THE SUNDAY MOVIE REVIEW! - 'Godzilla Minus One'

'Godzilla Minus One' (2023)

When I finally watched “Shin Godzilla” from 2016, I have to say that I was pretty disappointed in Toho’s film, especially since it had been over a decade since they had released their own Godzilla movie. I was disappointed due to dodgy visual effects, a weirdly evolving Godzilla whose earlier forms turned me off almost right away, and for having a bunch of characters that I really didn’t care about.

Now, Takashi Yamazaki has written and directed a film that makes up for all of that film’s shortcomings with the 33rd Toho produced Godzilla movie entitled “Godzilla Minus One”.

The new movie is set in post-war Japan and they are still reeling economically, physically, and psychologically from the war. The movie primarily follows Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōici Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot that abandoned his mission during the last days of the war. At a small airfield, he and a group of engineers have a run-in with Godzilla but Shikishima is too scared to do anything. Most of the engineers are killed and this leads to even greater shame for Shikishima who had already abandoned his mission.

When he returns home to Tokyo, Shikishima finds that his family has been killed by the Tokyo bombings. As he and others try to rebuild, a woman named Noriko (Minami Hamabe) shows up with a baby Akiko and soon they become an adopted family. The only problem is that Shikishima has trouble getting too close to either Noriko or Akiko due to his extreme survivor’s guilt and shame from the war.

Godzilla is back in full force in 'Godzilla Minus One'!

Soon enough, though, Godzilla returns after nuclear testing awakens him and gives him even more strength and power. Godzilla has marked Tokyo as his territory and now it is up to Shikishima and others to try and stop this powerful beast once and for all. Part of that team is Shikishima’s minesweeping crew which includes Dr. Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), Captain Yōji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki), and the young trainee Shirō Mizushima (Yuki Yamada).

The reason that I want to mention all of these characters was that I was surprised by how much I truly cared for these people. They were not just fodder for Godzilla or thinly developed. Let’s just face the facts and acknowledge that in most of these films, the human characters are secondary to the monsters. That’s especially true of the MonsterVerse films from Legendary Pictures here in America even though I like those movies as well.

In between all the action, we find ourselves caring for Shikishima and his struggling with PTSD and we end up loving the crew of the minesweeping boat that Shikishima eventually joins. Back on the homefront, we also care for the story of his unintended family that not only includes Noriko and Akiko but also their neighbor Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando), all of whom try to get Shikishima to see that he does not have to feel guilty for surviving a terrible war that has affected all of them deeply for different reasons.

Ryunosuke Kamiki stars as the emotionally scarred Shikishima in 'Godzilla Minus One'!

Of course, you come to a Godzilla movie to see the big boy in action. Keep one thing in mind, though, this is not the loveable antihero that pops up in some of the other films. This movie takes its cues from the original “Godzilla” in 1954 and this Godzilla is a lethal and devastating force of nature that you don’t want to be around and he can be genuinely scary as well.

The visual effects from writer and director Yamazaki are top-notch and I found myself watching the movie while being astounded by the fact that this movie only cost $15 million to make. Take note, Hollywood, you don’t have to spend $300 million a pop to make a movie look this good! When Godzilla attacks, you feel the weight of the creature and the devastation that he leaves in his wake and this movie shows a huge leap forward with special-effects in Japan.

The effects are, of course, enhanced by the incredibly human story that is told, but there is also something else that brings this movie home. Naoki Satō is the film’s composer and he has created a truly haunting score for the movie that just helps enhance the action and the emotional depth contained within the movie. In fact, I’m sitting here listening to the score while I’m writing this review and I’m almost tearing up just listening to it.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year that the new Toho Godzilla movie would be one of the best films of the year, I might not have believed you. I probably would have thought that the movie would be good, but this is more than good. This is one of the best Godzilla films ever made!

So, here I am telling you one undeniable fact: “Godzilla Minus One” is one of the best films of 2023!

Toho's latest Godzilla film is one of their best and one of the best films of the year!

REVIEW! - 'BLUE BEETLE' (2023)

'Blue Beetle' (2023)

The reason that this review of “Blue Beetle” is coming so late after the movie’s release is due to the fact that I wasn’t originally going to see it in theaters. Not only am I suffering from superhero fatigue to a certain degree these days, I’m not really interested in films from DC due to how hit-or-miss their films have been in the past. Then, National Cinema Day came around and I figured that for a $4 ticket, this movie would be worth my time.

