31
98
7
The Butterfly
What I liked:
The humans were a more engaging group than usual. The scientists had long time Godzilla actor, Hirata Akihiko, there to help them. An intrepid reporter had parachuted onto the island where the scientists were running tests to try and attempt to control the weather (nothing scary about that!) and he found a young woman who has been marooned on the island since her archaeologist father had died there years ago. The humans ran into problems having little to do with the monsters on the island and it gave them added depth as they had to work together to survive and get along.
Several giant praying mantis lurked in the jungle were a threat to the scientists and sleeping under the ground was a giant spider waiting to go all Shelob on them. The fights involving the giant monsters were all pretty well done and interesting.
If watching with children- Godzilla and his newly hatched son (which raises a lot of questions in and of itself from the mythos) are very affectionate, not scary, so this movie would be appropriate. Instead of frightening, Godzilla comes across as cuddly. There are a lot of loving interactions as Godzilla teaches his son to use his powers and also protects him. Minya protects his papa, too. And for once, Tokyo or some other town is not annihilated. Kamacuras and Kumonga might be too much for small children or those with arachnophobia.
What I didn't like:
Minya's/Baby Godzilla's costume was about as ugly as they could make it and Papa G's didn't look much better this go around. Kamacuras and Kumonga were styled better. Big G has battled far greater enemies and shouldn't have struggled as much as he did with the giant island bugs. Maybe his poorly created face caused him to feel inferior and he fought down at their level.
The sound department couldn't decide what noises to give Minya so they used a puppy, cat, lamb, and even donkey on different occasions to try and make Minya sound cute and helpless. I struggle anytime Godzilla is anthropomorphized to this extent, though it’s certainly not as bad as in Godzilla vs Megalon.
Overall, by setting aside the fearsome, destructive original Godzilla and accepting this era's kinder, gentler anti-hero, I could enjoy this movie for what it was. The humans were more compelling than in most Godzilla movies which helped as well. The truly scariest part of this whole movie was the humans' hubris in thinking they were wise enough to control the weather and not create greater world-wide catastrophes.
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When nuclear testing causes disturbances across the area, including the underwater world of Seatopia, their leader, Emperor Antonio, clad in a white toga with go-go boots and wearing a tiara with what looks like a replica of Megalon's head, calls for the giant cockroach to appear and retaliate against the humans. Megalon heads to Tokyo and starts tearing things up in town.
Meanwhile back at a Japanese lab a couple of humans and a kid are admiring the new robot they've created, Jet Jaguar, which was likely brought in to make the movie even more kid friendly. It reminded me of a creepy clown Ultraman. A couple of Seatopians show up and the kidnappings begin because they want the robot technology.
Ultimately, Jet Jaguar and Godzilla team up against Megalon and Gigan. It takes until two thirds of the movie to get the monster action going but when they do the fun begins. There are monster high fives and handshakes, dispelling any notion that these are giants guided by instinct.
When Godzilla shows up, the music doesn't announce a scary monster, it sounds more like someone's drunk Uncle Tony is stumbling onto the scene. The music was not very inspiring in this movie.
A giant cockroach seems apropos as a mortal enemy, they were here long before humans and will likely be here long after humans. I've always thought they'll be the ones to take over once we're gone in the hopefully very distant future. Thankfully, this time a giant irradiated lizard was able to keep cockroach world domination at bay.
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We are told somehow, somewhere, someway humans found a magical alien crystalline energy source in outer space and it transformed human society. We are told some alien Big Bads decided they wanted it and started attacking the earth. We are told about major cities being devastated world wide. We are told about loving longings between characters. We are told about friendships between characters. Another important thing this movie forgot---showing is more important than telling.
I found it utterly impossible to emotionally connect with any of the characters. Shu Qi is a beautiful and talented actress who was given the job of standing around looking at a monitor and giving orders. The four young pilots featured didn't have enough charisma or meaningful interactions with each other to have me invested in their lives or even remember who they were half the time. The rest of the cast acted in such a reserved manner as to feel almost lifeless.
