Monster (2018) Review

RATING: 2.5/5

A film student is walking on a thin line between being free or being sent to jail for many years.

A movie with a great cast, but had mediocre end results.

Performances throughout ranged from decent to good. The standouts to me were Steven Harmon (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Mr. Harmon (played by Jeffery Wright). The scene with the two talking to each other was an emotional one especially when Mr. Harmon looked as though he was about to burst into tears, but he kept a calm and collective composure.

For the rest of the characters, while the movie featured an assortment of actors/actresses (Jennifer Hudson, Tim Blake Nelson, John David Washington, A$AP Rocky, Nas, Jharrel Jerome), they didn’t offer much when it came to complexity. They all gave fine performances, but there wasn’t a whole a lot of time or development for me to gravitate toward. That feeling fell in line some with Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Jeffery Wright.

The best example of this were the prison scenes. I didn’t feel the journey or pain that Steve was going through because of how the film was edited together. The movie was 98 minutes long, to which I feel was a tad short. If the movie was 10 or 15 minutes longer, I might have gotten more invested. With the prison scenes, there needed to be more scenes involving Nas being Steve’s emotional anchor. He was sorely underused. That unfortunately transcended onto the other high-profile figures like John David Washington and Jharrel Jerome, who were pretty much there and gone after a couple scenes. No offense to them, they can do phenomenal stuff, but here I don’t believe it was warranted.

One aspect I liked was during one of the film school sessions when Tim Blake Nelson was talking about how people have different perspectives when viewing any feature. That goes very parallel to what was happening in the courtroom scenes. People were watching the same event unfold in front of their eyes, but they all have varying opinions of what they think. People have their own mindset on how the world works around them. Something that Steve knew full well and that made him very nervous for all the right reasons. I liked the back and forth struggle that he was dealing with. Should he continue fighting and prove he’s not guilty or should he accept the harsh reality and give in to the consequences?

How the film was edited, shot, and arranged left me mixed. There were some nice shots here and there. But, the movie would jump from scene to scene or from location to location, thus hindering any kind of character development or emotional connection. Pacing was all over the place. There was a weird moment where tones clashed with one another. For example in the first courtroom scene, there was upbeat drums playing and one was supposed to feel bad for Steve. But the gray/dull look of the courtroom, the up-tempo music, and when Paul Ben-Victor called Steve a monster, I don’t know why but I laughed. Again, I’m supposed to feel bad, but the last two elements really hurt that scene for me due to it being tonally off and the execution of the dialogue.

While not bad, it was pretty average to say the least. A shame because with a really good cast like the one presented, one would have expected something good. The potential was there, but if there was more room to breathe, maybe the movie could have been something worthwhile. In the end, it didn’t really leave much of an impact for me.

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Godzilla vs Kong (2021) Review

RATING: 2.5/5


Offers the best and worst of the MonsterVerse.












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King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) Review


Kong is transported to Japan to be a mascot for a pharmaceutical company; though things take a turn when Kong frees himself and does battle with the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla.

A classic and epic kaiju movie back then. A classic and epic kaiju movie now.

The film started off well as one was introduced to the characters and the main drive that put the plot forward in motion. Firstly, the human character that stole the show was the company leader himself, Mr. Tako. In the many scenes he was present in, he was so eccentric in his plan of wanting Kong so badly that it was hilarious at times. It was funny seeing him fuming over Godzilla getting all the attention as opposed to Kong. As well as the bit of him screaming for Kong to win when he and Godzilla first meet. The rest of the human characters were fine. Comparing the Japanese actors and American actors, was like day and night. The latter felt like they weren’t even trying to put the effort. Not the worst, but very bland.

Revisiting the movie made me realize that there was pretty comedic bits here and there. As I said, Mr. Tako stole the show. But there were other moments that made me laugh quite a bit. There was the scene where the characters of Osamu and Kinsaboro were impressing the Faroe Island Natives with a radio and handing them all cigarettes. The two give an eager native child one until his mother from behind grabbed it out of his hand. There was Kinsaboro being paranoid while walking through the island jungle. It reached a peak when he was swinging around a giant lizard. After the first encounter, Kong scratched his head and walked away upon realizing Godzilla breathed atomic breath. It goes to show that the entertainment factor wasn’t just in the action.

