Change Your Image
sharkattack2
Reviews
Godzilla (2014)
They Hardly Make Blockbusters Like This Anymore
When Hollywood announced that they were taking another shot at doing an American Godzilla movie, a lot of people, including myself, were excited but nervous for obvious reasons. The 1998 Godzilla left a bad taste in our mouths and we really didn't want to see something like that happen again. I'm very happy to say however that this wasn't the case for this film. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Godzilla (2014) delivers a cinematic experience that is rarely seen in modern blockbusters, and it was great to see the king of the monsters get this kind of treatment.
I'm going to saw this right now, this film looks gorgeous. Director Gareth Edwards wanted to give the movie a sense of awe and wonder, and I think he accomplished that in spades. Godzilla and his opponents, the MUTOs, are always filmed from a realistic angle, whether it's from bellow, from a window, etc, and the usually have a human body n the shot to give a sense of scale. This shows off the size and power of the monsters in a way that we've never seen before, and it made my jaw drop more than once. That combined with beautiful visuals, such as the HALO jump scene, makes Godzilla (2014) a film that will leave its viewers in awe.
One critique that people bring up with this film is the slow burn approach that it goes for. The MUTOs first appear about 35 minutes in, and Godzilla himself doesn't show up until close to an hour in. Plus, they hold off on showing the monsters fight until the final act in San Francisco. However, I think they made the right choice doing so. A lot of modern blockbusters have big action set pieces throughout, and because of that, it gets numbing very quickly, and you get bored with it rather than get excited. By using a slow burn, where the action gets more and more intense as the film progresses, it helps to keep the viewer engaged and make the final act in San Francisco all the more satisfying. I remember when I saw this movie in the theater, people were clapping and cheering during that last act. So this movie clearly did something right.
The last part I want to talk about are the human characters, which believe it or not is actually the most important thing in a Godzilla film, because without a compelling human story, it just becomes another monster film. That's what made the original Godzilla film from 1954 such a classic. I will definitely say that the human story is above average for a Godzilla movie. Everyone talks about Brian Cranston, rightfully so granted as he does give a great performance, but I don't think he was the only good character in the film. Ken Wantanabe and Elizabeth Olsen also are great in their respective roles, and while they don't have to much to do, you at least remember them. Aron Taylor Johnson is our main star, and a lot of people like to say his performance come off a stale. I would disagree however as I would say it's more accurate to say his performance is inconsistent. There are some scenes where he's actually pretty good and others where his delivery is more stale like people say. Regardless, he does a good enough job to where you're interested in following his character as he's desperate to reunite his his wife and son, because they are all he has left. Not to mention, this film has a great message about man's arrogance against nature without coming across as preachy which I very much appreciate.
Overall, while this film is not perfect, I feel the pros heavily outweigh the cons here. Godzilla (2014) isn't a typical monster movie. In fact, it isn't even a typical Godzilla movie. Like the original Godzilla, this is a dark and serious disaster movie with a message about man's arrogance that happens to have monsters in it. You can tell this movie was made by someone who really understood and respected Godzilla as well as the franchise in general. Gareth Edwards did a great job at updating the character for modern audiences and delivering a cinematic experience I wish more films did nowadays. Many people like to call the monster from the 1998 film Zilla, because it took the God out of the character. The 2014 film however, put it back in and then some.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
An Underrated, Well Done Remake
Have you ever watched a movie that gets low ratings, but you just don't understand why that is? For me, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) is one of those films. I honestly had low expectations going into this film because of the reputation it has, but I was really surprised at how good it was. I feel this is a remake that deserves more attention for several reasons.
To start off with, it doesn't just straight up copy and paste the original like a lot of remakes at the time did. It does quite a lot of things different that helps to give it its own identity. The family of psychopaths is completely different, and they all get their moments to shine. The best one without doubt is R. Lee Ermey as the Sheriff. He gives a intense and terrifying performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but it's not just him. All the acting for the most part is pretty solid across the board, which definitely helps to lift the film.
