#okmoviereviews

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THE BIG BOSS (唐山大兄) 1971

The pioneer of Jeet-kune-do himself, and of true action cinema. This film was my reasoning for becoming something of an action film buff, which is the same for anyone having felt the influence of Lee. The film not only launched Lee's career to stratosphere, it influenced his own filmmaking style and the way future martial arts movies were done. Once considered to be something of a weak-link in Lee’s filmography, now is a superb benchmark novelty of 60’s “chop-socky” bliss. •B- Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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SHIN GODZILLA  (シン・ゴジラ) 2016

Shin Godzilla emerges from a 12 year hiatus since the last Japanese-made Godzilla film, being the longest hiatus Toho studios has ever taken in the production of the series. Being a lifelong fan, I would identify Shin Godzilla as the black sheep of the franchise. The film is a decidedly polarizing one, sparking controversy among international viewers similarly to how the previous two installments did (Final Wars and Godzilla 2014) but for very different reasons. In Japan however, the film is being embraced, and has not only been a commercial success, but has been praised by critics and audiences alike. Like the original, Shin Godzilla reasonably balances elements of human drama with the monster movie formula (however, in a refreshingly unorthodox manner, both thematically and directionally) an attempt made by Gareth Edwards in the 2014 American made Godzilla, but in more ways than one, missed the mark in characterization and development. Shin Godzilla details a dispirited portrait of poor political management in the face of an unimaginable catastrophe, and is far more dialogue oriented than the majority of Godzilla films. However, from the start, the films breakneck pace and Sorkin reminiscent dialogue instills a sense of true urgency that Is otherwise absent in the majority of Godzilla titles.

Additionally, Godzilla titles tend to feature hollow, overzealous narratives, the antithesis of Ishiro Honda’s socially conscious original, “Gojira”. While the marketing for the 2014 Godzilla implied a return to the monster’s allegorical roots as a physical manifestation of Japan's nuclear fears, the completed film ended up in some ways more reminiscent of the Showa Era’s super hero Godzilla films of the ‘60’s and 70’s.

Shin Godzilla rejects that trope of a heroic Godzilla, and recaptures the tone of Ishiro Honda’s original, however in a vastly different manner. The result is the most nightmarish incarnation of the character ever, giving Shusuke Kaneko’s possessed iteration of Godzilla from Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) a run for his money. Never before has a Godzilla displayed such an arresting sense of vehemence, nor has his physical appearance diverged so deeply into realm of body horror. Written and directed by Hideaki Anno, creator of the beloved cult anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it’s co-director and special effects supervisor, Shinji Higuchi, director of the recent live action Attack on Titan films, and a revered figure among Tokusatsu fans for his work as special effects director on Daiei’s genre standout 90’s Gamera trilogy.

I'm not usually one to complain about tonal inconsistencies, but this film being tonally inconsistent is just a reflection of Anno’s way of directing. Any objective viewer unfamiliar with his way of directing may find it jarring. The drastic changes in Godzilla’s natures and appearance, as well as his "abilities"  are another element that have proven to be polarizing among long-time fans. But with a film that is clearly working to break the mold of a genre possessing interminable formulas, this kind of experimentation is more than welcome. Ironically, in some respects the 2014 film was more of a Godzilla film than this one was. I anticipated Shin to be something of a wildcard, and it certainly was, potentially the most wildcard a Godzilla film is capable of becoming.

A new strength of Godzilla's in this film is the ability to adapt to any threat. He evolves through multiple “forms,” either freezing in place or retreating into the ocean to undergo a rapid adaptive mutation. It’s a creature that’s harnessed the power of evolution in itself, requiring hours to become something different and stronger. Much like how Godzilla adapts to threats in this film, the formula of Godzilla films must adapt as well with the wave contemporary filmmaking. Godzilla is introduced to the world as an unknown phenomenon, like a mysterious, unprecedented act of God that has never been witnessed.

Contemporary monster movies have tried to emulate the formula of the original Godzilla, and many have improved upon that framework, but that method can only be produced so many times. Hideaki Anno recognized that something wasn't quite working with the formula, and thus changed it, for better or for worse.

Admittedly, I’ve never gone into a Godzilla film expecting to be titillated past the point of visual spectacle. It goes without saying that the major draw of any Godzilla film are their effects driven sequences. While they seem few and far between, and many objective audiences become restless, I've accepted that this is simply the nature of Godzilla films. In my opinion, Godzilla himself is well distributed throughout the film. Those who say otherwise and complain about a lack of Godzilla In this film or the last film need to consider that we as modern moviegoers have become numb to visuals altogether, and thus have a glutenous demand for effects-driven action.