Then, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this movie! DC, why couldn’t you have been making films like this from the beginning!? “Blue Beetle” is an entertaining, action-packed, humorous movie that also happens to have a lot of heart.

The movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a young man who has just graduated college and has returned home to find that his parents are about to lose their house. He gets a low paying job in order to try and make things right, but after a run in with Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) from Kord Industries, he is given the mysterious and alien Scarab. The device quickly merges with Jaime and the Blue Beetle is born!

Now, Jaime must figure out how to harness the power before Jenny’s evil aunt Victoria (Susan Sarandon can get to him first. She wants the Scarab to power her new OMAC suits at Kord Industries. Jaime must figure out a way to keep his family protected as well once they get into Victoria’s crosshairs.

Xolo Maridueña stars as Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle!

Okay, so first thing’s first just to get it out of the way. The movie does NOT break the superhero formula and it even takes more than a few narrative cues from 2015’s “Ant-Man”. Both have characters that once utilized their superhero mantles, a love interest that has a lost parent, and a villain that wants to acquire the superhero’s tech in order to make lots of money. However, the movie utilizes the tried-and-true superhero formula to great effect.

First, it has plenty of action scenes that are fun to watch. With the Blue Beetle suit, Jaime can fly and he can manipulate it to make anything he wants from swords and shields to non-lethal weapons. That is, if he can ever learn to properly communicate with the Scarab in order to control said power.

The second thing this film has going for it is that it has a great sense of humor. More often than not, the jokes land and they usually revolve around Jaime and his family’s reaction to the Blue Beetle powers. I even enjoyed George Lopez as Jaime’s uncle Rudy and that’s saying something as Lopez has never exactly been one of my favorite actors or comedians.

What was surprising about the movie is how much heart the movie has. The DC films have usually ranged from bitchy and moody to downright dumb in the emotional department. Watching how much Jaime cares about his family and the few emotional moments that arrive in the movie’s second half, I’m a little angry that DC wasn’t making more movies like this earlier in the franchise’s history.

At the end of the day, I almost avoided this movie due to DC’s track record. I’m thankful that I ended up watching the movie on the big screen. It is a fun-filled movie that shows DC Films is capable of making fun superhero films. I’m just sad it came so late in the game during a time where most audience members may have already lost interest in the DC film franchise.

'Blue Beetle' is a fun and worthy ride that may be
a little too late for most people to care.

REVIEW! - 'OPPENHEIMER' (2023)

'Oppenheimer' (2023)

“Oppenheimer” is the biopic to end all biopics from Christopher Nolan, the man that not only directed the movie but also wrote the screenplay based on the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer”. Nolan tells the story through two perspectives. In the color segments of the movie, we are seeing the movie through the eyes of our titular character, Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) while the black and white segments are through the eyes of the man that would be Oppenheimer’s greatest villain, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.).

The movie moves backwards and forwards through the narrative’s timeline. Some of it takes place during Oppenheimer’s rise through the Manhattan project while another thread follows Oppenheimer’s security hearing after the war and during the Red Scare. A third thread follows Strauss as he is trying to get confirmed to a cabinet position in President Eisenhower’s administration.

This movie brings the full weight of Nolan’s talents as a filmmaker to the forefront. The movie is shot on film with no extensive CGI shots, including a practical recreation of the Trinity Test, the first time we detonated an atomic bomb. The effect is astounding and great to watch yet while it does capture the full power of what we unleashed, it is also not the highlight of the movie.

The highlight of the movie are the amazing performances throughout. Murphy is on the fast track to win the Academy Award next year for Best Actor. Unless some surprising performance appears over the next four months, I feel like Murphy has this one in the bag as he completely falls into the role of this historical and, at times, controversial character.

Cillian Murphy is the tragic hero of Christopher Nolan's latest epic.

Another Academy Award that may be in the bag is a Best Supporting Actor statue for Robert Downey Jr. This movie proves once again why the actor is one of the best of his generation even before he donned a metal suit for Marvel Studios. Downey Jr. is at the top of his game here as he brings to life the cold, spiteful, grudge-holding Strauss and he truly disappears into the role.