The main characters in the film are also above average I would say. Many characters in slasher films are dumb and irresponsible and therefore don't give you a reason to root for them, but this film actually does have characters that are better than that. One character that surprised me was Kemper as he surprisingly acts responsible for the situations their in. One scene that stood out to me was after the hitchhiker's death, he suggests calling the police, but his friends are against it as they have illegal substances in their car. Kemper however decides that calling the police is more important, and throws the substances away. That really made me like his character, and other characters start acting more responsibly as the movie goes on.
Jessica Biel is our star, and when it comes to her acting, she is at her best when she is scared and sad. Luckily since this is a horror movie, we get to see both on full display, and it makes scenes like when she has to do a mercy killing on a friend emotionally impactful.
Of course I can't talk about this film without talking about the most iconic character, Leatherface. He's played by Andrew Bryniarski, and I think he did a great job with the character. The thing about Leatherface is that he's not just a crazed killer. He's a confused and sad person who has been rejected by society and is talking his anger out on those people, and I think Bryniarski nailed that part of the character. Make no mistake though. He's still terrifying and the scenes with him are really intense, especially the final chase sequence with Erin, which is a nail bitting cat and mouse game.
Overall, I don't feel this movie deserves the hate it gets. It's not perfect I should stress. Despite the characters being above average, they can still do dumb and irresponsible things that are annoying that feel like it just needs to get the plot going, but despite that, it still manages to be a solid horror film, and a worthy remake of one of the most important horror films ever made. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but it's way better than people give it credit for. I'd say give it a watch.
Alien: Isolation (2014)
This is the Alien game we've been waiting for!
After many games that ranged from horrible to decent, Alien fans have finally gotten the game they deserve. Alien Isolation is an excellent survival horror game that nails the atmosphere, mood, and paranoia from being on a derelict ship like the first alien.
The gameplay is great. Moving around feels natural and using items and weapons is nice and efficient. You get a wide variety of tools and weapons to help you survive, and they all can be useful rather than some being completely useless, and you can use great strategies with these items. The graphics and sounds are great too.
The survival element is the strongest. The game nails the mood and atmosphere and really makes you feel like your on that ship, especially when the Alien is around. The Alien has an amazing AI and is completely unpredictable. So you always have to be on your toes when it's around. There are also androids (which are pretty creepy) and paranoid survivors you have to deal with and while you have weapons to defend yourself, gunfire attracts the alien, so you have to be careful.
The only negative part about the game is that the later parts have many false endings and involve a lot of backtracking, which can get tiring for some. The game could have easily been 2 hours shorter, but overall, Alien Isolation is a great game and something Alien fans will love. highly recommend it.
River Monsters (2009)
One of the greatest documentaries ever
River monsters is now the most popular show on Animal Planet, and with good reason. It takes the element of fishing and takes it to a whole new level by turning it into a documentary about freshwater fish, but it can also play like a mystery, where the audience can get involved and guess what fish Jeremy is looking for. He gets you interested right off the bat and you never loose your interest.
Over the years, River Monsters has just gotten better. What makes the show great is the fact that the show doesn't focus on Jeremy fishing. I focuses on the fish and showing the audience what lives in our freshwater rivers. The fishing part is just to get the audience to see the fish and it works. By the time the fishing starts, you don't mind because you want to see what lives underneath the surface.
Jeremy has gone all over the world and has done some remarkable things. Like catching Giant Stingrays, Catfish, and even filming the Northern River Shark for the first time in history. He makes the show fun by bringing people into the story and teaching us about thing most people don't know, like giant armor plated gar and living vampires just to name a few. The fishing parts are great, because you can see the power and speed of these amazing animals. During the intense battles like with stingrays and sturgeon, you can almost feel Jeremy's stress, because you can just see Some of the stories however a really violent (I can't say any details), and probably are not recommended for kids, but a lot of the stories are great, and even historic. This year Jeremy went to Chernobyl,to go after a supposed mutant fish, and even took on the legendary Loch Ness Monster, which I promise you will give a reasonable explanation for one of the greatest legends of all time.