Much of the CGI was good, even if the part of the alien spaceship they showed looked suspiciously like the ship from Independence Day. Too bad they forgot the part where we were shown what the actual aliens looked like from that movie, to make the battles seem even more personal and real. In Shanghai Fortress with all the amazing weaponry the humans had developed to combat the aliens, I'm at a complete loss why they still fought the alien robots on the ground using ineffective bullet shooting guns. There were several plot developments that made no sense.
Sometimes I can check my brain at the door and just enjoy the ride if the characters are compelling enough but this felt more like a hologram that was all visual with no substance.
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I'm going to start off with what I liked. The quality of the miniatures, sets, 1968 special effects, and space ship was quite good. I had to remind myself that this movie came out a year before the first manned trip to the moon. I appreciated their optimism that the world would be fully cooperating in 1999 not just on Earth but the moon as well. On the monster front, eleven popular Kaiju stars made appearances: Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Mandan, Kumonga, Baragon, Varan, Gorosaurus, Minya, Anguirus, and Ghidorah. The fight near the end was all you could hope for in this era from Ghidorah against Godzilla and friends.
What let me down about this movie-in a movie called Destroy All Monsters, I want to see monsters. I suppose it could have been talking about the aliens because out of 88 minutes, the monsters were only on screen for around 18 minutes. The alien story could have been interesting but the acting was stiff and unemotional from humans and aliens alike. There were some entertaining moments, but not enough to keep me from wondering what the monsters were up to while the humans were talking.
Even though I was happy to see all the monsters in one movie, it would have been nice if they'd felt like the stars instead of guest stars in their own movie.
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Based loosely on the time when foreigners with guns were invading China, there were those who thought their fighters would be able to repel bullets with their kung fu. Lau Kar Leung's character disbands his school because he doesn't want to see any more young men die trying to survive bullet wounds with kung fu techniques. Of course, now he's branded as a traitor and the other schools send people to execute him. He's living quietly as a woodcutter though it doesn't take long for Hsiao Hou and Kara Hui to track him down. Kara's character is in agreement with his philosophy, Hsiao's character ends up having to question all his training and loyalty to his master when confronted with the truth of the human body and bullets.
There are some magical elements to the action with mind and body control. Two scenes with Alexander Fu Sheng, who plays a local conman, are particularly funny with Lau Kar Leung controlling his body with a straw doll.
Aside from Kara Hui, this is not a movie with pretty actors in the lead roles. This movie was made with actors, including Kara, who could perform the fights with precision and grace.
I could go on about the clash of traditionalism vs modern warfare and the nature of kung fu touched on in the film, but honestly what I enjoyed the most was watching the amazing fight scenes. Lau Kar Leung vs Hsiao Hou. Hsiao Hou and Kara Hui in a crazy attic fight. Gordon Liu, here in a supporting role as the antagonist, fighting against Lau Kar Leung was great. Just watching Lau Kar Leung practice with the weapons was worth the price of admission. The best was literally brother on brother fighting when Lau Kar Wing and Lau Kar Leung fight using all 18 weapons and their fists and kicks. The fighting is fast, expertly choreographed, no obviously missed hits or kicks, no missed timing. It was a joy to behold watching these experts put on a show.
After all the thrilling fights, the story even came to a satisfying end. If you are a kung fu movie enthusiast, this one is not to be missed.
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Mechagodzilla is back and this time it's personal!
Godzilla has his claws full battling a refurbished Mechagodzilla, Titanosaurus, and the space aliens from the previous Mechagodzilla appearance. This time the aliens have a mad Earth scientist who can control the normally peaceful Titanosaurus to help them reach their nefarious goal of leveling Tokyo and making it their new home. Along for the ride are some Interpol agents and the mad scientist's cyborg daughter. Of course, one of the Interpol agents falls madly in love with the daughter in the five minutes he gets to know her. Godzilla movies have it all--even romance!I thought the first Mechagodzilla movie was better than this one. Godzilla was almost relegated to a bit player here. He had a face lift since his last outing, making him look angrier. Thankfully, his eyes didn't look painted on by a fourth grader this time. Titanosaurus had the most screen time. I have to say I thought the design for Titan was very good and aesthetic, he made a formidable, if reluctant opponent for Big G. Mechagodzilla was back with some new weaponry and a few surprises.
Ifukube Akira's score was dark, ominous and at times thundering. I very rarely notice the music in movies, but I thought the score was nearly perfect, particularly for the opening sequence.
