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The Butterfly
Tornado Alley
Andy Lau played the deadly and thoroughly unlikeable warlord, Hou Jie. Because he was the star I knew he wasn't going to get killed in all of the dirty double-crosses early in the movie, but I have to say I was rooting for him to get his. Fortunately for me, I didn't receive that early catharsis, instead after a vicious confrontation with forces ordered to assassinate him, he managed to crawl away to the Shaolin temple.
This movie leaned heavily into Buddhist beliefs or at least movie Buddhist beliefs. Jackie Chan showed up as a cook working at the temple conflicted as to whether he should stay or go. He's there primarily for some light comic relief as you can imagine. Yu Hai played the Abbott, he was also in Jet Li's Martial Arts of Shaolin, playing a Shaolin master. He showed the most beautiful Mantis fighting in MAOS, I was desperately hoping to see him show the style again. Alas, he did fight a little (he was much older in 2011) but no Mantis.
The cinematography and sets were beautiful. Certainly no complaints for me on these aspects of the movie. I'm not one to notice music in movies very often, but the OST was quite pleasing.
Shaolin's story used a common kung fu movie pattern only amping up the destruction, body count, and explosions. Long time kung fu movie enthusiasts will be able to call what's coming next without much trouble.. The story was told well and ultimately, it was a story of redemption. That's usually all I need to be hooked. I'm not sure Hou Jie earned his redemption in such a short time, but movie magic makes everything move more quickly.
This is my favorite Andy Lau performance yet. He had to dig down deep to convey the myriad of emotions for this complicated character. Nicholas Tse as his younger brother did a good job, too.
The fights were where they began to lose me. I have no problem with wire-fu when used well. In a movie that is otherwise more realistic, the over-the-top use of wire work seemed badly out of place. The super human abilities of only a few characters weren't consistent either. Taking the martial arts and wire-fu out of the equation in the action scenes, some of the scenes were on a grand scale and spectacular.
I found Shaolin to be well made and entertaining. There were moments when it felt like it could have been better though.
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After watching dozens of martial arts movies I decided to revisit this classic. Even though it followed the revenge theme fairly closely and the antipathy toward Japanese occupiers, Fist of Fury stepped away from the pack in terms of quality. Though the majority of sets were indoors or on the lot, they were beautifully crafted and believable as real homes and dojos for the most part, especially given the budget.
When Bruce Lee’s Chen Zhen returned home to find out his master was murdered, he did not take it well. In Fist of Fury all the Japanese were EVIL, there was no nuance which seemed like a missed opportunity for story depth. Bruce stacked the bodies up during his rampage to avenge his master. Most kung fu movies have a revenge theme, Fist of Fury leaned into it---hard. Bruce did have some say in how he wanted the movie to end, to show that crime and killing doesn’t pay. The story was definitely a step up from most kung fu revenge stories.
I’ve always felt Bruce Lee was better at conveying rage in his fights or staring down his opponents with an intensity born of confidence in himself, here he also showed real tenderness in his scenes with Yuan Li Er (Nora Miao), the woman Chen had returned to Shanghai for in order to marry. At his master’s funeral, they touched hands in a way that only lovers do, sweetly and sensually. As always, he was beautiful and compelling. There’s no denying he had real magnetism.
Books have been written about Bruce Lee’s fighting skills and I have nothing significant to add. All I will say is that he was lightning fast and amazing to watch. After scrutinizing other martial artists in movies, I have to say he is still the best. And that’s saying something, because for me, there are few things better than martial arts movies with Jet Li, Donnie Yen, or Gordon Liu.
As I’ve said in previous reviews, I don’t watch kung fu movies for the story or acting, it all comes down to the fights and the beginning fight with Bruce clearing out a dojo and the final fights were magnificent. Fist of Fury was not a perfect film, but it was entertaining and bittersweet, knowing how few films Bruce Lee would make.
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The Venoms are likeable enough. Sun Chien plays the inexperienced head of the escort crew. Phillip Kwok is the drunken sheriff who stumbles in and out of the fights helping the escorts. The bad guys were quite the colorful group as they dressed to match their names-Silver Spear, Iron Armor, Copper Head, and Golden Arms. Lo Meng, as the Kid with the Golden Arms, is the head bad guy with stacked golden bracelets and boots and vest to match. They may have been lethal but they were a stylish bunch.
