Brick’n Wolf

This was one of the first Godzilla movies, I had ever watched. Needless to say, despite all the hate towards America’s first attempt at the great Godzilla, I have a major soft spot for this film. The director of Independence Day; Roland Emmerich managed to leave a lasting impression on this legendary franchise, as the King Of The Monsters takes his radioactive rage to New York City. First of all, the characters may not be the best of the franchise, but the main four are easily memorable and truly sympathetic. This is made better by the performances from the lead actors. The soundtrack by David Arnold is fitting for the structure of the film, both mysterious and captivating all at once. Emmerich brings back his knack for destruction from Independence Day, and it’s is just as effective and impactful as his previous work, allowing the overall amazing special effects to create real kaiju thrills. The star of the show though, is Godzilla himself. The film starts out faithfully, showing how Godzilla was created by the radiation of nuclear tests. The CGI used to bring him to life, while dated is incredible at the same time. As different as the design is as well, it’s also undoubtedly Godzilla. The minute he pops up on screen, you truly feel the impact of the massive kaiju. The thing I like about this version of the character, is that this is a more intelligent and evolved take on the famous monster. Which works, when compared to context of the film. By the end of the movie, the film achieves what the original set out to do. No matter how different this version is, the message about the dangers of atomic power remains. Definitely check out this film if you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, you just might discover an underrated masterpiece.

After the second film ended in a more different direction, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo feels like a similar but at the same time fresh new take on this beloved franchise. Though that isn’t to say, that it doesn’t have it’s flaws. Taking place 14 years after the events the second film, we now follow a more older and very broken Shinji Ikari. After waking up in the base of his friends new organization; codenamed WILLE, he is captured and taken back to NERV HQ. But once he arrives, he quickly discovers that all is not what it seems and it not the world he thought he knew. The film is very different from anything we had seen in the series prior to this movie, for better and for worse. The tone is appropriately dark and melodramatic, which fits the post-apocalyptic future vibe that film gives off. Like with the past two films, the animations is mind blowing. It captures the essence of the now nearly decimated planet, and creates some thought provoking imagery and stunning action sequences that are sure to leave you speechless. This is all aided by another great soundtrack by Shirō Sagisu. The way in which the soundtrack adds to the darker and now more mysterious aspect of the film, is extremely amazing and truly captivating. Unfortunately though, where the film falters is sadly in it’s human characters and the majority of the story. Shinji Ikari is just as sympathetic and understandable as he was in first two films, and like those two gets the most character development. The film reintroduces Kaworu Nagisa as Shinji’s soon-to-be copilot of Eva unit 13. The two develop an interesting friendship throughout the course of the film as was with the original 90s series. The relationship between the two is fun to watch, even a little heartwarming. However the rest of the characters are disappointingly one-note. Rei is nothing more than a blank slate of what she was in the other movies, and Asuka, Misato, and everyone else who once protected Shinji spend the majority of the film hating and threatening to kill him for causing the third impact. But if they were fighting against NERV, then didn’t they know Shinji was just playing into his father’s game? And why did they still hate him and have an explosive choker on his neck for half the film if they knew this? It also doesn’t help that they don’t explain much about the new world until halfway through the movie. Flaws aside, Evangelion: 3.0 is an amazing entry in the Evangelion series. At it’s heart, is a film you can’t help but love. Flaws and All.

