Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

So here it is, the much anticipated superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and I'm just gonna jump right in and say that the film is a bit of a mess, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.
First off, I really liked Ben Affleck's take on Batman and how he is much darker and grittier than before. I know a lot of people hated it when he was first cast, but I thought he'd do a good job and he certainly did, Jeremy Irons as Alfred was also a good choice too.
I also really liked Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor, being a much more energetic mad scientist version of the character, that I think is a good contrast to the much sterner heroes. Henry Cavill is also still fine as Superman and the rest of the cast is pretty good too.
The film unfolds at a good pace and is never boring despite it's 151 minute runtime and includes a few unexpected moments and interesting dream sequences. It has a lot of great visuals and really good action too though the final fight does admittedly go on a little too long. It does actually go a little over the top in it's last act which will probably put a few people off, but I was totally on board with it. Soundtrack is good too and I still love Zimmer's Superman theme.
In terms of detractors it is a little over saturated and messy, there were a few points that could have been focused on more and handled a little better and it could have used with more of an emotional core. But other than that, I really enjoyed this and thought it was an epic thrilling spectacle.****

High-Rise (2016)

The latest offering from Ben Wheatley is a strange and chaotic experience, I overheard a guy sat behind me at the cinema calling it "the weirdest movie he had ever seen". Now I wouldn't go that far but it is a film that is certain to confuse a lot of casual viewers and if you go purely because Tom Hiddleston is in it, then be warned. The film jumps around alot and seems to deliberately have a disorienting structure which I found to be a little messy and clunky(not in  a good way) and is ultimately the films biggest flaw. Despite this though, the film is still compelling and has a good performances from it's large cast of notable actors and has a lot of intriguing things going on, as well as a few funny moments. Production design is also great with it's distinct 70's mixed with postmodern look and cinematography is all in all quite nice too.
Overall  it's a rather solid and strange dark comedy, that is uneven but enjoyable.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

The unexpected second film in the Cloverfield franchise, 10 Cloverfield Lane drops the frantic found footage of the first film and instead delivers a more refined, self contained thriller. It features solid performances from its minuscule cast, particularly Jon Goodman who is on top form here. It's also well paced and features a lot of tense moments, especially the climax that is incredibly tense and engrossing. It's all just really well crafted and enjoyable and is just a really solid thriller, that is definitely worth checking out. ****

Zootropolis (2016)

Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) is Walt Disney Animation Studio's latest offering and is one of their best in recent years. A fun, vibrant film that looks great, is well paced and very funny throughout. What really makes the film stand out though, is the depth of it's subject matter and how it implements very current topics and issues like 'prejudice' and 'stereotyping' in a superb way by utilising the predator/prey dynamic of animals. It's a smart and interesting idea that is effective and easily digestible for anyone watching without being forceful in approach.
Add in some really good voice acting and you got yourselves a fantastic animated movie that I highly recommend. ****

Kaiju Fever: Son Of Godzilla (1967)

The second Godzilla film in a row set purely on an island location, Son of Godzilla and is a light and fun entry aiming to be more kid friendly. The film introduces Godzilla's son Minilla a horrible grey lump of rubber, that is far from the ball of cuteness it's meant to be. The Kamaracuras' and Kumonga on the other hand look great and are one of the films best highlights.
It's a just simple fun kaiju movie, with some enjoyable monster action. Nuff said.
***

The Witch (2015)

Talk about a great directorial debut. The Witch is a slow burning horror set in the 17th century with superb cinematography that is absolutely stunning, solid acting, good drama and a great eerie soundtrack. It's quite a minimal horror, one that unfolds steadily with a great atmosphere and I was totally compelled throughout. It's tense, unsettling with no reliance on jump scares(hoorah!) and I found it more disturbing than a lot of other films that are more explicit and full on. The fact that this is Robert Eggers first feature is great shows a lot of promise and i look forward to seeing what he does in the future.
Overall this is a beautiful and effective horror and one of the best I've seen in the cinema for a while.****

