Monthly Archives: May 2014

Cinema Sit-Down, Movies/TV

Bringing Balance to Nature: A Review of “Godzilla”

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

A decade after his last starring role, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, returns to the big screen. It’s only fitting that 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of his 30-film franchise.

After meeting his distraught father in Japan, a young American soldier journeys back to the States only to be caught in a clash of colossal creatures. (How’s that for some Stan Lee-style alliteration?)

 

(WARNING: SPOILERS THROUGHOUT)

Last summer, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim proved that the kaiju (giant monster) genre still has life in it. It was one of my favorite films of 2013. That’s not surprising since I’ve been a fan of such movies since I was in high school. Toho’s Godzilla films were my particular favorites. With a few exceptions, these movies are my guilty pleasures. Watching stuntmen in rubber monster suits beating each other up amid model cities is great fun.

When I heard Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures had acquired the rights to make a new “Big G” film, I was simultaneously excited and nervous. Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich’s infamous 1998 remake, while fun, was over-hyped and missed the essence of the character. It was more a remake of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (ironically one of Godzilla’s influences), but then I heard Gareth Edwards, the director of the fascinating indie film Monsters, would be helming this new movie. Not only is he a Godzilla fan, he knows how to create a great-looking film with a compelling story and good characters on a shoestring budget.

I was not disappointed.

This film plays with expectations. Its trailers made it appear that Bryan Cranston would be the hero, or at the very least a major player. His character is obsessed with learning the truth behind the nuclear “accident” that killed his wife, but he dies within the first 30 minutes! From there the focus shifts to his son, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His story is simple but compelling : get home to his family. However, it’s a perilous one reminiscent of Homer’s The Odyssey in that he battles monsters during his long journey.

sildenafil uk buy If you see any changes in your life. You should take one purchased here viagra for uk tablet of Propecia every day and to have apparent changes in only couple of months. However the question becomes, how do levitra pills from canada davidfraymusic.com you treat it? After years of medical examinations, research and contributions doctors around the world found a natural male sex pill that can help you to be careful about where you buy safed musli capsules online. For some men, a half tab is adequate to receive the desired results.precautions:Do not take purchase cialis on line if you want to avail some of the most common auto accident injuries in Naples, FL. Second, Godzilla is not—for lack of a better term—the villain. It was slowly revealed that other creatures called MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) would also appear, but Godzilla’s status remained ambiguous. Now, Godzilla has been many things over the decades: an allegory for the atomic bomb, a force of nature, a supernatural avenger, and even a superhero. Here, Gareth Edwards has distilled all those personas. Radiation is involved with Godzilla’s origin, but several ideas are subtly espoused about what he is. Someone describes him as a “god.” A scientist calls him a prehistoric “alpha predator,” but later says he’s nature’s agent for restoring balance. The latter seems the most likely. Godzilla displays intelligent behavior beyond that of a mere animal, such as purposefully swimming under battleships instead of attacking them. Any human casualties he inflicts are accidental. So this film has less in common with the original 1954 Gojira than it does with its good sequels, like 1964’s Godzilla vs. Mothra.

This film is all about build-up and suspense. Much like Edwards’ Monsters, the characters often find themselves with, as he put it, “the Spielberg movie happening just over the hill.” It takes its time revealing the creatures, especially Godzilla. We catch glimpses of them but don’t get a full-body shot. During Godzilla’s first two encounters with the MUTO, the camera cuts and only pieces of the battles are seen. In fact, a MUTO is completely revealed before Godzilla is. When Big G does appear, it’s a slow reveal with the camera panning up from ground level. However, Edwards pulls out all the stops for the climax when Godzilla battles not one but two MUTOs. It’s then that Godzilla unleashes his trademark atomic fire breath. It’s masterful pacing rarely seen in a summer blockbuster.

Godzilla also proves, like Cloverfield before it, that giant monsters can be scary. Edwards intentionally shows the monsters from the ground level most of the time, like the audience is looking up at them. This is especially effective if the film is viewed in IMAX (which is how I saw it). The scariest sequence is a night scene where a soldier lies still on a bridge to avoid a skulking MUTO.

