Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Gojira (1954)
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast.
The original Godzilla movie is probably the best of the series, as it is well-produced and delivers the thrills while implying more political and existential issues than its successors.
Halliwell (no star): "Tepid forerunner of scores of Japanese monster movies peopled by men in rubber suits."
Maltin***: "Grandaddy of Japanese monster movies...Much more complex and nuanced than the Americanized GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS!..."
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Guyver (1991)
A young man discovers a mechanical device that merges with his own body, turning him into a cyborg superhero.
Deliberately silly - and gory - spoof with some quite fantastic monster outfits; entertainment value limited to fans of the genre.
Maltin*1/2: "Clumsy clumps of humor only make the contrived plot seem even more foolish."
The Monuments Men (2014)
An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.
An otherwise highly interesting episode of WWII is (intentionally) treated like a Dirty Dozen-style war adventure complete with a good-humoured cast, light action and some sombre moments; mildy entertaining, though, it is.
Maltin**: "A great true-life story...gets surface treatment and the identities of its heroes is fictionalized, making it difficult to fully invest in their characters. Deliberately old-fashioned, the movie has its moments, and the charisma of its formidable cast carries it a long way."
Sophie's Choice (1982)
After spending time with his new neighbors, an aspiring writer realizes they are harboring deep secrets that will forever change him.
A bleak and intense story of a love traingle marred by the conflicting backgrounds of the lovers (especially the woman's experience of the Holocaust) is obviously bound to the novel's specifications, but convinces very much by the power of the strong performances.
Halliwell*: "Glum romantic drama about guilt and retribution, long and uncinematic as well as rather poorly done; but its intentions are doubtless honourable.
Maltin**1/2: "Streep's Oscar-winning performance is the centerpiece (and raison d'être) for this slavishly faithful, but deadeningly slow-moving, adaptation of William Styron's book...Nestor Almendros' camera is in love with Streep, but her stunning characterization can't carry the film alone.'"
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