In this era of blockbusters, audiences have since forgotten the true fundamentals of storytelling, and why visual effects should be utilized selectively to elevate a narrative.

Higuchi harnessed a largely CG approach, and achieved some of the most convincing and visually stunning effects sequences in the history of the franchise. As somebody who experiences CGI fatigue, the configuring of effects for this film was something that I found to be wonderful and refreshing. Distinctly blending use of practical effects through elaborate puppeteering and suit-mation as reference for CG were made to impressively emulate the quality of rubber. The effects photography is recurrently dynamic and beautiful.

Godzilla looks incredible in this film, and I've always been intrigued by the idea of a truly terrifying representation. An appearance that vividly mirrors a physical manifestation of the horrors of war and nuclear fears. While Godzilla from the 2014 film possessed life-like and animalistic qualities both physically and in his mannerisms, Shin Godzilla starkly contrasts that iteration. Here he is a haunting force, like a bedeviled, lethargic deity. The stoic, drifting nature of Shin-Godzilla, slowly hovering above the decimated city, his bloody, disfigured body illuminated by flames below is ominous and chilling.

In the beginning of the film, after Godzilla emerges in his bloody and frenzied first phase, the bureaucrats flap over what to do about him, and exactly which departments it should concern. The military wants to destroy him, biologists and environmentalists want to preserve him, and some speculate as to whether or not the leaked footage is even real. The quick pace and dialogue-heavy nature of the movie may be jarring to some. However, it is always advancing the plot or theme, and simultaneous poses some thought provoking ideas. It can certainly be lot to absorb– at times it can be a little exhausting, but never stops being intriguing. 

Shin Godzilla isn’t about Godzilla, it’s about humanity. The film deemphasizes individual protagonists. Godzilla is defeated by career bureaucrats, sharing responsibility and working together. It’s about about Japan as a collective, the people uniting to assert their own power and significance on the international stage, stepping out from under the protective but smothering dome of United States military power to defeat Godzilla on their own terms. But Shin Godzilla is about more than just Japan, it’s about our collective powers as a species.  •B

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RUROUNI KENSHIN: KYOTO INTERNO (るろうに剣心 京都大火編) 2014

Director Keishi Ohtomo managed to retain almost every aspect of the source material, and deftly consolidated the second arc of the manga into a two hour format, giving the film an episodic feel while simultaneously allowing the film to breath with a methodological build up, adding weight to the action heavy final film. Every change was made sensibly. Despite being the first of a two part sequel, it manages to be a self-sufficient, coherent story. A dashing revitalization of the chambara genre. •A-

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BERNIE 2011

A bleakly amusing, even-tempered film. Jack Black portrays Bernie Tiede, a portly, mustached altruist, and an impossibly gracious man that brings out the best in the people he surrounds himself with. Bernie, is neither fundamentally tragic nor hilarious, but is more self-settling within a grey area, which I love, evidently. The film is simplistic, accessible and underplayed and as a long time fan of Jack Black, I was thrilled to see him showcase his abilities for character acting and drama. •B+ Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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ROUGE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY 2016

Gareth Edwards certainly knows how to stage action, and really gave everything a sense of scale which he showcases in Godzilla as well. Visually, this was the best Star Wars has ever looked so I'll commend the film on that front. That being said I disliked the characters in Rogue One altogether. I'm a huge fan of Donnie Yen and he has little to nothing to do here. Maybe I'm alone In this because people really seem to be digging it, but so much of the exposition just made me groan. At least Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac were charismatic and intriguing in TFA. Overall, I felt a general lack of sincerity and found it to be a largely vapid cash in on nostalgic icons like blue milk and C3PO. •C

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 2016

All this film made me do was groan. The real kick in the teeth was the last like, 4 seconds of this thing where the female protagonist/ narrator says "They were magnificent", as the film fades to black over a strangely CGI enhanced landscape. Maybe I'm just completely fatigued by the nature of blockbusters, and this film was just at the wrong place at the wrong time for me. As per-usual, there's no feeling of mortality, every character behaves as if they're indestructible, and barely register as human. All of it, from the quips to the action direction just fell flat on its face for me. It's all just bafflingly by the numbers. Not that I had any expectations for this, or even cared that it was coming out in the first place, seeing as how we're in a trash-heap Hollywood renaissance of rehashes and cashgrabs on pre-established franchises, because the big-heads know what sells and what doesn't, and they can assume that everyone is just a popcorn eating plebeian with no consideration for what makes a film decent so long as its violent and has Chris Pratt is in it. By the time the totally predictable climax rolls around, nothing is developed enough to even care, no dramatic tension has been established and its simultaneously completely submerged in cliches. Additionally, It's uninspired visually, directorally, and in its editing. There is literally nothing here that distinguishes this western. Denzel is cool, I guess, other than the fact that his performance feels completely phoned in and contrived, as the one sequence showcasing any depth for his character is left to the final moments of the film. The production design is appropriate. Aside from that I don't know if there are any redeeming qualities within the film for me. •D Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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SCHOOL OF ROCK  2003