It's a Chang Cheh movie which means there are double-crosses, big body counts, blood, and plenty of fighting. There were far fewer dismemberments and spurting arteries this time thankfully.
I had hoped I would enjoy The Kid with the Golden Arm more than I did, but for me it always comes down to the fights. I don't expect much out of the story or the acting. The fights in TKWTGA were the slow, staged, dancy, posing fights I don’t enjoy much. Sometimes Chang Cheh makes the fights so outlandish that they are entertaining in their own way in his movies. Not here. I found myself looking at my watch. Never a good sign. The movements were slow, over and under shooting their marks regularly as if they thought their opponent was taller than he was. The timing was often off in jumps and ducks. Philip Kwok and Chiang Sheng (Short Ax) are spectacularly acrobatic fighters though too often the back and front flips were pointless in the duels.
If you love The Five Venoms or Chang Cheh movies or slow stop action fighting, this is one to give a try, other-wise let the buyer beware.
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Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin
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Jet Li played the Shaolin monk, Zhi Ming, from one of the northern schools. When he hears that the tyrant who killed his parents is having an extravagant birthday bash, he determines it's time to take a short vacation from martial arts training and meditating to kill the man. Little does he know that two members of the southern Shaolin school with a grudge against the evil Big Bad have chosen the same event for their assassination attempt. One of the southern Shaolin would be assassins was a woman dressed as a man which I've ceased to have a problem with after watching a number of kung fu movies and Cdramas. She of course, has a childhood connection to Zhi Ming. The three don costumes to perform in the lion dance spectacle only managing to get in each other's way and failing in their mission. They managed to escape together arguing and fighting until it became tedious. Fortunately, once they realized they were all part of the larger Shaolin family the bickering toned down.
The early "comedic" parts were a bit tiring for me. The plot development was also extremely sparse, leaving huge gaps in the storytelling. I wanted to tell everyone to take a deep breath as the pacing was frenetic at times as well. People ran everywhere, horses were sped up, every movement outside of the fights made it seem as if the actors' pants were on fire. Sometimes the audience needs a little "white space" to process the story and take a breath along with the actors. My other complaint with this movie is the OST. The same awful music is repeated ad nauseum until it made my ears bleed. I've truly never heard a worse soundtrack in a kung fu movie, any movie for that matter.
A favorite of mine, Lau Kar Leung, directed this Chinese movie with a Shaw Brothers crew and it showed. With the exception of the stunning mainland China outdoors scenery including the Great Wall and temples, this felt like it could be a Hong Kong production. I imagine Lau Kar Leung was thrilled to be able to choreograph fight scenes for Jet Li and the extremely capable actors/martial artists in this film. There was very little wire or trampoline work, the huge fight scenes were executed with grace and finesse. The fists, kicks, and swords were swift and accurate. The story was secondary in every way to the incredible fight choreography. Jet Li was in his prime and most likely had to slow his movements for the camera to pick them up, they were shockingly fast as it was. I loved the mantis fighting near the end of the movie.
I wouldn't recommend Martial Arts of Shaolin for the music, story, or acting, but the fight scenes and a lightning-fast Jet Li are definitely worth the price of admission for any kung fu enthusiast.
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The first half is a pseudo comedy. So Chan (Gordon Liu) and Jiabao (Wong Yu) are stepbrothers who are supposed to be school age. They are devoted to each other even though the stepmother loathes Chan because he stands in the way of her taking over the successful winery his father owns. The brothers get into and out of trouble and back into it. There's a kung fu soccer match and several run ins with the law. This was the hardest part of the movie for me to sit through and it didn't help that Gordon Liu and Wong Yu were too old to buy as school boys.
When Chan's teacher (Jason Pai) reveals his secret drunken kung fu method after drinking too much, the story takes a slight up-swing. Johnny Wang also appears as the Big Bad who literally doesn't like to get his hands or clothes dirty, a bad move when he favors shiny white clothes. Now the plot begins to thicken as the stepmom hires the Big Bad to kill her stepson which he's happy to do after the stepbrothers thwart his bank robbery. The light, silly comedy of the first half quickly devolves into the Manson Family Christmas as tragedy after tragedy strikes.
