Reviews

The Start of the Greatest Movie Trilogy of All Time

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is what happens when you take the traditional structure of a kaiju movie and add nuance, depth and passion to it. Shuske Kaneko is a master at making Kaiju movies a shown with this whole trilogy.

The story paints a dark picture of humanity. Like the Atlantians, we have created disasters and poisoned the earth for the worst. However, Gamera comes in as he represents hope. He (as well as the people of Atlantis) may not have been able to prevent the Gyaos from destroying Atlantis, but that doesn't mean he can't prevent the Gyaos from destroying Earth centuries later. It manages to tackle all of this in an incredibly sophisticated and thought provoking way without being preachy as fuck.

We also learn and experience how much these monster fights and rampages effect people. The economy is fucked and similar to modern times, items of value are being fought over and people are buying them in bulk. It's hauntingly realistic and something we don't see much in Kaiju movies.

The characters are also very fleshed out. Asagi is a selfless person that understands how Gamera is important through the bond they share thanks to an amulet she received. She shares Gamera pain psychically and mentally and is willing to go through it so Gamera can stop the sinister Gyaos. The rest of the cast is just as great, being extremely likable and incredibly interesting.

I really dig how the government here is handled here. They have such a warped view of everything that isn't too far off from how mot governments work. They are so willing to disregard facts as fairy tales, shoot at Gamera who is helping, fake sympathy for the people they govern and despite Gyaos being against them, view him as ally against Gamera, who is the actual savior. The only reason they are even protecting the Gyaos is because they believe it is some rare and endangered species that needs saving.

The Gyaos are a great update of their admittingly silly original versions. They are now a terrifying living weapon that constantly consume and feed off of the destruction of earth. It is also an extremly clever an deceptive kaiju to boot.

Gamera, as stated previously, is a symbol of hope. He is the atlantian's last effort to stop the Gyaos from destroying the earth. he is also extremely protective of people and willing to get hurt to protect those who are about to be killed by the Gyaos. Unlike the Gyaos who are souless killing machines, Gamera is incredibly compassionate and caring.

The thing that really makes this work are the effects, Cinematography and music.

The effects are top notch, especially for the time this came out. Gamera has a realistic look to him, yet has big expressive eyes that gives him some extra humanity. the execution of Gamera is simply marvelous as it is incredibly life like and detailed. The animatromics are also top notch and work perfectly.

Gyaos is more unnerving not only how it looks, but how it moves. It is shaky an erratic, giving him an other worldly nature to him. I also must give heaps of praise to how they handled the laser beam of gyaos and the fire effects for Gamera. Especially in a time where not even the Godzilla movies got that perfectly down yet, The execution here is seamless. The miniatures and explosions are also intricately crafted and flawlessly handled.

What really makes it work is the cinematography and music. The trilogy has the best I have ever seen in movie history. every shot, movement, framing and angle is done to complete perfection. there were many times were I stared in awe of how it was filmed. I felt the impact and scale of Gamera and Gyaos as they smashed thorough buildings flied in the sky and most importantly, I felt as small and tiny as the humans in the movie against these massive titans. The Music is gorgeous and elevates every scene it is. compared to the low rent drivel the mcu farts out, This music is incredibly impact and very memorable. It adds to the experience and is not random background noise to be simply brushed off.

To conclude, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe is a spectacle and I use this and the rest of the trilogy as the gold standard which I judge Kaiju movies by.

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An Overlooked Entry in the Greatest Movie Trilogy of All Time

For the longest time, I considered this to be my least Favorite of the Trilogy, that was until this rewatch. I mean it hasn't topped Gamera 3 and the human characters aren't quite as developed as in either 1 or 3, but this is a great step up to Guardian of the Universe.

As said before, While most of this movie's human characters aren't fully fleshed out like in the other two entries, they are still extremely likable. This is probably helped out a lot by the great acting across the board. We do get some more development with some of the characters from the first movie like Asagi and Osako, But they don't have that much screen time compared to the new human characters.

However, the Kaiju take the spotlight here. Both Gamera and Legion are awesome and the battles they have are some of the best Kaiju action I have ever witnessed.

Mother Legion and the hordes of Soldier Legions are very unique kaiju I have ever seen. They have an other worldly vibe to them and don't resemble any traditional kaiju, which makes sense as they are aliens. The smaller soldiers (about 6 feet tall) look like mutant ticks and minus being the size of humans, manage to swarm up and be a huge hindernece to Gamera. The Mother Legion (who is kaiju sized) is like a bug equivalent to a centaur and is a very busy design. Sure they may have no big symbolism like Gyaos or Iris, but they do pose a huge threat.

