Gojira Review

[Spoilers are in this review so you have been warned.]
Gojira the classic giant monster movie from japan featuring the beloved icon of Godzilla is awesome (Gojira). Ishirō Honda directed the film wonderfully with impeccable effects for the time and even had a story with a message that is still relevant. (He is best known for his work on the Godzilla films) Also the music composed by Akira Ifukube seems to match seamlessly with the emotions of the characters and the events in the film.

Although this film is was made in 1954 in Japan it was released later in the United States 2 years later as Godzilla King Of The Monsters however, this version of the film had been altered greatly from the original version. The inclusion of a completely new character Steve Martin played by Raymond Burr, which altered the tone and impact of the film to be less than the masterpiece, but it was still a fine film nonetheless. In the Japanese version Akira Takarada (Hideto Ogata) is the leading male character that has been winning over the affection of the female lead Momoko Kochi (Emiko Yamane) who has led Akihiko Hirata (Daisuke Serizawa) to believe that they should have been together.

On a side note Gojira was Akira Takarada first role in a film but he is in several other Godzilla films later in his carrier but his role in this film is what gave him his start. Akihiko Hirata career after Gojira was in the Kaiju genre (strange beast). Momoko never really stared in or appeared in any other films afterward or previous.

I personally enjoy both versions of this classic but I will be focusing on the original Japanese version (Gojira). The story begins as a ship is sunk at sea by a mysterious creature the survivors tell the locals of Odo Island that it was a huge monster. One local man says that it is the mythical beast known as “Godzilla” that will come to destroy them. That following night the village on Odo Island are attacked by the monster (Godzilla). The morning after Takashi Shimura (Kyohei Yamane) goes to Odo Island to find out more about the odd occurrence. After Takashi establishes that there is indeed a monster he presents his findings and Japanese politicians who then begin to fortify the coasts to protect from a potential attack. Takashi finds that he is one of the few people that believes that Godzilla should be studied not kill seeing as he was the product of nuclear testing done out at sea. His frustration with individuals who see Godzilla as nothing more than a monster causes him a great in pain. After Godzilla is spotted swimming near a coastal region he is then attacked by the military through tank fire and fighter planes. The attempts fail and the destruction of the city begins. In the wake nothing more than ash and rubble remain much like the aftermath of an nuclear explosion (Hiroshima had been bombed nine years earlier).

During this time the love triangle between Akira, Momoko, and Akihiko finally becomes more apparent . If it were not for Akihiko's feelings for Momoko then he would not have agreed to use his invention called “Oxygen Destroyer” to stop Godzilla.. Akihiko knows that Momoko would be better off with Akira and decides to kill himself to take out Godzilla as he's at the bottom of the ocean. The grim tones of the final scenes of the film resonate through the screen as Akihiko releases the capsule and takes his own life “Both of you, Be happy”. The hero Akihiko had to take his own life so that the rest of that nation could live. With a solute to their fallen friend they look out into an open and bright sky.

The use of miniatures sets that Godzilla destroys and the crowds of people running in terror work for this film. At the time CG did not exist so everything had to be done with some sort of trick photograph but it is still amazing as it ever was. Destruction and explosions do not take most of the film but there are enough to call it an action movie. Its entertaining and a fun film that is very dear to me personally.

Despite not being the first monster film this is definitely one that has had a lasting impact of other films of the same genre. Ishiro Honda made a film that was spectacular and has a timeless quality to it. Overall I would have to give this film a 9.5/10 because it had a wonderful story with acting that seemed more real than most at the time. Gojira is the king of the monster movie genre.

-Ryan

Welcome To Macintosh

Apple never intended to sell computers. They wanted to just give them away! The documentary ‘Welcome to Macintosh’, takes the viewer through the early years of Apple. The founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak talked with several interested retailers that convinced them to put their product on the market. The two businessmen from California began to sell their computers in Minnesota. Their first mass-produced computer was the Apple II. The documentary gets very detailed about the Apple II and the impact that it had on the computer industry Apple itself. The Apple Corp. grew substantially after the Apple II was released in 1977. The Mac was released in 1984 and gave computers a new standard. Both Wozniak and Jobs left Apple soon after though. As the computer industry grew, Apple began to fall into the shadows, as their products could not compete with competitors such as IBM and Microsoft.

The middle of this documentary is quite grim as the view learns about Apples slump. The company had three different CEO’s between 1983 and 1996. Apple was not producing quality products during this time period and only 1 out of every 10 computer users used a Mac. Then the documentary gives us a glorious moment of rejoice, when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. The rest of the documentary details how Apple has grown since then and how other products such as the iPod and iPhone have changed other industries as well.