Beyond both Murphy and Downey Jr., all of the actors in the movie give great performances as well. Matt Damon is dependable as ever as General Leslie Groves, the military director of the Manhattan Project. Emily Blunt is also in the running for Best Actress for her performance as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, and Florence Pugh may be in for a nomination for Best Supporting Actress as Oppenheimer’s tortured mistress, Jean Tatlock.

Then, there is Nolan’s storytelling along with the editing skills of Jennifer Lame. Yes, the movie is three hours long but they tell the story at such a brisk and nonlinear pace that I never once felt that the movie was too long or that there were things that the movie didn’t necessarily need. Not only do I think that Nolan will win his first Best Director Oscar, Lame will win for editing and Hoyte van Hoytema will win for his stunning cinematography.

I have yet to find a Nolan film that I didn’t like. I keep waiting for the director to make a movie that doesn’t work for me, but so far he’s on a winning streak that hasn’t stopped yet. “Oppenheimer” may very well be another masterpiece from one of the best directors working in the business today.

Not only is it one of Christopher Nolan's best films,
it is the film to beat for Best Film of 2023!

RETRO REVIEW! - 'HACKERS' (1995)

Hackers (1995)

The computer lingo and imagery in 1995’s “Hackers” admittedly shows us just how much we didn’t know about computers or the internet at the time. Still, as Roger Ebert said in his own review when the film came out, I take the computer stuff in this movie about as seriously as I take the archeology in an Indiana Jones movie. What the film gets right is the cyberpunk hacker culture of the day and it includes likable characters, a delightfully over-the-top villain, and a fun action thriller story.

The movie’s main protagonist is Jonny Lee Miller as Dade Murphy, a.k.a. “Crash Override”, a character that was sentenced to never using a computer until he was 18. That’s because he crashed over 1500 computer systems. Now, he’s been forced to move to New York and soon finds fellow hackers including Jesse Bradford’s Joey, Matthew Lillard’s “Cereal Killer”, Laurence Mason’s “Lord Nikon”, and Renoly Santiago’s “Phantom Phreak”.

He also gets into a rivalry with Angelina Jolie’s Kate Libby, a.k.a. Acid Burn. Soon, though, all the hackers become a target of “The Plague” (Fisher Stevens), a hacker that works for cyber security for a mineral company. He created a worm in order to extort money from the company, but after Joey discovers the “garbage” file that the worm is in, he decides to pin the blame for the worm on Joey and his fellow hackers while Plague eventually escapes with the money along with his accomplice, Margo Wallace (Lorraine Bracco).

Crash Override and his fellow hackers
prepare to take down the Plague in 'Hackers'!

The first thing to note are the likable characters. Miller is great as Crash Override while Jolie shows off her early yet still formidable acting talents as Acid Burn. These two are obvious love interests for each other, but their rivalry also feels real. There is a secret service character named Richard Gil (Wendell Pierce) that gives our hackers some trouble in addition to the Plague. One of the best sequences in the movie is when Crash Override and Acid Burn enter into a competition to see which one can cause more grief for Agent Gil.

Not only are the characters likable, the world they live in is fun to visit as well. Whether they’re at school or at a place where hackers go to hang out and talk shop, you feel like this world is real even though it is over-the-top.

The movie’s music is also worth noting. It is a techno fueled soundtrack and, along with the first “Mortal Kombat” film, it helped raise techno music’s popularity at the time. The music helps sell this crazy techno world that our characters reside in.

Visually speaking, the special-effects featured on the computers are complete nonsense. They’re just made to make you feel like the hackers are diving deep into a computer to retrieve data and information. Surprisingly, these visual effects still work to help sell the story as well even though we now live in a world where people are far more literate when it comes to computers.

The movie didn’t do well when it was released in theaters. It only made $7 million against a $20 million budget and seemed destined to be forgotten. Thankfully, “Hackers” went on to become the cult classic that it deserves to be. The computer lingo and effects may be nothing more than eye candy, but the fun story, interesting world, and great characters keep you engaged in what turns out to be a fun ride straight out of the ‘90s!

A blast from the 1990s that holds up surprisingly well!