I would be remiss if I didn't make note that Honda Ishiro, the director for the first Godzilla movie, came out of at least semi-retirement to helm this movie.
The monster fights and city destruction were well done and didn't go over the line into the boxing camp of earlier movies. It did look like the same city block was destroyed several times, but given it's smallish budget that feels like nitpicking. My complaint is the same one I give in nearly every review, the humans were lackluster, including the simian aliens. The human element wouldn't be as important if they didn't take up so much screen time. I'm here for the big guy, not the humans he lets live on the island.
Terror of Mechagodzilla was entertaining, with a few dark elements thrown in, particularly near the end. This was a slightly above average 1970's Godzilla movie for me.
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Big G has his hands full with Mechagodzilla, luckily King Caesar/Shisa and some plucky humans are around to help. Returning for another Godzilla adventure is Hirata Akihiko as Professor Hideto Miyajima. This veteran actor is always a welcome presence. The humans were fairly interesting in this movie as they dealt with the aliens in various dangerous, if convoluted scenarios.
Though made during the classic 1970's rubber suit era, the makers of this film backed off the camp and upped the danger for Godzilla, complete with spurting blood. I have to remind myself that these movies were often made to be kid friendly though they did tone down the humorous fight scenes in this one. The laser effects were good for this time-frame and for what looked like a movie that was shot on a very limited budget. No miniature armies appeared, only buildings and mountainsides were destroyed. This was strictly monster on monster fighting.
Many Godzilla movies have a moral behind them. In this one, King Caesar/Shisa seems to be a call back to older Japanese traditions where the priestess must sing a hymn to awaken him. He is the god-like creature who protects the island and appears when called upon. Mechagodzilla shows modern technology encroaching on society. And somewhere in between is Godzilla, an ancient creature enhanced by modern nuclear radiation. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it and King Caesar is just a giant dog eared monster, Godzilla is a giant, destructive lizard and Mechagodzilla is just a large tin can created by some aliens spoiling for a fight!
Mechagodzilla's suit and weaponry were innovative though the real Godzillas's suit was underwhelming for me in this one. This is one of the rare times I enjoyed the humans' story as much as the monster fights. That's not to say their story was riveting, perhaps it's more of a reflection of my apathy toward the monster fights. I found King Caesar/Shisa to be lacking in particular. Mechagodzilla's weaponry and fights with Big G and all the spies both alien and human running around kept the film interesting and the action moving forward. Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes if you are a fan of the classic era.
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The story had some fun twists and turns. There were corrupt Ching nobles, Ming rebels, Korean sympathizers, Japanese characters, monks, fake monks, and real monks in disguise all after a pearl that is a holy relic, but there's also a fake pearl and a poor dead body dragged around the country side. With all these moving pieces, of course there are double crosses galore.
The story had potential, unfortunately some of the best fighters were missing for big chunks of time during the movie. Angela Mao doesn't appear until the 30 minute mark and Carter Wong is also vastly underused. Paul Chu plays the ML and he is out classed by the kung fu fighters around him and it shows.
The soundtrack often sounded like spaghetti western music and I suppose with all the outdoor settings and classic good guy versus bad guy fights only with fists or swords instead of guns it was fitting.
Many kung fu movies end abruptly as if the crew ran out of film but this one had a particularly unsatisfying ending. The saving grace for this film was simply being able to see the cast in action even if they were often underutilized. Legendary Strike may not be legendary but it did have some entertaining moments.
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This review may contain spoilers
Godzilla is nearing death not only for himself but possibly all of humanity as his nuclear heart is about to explode. If that wasn't enough to deal with, Japan's G Force must also contend with some truly scary monsters created from the original 1954 Godzilla weapon-the oxygen destroyer-that have reached maturity and come ashore. Though we are still in the rubber suit era, the CGI and miniatures are quite good for this time and budget. The Destoroyah describes a number of ten foot tall monsters that look like a cross between Alien and the creatures from Starship Troopers, or giant creepy scorpions that can also shoot laser breath out. Their battle with humans in a building were probably the scariest scenes I've seen in the old G movies. The danger and stakes were immediate and personal. When a reporter is trapped in a car with a Destoroyah after her it's more compelling than when unseen humans die in buildings and cars crushed by the giant monsters.