All the main characters do a fine a job of acting and of course, fighting. The music is too often reminiscent of the Keystone Cops which can pop up at the weirdest times. The best part of the movie is the final fight. There's no chit-chatting, no posturing, just a vicious no holds barred pay back.
The Young Vagabond had trouble finding the right blend of comedy and tragedy which culminated in moments of inspired fights overshadowed by the tangled up mess of a storyline.
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Also True: It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. -Mark Twain
The young fighter of this film, folk hero Fong Sai Yuk, is a super-fighter whose ego is bigger than his back flips. He's described as incorrigible by several characters but I would suggest the word insufferable describes him better instead. Though capable of performing almost any kung fu move or task and able to defeat any opponent, his rash actions and loose lips put everyone around him in danger. Foolhardy and gullible, he betrays everyone who sacrifices for him and believes in him.
Hsiao Hou who plays Fong Sai Yuk, has a great screen presence and is likeable enough even if his character can be grating. His moves are lightning quick and he's lighter than air on his feet even without wire-fu. Gordon Liu, in a supporting role, returns as Monk San Te. As always, his agility is fascinating to watch. And you know when he tears off his shirt he means business. Lau Kar Leung directed and choreographed the fights and Shaolin training. As always, he is one of my favorite fight choreographers. His fights are smooth, fast, and creative. The wire action is kept to a minimum and used well. There is a grand fight at the end that is quite spectacular.
The story is fairly simple, the Hans are being oppressed by the Manchus and Fong Sai Yuk runs afoul of the local leaders causing trouble and of course, fights, wherever he goes. His mother (the great Lily Li) who trained him in kung fu drops him off at the Shaolin temple to keep him from being beheaded and also hoping the monks can teach him some discipline, if not humility. This fast talking, fast kicking kid has no intention of learning either. The story is kept light and there are no Buckets 'O Blood or deaths though there is non-stop action. It's a kung fu film that is safe for almost anyone.
This was one of the last Shaw Brothers' kung fu films. A 1985 film, it looked like it could have been shot in 1975. The sets are nearly entirely indoors, though some are well done. In 1985 as audience tastes were changing and Jackie Chan was forging a new path for action films this had to have felt like a throw-back movie even then to audiences.
I enjoyed the talented martial artists and whirlwind fights. If Fong Sai Yuk hadn't been annoying to the end credits I would have scored this movie higher. Fong Sai Yuk wouldn't have heard of Mark Twain's words, but maybe Confucius would have hit closer to home, "A superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions." Nah, if he didn't listen to his mama or the monk who gave him a second chance at life he'd have ignored Confucius' warning and just headed straight into the next fight without thinking of the consequences-again.
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Kung Fu vs Ninja Free For All!
How to tell if it's a Chang Cheh movie? Extremely high body count? Check. Lots of fancy shiny weapons? Check. Lots of body dismemberment and violence? Check. Buckets O' Blood? Check. Low quality sets? Check. Fights with some quick movements but also a lot of missed hits and posing. Check. Half-nekkid ninja girl. Check. Oh, yeah, this has Chang's fingerprints all over it.Two rival schools compete to see who is going to be in control. The "bad" school after being beaten in a fair competition calls upon ninjas led by Michael Chan to kill off the rival "good" clan. You know they are good because they wear skimpy white outfits with cute little capes. The ninjas ambush and use ninja trickery like super secret ninja weapons, the old ninja tree trick and the hiding underground rouse to the demise of most of the good guys. Do not miss the poor guy who continues fighting on while his intestines are draped down his leg. They also send a female ninja into the good clan's headquarters to map out the place which leads to a deadly love triangle.
Most of the characters are barely indistinguishable. Lo Meng has a few good scenes, especially a lengthy fight against overwhelming odds. Ricky Cheng plays the main good guy if only through attrition, who must learn the ways of the ninja to beat them at their own games. Michael Chan does what he can with his role as the evil ninja bent on domination of the local martial world.