I also liked how Kaneko decided to create a brand new Kaiju instead of just re-using an old Kaiju from the Showa Gamera movies. Kaneko and the creative team he worked with realized that constant nostalgia bait was never gonna work and decided to do something different and that is something I always look forward to seeing.

Gamera himself is given even more depth. Wee really see how much he is willing to protect the earth from forces that harm it. Even when he is almost near exhaustion or death, he will do anything he can to save the day. It's truly inspiring to watch and shows you can make the heroic kaiju without making it a Saturday morning cartoon; a fault a good chunk of the Showa Gamera and Godzilla movies fell into all too often.

The story itself is all about the situation. This is the same kind of story telling used in the deserving acclaimed Shin Godzilla. Like Shin Godzilla, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion perfectly creates a terrifying disaster and cooks up high amounts of suspense, helplessness, horror and terror along with hope, passion inspiration and epicness.

The effects are top notch as always. The Gamera suit is a bit more agile, hunched and different to how he looked in the first movie of this trilogy and I love it. I still prefer his look in Revenge of Iris, but he still look awesome here. the Legion horde are a work of art. The soldier legion are very well handled but HOLY SHIT is Mother legion beautifully done.The fact that they pulled off this insane design to this level of greatness needs to be recognized and awarded for sure. The fact that most people don't recognize these movies for the amazing effects yet praise the dated looking effects in Spider-Man Homecoming is offensive to me. The miniatures, explosions and destruction are also all perfect as well

The cinematography is also very unique for a kaiju movie as well. A lot of it is shot like a horror movie and it is clear that Junichi Tozawa has the ability to shoot an amazing horror movie if he hasn't already. It also has an appropriate Documentary feel as well which helps the story a lot. The Music is just as perfect as ever. It manages to fit each scene perfectly with each scene it is placed in.

To conclude, While it may not be as deep as Guardian of the Universe, It manages to out do that movie by perfectly executing an already solid premise. I am Hyped to see Revenge of Iris this Christmas.

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My Favorite Godzilla Movie Ever

It’s funny how most people tend to recommend Tokyo S.O.S and while I love that one as well, I’d argue that this movie is better. Akane Yashiro still remains as my favorite of the human characters in any Godzilla movie I have ever seen. She is extremely tragic yet inspirational at the same time. Kiryu is also my favorite incarnation of Mechagodzilla (maybe Wingard’s Godzilla vs Kong will top it but I doubt it). The action is top notch and the score is among the best in any Godzilla movie.

The fact that I never thought much about this movie til now is a crime since it is such a gem.

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Raw n Thought Provoking

Definitely a masterpiece in it's genre.
What a thought provoking movie i must say. I am not good at writing reviews but i want people to watch it.

The ambience is beautiful especially in the second half . The movie is slow paced just as i like it which is common in Japanese movies.

The plot is unusual n twisted i dnt remember watching a movie like this even though there are many mangas n movies have been made where abused n abusive characters r involved in a relationship but this was really different from those. I dnt want to spoil much.

This movie will definitely make you question everything morally n the last scene with that question was just Cherry on the top.
Emotional, romantic n there were many psychological aspects too.

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Flaming hot. Real fire on set and in a young CSW.

Libera Me is a 20+ year old blockbuster film that’s surprisingly still watchable, I can hear it’s thumping background score days later.

The story is straightforward but compelling, it really made me think of the dangers firefighters face everyday. The director (same one as 2009’s IRIS) didn’t take any shortcuts and used real buildings and real fire all throughout. I really wish I could have seen this in crisp HD.

Admittedly, I checked this out initially for Cha Seung Won but ended up liking it enough to rewatch a second time.

And if you’ve only seen CSW in his more “recent” dramas (Hwayugi, The Greatest Love), Libera Me is a treat. He’s way younger here but just as fascinating. In certain scenes he’s clearly dangerous and unhinged, in others he could pass off as innocent and make you hope that he can still be redeemed.

Choi Min Soo’s role as protagonist didn’t require much nuanced acting but he’s riveting just the same. I’m glad these two got to act in one movie.

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No animals were killed in the making of this movie.