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

After almost 5 years Po and the gang return for the 3rd film in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. a solid sequel that looks great and has some nice additions to the voice cast. The plot is fairly conventional and offers nothing new, but is executed really well with good drama and action and comedy. Voice acting is pretty good too, though Jack Black can be a little overbearing at times and overall this is just a really entertaining sequel that has some great visuals and is a fun watch.
***1/2

Kaiju fever: Ebirah, Horror of the deep (1966)

Here the series takes a different turn with the first of several Godzilla films directed by Jun fukuda. A much more self contained movie than the rest of the series by being set on one island location, the film was originally written to star King Kong but instead got replaced by Godzilla, which is why in the film Godzilla acts more like King Kong than himself. Despite this I still think the film is still pretty fun, the plot is pretty enjoyable and the monster action is entertaining too and I think Ebirah looks pretty cool. It may not feel much like a Godzilla film, but it's still a fun watch overall.***

Kaiju fever: Invasion Of The Astro Monster (1965)

As a kid this was one of my least favourite Godzilla film as I found it rather boring, but now my opinion has completely changed. Once again featuring Rodan, Godzilla and King Ghidorah, This is a very story driven film with quite a small amount of monster action compared to other films in the series. The story is actually very enjoyable and is a really well done Sci-fi alien invasion plot that is quite interesting and probably one of the best of the series. The action though minimal is also pretty good and features Godzilla doing the highland fling which is fun.
Overall this is a solid entry that may not appease fans who are looking for lots of monster action, but still has a really good sc-fi story that is entertaining.
***1/2

Kaiju Fever: Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964)

Featuring an all star monster cast of Godzilla,Mothra,Rodan and King Ghidorah in its first of several appearances in the series. This is a decent entry in the series nothing particularly great though, the human side involving the Venusian princess is a little slow but not bad and the film does take a little while to kick in. The monster action is pretty good though and it's fun seeing these monsters altogether in one film for the first time, so not bad overall, nothing standout though ***

Kaiju fever: Mothra vs Godzilla (1962)

The 4th film in the Godzilla series and one of the best featuring fun monster action and really enjoyable human stuff. Revisiting similar elements themes found in Mothra particularly that of anti-commercialism as the human antagonist try and profit off Mothra's egg much like the villain exploits The Shobijin in Mothra. So Plot isn't the most unique but it is still really well executed, in fact the whole thing is just solidly made with good pacing, acting and action (some effects are a little dated and hokey but still fun) leading to a really entertaining watch.
A great entry in the series.****

Kaiju Fever: Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Godzilla's first sequel and also one of the weaker films in the series. It's the first to feature a giant monster battle, as Godzilla and Anguirus square off which is pretty cool, but the rest of the film is kind of meh. The plot is very basic and ploddy and the climax goes on for too long and gets a little dull at times.
It's not too bad though, just not that great and is certainly worth it for some of it's monster action.
**1/2

Kaiju Fever: Gorath (1962)

This is actually a Sci-fi disaster movie with the only Kaiju in it being a giant Walrus called Maguma who is in it for all of six minutes.
The plot concerns a collapsing star called Gorath that is on a collision course with Earth, as the world leading scientists find solutions to avoiding it, including moving the earth itself by building thrusters in the South Pole (this is science fiction after all). The film also includes a message of peace and how the world should work together more in unity.
The film is pretty good overall, it has some interesting ideas and unfolds at a good pace. Some of the special effects look more dated than others, but some are still pretty cool.
it's just well made enjoyable bit of Sci-fi. ***

Kaiju Fever: Death Kappa (2010)

Here's some wacky independent monster fun. The first half plays out like a  horror monster comedy and then out of nowhere changes into a Daikaiju film. It's lower budget means it's effects look a little cheaper than usual but the monster suits still look pretty fun and the action is still very entertaining particularly the monster fight between Hangyolas and Death Kappa .
It's clunky, messy, funny and might be too all over the place for some people (the transition to Daikaiju is certainly jarring) but I enjoyed the hell out of it and that's all there is to say. ***