Hardcore fans may object to the CGI special effects. The tradition of “suitmation” (an actor portraying a character by wearing a big costume) has a long history in Japan, and has been synonymous with Godzilla thanks to special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya. Plus, the CGI creature in the 1998 remake left quite a stigma (which is parodied in Godzilla: Final Wars). But here the special effects are used sparingly. In fact, the creatures’ screen time is almost minimal, which make the effects stellar since more money was invested in fewer sequences. Spit shoots from Godzilla’s mouth when he roars, his muscles flex whenever he moves, and his nostrils flare when he confronts MUTO. The old rubber suits will always have their homespun artistry and charm, but Godzilla has never looked this alive.

Credit must be given to the film’s creature designers. Unlike the overgrown iguana of the 1998 film, this new Godzilla still resembles the rubber suits of old with a “realistic” look. The MUTOs in many ways harken back to other classic Toho creatures like Rodan,but also resemble the alien beasts in Monsters. They’re more than worthy of admission into the Toho pantheon.

Akira Ifukube’s classic Godzilla theme is sadly absent. This may disappoint many fans since the composer’s music was Godzilla’s soul. On the other hand, they’ll be delighted to see Ken Watanabe play, Dr. Serizawa, a character inspired by iconic tragic hero of the original Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monsters. However, he doesn’t have an eye patch, which is sad because Watanabe would’ve looked great in one.

This film is to Pacific Rim what The Dark Knight Rises is to The Avengers in 2012.  Avengers is fun and colorful, Dark Knight Rises is gritty and serious, both are great examples of their genre in spite of their differences. The same is true for Pacific Rim and Godzilla;they’d make for a great double feature.

In the words of Blue Oyster Cult, “Go, go, Godzilla!”

Final Grade: A-

Movies/TV

The ’90s Return! Saban Teams Up with Lionsgate

Anyone born in the past twenty years knows about the Power Rangers. For those who don’t, they’re young superheroes in tights with cool weaponry and giant robots. The series follows an almost Nintendo-like formula involving teenagers being called upon to defeat an overwhelming evil. In Japan, these heroes are known as the Super Sentai. Saban used footage from Super Sentai and re-cast the heroes to make the show more acceptable to an American audience.

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, the first show brought across the pond, became an instantaneous hit. It defined Saturday mornings with its monster-a-week pattern and fast-growing line of merchandise. However, this golden age of television revered by many fans has become a memory. The new Power Rangers shows simply fail to capture the same energy as its predecessor. It seems that with every iteration comes stale acting, terrible special effects, and cliché situations.

powerrangers.wikia.com
powerrangers.wikia.com

All of that is about to change—hopefully.

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The Green Ranger was the first extra ranger added to the initial team. Subsequent series typically introduced a new super cool ranger, building upon the legacy left behind by the Green Ranger. Without Tommy Oliver, the show may not have done as well as it did. In fact, Frank has shown interest in reviving the series before to create a more mature version of the Green Ranger’s origin story.

www.animevice.com
www.animevice.com

According to the press release, Lionsgate intends to focus on the whole original team rather than a single Ranger; however, there is no news yet on the plot or which actors will play the roles. While a new cast is almost certain, I’m hoping some of the more active Rangers will receive homage similar to what’s done with Stan Lee in the Marvel movies.

The Power Rangers were an integral part of growing up for many. Here’s to hoping Lionsgate and Saban bring back the series with the same energy that’s been retained by its fan base.

Game File, GIGA: Music, Random Giga

Mega-Music: A Review of History Repeating: Red

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History Repeating: Red (Image courtesy of The Megas)
History Repeating: Red (Image courtesy of The Megas)

Popular performers have inspired countless cover/tribute bands, so why not classic video game music? What was once an underground movement with names like “Nintendocore” has grown into a subgenre within indie music.