Advertised as a psychological drama, where the absurdity of the male lead's kidnapping of the dog sets an uneasy dark comedic stage for the audience. There is more to this film than just that misleading tag and description. It's no wonder this film finds fans, or criticism. Rarely, anything in between. Watching it can be unsettling. The reality being, it is more of a low key and subtle horror film.

The director & screen writer Bong Joon Ho has set the watcher up for a deeper experience than presumed. Every conversation and visual in this film is not wasted. Each moment is calculated to take the characters and audience one step closer to heaven, or hell. The ending is poignant, proving the karma earned was real. Do I recommend it? Yes. Be advised - Watch it with the horror tag in mind, it could help in your enjoyment of this film.

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hmmm why did it just stop like that? that was a weird (unfinished) way to end this movie - but have to say, really enjoyed this - i laughed hard at a lot of parts that i'm sure weren't always supposed to be funny and that great-grand-mother is a hoot - yeah bigoted, tightfisted, grumpy and mean but also hilarious - the only time she smiled was when she was getting the red-envelops. what a character this woman is - really hard to dislike her even though i for sure couldn't get along with someone like this in real life -

the main character i loved here was Ai Chao, i loved her interaction with her son - she really is the embodiment of motherhood - loved how cause of her lack of education her trying to better herself with her son's help - how close she is to him and how loving and caring she is in general - her children really r lucky to have a mother like her. so seeing her getting blindsided by her daughter infuriated me - on a couple of levels.

first of she was unapologetic - and get angry at me if u will, but she deserved to be slapped hard at the way she dropped the bomb on her mother "surprise" my ass - and for anyone not getting it - its not on the mother's (grand-mother) behalf i'm incensed but that child's - why was she put in that situation?!? did that stupid woman who knew only how to act tough and talk big - not know what she was doing?!? she hid her child for how long? like a dirty little secret - if she was So!!!! proud of her decision to bring a child out of wedlock - why wait until she decided to come back home to revel the secret?!? like plz with the holier than thou b.s she was spouting always comparing herself to her mother marring an older man - she know how brutal it is to be the only person of color in a country where white is revered, and anything darker is treated like dirt?!? this woman is a stupid ass and living proof that not everyone should be given the right to have kids. but rant over cause there is not logic just spur of the moment decisions that someone else has to pay the consequence's for - i.e that kid - sad.

gonna backtrack the mother knows her son is gay - sad as the son has decided not to come-out cause of his mother. that's why this feels unfinished cause she is capable of accepting - and fighting for her kids even if they don't deserve it (like in her daughters case) but she softened cause of her grandbaby. considering with her son its not a matter of choice, she should be able to welcome his sexual orientation - he just needs to find the strength to have the talk... but the what if's r endless as this unfinished 🤷‍♀️ and that's why i can't give it a higher rating cause i think this deserves more of a closer on the son plot-line.

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Definitely worthy to watch

A TAXI DRIVER, without a second thought, is the best South Korean film We've seen till date. From narration to execution to performances to presentation: it's perfect in each and every aspect. The change in the tone of the film has been brought up extremely well, thanks to its director Jang Hoon. The screenplay is never disappointing throughout, and the film comes out as both a refreshing as well as a memorable experience.
The film's editing is top notch as it doesn't take much of time to introduce and set up the characters as well as the storyline. As the film progresses, you find yourself connected to the characters, especially the ones of Song Kang-ho and Thomas Kretschmann. Both actors have delivered extremely excellent performances, and rather so excellent that I ended up rooting for them completely. When they smiled, we smiled. When they cried, we cried too. Rest of the supporting cast, especially Ryu Jun-yeol and Yu Hae-jin deserve a lot of praise.
There are plenty of emotional sequences which make the film a totally unforgettable experience. Watch the film and you won't find it difficult to guess which scenes we're talking about. Various emotional, thrilling as well as action packed sequences have been elevated by the brilliant music.