The story for this movie is strong when it focuses on the monsters. Godzilla's son appears and fights Destoroyah, drawing Godzilla back for a final battle. The fights are good, resisting the camp of older movies.
The weak spot in this movie is as usual, the humans. This group was a particularly bland group of actors and flat characters. The one bright spot was a call back to the original Godzilla movie when Momoko Kochi reprises her 1954 role as Emiko Yamane. Ultimately, the monsters showed more believable anger and grief than the humans.
The OST for this movie was particularly good for a Godzilla movie evoking emotions and blending appropriately with the scenes. Probably the best music from any of the Godzilla movies I've watched.
Aside from the acting, the biggest problem I had with this movie was that the narrative and pacing were not always coherent or cohesive. There were times I wasn't completely sure what was going on. At others, it felt like parts of the story had been forgotten.
The movie makes a nice circle back to the original which is fitting as this was to be the last in this series. Godzilla fights one final monster, maybe his greatest enemy yet, before his punishing finish for Tokyo.
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The plot is not very deep. The evil lord needs a rare medicine and sends Lo Lieh and his deadly dragon missiles to get it. The evil second in command wants the glory and rewards so he sends henchmen to "escort" LL. Along the way innocents are killed and family members come seeking revenge. There are crosses, double-crosses and triple-crosses all with LL in their cross-hairs. Very few minutes go by without weapons being drawn and red blood or heads flying.
Several of the fight scenes take place outdoors in beautiful settings near the ocean. Some of the stage sets will seem familiar to Shaw viewers. The fights are adequate for this cast, not super fast but entertaining.
The plot was thin, the sound effects could have come straight out of a Warner Bros. cartoon, and as always the Shaw Bros. ending was hilariously abrupt, but it was a fun 80 minutes of fights, chases, and betrayals.
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This review may contain spoilers
This sequel to the beautifully made Come Drink With Me should have been called Silver Roc instead of Golden Swallow. The amazing Cheng Pei Pei, the star of CDWM, is relegated by director Chang Cheh to a supporting role in her own movie in favor of Jimmy Wang's Silver Roc.The story sets up an unhealthy love triangle. The Roc is a ruthless killing machine cutting and slashing his way across the country taking out anyone affiliated with a gang or evil family. The problem comes in when he frames the Golden Swallow for the killings bringing down all sorts of trouble on her head. Fortunately for her, Lo Lieh shows up as the Golden Whip saving her after she's been poisoned and protects her while she heals. The two of them fight side-by-side together and become friends though The Whip is falling in love with her. Meanwhile the Roc spends all of his non-killing time at the brothel.
Why did the Roc set her up repeatedly? He and the Swallow had known each other at their martial arts school years ago and he would occasionally speak to her even though he was a jerk to everyone else. Now he's trying to force her to come to him with the bad guys hunting her down relentlessly even though he's known where she is all along. I don't begin to know how to reconcile her having feelings for a man who kills mercilessly and puts her life repeatedly at risk out of "love". These aren't spoilers, it's literally the plot for the whole movie. It's that basic.
Wang is seen several times riding a horse and he rides like he wields a sword-sloppily and as if he'd never done it before. Normally, Lau Kar Leung is my favorite fight choreographer, but he missed severely with this movie, maybe it was Tang Chia's influence. Wang's ultimate swordsman abilities are akin to spray and pray with everyone falling down. In CDWM Pei Pei's moves were artistic, here they are rudimentary and she keeps having to throw her hands up like a cheerleader. Lo Lieh manages to look smooth and powerful which only accented Wang's frenetic movements. It didn't help that Wang's acting was stiff as a board in this movie.
What I did like were Pei Pei's and Lieh's performances. They came across more naturally bringing some depth and nuance to scenes that bordered on the ludicrous. Wu Ma played a good guy for a change and he was able to show what he can do with a few lines and scenes.
I know I'm coming across as harsh, but watching Come Drink With Me and Golden Swallow back-to-back was a mistake because the difference in quality and style was glaring. Chang Pei Pei commanded the screen in CDWM, in Golden Swallow she was stuck playing the vacillating female over someone who kills and threatens to get her attention. Wang's character took up most of the story which is a shame because he was the least interesting thing about the whole movie. I would have scored GS lower, but gave it a bonus point bump for Cheng Pei Pei's and Lo Lieh's diligent work to save this story.