As far as the monsters go, they were really good. Godzilla did appear derpy and this iteration did the famous hand-clapping moments, but the design overall I dug, one of the favorites. Kong was similar with his derpiness, but I liked it as well. Definitely better than the design used in “King Kong Escapes.”

On their own, the two had some nice action and destruction scenes. Though I think Kong outdid Godzilla with the 1933 homages being executed on-screen. Kong grabbing the train from the tracks, picking up Fumiko, and climbing the tallest building. One must keep in mind that Kong hadn’t been a movie since 1933, so it was rightly appropriate for Toho to familiarize audiences with the 8th Wonder. The shot of him standing on top of the capitol building was a cool one. As well as some good perspective shots whenever he and Godzilla were in the countryside wreaking everything in their path.

Now, the fights. The first encounter hadn’t nothing much to it. Though as I mentioned, Kong had a funny moment of him walking away. He thought he was going to be battling a regular dinosaur until Godzilla pulled out his signature weapon. The second encounter and final battle, was legendary. It’s one of the best and most memorable. So many classic moments from the fight to choose from. Kong shoving a tree down Godzilla’s throat, Godzilla battering a down Kong, Kong receiving an energy boost from lightning, Godzilla/Kong jumping off the cliff and into the ocean, etc. An excellent fight that wasn’t too short or too long. It gave one just what they want to be rightfully satisfied. Even if the outcome is sorely debated to this day, the fight itself can surely leave a massive impression.

Composer Akira Ifukube did great with one of the best themes in the Godzilla franchise. Though I wished he would composed the soundtrack with more originality. As the main theme was eerily similar to the theme that played while Kong was falling asleep.

While Faroe Island had some decent sets and practical effects, I wished the island itself was explored more. Especially when it came to the fauna. It felt lifeless and it evoked similar vibes to the 1976 remake of “King Kong.” I feel as though Kong should have had a grander entrance. I mean fighting an octopus I feel is not a good intro, the fight itself was one would expect, lackluster. However I do feel bad for the animal being eaten by the filmmakers behind the scenes. Godzilla’s entrance of him coming out of the ice in the beginning was cool, no pun intended. But similarly to Kong, I feel like his solo scenes needed to be better worked on. It had been 7 years since “Godzilla Raids Again” and I think Toho gave him the short end of the stick.

Some of the dialogue can be a little clunky. Kong getting electrical powers was hokey. It be fitting for the “Frankenstein Monster,” who was originally supposed to take Kong’s role. But hey, Kong went full beast mode when he received the power of Zeus. So I’m not complaining too much. There were moments of poor editing where the film would either cut or transition within the same scene. The plot itself was ridiculous and outlandish. But upon reading director Honda’s motives on the themes of television adverts, I can understand where he was coming from. As there is truth to this. Companies will sometimes go far and beyond to get as many viewers and good press as possible to keep their business afloat.

If you’re a kaiju/giant monster fan who hasn’t seen this movie, where have you been? It is a great movie with nice humor, really good music, and memorable monster action that defies the word, classic. Highly recommend it.

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Review

RATING: 1.5/5

Two of the biggest superheroes of all time come head-to-head while a real threat lurks in the shadows pulling the strings.

Revisiting this film was something…special.

DISCLAIMER: Ultimate Edition

First and foremost, one felt the 3.5hr duration. The first act ran for way too long, roughly 25-30 minutes at that. Similar to “Wonder Woman 84,” things were happening but a majority of it didn’t mean much to the movie overall. Granted it was a bit more entertaining, with Bruce’s perspective during the climax from “Man of Steel” and his first appearance as Batman. Even so, those two opening scenes, along with the unnecessary scene of the Wayne’s being shot and Superman’s introduction, dragged on for far too long. Just when it seemed like the movie was officially going to start, another scene would play to introduce the hundreds of characters and hundreds of plotlines being thrown in.