A TAXI DRIVER is a hard-hitting film which must be seen not just for its overall excellence but also for the message it delivers to its viewers. It's hard and almost impossible to forget the film, as you're left highly emotional & impressed by the time the credits start to roll. In short, a perfect masterpiece from South Korea

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to start off i hated Tien - especially after u get, Fan has come for closure - heck the dude is still in-love and reeling, as he doesn't get what he did wrong and why they broke-up (the fact that he is putting the blame on himself) the fact that he just needs answers (is heart breaking to me - cause he looks hurt and lost, most of this movie) and yet Tien (who even before he goes out to take that the call from his "new" man) its so freakin obvious(!) he has Moved On!!! he there (like he openly - shamelessly admits) to retrieve his passport "otherwise Why would he have come?!?..." so he can't even be bothered to answer Fan and just ignores him - like every other attempt at a serious conversation that Tan starts, he acts like he's deaf, cause he doesn't need the headache of explaining himself - this is the past and that's where he wants it - making me wonder who is really to blame.

but the more u watch, it's so obvious that Fan isn't just "still" infatuated - seems like in their relationship he was the giver, the one that worried and spoilt Tien, taking care and loving him more - and of course Tien fits the partner that takes everything for granted. won't say his conscious didn't get to him - that's why after he comes back from the call, he removes all the green onion from Fan's dish - that's why he hugs him at the end and takes a sec while Fan walks away.. but that's doesn't redeem him in my eyes - if he really cared, he would've had an honest conversation that would at least mean he cared and could offer Fan the closure he deserved, after everything he put in their relationship.

for a short film this was really well acted and directed, cause u could read every feeling and nuance between the ex's, the guilt, hurt, pain and love... and have to say i wanted to hug Fan so many times and teard up at the end scene when he stops at the bridge. this got under my skin - really enjoyed it - well done!

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I could see they tried, but they failed.

This movie attempts to give us various plot twists based on the non-linear storytelling, character development of the female lead, who learns her ways when she experiences the treatment she served others, commentary about the clickbait culture and cheap journalism, and then fails them all. The only thing worth complimenting are a few scenery shots.

Here’s the thing, you cannot make the female lead a trash human being and then try to make me care about her, while also not giving her any real, well written character development. The circumstances were there, she just did not react to anything with any sense of responsibility till the end of the movie. At first they introduce her as someone who values true journalism and tries to write about important topics, even if they are not popular in the clickbait social media. It does not take her even 3 minutes to completely change her attitude, trespassing on the accident site, moving around bodies to take pictures and stealing a necklace from the victim. And I was like... when exactly that change in her happened? Because it was never shown on screen. I honestly just wanted to see her dead.

The movie would also do better without any police involvement. That was a new level of idiocy, and I saw a fair share of dumb cops in dramas and movies. This tops it all.

U-Turn does not even try to build any type of atmosphere, there is literally no build up. They drop the ghost stalking the girl in the first few minutes, and then the whole movie is just copy-paste similar sequences.

As I said at the beginning, the only redeeming qualities were a few aesthetically pleasing scenes. The acting was good, but what’s the point of decent acting when the writing is worse than the grades I had in math in high school? And believe me, I had hit rock bottom then.

Overall, I would honestly not recommend it. It is not worth spending 1 hour and 30 minutes on it.

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I have been you, I have learned and I have grown

This short film tells a story that many bi-racial children have experienced in a world where difference is often not tolerated and accepted.
This film teaches us that we should not wait for others to accept us for who we are before we accept ourselves.
Learning self-esteem starts at home from a young age, because we know that everyone's experiences are different depending on where they come from, what they have experienced and how much access they have to information. This film also teaches us that in a pool of people whose ignorance makes them fearful and mean, there is always a glimmer of hope, a human who simply sees us as another human being.
Nelson Mandela once said:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

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Fantastic sequel

Along With the Gods: Last 49 Days (2018)

The theme is about forgiveness. This time it's Kim Su Hong's turn to go through the trial. Just like Suhong i felt like the trial was just a convenient excuse to go through the final judgment and reveal all the twists which were a lot.

In the first movie Gangrim was in Seoul and the other 2 were with Jahong. Now it's the other way around. The 2 were in Seoul in Sungju trying to find out what happened to them while Gangrim was obsessed with winning Suhong's case.

Suhong's character was annoying so I didnt really care much about his case. Although I already predicted halfway through the story it was still shocking to find out how the 3 guardians were related to each other and why they ended up being guardians. Ha Jung Woo again was amazing, Ju Ji Hoon was funny and Kim Hyang Gi was precious.

The final reveal about Gangrim's father was the last twist I didnt expect!! If only Gangrim knew all along.
"Did the thousand years of regret feel like hell?"
"No. The fact that I cannot beg for his forgiveness and that I cannot be forgiven. That has been my worst hell."

I enjoyed both movies. Not sure if they will ever make part 3, because they wrapped up everyone's story, but I wouldnt mind seeing the 3 guardians again!

Rating: 8.5/10

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