One of the most popular of these bands is The Megas, a California-based quintet who make music about Capcom’s classic MegaMan games. The band has been around for nearly a decade and produced three EPs and four albums. Each is a concept album—a practice rarely done in mainstream music outside bands like Coheed & Cambria—pertaining to a particular MegaMan game. However, the band’s re-imaginings of the games’ simple stories expand on their themes and characterizations. The results range from tongue-in-cheek humor to Isaac Asimov-esque seriousness. The Megas have been slowly going through the entire MegaMan game series since their first EP. With their latest release, History Repeating: Red, they’ve completed an epic five-year project that retells MegaMan 3.

This is the conclusion of a two-part album, another rarely used convention. Part one was their previous album, 2012’s History Repeating: Blue. This makes Red somewhat difficult to review. Should it be evaluated as a stand-alone album or as part of the larger story? I’ve decided to do the former.

The subtitles are references to MegaMan and his “older brother,” ProtoMan. The previous album focused on MegaMan and what others thought of his crusade, but with Red, the focus has shifted to ProtoMan, who was mostly silent in Blue. The Megas present ProtoMan as a cynical and misguided hero, and his voice propels the second half of the story.

The album begins with a new version of “Fly on a Dog,” a song previously released on an EP. It’s both a cover and expansion of MM3’s stage select music. This version is similar to the EP version except it has more synth and re-recorded vocals. It’s a fitting start since MegaMan, who has been questioning the morality of his actions, is steeling himself for the coming battles thanks to his robot dog Rush joining him.

The subsequent four tracks are examples of one of The Megas’ trademarks: covers of each Robot Master’s stage theme that infuses each character with quirky personalities. “Harder Than Steel,” paints Hard Man as an old boxer making a comeback. It oozes ‘80s nostalgia and sounds like it belongs in a Rocky movie’s training montage. This idea came to The Megas because they thought Hard Man’s weapon looked like iron-clad boxing gloves (I just figured he fired his fists at MegaMan, personally). Interestingly, it seems to present Hard Man as the hero.

“GeminEye” begins in an almost Pink Floyd-like manner with the sounds of a coin drop and a rotary phone being dialed. It quickly shifts into a quasi-jazz piece that presents Gemini Man as a private detective hired to track down a client’s would-be killer. Or, more likely, Gemini Man is talking to one of his doubles.

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“The Red Song” is another Megas trademark. It’s a short transitional piece that leads into the next track. It’s more accurate to call it a sound mix than a song, but it does include ProtoMan’s whistle. This leads into “I’m Not the Breakman,” the album’s first single, a cover of MM3’s “Weapon Get” music. Here ProtoMan enters. The lyrics are a gut-wrenching monologue by the rogue robot as he laments MegaMan’s actions. This stems from feelings of abandonment with their creator, Dr. Light.

“Make Your Choice” is difficult to peg musically. It might be a cover of the final Dr. Wily stage music, but if it is, it’s so different the song borders on being original. The synth-heavy piece is another monologue by ProtoMan, but this time he’s addressing MegaMan, telling him to choose between reality or delusional ideals.

MegaMan answers in “I Refuse (to Believe),” a cover of MM3’s boss fight music. This is where everything comes to a head. MegaMan addresses Dr. Light and then ProtoMan and proclaims, “I refuse to believe/I’m nothing more than a machine,” and forges ahead to take down Dr. Wiley. (What’s funny is another line in the chorus, “I will not kill!” has inspired a meme-like joke among Megas fans because it was misheard as, “I will not kale!”)

Finally, after all this intensity, comes the two-part album’s denouement, “Melody from the Past,” a poetic and touching ballad based on MM3’s closing theme. In a final monologue, ProtoMan finds inner peace as he observes the aftermath of MegaMan’s victory. He admits he was wrong and forgives Dr. Light. The song is thematically and emotionally rich. It wraps everything up, but leaves room for future albums.

The Megas are notorious for taking forever to produce new music, but like Blizzard Entertainment, when they do release a new product, it’s beyond good. These young men are gifted musicians who just happen to make music about their favorite video-game hero. They’ve learned much from their first album, Get Equipped, and it shows. While History Repeating: Red starts a bit slow, it builds to an epic crescendo. Their musical styling remains diverse and their lyrics have only gotten better.