FILM REVIEW! - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

 

Director: Jeff Rowe

Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit

Based On: Characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

I’ve been a fan of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” since the premiere of the 1987 animated series that was based on the independent comic book by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It was also the show that initially created the phenomenon that sold a lot of toys and started a mega franchise. Over the past 38 years, the Turtles have gone through various changes, some good (the 2003 and 2012 animated series were pretty good) and some that were god awful (the less said about the two Michael Bay produced live-action films, the better).

Now, producer and co-writer Seth Rogen and his crew have taken the reins and gifted us with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”. So, how does the new iteration of the Turtles stack up in the long-running franchise? Well, it is slightly different… and a total blast!

In “Mutant Mayhem”, the four Turtles known as Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello are actual teenagers that have largely been confined to the sewers by Splinter. Their master is a mutated rat who does not like humans and he just wants to protect his adopted sons. Splinter is aware that there are humans out there that are cruel, bigoted, and would do anything to destroy something that is different from them.

One night, though, the Turtles run into April O’Neil and help her recover something that was stolen from her. She is a high school student that is trying to track down the mysterious Superfly, a criminal boss that is stealing high-tech equipment for unknown purposes. Seeing through April that not all humans are bad, the Turtles decide that if they do good things, then maybe the human world will eventually accept them… but is this the best reason to become heroes?

The movie is being compared to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” due to having a similar artstyle, but take it from me, this movie has its own identity. Every scene oozes (pun intended) with frames that look like they were taken directly out of someone’s sketchbook during class. The animation is fun to watch and captures the spirit of the Turtles perfectly.

Now, I can say that the mutants’ origins are changed slightly here, especially Splinter’s own backstory. Yes, this may anger some of the gatekeeping purists out there, but ignore them. The changes actually play a role in telling the film’s story which has a not-too-subtle theme about prejudices built on past trauma and how we can all fall victim to said prejudices if we wanted to.

Another great aspect is that the Turtles are actually played by teenagers and all four voice actors (shoutout to Nicholas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., and Brady Noon) are fantastic. The supporting cast that is stacked with stars such as Ice Cube, Paul Rudd, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Hannibal Buress, Seth Rogen, John Cena, and Giancarlo Esposito also successfully add their talents to the proceedings. Aside from all of them, though, I think a special shoutout is due for Jackie Chan as the Turtles’ protective father figure Splinter.

The movie is packed with a lot of action and a few twists and turns. The animation is solid, the performances are good, and the movie is a charming addition to the franchise that isn’t afraid to add its own unique identity to the story when it is needed. There has already been a sequel greenlit by Paramount and if they want to continue with more films and other properties set in this new era, then I’ll be the first in line!

JT'S FILM REVIEWS - 'Nope'

Writer and director Jordan Peele tackled the many layers of systemic racism with his first horror film “Get Out” in 2017. He then tackled psychological horror and classism with “Us” in 2019. Now he’s tackling sci-fi horror and our obsession with attention and fame seeking spectacle with “Nope”, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea.

The movie is about Otis “OJ” (Kaluuya) and Emerald  “Em” (Palmer) Haywood, a brother and sister that operate the Haywood Hollywood horse ranch. After their father Otis Sr. dies when mysterious debris falls from the sky, OJ is trying to keep things afloat at the ranch while Em is trying to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. Soon, they start to experience other mysterious situations such as fluctuating electricity and the horses going wild.

After OJ catches a glimpse of a UFO, Em convinces him that they need to try and capture it on film in order to reveal it to the world and get their fame and fortune. While Em just wants fame, OJ can use the money to keep from having to sell his ranch to Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yuen), a man who owns a nearby carnival. What follows is a film that redefines the alien invasion movie in fun and exciting ways.

Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, and Steven Yeun star in Jordan Peele's 'Nope'.

It may seem like I revealed a lot in my description of the movie, but the truth is that I’ve barely scratched the surface. This does present a problem in that I can’t really say too much more without giving away the film’s twists and turns. What I can say is that the movie explores our obsession with trying to seek attention and quick fortunes.

After all, think about what we do when we see something strange and even potentially dangerous. We don’t call the authorities right away or try to run away. Instead, we get out our phones hoping to capture whatever it is so that we can then post it on social media for that instant attention and gratification.