Kaiju Fever: The War Of The Gargantuas (1966)

Sequel to Frankenstein vs the World, featuring giant hairy frankenstein monsters Gaira and Sanda as well as a giant octopus. The film straight off delves into monster action with one of the Gargantua's battling a giant octopus and has plenty of other monster action goodness throughout. The plot is your standard 'investigate,uncover and take down' but works fine with the amount of action we get, so it's still very enjoyable.
The monster suits look pretty creepy, especially the faces and I really like the conflicting personalities that Gaira and Sanda have which adds nice dynamic to the film, it also has an ending that is very similar to Rodan's ending that kind of works but is a little underwhelming.
Overall this is pretty good film with lots of fun kaiju action to keep your attention.
***

Kaiju Fever: Rodan (1956)

Toho's first colour kaiju film directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring the first film appearance of the Kaiju Rodan, who would go on to appear in the Godzilla series. It also features giant bug things called Meganulon which are kind of creepy.
The film actually has quite a dark tone to begin and plays out like a horror before shifting into more usual kaiju territory. It has the standard plot conventions of 'mysterious things being investigated and uncovered' and 'trying to find ways to stop the monster', but it's all very solidly made with some pretty good monster action and ending that somewhat makes us sympathetic towards the Rodans (there are actually two in this film ). Overall very good stuff. ***1/2

Kaiju Fever: Jūjin Yuki Otoko (1955)

Here's a rare Kaiju film directed by Ishiro Honda a year after Gojira. It's rare because it's been removed from circulation due to the apparent bad depiction of the inhabitants of a remote village (which is sorta bullshit) who closely resemble the Ainu People. It seems the only version of the original that seems to be available is a vhsrip which I managed to get hold of. There is of course also a  horribly edited Americanized version called Half Human that is widely available that is apparently awful.
This film is actually pretty good though, the monsters are a monster snowman and his kid, though they aren't Daikaiju and are just a little larger than a human. The suits are very dated and don't look that great, but they still do a fine enough job for the film.
The story is told in flashback as a reporter asks a group of people about what had happened to them in the mountains. It unfolds at a good pace and features some pretty good acting and is overall an enjoyable and pretty solid film, it's just a damn shame that it is so unavailable.***1/2

Kaiju Fever: The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit (2008)

After 41 years the Kaiju Guilala finally returns in a wacky comedy directed by Minoru Kawasaki. The film is kind of a political satire and is basically involves the world leaders of the G8 summit trying to use their own different tactics to take down Guilala.
It also features a second Kaiju 'Take-Maji'n which is based upon and portrayed by the great Takeshi Kitano which is pretty cool. The film is pretty fun overall, it's a little clunky, has some bad acting (that USA president) and uses quite a bit of Stock footage from 'The X from Outer Space', but has enough there to keep it enoyable and rather funny.**1/2

Kaiju Fever: The X from Outer Space (1967)

Featuring a dodgy monster who sounds drunk and look likes an Ultraman villain reject, the X from outer space is some straight up cheap goofy Kaiju fun.
The plot is pretty simple and involves astronauts on a mission to mars to investigate UFO's and unintentionally brings back a spore attach the the ship that grows into the monster Guilala who goes on a rampage.
While Guilala isn't the best looking of monsters, pretty much the entire second half of this movie is dedicated to monster action, featuring Guilala destroying shit and Japanese forces trying to take him down. It  may not be of the same standard as other Kaiju films, but it's still a pretty fun watch.**1/2

Kaiju Fever: The Demon Of Mount Oe (1960)