Jeremy takes fishing, investigation, biology, and throws them all into one show, and this show. It's a great show that sucks you in right away and makes you wide eyed at just what lives in the worlds freshwater rivers and lakes, and at the same time teaches you about the biology of these fish and the environments they live in. As the slogan says, "it's not about killer fish, it's about a man chasing a legend".
Jurassic Park (1993)
A Groundbreaking Experience You'll never Forget
Jurassic Park is a movie that will make your jaw hit the floor with amazement. Everything about it is done right, and although it has scenes of dinosaurs eating people, it's a great movie for kids of all ages. I should know. I first watched this movie when I was 5 years old, and I loved it, but that doesn't mean every kid won't be scared. Consider that a fair warning.
The plot is simple. Scientist find a way to bring back the dinosaurs and build an entire theme park around it, but something goes wrong and the dinosaurs escape. Soon, the characters end up fighting for survival on an island full of dangerous predators.
The plot is simple, but it works much better than you can hope for. Many scenes are like an action movie in which you're on the edge of your seat the whole time wondering what will happen to the characters, and the actors do a well enough job to make you care for them. Sam Neil and Jeff Goldblum interact very well and Richard Attenborough does a great job as John Hammond. The rest of the cast are good as well.
However, the thing that stole the show were the dinosaurs and the special affects that brought them to life. They were so incredible that even today, you can watch it and believe that they used real dinosaurs. The scene where the T-Rex attacks the jeeps is a great example, and shows you just how great special affects can be. The dinosaurs are the key ingredients that make the movie so believable and intense.
Jurassic Park is one heck of a roller coaster ride. It grabs you by the nostrils at the beginning and never lets go. Audiences of all ages can enjoy this, and it's best watching it with your family. It's a groundbreaking movie that will glue you to the screen, and the best adventure you can ask for.
Jaws 2 (1978)
Not as good as the original, but still good.
After the major success of the masterpiece Jaws. Universal Studios came up with the idea for a sequel. Peter Benchley didn't write a sequel to the novel Jaws. So the movie was purely the studio's idea.
Despite the doubts from the fans, Jaws 2 is actually a pretty good movie. The use of the score is dead on with the original, and makes many of the scenes with the shark intense. Especially when the shark attacks the sail boat titled "Tina's Joy". Some of the scenes are pretty cool too, like when the shark attacks the helicopter.
Most of the actors do a good job especially Roy Scheider who returns as Chief Brody. He's still very good in the roll. However some of the acting is really exaggerated, especially the actress who plays Jackie. All I can say about that is, "Overacting at its finest." The biggest problem with this movie is that after the scene where the shark attacks the water skier, the movie starts moving slow and barely anything happens until 20-30 minutes later. The common movie goer will probably get bored by this, but trust me, if you're patient, it'll be worth it, because the movie really kicks in at that point and doesn't stop until the end.
Jaws 2 is a really good sequel. The middle is a little slow, but the rest is almost as adrenaline pumping as the original. Go see this movie. You'll have a lot of fun.
Alien (1979)
A milestone in horror
Alien is one of those movies that does everything right. It's also one of the few movies that managed to scare the pants off of me.
Let's get one thing out of the way. This movie looks gorgeous. The special affects and the sets are done so well, and that's important because the whole movie takes place on this spaceship. So you got to feel like you're on the ship with the characters. The Alien affects are also great, and won an Oscar for best special affects. Rightfully so.
The actors all do a great job. Especially Sigourney Weaver. She did this movie early in her career, but it's still one of her best performances. You really feel her emotions and her determination when she's on screen.
Last but very not least are the horror elements. The movie has a very dark atmosphere, and the dark corridors of the ship and the setting only add to this. The scenes with the alien are all intense and very affective. Especially the famous chest burst scene. I also think one of the main reasons it's so scary is that it starts of a little slow, but not too slow. It lets your guard down, it builds up, and then it hits you in the face. There are also a lot of moments that catch you off guard, but I'm not going to spoil anything.
This is a perfect horror film, and a perfect science fiction film. Everybody should watch this movie. Get a bunch of your friends, turn off the lights, and turn on the movie. The darkness will add to the claustrophobic setting of being hunted on this vast and dark ship. An as the tagline says,In space, no one can hear you scream.