Godzilla vs Kong

Godzilla vs Kong is the sequel to both Godzilla: King of Monsters and Kong Skull Island and is the long awaited crossover of these two versions of the iconic monsters.The film stars Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Millie Bobbie Brown and Kyle Chandler. The film follows the humans trying to make sense of the long standing rivalry and brace for not only the battle ahead but a deeper conspiracy surrounding the two Titans.This film is exactly what you expect. It’s good, but it’s exactly what you think it’s gonna be. That isn’t a bad thing however.I’ll say for my positives, which are many, that again it’s a fun film. Beautiful CGI and cinematography, clear action, awesome designs for all the monsters. The filmmakers seemed to know what everyone wanted and gave us three really entertaining fights. I appreciated the rivalry they gave Godzilla and Kong to justify the fight. The music was fantastic! Junkie XL is quickly becoming one of my favorite working composers. The pace and runtime were actually quick and it worked for me. I’d rather spend the time with the monster fights.With a movie like this you know what you’re getting in terms of human characters, almost all of the humans are one note and greatly lacking in chemistry with any other human. However the little Deaf girl probably has more chemistry with a CGI ape then the whole cast combined. There is also a subplot that is painfully unnecessary and actually hurt my overall enjoyment. There is also a third act addition that may rub some as being VERY forced.Godzilla vs Kong is a fine popcorn movie and a fitting conclusion to this run of Monsterverse films, if they decide to go that route and reset after this.Godzilla vs Kong gets a 3.8 out of 5.

The Little Things

The Little Things is a crime thriller directed by John Lee Hancock and stars Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. The film follows two police detectives investigating a series of gruesome crimes and are stalked by their prime suspect, a very unusual mysterious man.

I’ve always loved a good crime thriller. From Se7en to Zodiac to Gone Girl, I find the genre absolutely fascinating. Even when it’s a mediocre film, I can find some things to enjoy.

First things first, the performances were one of the reasons I wanted to watch this movie. Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto are among my favorites. Denzel is one of the world’s greatest actors, up there with Brando, Stewart, Newman, Nicholson, Day-Lewis, you name it. I’d watch Rami Malek in a 2 and 1/2 hour movie of him watching paint dry. While they are really good with what the average script gave them to do, the stand out is Jared Leto. He’s so unbearably creepy, yet he’s got some of the few moments of levity. He gives everything he does this air of malace and uneasiness.

The cinematography and the music are really good if not slightly familiar to other thrillers.

The pacing is something for a thriller that needs to be crisp and perfect and any deviation can harm it. I hesitate to use the word slow but there were moments, even past the initial set up, where it felt like it needed a shot of adrenaline. When it got that, it didn’t feel very earned.

The overall tone was really unusual. At times it was a dark comedy, at times a gruesome thriller, at other times a neo-western. When there was moments of the comic relief, it seemed to immediately want you to ignore it. As I am a fan of thrillers of this nature, I was quick to notice tropes and clichés throught the story that are familiar to the genre. There were times where it felt like the movie thought it was more original than it was.

The Little Things is a well shot movie with amazing acting but poor execution beyond that. But all and all it is a decent installation in the crime thriller genre.

The Little Things gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Apologies

Good God what a year. Working on the Frontline of this past year allowed me little downtime save for rest. But now I’m back and with new movies and shows being released on streaming services more and more, I have the outlet back to continue my work. I’ll be back in a few days to review a movie I didn’t hear about until a month ago that was just released on HBO Max. So stay tuned fair readers.

New Year

As we approach the New Year I just want to apologize for the lack of activity on this blog. Working in the field I do doesn’t allot much in the way of the limited time I have to take in the media necessary to maintain this review page. I DO however intend on devoting as much of my energy towards this page as I can in the coming year and giving you all the review magic.

Good Omens

Good Omens is the Amazon Prime, that’s right Amazon, original miniseries based on the popular book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and stars an ensemble cast led by Michael Sheen and David Tennant.

The plot revolves around Crowley, a demon and Aziraphale, an angel; who after growing accustomed to Earth seek to stop the Apocalypse by finding the Antichrist.

There is so much to love about this show from the score, to the script, the dialogue, the pace and special effects. The cast however I feel, is the standout of this show.

Michael Sheen and David Tennant who play Aziraphale and Crowley, respectively, have amazing chemistry and seem to have inhabited the roles so well that you at times forget they’re even actors. The rest of the cast, a whose who of “Hey they got them?” are all top notch but my favorite supporting character is the archangel Gabriel, played by Jon Hamm. Hamm plays Gabriel with such slimy charm that at times you almost like him before realizing he’s just a slime ball.

The script is so sharp and witty and weird that it takes you on such an adventure with every episode and helps the pace move along. For being six episodes it really felt contained, crisp and breezy. The dialogue is incredible with so many jokes and one liners it may take several views to get all the jokes and references scattered about. I’m a sucker for shows like this that kinda poke fun at everything and give things Armageddon, a feel that it’s like an assignment from HR or something. The special effects were really good as well, kinda suprising for a TV show.

Good Omens is a brisk, fun, delightfully weird adventure that will make you laugh.

I highly recommend Good Omens!!

4.8 out of 5 stars!!

Rocketman

Rocketman, the fantastical jukebox musical inspired by the life of Elton John, is directed by Dexter Fleatcher and stars Taron Edgerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard and Stephen Graham.