It might sound as if I didn't like this movie. Five Elements Ninjas is extremely popular among certain kung fu fans, I'm just not one of them. The action is almost non-stop and there are a variety of bonkers weapons used (ninja stilts!) which is entertaining. The story, or lack thereof, linking the fights is what caused me to score this lower. I did have some good laughs at the over the top fights which kept this from going below a 6. And I had to admire the creativity behind the fights. Fun, if mostly forgettable (except for a few of the gorier killings), kung fu vs ninja free for all.
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Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
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Chen Zen and his buddies have been sent as little more than canon fodder and labor on the front lines in WWI. The first fight scene featuring Donnie Yen is a thrill ride. The man went to a machine gun fight with knives and won! The stunt work was amazing. Donnie is fast and a true pleasure to watch.
Most of the movie gets bogged down into a series of subplots when the surviving soldiers go home. Japan has carved up Shanghai causing death and mayhem in their wake. Chen and his crew are part of the underground which includes a lot of characters who are never developed in any meaningful way. Anthony Wong is the owner of a club with shady alliances whom Chen partners with. Shu Qi with even shadier alliances is the gorgeous singer and hostess who wins Chen's heart.
Huang Bo is the humorous inspector who plays Commissioner Gordon to Chen's Black Mask. Without any real emotional connection to the rest of the characters the ongoing violence felt meaningless most of the time.
There is a great deal of Chinese nationalism played out rather heavily at times. This is a by the book movie, it's a foregone conclusion that Chen will have to fight the Big Bad Japanese Colonel, the son of the man killed in Fist of Fury, at the climax. The fight preceding it is reminiscent of Bruce Lee's fight in the original only on a grander scale.
The cinematography is quite lush with a good soundtrack backing it up. Director Andrew Lau brought 1920's Shanghai to life with eye catching depth and color. Yen is believable as the undercover freedom fighter and Black Mask. Shu Qi doesn't have enough to do, making do with what she is given. Wong and Huang added acting depth to the group. The star of this show is Donnie's fighting and the big fight scenes. He is unbelievably quick and agile. The fights are creative and deadly.
Though Legend of the Fist isn't a great movie it does have some gripping fight scenes that few actors other than Donnie Yen could carry off during this time period. Even now, it's hard to see many actors being able to duplicate what he accomplished.
Donnie Yen and Shu Qi had enough star power to almost cover over the gaping holes in this beautifully shot movie. Almost.
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It's an All You Can Eat Lobsterfest courtesy of Godzilla!
This era of Godzilla movies can be hit or miss with me as Big G became more anthropomorphized. In the case of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep-it was a solid base hit. The movie had plenty of cheese and camp, but not too much as to spoil the fun.Two rejects from a local dance competition and a safecracker end up on a sailboat commandeered by a young man who was told by a shaman his brother, thought lost in a boating accident is alive. He's determined to search for him, even with his grudging passengers. Long story short a giant lobster crashes the boat and the four young men end up washing ashore on a mostly deserted island. They find bad guys have kidnapped people off of Infant Island to work as slaves to make the yellow liquid needed to keep Ebirah at bay as they come and go. The bad guys are also developing nuclear weapons. You know they are bad because long time Godzilla star, Hirata Akihiko, shows up wearing an eye-patch and carrying a gun.
Another long time Godzilla star, Takarada Akira, plays Yoshimura, the safecracker, and does a good job as always completely selling the role. As it turns out, Yoshimura is the key to the young men's and Dayo's (an escaped islander) survival with his particular skill set and savvy. Yoshimura won a place on my favorite Godzilla character list with this role, which sadly, isn't very long.
Though the humans receive a lot of screen time at least they were interesting and fighting a more dangerous enemy than Godzilla or Ebirah--greedy men. Ultimately, they wake Godzilla up, who happens to be napping in a cave, to have him deal with the bad guys and Ebirah. Both Godzilla and Mothra were taking their hibernation vacations when all the action started. The kidnapped islanders and the ones back home sing until Mosura wakes up. She's obviously old and near the end of her life cycle but as always, she answers the call and comes to the aid of her people. She also smacks Godzilla around to remind him who's boss.
The miniatures weren't quite as accomplished as they usually are which was a disappointment. Ebirah's costume was very nice, for a giant lobster. There were several underwater battle scenes that came off well. The camp came through with funky 60's music playing while the two giants battled or when they swatted a boulder back and forth.