When will there be a MegaMan 4 album?

Final Grade: A

Comics 101

Weekly Comics Reviews for May 07, 2014

Welcome to my spoiler filled corner of the internet where I review comics. I will be here every week with a few reviews for the (usually) newest books. My ratings are simple. I don’t use or really like number ratings. I go by Pass, Read, and Buy. See I told you it was simple. Now that we got that cleared up let’s get to reviewing some comics!

BWIDOW2014006-DC11-735ee

Black Widow #6
Story by Nathan Edmondson | Art by Phil Noto

Black Widow has been a very entertaining series thus far. It is very much in the same vein as the Hawkeye and She Hulk books. They all take these fairly big and well-known characters and put them in much smaller situations. None of the universe-threatening problems are present here. In Black Widow we get to see what she does with S.H.I.E.L.D. when she’s not rolling with the Avengers. This book is very much what the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show should have been. In this issue we see Romanova take down her old enemy Damon Dran, The Indestructible Man, and then a nice twist that all Marvel media is taking right now involving S.H.I.E.L.D. (Hail Hydra.) Apart from an ending that we keep seeing, this book has a very solid story and start to an arc. The portrayal of Romanova is so close to the movies, which is probably a big reason for me liking it so much. Why there has not been a Black Widow movie at least announced yet is beyond (BEYOND!) me. The art in this series is growing on me, but I’m still not a fan—it’s basically dark water-coloring. Be it dark or light I think water coloring gives comics an old and generic look. I know I’m the minority, but I’m OK with that.

My Recommendation: Buy

DPCARN2014003-DC11-45709

Deadpool vs Carnage #3
Story by Cullen Bunn | Art by Salva Espin

It had to happen eventually, I suppose, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. What am I disgruntled about you wonder? Deadpool clearly getting his ass kicked multiple times by Carnage. In fact Carnage owns everyone he comes across in this issue. He does it so easily too. Maybe that’s why it stings so much for me. Besides the fights in this issue, we see Carnage actually follow Deadpool’s advice and look for the signs in the world to discover what he should do next. Oh, and Shriek shows up again for absolutely no reason. The most interesting part about this book is the last page where we see Deadpool get taken over by four, that’s right four, different symbiotes. This means the final fight between these two is going to be quite one-sided—as it always should be. My problem with that is Deadpool getting rid of the symbiotes is probably going to take up a good portion of the final issue. Now I’m not the biggest fan of blood and gore, but this book is full of both and I loved it. With the story not really moving forward much, all the gruesome panels really help to keep the book entertaining. I get that it can be hard to fill out the middle of a story, but this issue seemed a bit lazy. Here’s to hoping the final issue picks back up and that we get more fat Deadpool.

My Recommendation: Read

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Nailbiter #1
Story by Joshua Williamson | Art by Mike Henderson

The cover to this book is amazing; just look at it. I honestly picked this one up solely based on that alone. Seeing the blood and fingernails in his teeth is just so cringe-worthy. It’s just a shame that the story in this first issue will make you cringe (in a bad way) just as much as the cover. I know better than most that you have to go a bit easier on first issues since they’re mostly just twenty-two-page introductions into the world of the book. This is just inexcusable though. So far the story has been nothing except boring clichés that have been done far too many times. For example, the main character is a disgruntled detective who when we first see him is holding a gun to his head, attempting suicide, only to be stopped by a phone call from a close friend. Underneath all the clichés, this story is about a detective trying to find his missing friend in a town that is “The Birthplace of Serial Killers.” In the town he meets an (ex?) serial killer known as Nailbiter, whom is going to help him not only find his pal but discover the secrets this town is hiding. I have a feeling this book is going to take a page from Halloween III: Season of the Witch and have some type of cult that’s operating behind the scenes and creating these serial killers to accomplish some (dumb) goal. There are some books that can overcome a weak story with some stunning visuals. This is not one of those cases. While there truly is some very chilling panels, the book doesn’t do a good job of setting up a creepy mood. The biggest problem is that everyone looks like a caricature and they’re always making goofy faces that I can’t help but laugh at. Hard to be creeped out when you’re giggling like a school girl.

