Random Ramble: May 19, 2014

 

I have yet to see the new Godzilla film; so, no need to whisper me some spoilers. I can understand Expendables 3 will be rated PG-13 but I digress.

As of now, the 2014 American reboot almost gets the same RT rating as Pacific Rim, despite having mixed reactions from critics and moviegoers. Is it because he/she’s fat or Bryan Cranston getting few screen time? Either way, it’s a direct insult to the disastrous 1998 flick.

Godzilla: Final Wars was the last Godzilla movie under Toho banner. Two years later, Kadokawa Pictures gave Gamera The Brave a proper send-off. The following year, South Korea hasn’t learned a lesson from Yonggary thanks to D-War. Finally, Guillermo del Toro gave us a miracle by Pacific Rim after a five-year absence.

What are good things about the Legendary version of Godzilla? The fight scenes are okay, the CGI effects are beautiful and as usual, Godzilla is still as terrifying as the previous incarnations. Also, Bryan Cranston delivers a stunning performance despite only appears one-third of a movie. The bad sides? MUTO sucks. It’s like a mix between Orga and that Cloverfield monster. Both Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elisabeth Olsen don’t impress me (saving for the next Avengers movie). And least of all, more human interaction than monster fighting.

Overall, it’s a great film on its own but not recommended to all Kaiju fans, at least, for a while. Like me, you can wait for its DVD/Blu-Ray release with extra features and behind the scenes.

Random Ramble: May 18, 2014

 

Zombies are now popular thanks to The Walking Dead, George Romero, Warm Bodies and Resident Evil. However, there’s one subgenre that adds more terror: Nazi zombies. I know what you’re thinking: oh look, another zombie games/movies that has Nazis in it. Zombies may look terrifying but adding Nazis to the mix equals chaos.

Although Nazi zombies are 2nd-level subgenres, for me, they’re genres of their own. Let’s take a brief overview of Nazi zombies, shall we?

Shock Waves is the first film that started it all in 1977. Wolfenstein 3D is the first video game that ignites the franchise in video game history. Hellsing delivers the anime goodness while Marvel Zombies literally suck the minds of viewers. Outpost brings the Nazi zombies into a franchise with three movies. Dead Snow nails it with blood, gore and dark comedy. South Park: The Stick of Truth badmouths critics with utter humor, excellent gameplay and nice-written storyline at its finest. However, Call of Duty: World at War stole that idea.

If there’s anything that lacks the overall taste, it’s the Fuhrer himself. Seriously, why not add him without taking the genre seriously?

Random Ramble: May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

I saw Eurovision Song Contest 2014 and it was weird for two reasons: ladders and beard. I don't mind the China joke (as far as I know, perhaps Copenhagen couldn't make Russsia-Ukraine joke). The reason I watched that is not because of their songs or their performance but for the votes. Whenever presenters from other countries give 8-12 points to others, their reaction was priceless. However, there's something I didn't understand: why Europe hated France? I can understand they booed Russia but why the French contestants? Was it because of the soup?

It seems that 2014 is the year of the beards. Look at it! Daniel Bryan wins the WWE WHC belt. Eric Young captures the TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt. The Wyatts are here and so are the Duck Dynasty and 300: Rise of an Empire. Now, we have Conchita Wurst, the first transvestite winner since Dana International from 1998. Perhaps Austria loves beards after all and I wish Arnold Schwartzenegger would come to Copenhagen.