‘Welcome to Macintosh’ gives the viewer many interesting interviews with employees, Mac users, collectors, and retailers. There is a sense of real intuitive innovations throughout the film as the viewer sees all that Apple has gone through and created. The viewer also gets to feel a connection to the company, and maybe even feel bad for Apple as it was being abused and neglected by its subpar CEO’s. I personally felt a connection to some of the people being interviewed during the film. I laughed at many of their comments and I felt bad for them at some points as they spoke of Apples slump. This documentary left me wondering what Apple would do next? What would be their next breakthrough? Most people don’t enjoy documentaries, but if you have to watch one, I would defiantly suggest this one. I give ‘Welcome to Macintosh’ a 8/10.

-Nick

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Review

"Goodness, look at my wrist. I gotta go!" is just one of the dozens of hilarious lines you'll find in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a three part short film created during the writers’ strike in 2008. The main character Dr. Horrible (otherwise known as Billy), played by Neil Patrick Harris, is a mad scientist that is trying to get into the Evil League of Evil. Dr. Horrible's crush and laundry mat acquaintance is Penny, played by Felicia Day. The final significant character is the local super hero, Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion.

Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day both have their acting careers firmly cemented in comedy roles. Harris in the popular TV show How I Met Your Mother, and Day in the online series The Guild. If you have ever seen either of those shows, then you probably have a good idea of the sort of comedy you'll be getting from these actors. You might be surprised then by Dr. Horribles's Sing-Along Blog and its partially comedic, partially dramatic and tragic nature. When act 1 began, I saw Neil Patrick Harris and right then I knew that I was watching a comedy. But by then end of act 3 I was watching a horribly tragic story of lost love and a poor misled man. I was by no means disappointed by this, in fact I really enjoyed the dramatic change in mood. It was unexpected and very powerful.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was a funny yet dramatic story. It was one of the most unique films I've seen in quite a while. I thoroughly enjoyed all three acts and will defiantly watch the fourth act when it is released online. I highly suggest watching this film if you never have before. I give Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog a deserving 8/10.

-By Nick

"Popcorn With The Movie" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

These two review talked about the same basic info, but you each had completely different opinions. I liked that you could both use the same facts to support two different sides. Fix the half-a-dozen grammatical errors and this review will be pretty darn good.

-Nick

"The Movie-Nators" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

Your review of 'Welcome to Macintosh' told me everything that I think was important to the film. Minus a couple noticeable grammatical errors, this review was solidly constructed. I would have liked to see a rating for the documentary as well, I feel that a rating would further mesh your review together.

-Nick

"Wasians review" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

This review started out pretty solid, but towards the end of Tanner's section it began to repeat itself. Josh's section contained several grammatical mistakes and he stated a false fact. The Apple computer he spoke of featured 16kb of RAM and 30mb of memory. I suggest he fix his mistakes if he wants to attract readers.

-Nick

"Blood Rose Watching Movies" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

Your review mentioned several people that contributed to the growth of Apple, but I noticed that you didn't talk about Steve Jobs even once. I think that Jobs was one of the main parts of the documentary. Your review completely skips over Steve Jobs' role, therefore retaining important information from your readers. I suggest that you go back and add some more information.

-Nick

"Blogggin Movies by Bignsmalls Inc" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

This review of 'Welcome to Macintosh' was very informative and gave the reader a good overview of what this documentary is about. I completely agree with your opinions regarding the growth of the Apple company due to the introduction of new products such as the iPod and iPhone.

-Nick

"The Movie-Nataors" review of "Welcome to Macintosh"

A well written review but its missing only one small detail the star rating. Most of the other blogs I’ve read in the past couple days have been a little less than below sub par and make me want to hang myself with my computer's mouse but this was actually one that was interesting to read and somewhat entertaining. As long as the reviews I read are like this than I will live long into my later years.

-Ryan

"Gair Goes To The Movies" review of "Welcome To Macintosh"

Rather short and does nothing of telling you if it is a good film or a terrible one. I suppose that they did not remember much of the information mentioned in the film or they posted this blog in a rush. It is hard to give a review of a review but by putting this much text in this review I have written more than the actual it self.

-Ryan

"Movie Busters Busting Movies" review of "Welcome To Macintosh "

Well the review was divided into sections but there was no clear rating of was it 4 out of 4 stars or anything remotely similar to that. Also most of the facts that were stated in this review were false or half-truths. They need to be spending more time on writing the review and making it interesting rather than stating the facts in a list that was incomplete.

-Ryan

Welcome To Macintosh

The documentary about the history and evolution of the Apple Corporation was an intriguing look at how innovation and determination can even out last the original vision of a company. Despite what would seem like the early demise of one of the worlds most known technological companies, Apple survived into the twenty first century and has become the leader in revolutionizing the way humans live. This film was a compilation of interviews with individuals who had either worked for Apple or had an extreme fondness of the machines. The level of impact that they Macintosh has had on society can be seen in the change from a PC era to a more leveled playing field were the both PC and Mac are on even ground.