My Recommendation: Pass

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Original Sin #1
Story by Jason Aaron | Art by Mike Deodato

Am I wrong for being disappointed at the lack of Angelina Jolie in this book? I’m just saying that I feel somewhat misled here. I thought this was going to be the first Marvel event-book in a while that I could really get behind; that joke was bad even for my standards. Moving on. “Who Shot The Watcher?” That’s the question this book poses, and honestly I’m a bit intrigued. Normally I skip event-books because after a few months they never matter anymore. Sure that slow moving fart gas (Terrigen Mist) is still floating around, but no one is really paying it any attention. The execution of this story is a bit weak. This book lays the foundation for a series of events including some random-ass Marvel heroes doing an investigation about the murder of Uatu in places that the Avengers “can’t go.” I foresee a lot of filler in this series future and I’m not looking forward to that. The team that I am excited to see more of is the combo of Winter Soldier, Moon Knight, and Gamora. It’s just so random that I can’t wait to see more of them. One thing that this book does do very well is comedy. I got a few good laughs out of this book and it wasn’t due to bad art this time. In fact, the art is quite nice here. Maybe a little too heavy on the shadows and shading, but it really helps to make some of the panels look truly amazing. Now it’s time for me to put my Marvel knowledge to the test and try to predict who the killer is, which really isn’t difficult. Marvel has done everything shy of just out right telling us who did it. Was it Doctor Doom? Nope. Was it Tarantula? Nope. Was it Aunt May? It’s plausible. Was it Doop? You’re damn right it was! Doop killed The Watcher!

My Recommendation: Buy

That’s it for this week. Come back next week for more comic book reviews, and CHIMICHANGAS.

Comics 101, Literary

More Than Just a Female Superman: Wonder Woman Unbound Review

wonder-woman-unbound-coverWhen I was in middle school, I would come home every afternoon and watch Wonder Woman on the (at the time) Sci-Fi channel. Lynda Carter was/is amazing to me and I looked up to her and Wonder Woman. Outside of that memory and watching her on the Justice League animated TV series, I’ve realized I don’t know much about Wonder Woman or the ups and downs she has gone through in the past 70 years. Everyone knows her as the most iconic female superhero, but not many know anymore beyond that.

Reading Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine made me feel a little ashamed for declaring Wonder Woman my favorite superhero without even knowing her history. Tim Hanley does an amazing job of delving into Wonder Woman’s past and revealing every fail, rewrite, and flip flop her creators have put her through, leaving her in a limbo that seems will never end.

Before I started reading, I expected the book to be a regurgitation of Wonder Woman’s history. (Honestly, that would have been fine with me since I knew very little about her comics in the first place.) Instead, Wonder Woman Unbound tells not only Wonder Woman’s history, but also analyzes and examines her creators and their motives (was William Moulton Marston a voice for women or just a big horndog?), other comics (compared to Wonder Woman’s), the readers, feminism, and even the time periods (Golden Age, Silver Age, etc.) all comics went through. Lois Lane, Batgirl, and a few other female superheros (and villains) make an appearance to compare their struggles and achievements with Wonder Woman’s—there are major differences, especially during the Silver Age. There is even a section in the middle of the book filled with pictures of Wonder Woman (and other things) through the years.

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Reading this history book makes me sad for Wonder Woman. To see her go through so much only to be almost tossed to the side and treated as an afterthought is heartbreaking. Wonder Woman has so much to offer if someone would take the time to work with her—she definitely deserves it.

For someone who knows very little about comics and their history, this book is a great starting point. Wonder Woman Unbound is a perfect testament to Wonder Woman’s life. Hanley packs as much information into this book as possible rather than gloss over or ignore aspects of her history. I love this book and am grateful for Hanley’s thorough and extensive look into Wonder Woman and her curious history.