Characters, oh boy, where to start. Well I’ll say this, the character I enjoyed the most was Alfred. Jeremy Irons did good at delivering the humor and light-hearted elements. Something that this film sorely needed. A majority of the performances were fine with the dark and bland material given to them. I wanted more life in the dreary mood that totally encompassed the entire film. Granted, I don’t want something too over-the-top or goofy, like Eisenburg’s performance. What a huge miscast this was. Every scene he was in screamed awkwardness and uncomfortableness. Every scene made the movie’s tone flop all over the place. The monkey shirt he wore in his first scene really set the stage for the type of character he was. Easily the worst.

Characterizations took a hard dip. Superman always looked he was about to break into tears with his somber and displeasured expressions. His motivations of wanting to stop Batman throughout the second act don’t make a lick of sense. Especially when he stopped Batman pursuing more dangerous people, yet he doesn’t do anything, he just flies away. Batman treated the destruction of his business tower more seriously than he should of. He’s basically a big brooding brute that doesn’t listen to reason or doesn’t look outside the box and see the good deeds Superman had done after “Man of Steel.” Lois Lane played the typical damsel too many times, to a point of ridiculousness. Her plotline of figuring out Luthor was the one pulling the strings was very predictable. Luthor’s plan of wanting to kill god (Superman), was pretty bland, uninteresting, and his endgame remained to be seen. Doomsday was utilized too early and looked eerily similar to the Abomination from “The Incredible Hulk,” the 2nd MCU film might I add. The parallels between the franchises really stack-up.

As I mentioned prior, the overall tone was too dark and too depressing. The serious acting and some of the serious and/or non-engaging dialogue, made the viewing experience for me, dull and bored. I mean the first time watching it, I didn’t really feel the minutes go by. But after watching it for the second time and watching “WW84,” I can now say the movie looked big, grandiose, and epic, with little substance to back it up. I understand, for the time in 2016, that DC was trying to do something different with its cinematic universe. Still, its a comic-book movie. There needs to be light-hearted material to break up the sad and solemn emotions. The entertainment factor in it was sorely lacking.

The entertainment factor that did work the best were the action scenes involving Batman, particularly the warehouse scene. One definitely felt every hard hit and painful injury. While a majority of the music for me was forgettable, the theme that stood out for me was Wonder Woman’s. I did like the political discussions being presented on how Superman should be perceived by the public. There was a sense of promise for these scenes, but unfortunately, the number of plot holes and ridiculous moments hammered those good aspects to the dirt.

  • Save Martha.
  • Batman becoming friends with Superman in a split second after.
  • Luthor finding Superman’s mother with no explanation.
  • How Zod’s dead body and Luther’s blood was able to create Doomsday?
  • Wayne employees becoming oblivious to danger at the beginning.
  • Lois somehow figuring out the Kryptonite spear is the one thing to kill Doomsday.
  • Batman kills
  • Batman almost knocking out his own tracking device on the truck he was chasing.
  • Luthor entering Zod’s ship with such ease.
  • Superman death’s
  • Justice League member inclusions
  • Etc.

There’s others for sure, but these were the most notable.

Zack sure had a thing for visuals. At times they were nice, but at other times they were excessive. The climax went completely overboard with the effects. To a point where I’m thinking to myself, “out of all the stuff happening and all the things trying to make me care, I just can’t.” I was truly amazed about the lack of emotional resonance being displayed. It was so hollow and bare-bone.

Much like with the first act, the third act dragged on for far too long. The movie felt the need to spend an extra eternity to watch Superman’s funeral from multiple perspectives.

The movie did way too much and it truly impacted the DCEU. It was trying to juggle multiple characters and storylines with little payoff by the end. All in a sorry attempt to compete with Marvel. Thankfully the DCEU have recovered and our doing their own thing for the most part. Hopefully, hopefully in the future, the next crossover movie will be better fleshed out, fun, and more even than the rough, dull, tedious, and bumpy ride that I endured.

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