Sword Art Online is one of the best anime series in recent years. There is a lot to break down when talking about this series. The story of the main heroes attempting to overcome and survive a dangerous virtual reality game, is truly amazing and highly entertaining the whole way through. The animations are spectacular and manages to create some incredibly captivating imagery. The characters are some of the best to ever exist in an anime. Kirito and Asuna are amazing leads. The two are equally sympathetic and their love story that is centered on in the first half of the show is extremely heartwarming. Their “in-game” daughter; Yui, is another great character. She is an adorable inclusion to cast of characters, and never fails to draw sympathy from the audience. Kirito’s Adoptive Sister/Cousin; Suguha [AKA] Leafa and her best friend; Shinichi Nagata [AKA] Recon from the second half of the show are also great characters. Both have their moments to shine, and are very well written with multiple moments where you really feel for them. Finally, it must be said that Akihiko Kayaba and Nobuyuki Sugou serve as the perfect villains of the series. Though their motives are nothing short of original, the writing for their characters make them worthy foes for our heroes to face. Lastly, the soundtrack, like all anime, is great. The opening theme song for part 1 of the show “Crossing Field” was just incredible, and the opening theme for part 2 of the show; “Innocence” was also amazing. Finally, the music that plays throughout all the character moments and fight scenes were just spectacular and truly captivating. At the end of the day, Sword Art Online is an amazing anime series, one that’s destined to become a legend of the genre. I highly recommend you go check this series out, I promise you will not be disappointed.

One of the most underrated films ever made; The 2019 sequel film “Tokyo Ghoul S” is also one of the best films ever made. With the story taking place sometime after the events of the original 2017 film, the story once again follows the story of Ken Kaneki and his new life as a One-Eyed Ghoul. The film sees him being stalked by the S-Rated ghoul; Shuu Tsukiyama, also known as The Gourmet due to his tendency to eat specific parts of his victims. As was with the first film, the performances by all the main actors were truly captivating and helped to elevate the film. Masataka Kubota returns from the first film to play Ken Kaneki, and he does a great job with the material he’s given. Shota Matsuda is a perfect fit for the role Tsukiyama. As the film goes along, Matsuda truly sells you on his character’s insanity and obsession with Kaneki’s half human scent, making it the standout performance of the film. Shun’ya Shiraishi and Mai Kiryû do a great job selling you on the romance between the ghoul Nishiki Nishio and the human Kimi Nishino. The two have good chemistry, which truly makes their relationship believable and more sympathetic. Unfortunately, Maika Yamamoto feels notably miss-cast as Touka Kirishima. While Touka’s character is the same, Yamamoto’s performance comes off as rather wooden; providing the film with it’s weakest aspect. On the upside, the CGI and fight choreography are all up to the standards of what you would expect. The fights are amazingly well done and really gets your blood flowing. The atmosphere is even more darker than the first film, with added gore and vibrant colors that show you just how dangerous this world is. Finally, it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack is great. The music matches the tone of each scene in the film, and is truly remarkable. And so “Tokyo Ghoul S” is not a perfect film by any means, but take for what it is, it still follows the source material of the manga and anime and is a worthy sequel to the 2017 film. If you can get your hands on it, definitely see it if you’re a fan of the 2017 film and the franchise as a whole.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, is truly one of the greatest anime movies to ever exist. After the first movie ended as an action-packed retread of the first 6 episodes of the original 90s series, this movie is where it starts to slowly divert from the original source material. Once again following Eva pilots; Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami as the battle with the monstrous angels rage on, they are called in to work with new Eva pilot recruits in the form of Asuka Langley Shikinami and Mari Makinami Illustrious. The first thing I loved about this movie was the music by Shiro Sagisu, it is a beautiful soundtrack that makes every scene in the film epic and entertaining. The animations are up to the standards of what was seen in the first movie. The action sequences are more visually enthralling than ever before and really gets the job done for the rock-em and sock-em Eva vs. Angel action that we know and love from the franchise. The majority of the characters are also enjoyable and incredibly sympathetic. The film reintroduces Asuka Langley and Ryoji Kaji, and the film does a great job with handling the way both characters were written in the original series while still updating them. Kaji is given a more stronger and well written relationship with both Misato and Shinji in a way that makes him more sympathetic than his 90s counterpart. Asuka is just as amazing and sympathetic as she was in the 90s series, but is given a more interesting and more friendly connection with the other Eva pilots despite how snarky she can be at times. The film introduces Mari Makinami Illustrious as a brand new character and while she remains a mystery throughout the majority of the movie, she is immensely fun and easily sympathetic, and just might give you a good laughs. Misato is also given a prominent role in the film, as well some more amazing character development that really makes you feel for her. But the two who see the most development, are Shinji and Rei. Shinji is shown to be more caring for what could happen to his friends, while still remaining a sympathetic figure that the audience can root for. Rei is also given more to do this time around. She is shown to be social than before and reaches out to others throughout the majority of the film, but the one she reaches out to the most is Shinji. Their relationship in this movie is incredibly enjoyable and heartwarming, providing the film with it’s emotional heart and soul. In conclusion, this movie made a huge impact on the franchise and successfully took the next step that would shape the Rebuild of Evangelion film series into what it is today. It is a masterpiece of a movie plain and simple, one that follows the original story but at pushes to do something new. Fun and entertaining beyond all believability, it’s hard to imagine that anything could top this amazing anime masterpiece.