Overall 4 stars out of 5 because as a fan of technology and learning more of the details such as the history of the evolution of the products made by Apple was interesting. Although, it was fascinating to hear the tidbits of information that I previously had no knowledge of. Stock footage and stills of the co founders of Apple are the dominant images displayed along with the different products produced by Apple in addition to the interviews with individuals who were tied to Apple in some way. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are the still idolized within the company because of the way they conducted their business. Although Wozniak wanted to create his product to be for anyone, Jobs wanted to market the product of the first Apple computer in 1976. However, the first Apple computer to be mass-produced and sold was the Apple II in 1977, which sold 5 million units. Wozniak left Apple in 1985 and soon after Jobs followed suit, which made the companies success dwindle and almost collapse. In the end with the return of Jobs in 1997 Apple made a full recovery and even increased in popularity and is now a house hold name again.

With witty commentary and a story that almost didn't have a happy ending it was a most amazing treat to be told the story of what almost wasn't. “Good artist copy, great artists steal.” how very true this quote is about the film. The retelling of a story that most have never heard in a relatively short and entertaining manner I give this film an 8/10.

-Ryan

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Review

Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog has a few one liners that are memorable such as “Wow sarcasm...that's original” and “The status is not quo”. The films focuses on Billy (Doctor Horrible) who is played by Neil Patrick Harris who also done comedies such as the Harold and Kumar. The other main characters are Captain Hammer who is Doctor Horrible's Nemesis played by Nathan Fillion and Dr. Horrible's crush Penny played by Felicia Day. Harris and Day have their roles focusing around comedic roles in films and television series. Most recent roles Day has been a characters in the internet comedy series The Guild. Harris even won an Emmy for Best Male Actor in a Comedy Web Series for his role in Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

As a comedy it works and even the musical edge of the film does not clash but enhance the humor of this short. Overall it is entertaining and each of the acts build the story up into a tragic romance comedy . “The hammer is my” enough said this film is a 4 star comedy that delivers a romance slant. The music is catchy and fits the mood of the scene its used in and enhances that story and develops that characters into ones that are more tangible and relatable. The main story is that Doctor Horrible is attempting to become a famous villain and get the attention of the the Evil League of Evil. While doing this he is also trying to get Penny to notice him. Although this does not go smoothly and largely due to Captain Hammer interviewing in Dr. Horrible's affairs. Sadly there is a tragic ending that surprisingly was hard hitting.

Personally I found it to be a refreshing comedy that was worth watching because it was actually funny. Even though this was an internet film it had a charm that most big budget films do not seem to have anymore. Considering I have “a PhD. in Horribleness” i give it a 7/10.

-Ryan

Any Films You Want A Second Opinion On?

Any films, albums, tv shows, or any other forms of social media that anyone wants to hear our opinion on? Submit any comments and we shall do our best to do reviews on all comments.

Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen review

I believe that this movie was an action movie that did exactly what it was supposed to. After re-watching the old 1984 transformers I found a new found interest in the film. I believe that most people are being much to hard on it and not even giving it a chance and that most of the quote issues are mainly oversights. There is no such thing as a perfect movie but as a fan of action and sci-fi films this was a great view. You have to be able to believe in the transformers universe to overlook some of the errors in the film. Most bash this film because it had a chance scene that lasted through most of the movie. My response is that the whole Lord of the Rings series was just one long chase scene.

"There wasn't a human touch" it was a transformers movie what part of that did critics not understand about that. If was supposed to be about the humans it would have been called "Humans and Robots Unite". The first transformers movie was all about the actors not the actual transformers themselves I found it refreshing that in this film the autobots had more battles much like they did in the cartoons. If you love action, explosions, giant robots, Michael Bay films, Megan Fox, and other things that make a dude movie then you'll like this one. So to all the haters that bash this movie it was supposed to be about the autobots and decepticons not the people. It had a sci-fi story which is what it was supposed have had regardless of what others might say. I found it to be a great popcorn film to watch and enjoy the ride. My final verdict it is a 8/10.
-Ryan

X-men Origins: Wolverine Review

Last night I watched X-men Origins: Wolverine. I enjoyed most of the movie, because it had all the explosions and fighting that I expected. The helicopter scene was very nice and looked pretty amazing, special effects wise. I really liked the beginning of the movie during the credits where it showed both Wolverine and his brother fighting in 4 or 5 wars. The most exciting part of this movie was when the team of mutants infiltrated the diamond warehouse looking for Adamantium. The assault on the warehouse was very exciting because the entire team was used and it was interesting to find out what each of their powers was.

X-men Origins: Wolverine was a little weak in some areas though. I felt that some of the best characters were hardly incorporated into the plot. I also had a problem with some of the visual effects towards the middle of the movie. At times Wolverine’s metal claws seemed to be lighted differently than everything else in the scene. They looked very fake about 2 or 3 times in the movie. I was very disappointed by this little issue.

I enjoyed X-men Origins: Wolverine overall. I think it had a couple things that could have been worked on and improved upon, but I think it was worth watching. I’d give X-men Origins: Wolverine a solid 7/10.

-By Nick