Entertaining, passionate and thoroughly endearing. This is a film I’ve been watching since I was 9 years old and haven’t stopped loving since. Complete with a classic rock based soundtrack that I admittedly owned, this film was the basis of my musical inclinations as a kid, and watching it even now as an adult, continually evokes that sense of youth and enchantment. •A- Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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BRICK 2005

Perhaps on the surface it’s a conventional, hard-boiled noir film, but Rian Johnson flipped the genre on it’s head to brilliant effect, elevating itself from being a mere homage with it’s presentation of the elements. Centered around high schoolers in South California submerging into a lurid adolescent crime-filed underworld. This film is deadpan and cool. •B

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ALIEN 1979

Hugely visually impactful for me. It goes without saying how profoundly influential this film is, and a lot has changed with the sci-fi horror genre in the thirty years since it’s release. Even today it remains unsettling to the minds and bodies of its viewers with its deliberate pacing, and in that, roots itself deeper in its audience far greater than contemporary filmmakers could ever hope to achieve. All the while refusing to provide any real closure, underlining that the unknown is a terrifying notion. •A-

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PRINCESS MONONOKE (もののけ姫) 1997

To me, every high fantasy film pales in comparison to this. Possibly the most influential film ever for me, this was the source of my illustrative imaginations as a teenager. Sweeping, ambitious, and exotically beautiful, as gods and demons are eternally sealed in a struggle for the destiny of the unspoiled forest. Graphic, and breathtakingly rendered, but it is the film's inspiring use of nature, myth and history that make it so distinguished. The artistry in "Princess Mononoke" is masterful, not that anybody would expect anything less from Miyazaki. •A+ Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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YOJIMBO (用心棒) 1961

Master-class filmmaking. Kurosawa meticulously infuses every detail with meaning. The same goes for all of his works, there's a purpose, and productivity behind each shot. His economy of style was never more amazing; as the samurai rides into town, and the director establishes the atmosphere with exactly one jaw-dropping shot. Narratively well-crafted, no plot holes or inconsistencies and visually entrancing. Quintessential chambara. •A Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (火垂るの墓) 1988

One of the heaviest atmospheres in any film, period. Based on real events, the film takes place during World War II, and details the repercussions of military conflicts among civilians, the fates of abandoned children and the fragility of life and youth. Often tranquil, the film is visually gorgeous and features surrealist qualities to starkly contrast how it’s rooted in a subject so tonally brooding, as it rawly conveys the horrors of war in an unparalleled form. •A- Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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BATTLE ROYALE  (バトル・ロワイアル) 2000

An examination of the lengths an oppressive government will go in order to discipline youth, and decides upon a ruthless demonstration of power. While excessively violent, and darkly humorous, there is a remaining emphasis on the value of human lives, issues of trust, friendship, love and hatred. Which the competition is supposed to deliberately shake, and test its participants in an effort to subconsciously break alliances. •B- Dylan’s LetterBoxd

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ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND  2004

“Sometimes I don't think people realize how lonely it is to be a kid. Like... you don't matter.”

         It’s hard to say you can enjoy a film that brings you down as much as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does, yet it’s hard not to appreciate the charming essence of the film and its two leads. This is the definitive non-comedy movie for Jim Carrey as Joel, who is a very compelling and relatable mess of a man after the relationship with his girlfriend Clementine is cut off. While he gets to have his moments of goofiness, it’s in an awkward demeanor, and overall plays a pretty serious roll here, and it’s nice to see him flex his dramatic side. 

        Eternal Sunshine depicts the trauma and anxiety after the average person experiences a breakup, but puts those emotions into a grounded, science fiction scenario. The film feels completely believable in it’s concept, and because it gets to play with the idea of erasing memories from someone’s mind, it has the opportunity to be unsettling and surreal. Much like a person’s real memories, the film’s cinematography gets to reference back to events in Joel’s memories of Clementine in both broad ways like out of place objects or images in changing settings, or in very subconscious, subtle ways too. •A-