The movie never takes itself too seriously nor does it abandon all logic. Around 80 minutes long, "Ebirah, Horror of the Deep" was a fun ride on a tropical island filled with danger, courageous misfits, and a few Kaiju whose naps were interrupted.
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The problems I had with this movie were twofold. One, it took itself far too seriously, trying to mimic the original Godzilla filmed in black and white. Like Godzilla, Gamera is clearly the bad guy, despite saving a child at one point. He goes on to kill countless others and causes enormous damage. A message about countries at the height of the Cold War working together is pasted into the story. A giant turtle who walks on his hind legs doesn't make the most menacing of monsters.
The second problem I had was that the most prominent human in the story was a child. Quite possibly the most annoying child from any movie ever produced and in the end his presence was pointless.
The special effects weren't bad for this era. And the story does keep going at a nice pace with lots of Gamera shots.
After going through several weapons to kill Gamera the solution at the end to deal with Gamera is one of the funniest I've seen in a Kaiju movie.
Strictly for Gamera and/or Kaiju enthusiasts.
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Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
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Godzilla: Tokyo SOS is a sequel to Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) and a sequel of sorts to Mothra (1961). It's always good to keep in mind that Mothra is the only Kaiju to actually defeat Godzilla and kick him out of Japan before.
Kiryu, or Mechagodzilla, was badly damaged in the fight against Godzilla in the last movie and is still under repair. The military story was tepid at best. Yoshito is part of Kiryu's maintenance crew and dreams of one day piloting the Mechagodzilla. I missed badass pilot Akane Yashiro from Godzilla X Mechagodzilla. She is one of my favorite characters from all of the Godzilla movies. None of the new pilots measured up.
I thought the new fairies did a good job and loved that they were able to sing the Mosura song.
Professor Shinichi Chujo, played by Hiroshi Koizumi, from the original 1961 Mothra, makes a return and is the one the fairies come to visit early on. He and his grandson play a big role in summoning Mothra for help when Godzilla comes calling. And come calling he will as Mothra warned, because Kiryu is made from the bones of the 1954 Godzilla and Big G is drawn to it. Because of the original Godzilla's DNA in Kiryu, the giant metal monster is somewhat sentient making him a wildcard in the fight to come.
This is not one of my favorite Godzilla suits. Big G looks a little like a cobra or a Cardassian from Deep Space 9. Be that as it may, he's still wounded from the previous fight, Mechagodzilla needs more repairs, and Mothra is near the end of her life cycle. Not a three-way fight for the ages but spectacular enough.
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS is entertaining, no great moral to the story for this Godzilla aside from --- always listen to the Shobijin.
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The story takes place early on in China, then mostly in the United States, with a side trip to Japan. The narrative is constantly broken up by the use of flashbacks telling Hero's story which I found distracting. There were times it was hard to tell what time the characters were in and where they were located. Characters twenty years older tended to look almost the same as they did when they were younger to further confuse the issue.
It took a while to figure out the central conflicts were other than Hero being born under a “death star” which means he had to be a loner who wanted to be alone to keep his loved ones safe. Turns out a shady Japanese ninja and his henchmen wanted the kung fu secret of Hero's master which pitted Invincible and his ninja crew against Hero. It’s a martial arts movie which means they don’t need much of a reason to fight, but it’s always helpful to have a believable reason.
A Man Called Hero boasted a stellar cast though few had much screen time. It truly seemed a waste of Shu Qi, Ken Lo, and Yuen Biao. Bit characters became important and seemingly important characters dropped out of sight. There was a dearth of character development outside of Hero's and even then, we're missing out on nearly 20 years of story. It's hard to care about characters who only spent a few minutes on screen. Even the father-son relationship felt hollow. There were a lot of major plot holes that were never filled.
The special effects were very good, especially when the shape shifting ninjas who were dressed like chauffeurs battled Hero and his buddy Shadow. In a movie with so little character development, it would have benefited from more stunning action scenes than the few it had.
A Man Called Hero was mildly diverting but there wasn't enough depth or bright shiny objects to keep my attention through much of it. If you are a fan of Ekin Cheng, this particular manhua and know the story, or even a CGI buff, you might enjoy it. Kung fu enthusiasts may be disappointed.