Its important people understand. This is not your grandfather’s music biopic. This is an epic jukebox musical based around the life of the icon that is Sir Elton John!

And boy oh boy is it good!!

At the risk of sounding like a hipster but I’ve been in Taron Edgerton’s camp since the first Kingsman. This guy is way too talented for words. While making the role his own he still managed to invoke the spirit and sass of the legendary singer. Letting him sing and make Elton’s songs his own was such a good choice because it makes it feel so much more real.

The rest of the cast is great and most get a chance to sing as well. The two young actors who portrayed young Reggie Dwight (Elton’s birth name) are really awesome too. Bryce Dallas Howard knocks it out as the sadly accurate emotionally distant mother of John.

The two major figures in Elton’s music career are portrayed quite well too. Jamie Bell is great as Bernie Taupin, Elton’s friend and lyricist. Their chemistry is electric and you can buy their friendship from the first meeting. Richard Madden plays the infamous manager and lover of Elton, John Reid. This is such a stark (eh eh) contrast from his most famous role but he sells every line that comes out of his conniving mouth. You buy and wanna root for their relationship before the claws and true nature come flying out.

Elton’s music is used thought the film, anachronistic yes, to convey the emotional nature of the character’s headspace at the time and that was such a good choice. The cinematography (oh God here he goes again) was fantastic and the musical dance numbers were electrifying. Just what you want from the story of such a unique talent like Elton. The script is great, it does do some of the typical beats of a biopic but never overwhelmingly so.

They do such a good job of conveying the emotion as well. From Elton’s struggles with addiction and his disgustingly abusive upbringing, nothing is toned down.

I love so much about this movie. But if I was really forced to choose something to nitpick, and I really mean nitpick, I’d say the pacing at times felt slightly off but that really didn’t bother me at all.

Rocketman, in my opinion, was the only way to tell the story of the legendary singer that took the world by storm and brought hilariously over the top sunglasses to the masses.

Rocketman gets 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Avengers Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the final film in the Infinity Saga and is directed by the Russo Brothers. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Danai Gurira, Gwyneth Paltrow and Josh Brolin.

Following the tragic events of Avengers: Infinity War, the remaining heroes unite to attempt to bring Thanos to justice and recover what was lost.

Now, I firmly believe the best way to watch this film is with ZERO spoilers, so I will go about reviewing this film as vague as possible.

That being said I LOVE THIS MOVIE! This film is the PERFECT way to cap off a long 11 year, 22 film journey while also leaving the door wide open for the future.

Here’s what I love:
-The stakes from Infinity War are carried over and enhanced.
-The cast is incredible, they all turn it what are probably the best performances they’ve given for these characters. Props have to go to Evans, Gillan, RDJ, Renner, Brolin, Rudd, Hemsworth and Ruffalo.
-The action is truly unique and beautiful.
-The special effects are breathtaking.
-Thanos continues to be a BADASS!
-The script provides so much emotion, heart and humor thats it’s truly an emotional rollercoaster.
-Although it was over 3 hours the pacing and story made it so breezy and it never felt overwhelming.

I think for the first time ever I can’t honestly say I have a single negative about this film.

Avengers: Endgame is the perfect conclusion to the MCU’s first storyline.

Avengers: Endgame gets 5 stars out of 5.

The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech is directed by Tom Hooper and stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, and Timothy Spall. The film follows the Duke of York, the future King George VI, seeking the help of Australian therapist Lionel Louge as he struggles with a stammer, his father’s death, the abdication crisis and the impending Second World War.

Now, many who know me personally know I have struggled with a stutter for as long as I can remember and have often been critical of films that use stutters as they mostly depict those with the condition as being simple and easy to brush off.

This movie in my mind, changed that. Beyond seeing the story of a Royal (the paragons of perfection to many) struggle with something so so many do was such a relief and researching after and seeing just how many famous people struggle too was a truly positive thing for me. The care and attention that you see Colin Firth put into this role is extraordinary. The tics and mannerisms during a moment of struggle is accurate and seemed so sincere.

Now that I have that out of the way, let’s get into what else makes this my favorite movie. The cinematography is on point, never do you feel like the movie is unnaturally lit, it all feels genuine and real. The foggy scenes are foggy, the poorly lit rooms are poorly lit. The Dutch tilts, while many dislike them, work so well to convey the uncomfortable nature of having a stuttering incident. The music pulls you in and the dialouge again feels so very genuine and real.

Colin Firth was incomparable as Albert, Duke of York and future King. Geoffrey Rush not only shined through the chemistry with Firth but his ability to convey both comedy and hardship of his role as Lionel Logue feels really special. Helena Bonham Carter is also great as Elizabeth, wife of Albert and the future Queen Mother, coming off of performances like Bellatrix Lestrange and Mrs. Lovett, she stuns as a posh and sophisticated Royal woman. The supporting cast are equally well cast and on point: Pearce, Gambon and Jacobi shine out of the crowd.

The story, as I’ve said before is so personal and gives such a unique perspective on a figure and time period drenched in fame and mythos with all the stakes and somehow no WWII action but you feel it all regardless.

I will always love the King’s Speech through my personal connection and from a film review standpoint. If you have never seen the movie I cannot recommend it enough!