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Gordon Liu plays the 11th prince, and soon to be named Crown Prince, who has to hide his martial arts skills and his identity as he tries to find out which brother is trying to have him killed. He takes on a hot-headed thief named Ho, played by Wong Yu, through some subterfuge and trains him in kung fu and how to be a better man. The growth of their relationship from adversaries to friends is at the heart of the story. The movie starts out as a light comedy and steadily grows darker.
In Liu's initial fights he disguises his skills making it seem that what happens are accidents or like a puppet master fights through someone else. In two other "polite" encounters with killers, a wine tasting and antiques buying expedition, he fights calmly and intricately with the polite killers without damaging the products. Ultimately, there is a no holds barred showdown with Lo Lieh, playing the corrupted general along with his minions.
For fans of Shaw Brothers productions there are many familiar faces filling out the cast. The biggest star for me was the man behind the camera, Lau Kar Leung. His fight choreography, especially in the days before CGI, is amazing. Fortunately, for him, he had some actors well versed in kung fu to bring those scenes to life.
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Initially Jimmy Wang Yu, the main hero, is on his own with a few towns people who are trying to get a petition to the magistrate's overlord to bring justice to the town. Lo Lieh works for the magistrate but though a skilled swordsman is not into his work. Cheng Lei starts out in prison where he got himself incarcerated just so that he has food to eat. An unlikely trio find their way on the same side during the course of the movie.
The story starts out slow and repetitious, the sword fights rather dull and uninspired. The bodies start piling up as the movie goes along and Jimmy Wang Yu's character dances a fine line between being heroic and ineffectual. Eventually, the sword fights improve but were not memorable. The story does pick up as well as more and more people are galvanized into action.
Magnificent Trio has been re-mastered, the colors and clarity are vibrant. The music and sound effects came through clearly.
The subtitles were easy to read as well. It's worth mentioning because some of these older films have been neglected and treated poorly. The colors can be faded and the subtitles can run right off the screen. Thankfully, MT was lovingly restored.
I didn't find Magnificent Trio thrilling and the fight scenes were okay. What I did like was the chemistry between the three heroes and the sacrifices they were willing to make to better the lives of others. Overall I enjoyed the movie though I doubt it's one I'll ever re-watch.
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Famously known as the film Alexander Fu Sheng died while filming, in a car accident off set. The script had to be re-worked leaving him out of the final fight scenes.
The themes of loyalty, family, honor and betrayal are woven throughout the movie. Out of seven sons, only two survived a betrayal by a family friend and ambush. One was driven mad and the other hid in a Buddhist temple and refined his pole fighting skills. The mood is bleak and dark throughout the film as the surviving family members seek justice and revenge.
I look forward to movies directed and choreographed by Lau Kar Leung. His fights are always fast and creative. Brutal, too. Gordon Liu is a gifted fighter and with every film of his I see I am more and more impressed. The pole sparring session between Liu and Phillip Ko Fei is not to be missed. Not to be outdone, Kara Hui shines as the sister who has to fight through her own ambushes and entrapment on her way to find her brother. The final fight is a bit gruesome as the monks practice their non-lethal moves that extract an opponent’s teeth. The action is almost non-stop from the opening credits to the end.
The story didn’t move me as much as I hoped it would. The fight scenes were, however, spectacular and worth watching this movie for.
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I enjoyed this Godzilla movie because it's one of the few movies where the humans are actually interesting. Most of the time they are background noise. The writers took the time to develop three or four characters, giving us someone to root for, care for and also despise.
The alien ship was formidable enough but when the alien(s) aboard is able to siphon off some of Godzilla's DNA and create a monster body of his own, the big guy has his hands full. This movie used a variety of techniques to bring the monsters, spaceship and fights to life, including the signature miniatures Godzilla movies are known for. Too often in Godzilla movies there are a lot of boring filler scenes in between monster fights, Godzilla 2000 kept the action going among the monsters and the humans.
Despite its mediocre rating I found it entertaining from start to finish.
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