Another thing I can mention is that the performances are fantastic. Kaluuya gives another great performance as the weary OJ, a man who wants to keep his father’s legacy alive despite the trials and tribulations that come with the job of operating the ranch. At first, you don’t really like Em, but that’s by design with Palmer’s spectacular performance. You begin to relate more to the character when we learn more about her story and why she acts the way she does.

I absolutely loved “Get Out” and “Us” and now I can add this to the list as a fantastic horror film from a modern day Master of Horror. You can see Peele’s influences here such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Jurassic Park”, and “Signs” but once again Peele takes his inspirations and crafts something original out of the proceedings. The movie is without a doubt Peele’s most ambitious film technologically but he never loses an inch of his unique style as a director.

In short, say "Yes" to "Nope"!

RETRO REVIEW - 'Thief' (1981)

"Thief" is the feature film directorial debut of Michael Mann.

It is an extremely rare thing for a feature-film director to come out of the gate almost fully formed. However, with 1981’s “Thief”, director Michael Mann did just that as you can instantly recognize that this is a film from the director of later film classics such as “Manhunter” and “Heat”. The unique score (this one by Tangerine Dream), the stunning and gritty cinematography (shot by Donald Thorin), and recognizable scenes where we learn more about our anti-hero protagonist are all there for audiences to devour.

The movie opens with Frank (James Caan), an expert thief, in the middle of a job. While we see in great detail how he is breaking into a vault, we also meet Frank’s getaway driver who is monitoring police frequencies and his partner Barry (James Belushi) who has the alarm system. Soon, he has found the diamonds that he is looking for and they all get away without a trace.

The next day, though, they learn that the guy who is supposed to move the merchandise has been killed. The men with the person behind the killing, Leo (Robert Prosky), accidentally took the money due to Frank and his associates. Soon, Leo returns the money but it also comes with a proposition for Frank to do two or three jobs for him.

Frank usually wants to work alone, but the money may give him the life he wants, particularly with his love interest Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and old mentor and father figure Okla (Willie Nelson). That means that the movie quickly turns into a “one last job” film that is expertly told by Mann. There are many details about the upcoming heist that are interesting, but we soon find that we’re more focused on Frank and his story.

Tuesday Weld and James Caan during the famous diner scene in 1981's "Thief".

This is epitomized in the now famous diner scene between Frank and Jessie where we learn where Frank comes from and why he lives the life of a thief. We also learn who Jessie is and why she would ever want to be with a thief. The scene could also be viewed as a prototype for the even more famous diner scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” several years later.

The scene in “Heat” works due to the expert dialogue by Mann and the powerhouse performances by Pacino and De Niro. The same can be said here about Caan and Weld. They easily make you believe in these characters and it is also refreshing to see that this would not be a story where Frank kept what he does from Jessie. While Caan gives one of his best performances in this scene, Weld should also not be ignored as she has the more challenging role of convincing us that Jessie would want to be with a guy like Frank.

Of course, the movie centers around Caan’s character and this movie is a true highlight of why Caan was such an appealing leading man. Yes, Caan can easily play the tough-as-nails aspect of the character, but what lies beneath the tough exterior that Caan easily taps into is Frank’s vulnerability. Frank is someone who simply wants to escape his life and feels like he is behind due to his previous stint in prison that took over a decade of his life away from him.

Due to Caan’s performance, you want Frank to succeed and get the life that has always been denied to him. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Prosky’s Leo and Prosky delivers a sly yet very vile crime lord. Prosky is good at sucking Frank and the audience into his web at first with a sort of fatherly charm, but there is always a sinister touch lying just below the surface.

Leo is the opposite of Frank’s father figure and mentor, Okla, played to surprising effect by legendary singer Willie Nelson. We only get to see Okla for a couple of scenes and Nelson is so good that you wish there was more with the character. Nelson may not have been a professional actor, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell if this is the only thing that you have ever seen him in.

The only real criticism that I can bring up here is not even my own criticism. The ending has been noted for its ambiguity and its seemingly anticlimactic conclusion. However, I’ll go ahead and say that, in my opinion, it’s really the only ending that I think makes the film work. By the time credits roll, the movie sticks with you and you might have a lot of thoughts, but one thought that I think you’ll have is that you have just seen one of the best thrillers ever made.