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Scientists find two eggs, Rodan has recently hatched from one and it is flying around causing trouble. The scientists take the other egg back to the lab to observe it. What hatches is shockingly a mini-Godzilla. Godzilla and Rodan do battle over the baby and once again, the humans don't seem to understand that Godzilla rarely bounces into town to cause trouble unless he's been provoked. This time, he wants his kid back!
The humans have created Mechagodzilla to take on Godzilla and also have to use it against Rodan. A battle fighter plane can join with Mechagodzilla to form SUPER Mechagodzilla. Miki, the telepath of the G Force is back. And Azusa Goza plays surrogate mother to baby Godzilla.
Odaka Megumi did her best acting job of the Godzilla movies I've seen her in. All of the actors were serviceable although the 2 male leads felt largely indistinguishable. Ifukube Akira's score was superb as always.
Now to dig into the things I did not understand even after watching this movie twice. Baby Godzilla is not a Godzilla but Godzillasaur--nicer and a plant eater. Where did they get this information if he's the first one? And who is the mother? And does Rodan think he's his brother? How did Rodan hatch fully grown but Baby Godzilla is almost human size? Instead of who's the daddy, who's the mama?
It also turns out that Godzilla has another brain and it's in his rear. Not even going to touch that one. There is also a plant song that seems very important but for the life of me I don't get that story element.
Now on to what I did like. This is one of my favorite Godzilla costumes. I love his cat face and claws looks. After watching the first Rodan, Rodan's a favorite though often underused. In this film, near the end he does an incredibly sweet act that I found particularly touching. The monster fights and the fights with Mechagodzilla were all well done and of course the stake was custody of Baby Godzilla. Thankfully, this baby looked much better than and was far less annoying than Minilla. Baby Godzilla helped Godzilla be more than a rampaging destroyer and gave the humans more empathy to the giant monster. Unlike some of the revenge fueled movies, the humans built Mechagodzilla to protect themselves but also came to appreciate Big G's relationship to his son.
The theme was something about which would prevail-life or artificial life ( I can give you two guesses and one doesn't count) and the other thing they talked philosophically about was how dinosaurs would be there to replace humans when our time ran out. What I got out of it is that bitter custody battles are very costly.
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Even for a Godzilla movie, you have to leave your rational mind at the front door to enjoy this story. Either when Godzilla was battling Biollante or Mothra in a previous movie, his G cells made it into space, ended up in a black hole (whole other set of problems if a black hole is that close to Earth), collided with crystals, star making stuff, and maybe some space pollution to create a Godzilla that has powered up crystals on his back, can fly and can summon these powerful destructive crystals from the ground. Space Godzilla is fueled by rage and destructive tendencies even taking his anger out on Baby Godzilla. A mistake to be sure, because that brings Godzilla into the fight. Initially beaten by SG, we all know Big G needs his nose bloodied and to get angry before the climatic fight. Suffice it to say, eventually Godzilla, Space Godzilla, and the successor to Mechagodzilla II-Moguera meet up for a royal rumble.
The humans are at least a fairly entertaining group. Major Yuki is obsessed with destroying Godzilla after his best friend was killed in a previous encounter with the beast. His friend's sister is a scientist working on controlling Big G telepathically. Miki, the telepathic scientist from several Godzilla movies is back, and her powers have grown. My biggest complaint is that she isn't a very strong actress, probably the weakest in the cast. Her love interest and his comedic side kick round out the G Force team.
As a Mothra fan I was happy to at least see her in the opening, and her besties-the Cosmos-visited Miki several times as well as Fairy Mothra.
The big battles were well done and there were some good overlays to convey the size of the monsters. This mechanical Godzilla felt almost like a Transformer in that it could change shape, fly, walk upright, and burrow into the ground. Space Godzilla was a worthy adversary for Godzilla and he learned why you don't stomp around in Big G's territory and challenge him.
At the end, they tried to throw a moral of the story in, something about the danger of space pollution-truly out of place for this mindlessly fun film. Not a great movie by any stretch, but for fans of Godzilla it was entertaining if you didn't think about it too hard.
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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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