Now here's a little Japanese horror gem featuring sword fighting, demons, magicians and a big ass spider. With a 10th century settng this is really entertaining film with an interesting plot, fun special effects and somewhat enjoyable action scenes (choreography is a little choppy) .
The film has alot to do with deceitfulness of myths and legends especially with it's great fantastical opening that sets us up for what we may expect to come only to end in a rather surprising way.(well it's not what I expected anyhow) and it's one of the ways the movie manages to standout.
 So overall I thought this was a really good movie, that's a fun watch and definitely worth checking out.
 ****

Kaiju fever: Daimajin (1966)

Now here's a real Kaiju film and a really solid one at that. Part of a trilogy, Daimajin sets itself apart from other kaiju films by having a Jidaigeki setting, the plot concerns a evil warlord who has overtaken a small town and treats it's inhabitants like shit, leading to the giant Daimajin statue reeking vengeance on him and his henchman.
This Daimajin itself I think looks great and has a very threatening presence. One of the great things about this movie is its dark tone, by the late 60's most kaiju movies had become goofy and fun, but this one tries to be more serious and menacing like the first Gojira film and for the most part succeeds.
the film also looks great and features a score by Akira Ikufube that is a little to similar to his Gojira score, but still works really well.
Overall I think this is a really good Kaiju film, I will warn that it is very story driven (Daimajin only turns up in the last 15 minutes or so) but it's still really enjoyable and worth checking out.
***1/2

Kaiju Fever: Atragon (1963)

Here's a Sci-fi Tokusatsu film directed by the great Ishiro Honda and starring a bunch of Godzilla regulars. It's not much of Kaiju film itself, but it does feature the giant Dragon-like sea serpent Manda (who would go on to appear in the Godzilla film series) albeit rather scarcely. The films focus instead is on the flying super submarine Gotengo and is very story driven and light on the action.
The plot concerns the lost underwater Mu empire who resurface and threaten to overtake the world, with the only hope of stopping them being the super submarine Gotengo. It deals with themes of Nationalism and Patriotism, I particularly liked the Captain Jinguji character who at first refuses the use Gotengo to help the world purely because it was built to restore the Japanese Empire.
Overall I really enjoyed this and thought it was a solid movie, it may not have that much action but the story was still really well executed.
***1/2

Kaiju Fever: Die Nibelungen Siegfried (1924)

Fritz Lang's silent fantasy epic, which again isn't much of a Kaiju film but it does feature a 60ft dragon puppet (pictured above) in it's first 30 minutes which is super cool and one of the films best highlights. The film itself though is still rather great, visually beautiful with top notch production design. It's a 140 minute epic based on the epic poem 'Nibelungenlied' and is followed by a second part 'Kriemhilds Rache'. It ts quite an astonishing film that really shows the masterful talent of Fritz Lang. A very engaging silent fantasy, that is definitely worth checking it out.
****

Kaiju Fever: L'Inferno (1911)

I've been in a giant monster mood lately, so I've decided to for now focus on watching a bunch of movies that feature Kaiju in them. My main focus will be on Japanese films but I will also be look at other movies featuring Kaiju by going through the list featured on the Kaijumatic website.
So I'm gonna start this with the first film on that list, the 1911 Italian silent film L'inferno. The first full length Italian feature film that is loosely adapted from Dante's Divine Comedy. Now of course this isn't exactly a giant monster movie but it does feature a few big hell demons like the one in the above image which is pretty cool. The film itself is quite a fascinating watch, every shot takes us to a different set as Dante makes his way through hell, with some really interesting special effects used throughout. The version I watched had no accompanying music and didn't know Tangerine Dream wrote a score for it till afterwards, so I first started playing the Dante's Inferno video game soundtrack with it, which of course didn't work at all, then I quickly changed it to a version of 'The Dante Symphony' which suited it better.
So while not worthwhile for it's giant monsters, this 105 year old film is still definitely worth checking out for the fascinating way it uses filmmaking techniques of it's time to portray Dante's Inferno.
***1/2