzilla is a big figure, this film is set well into the future with the iconic monster facing off against one of the biggest opponents ever.

Settings – The film is set on the modern era Earth which is still filled with the destruction of the previous battles and the lack of technology the future offered.

Animation – The animation standard is strong through the film which has been on the same through the series.


Scene of the Movie – The appearance of Ghidorah.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The lack of Godzilla action.

Final Thoughts – This is a disappointing ending to the franchise which has built up well and different enough from live-action series.

 

Overall: Trilogy that fizzles out.

Rating

 

 

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Jan 9 2019

The Rocketeer (1991)

Director: Joe Johnston

Writer: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear (Screenplay) Dave Stevens (Graphic Novel)

Starring: Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, Terry O’Quinn, Ed Lauter, James Handy

 

Plot: A young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high flying masked hero.


Tagline – Three years before the United States declares war, Cliff Secord leads America’s first battle against the Nazis.

Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Fun Adventure Film

 

Story: The Rocketeer starts in 1938 as young pilot Cliff (Campbell) and his engineer Peevy (Arkin) find a mysterious jetpack in one of their planes after a group of mobsters crash in their airstrip. Neville Sinclair (Dalton) wants the rocket and has Eddie Valentine (Sorvino) and his men try to retrieve it.

With Neville turning out to be one of the biggest stars in an emerging Hollywood, Cliff’s girlfriend Jenny (Connelly) has a part in his latest movie, which brings him to the attention of Neville and his goons, once he uses the jetpack to save a friend.

 

Thoughts on The Rocketeer

 

Characters – Cliff is a quiet, shy and clumsy pilot, well clumsy on land, he has a blossoming romance with aspiring actress, he is always trying to prove he is the best in the sky and when he gets his hands on a jetpack he becomes the Rocketeer. Jenny is the aspiring actress that has only been getting small roles and only wishes Cliff would support her dreams more. Peevy is the engineer that can fix anything for Cliff, he watches him risk his life and knows he can handle himself. Neville Sinclair is a big-name actor in Hollywood, he wants to get his hands on the jetpack and will use his goons to get his hands on it.

Performances – Billy Campbell is good in this leading role, you can see the innocent reactions in his eyes. Jennifer Connelly is good even if she is just mainly the damsel to Cliff’s character. Alan Arkin does get to have fun in his role, while Timothy Dalton works well as the primary villain in the film.

Story – The story here follows a young man that suddenly gets the equipment to make him superhuman with the addition of the jetpack, though the mob are also after the jetpack and he must protect his friends from his secret. This is adapted from a graphic novel and you can see this as it is mostly an origin story about how Cliff became the Rocketeer. When it comes to the villains we get cliched mob figures throughout which is fine, but soon becomes tiresome with their reactions to everything going on. This is however a fun story that can be enjoyed throughout.

Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi – The action in the film is a lot of fun because it is wildly over the top and fits the comic book ideas we are now used too. The adventure takes Cliff from a small time role of a pilot to one of the most wanted men in Hollywood and not for the good reasons. The sci-fi elements from the film come from the inclusion of the jetpack and how it comes from the mind of Howard Hughes.

Settings – The film is set in Hollywood where we have the rise of mobsters in the corrupt on the early stages of Hollywood are shown through the use of the settings.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are good for the most part, the flying sequences are a step forward from the old school Superman films and have dated when it comes to modern film stylings.


Scene of the Movie – First time with the Rocket.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The mobsters feel too cliched.

Final Thoughts – This is a nice fun film that can be enjoyed, it has dated in places but for a time when comic book movies didn’t come along that often this shows you can make them fun without them being connected.

 

Overall: Fun from start to finish.

Rating

 

 

Jan 9 2019

ABC Film Challenge – Favourite Films of 2018 – I – Irreplaceable You

ABC Film Challenge

Favourite Films of 2018

I

Irreplaceable You

Why I’ve Picked this choice – When it comes to romance movies I only tend to lean towards certain movies, this is one of those movies because it shows us just how the perfect love can be shattered by something outside both of the couple’s hands, we follow as the lady in the couple is struck down with cancer and decides she wants to help her partner search for a new partner in her final months alive. This shows us just how important time is in life and just want it means to the people who care about you most, how you should always enjoy the time together, bring the tissues when you watch this movie.

Jan 9 2019

The 6th Friend (2018)

Director: Letia Clouston

Writer: Letia Clouston, Jamie Bernadette (Screenplay)

Starring: Jamie Bernadette, Chantelle Albers, Dominique Swain, Jessica Morris, Tania Nolan, David Villada, Monique Rosario

 

Plot: Six college best friends throw their own private graduation party that goes terribly wrong when an uninvited guest arrives. Five years later, the girls gather once again and endure a night of far more horror and bloodshed.


Tagline – how far would you go for your best friend?

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Horror Fans Enjoy the Slasher

 

Story: The 6th Friend starts when six college friends Joey (Bernadette), Melissa (Albers), Heather (Swain), Katie (Morris), Sahara (Nolan) and Becca (Rosario) who have reunited after a traumatic experience while high on drugs, the group come back together to help each other move on with their lives, only for them all to be suffering with their own problems.

The night takes a dramatic turn when the past comes back to haunt the women and they must now fight to survive against a masked killer, one they believe to be waiting them since the original traumatic night.

 

Thoughts on The 6th Friend

 

Characters – Joey is one of the six women, she is the least interested in the reunion because has dealt with the night in her own way, never wanting to face the reality of that night she is forced to when a killer comes back for the friends. She takes charge while others panic and her decision seems to be the one the friends lean towards. Melissa is the one that bought the friends back together, she has become a celebrity because of the previous events, it is her family home where the women are spending the weekend, though she is the first to lose control once they face the killer. The remaining four women are Heather, Katie, Sahara and Becca each have their own traits to make them be their own characters even if they do fall into the generic supporting figures.

Performances – When it comes to the performances our lead is Jamie Bernadette who also co-wrote the screenplay, we see Jamie deliver another strong leading performance fitting in the final girl figure that we have gotten to know in the slasher genre. Chantelle Albers as the arranger of the big reunion is strong too because of the range she must show, playing the figure that is used to the spotlight. The remain women are solid in their roles and show good chemistry for the friendship between the women.

Story – The story follows six friends that head out for a reunion five years after a traumatic night it soon turns sour when a masked killer from their past arrives and they must fight to survive. This does fit the slasher genre well for a story line, it is the additions which do give this story another edge, because we get to see how after the first event the women have raised to celebrity status, which reflects how the modern world is treating the victims. This is a horror so, imagine we would get twists and this is full of them, even if certain moments of the film you feel you are about to put your finger on what is going on things take a change.

Horror – The slasher genre is one of the easiest to watch in the horror sub-genre, it has a generic formula which this film does follow, until the final act which needs to be different to make the film stand out.

Settings – The film is set in a cabin in the woods, with no where to run and with the cars disabled, we get isolation for the characters involved.

Special Effects – The effects used are strong for the most part, I liked how the killer’s appearance comes off, even if certain injuries are not at the strongest level.


Scene of the Movie – The final act.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The goodnight process.

Final Thoughts – This is a good fun slasher, that offers a twist you won’t see coming, even if certain moments can feel like you have seen before.

 

Overall: Slasher film you can enjoy.

Rating