If the Godzilla: Monster Planet movie trilogy was a step forward for the series, then the new 13 episode TV series; Godzilla Singular Point is a leap for the franchise. Taking place in the near future, the series follows a group of lone wolves, nerds, and troublemakers as they are caught in the crossfires of a major world crisis that could potentially build towards a catastrophe that could end the entire universe. First of all the story of the show is incredibly captivating and engaging. The science fiction plot isn’t too cliche and is actually very believable. The series is also very thought provoking, and puts a lot of ideas in your head amidst all the sci fi shenanigans that goes on through the series. The music was an astonishing soundtrack and fitting representation of the series. The opening theme song “In Case” performed by Bish was truly amazing and instantly memorable, and the music that plays throughout the series is both beautiful and captivating at the same time and can easily compete with some of the best Akira Ifukube tracks. The characters are also amazing and well written. Mei Kamino, Yun Arikawa, Pelops 2, Goro Otaki, Dr. Li, and BB, all great and easily sympathetic characters that may put Haruo Sakaki from the original trilogy to shame. The animations and monster fights are absolutely stunning. The way it expertly combines traditional 2D animations with CGI is amazing and captivating in it’s entirety. All of which is enhanced by the incredible music of the series. The Kaiju are truly sights to behold, but the two that steal the show are Godzilla and Jet Jaguar who have not shared the screen together since 1973. Jet Jaguar gets some great development that makes him feel like a true character and Godzilla is truly intimidating as we see him return to his more villainous roots; The incarceration of destruction that has come to punish humanity for their sins, only this time it’s the entire universe that he poses a threat to which is quite terrifying. Now for my final verdict, I give this 13 episode Godzilla anime a perfect 10/10. It is an amazing successor to the monster planet trilogy and great example of what the franchise can become in the future. Head over to Netflix right now and, so that you may be able to witness the Godzilla TV series that fans have been asking for, for the longest time.

I’am a huge fan of Tokyo Ghoul, and this 2017 live action adaptation is quite a crowd pleaser for anyone who enjoys the source material. Set in a world where humans live alongside flesh eating ghouls in society, the main character is a college student named Ken Kaneki living as a human/ghoul hybrid after receiving an organ transplant from one the malicious monsters, whilst avoiding and hiding from the government agency CCG/Commission of Counter Ghoul. The first thing I liked about this adaptation is the performances by all the lead actors, Masataka Kubota does a great job conveying Kaneki’s emotional story and exploration on what it means to be human. Another stand out is that of Fumika Shimizu as our beloved ghoul heroine Touka Kirishima, Throughout the film Shimizu’s performance gives of a vibe that sells you on Touka’s frustrations with her life as a ghoul. While all the more, never forgetting the sympathetic qualities that the anime’s Touka had. Actress Yu Aoi is a perfect fit in the role of Rize Kamishiro, seeing how she is normally this sweet, kind, and gentle girl makes it that much more shocking when her character turns out to be ghoul and attacks Kaneki. Another thing I liked about the movie is the computer graphics, the budget seems to be a bit higher than other Japanese movies which I feel is necessary for a movie like Tokyo Ghoul. The way in which the ghouls’ Kagune is brought to life in live action is so amazingly well done to the point where this movie maybe able to compete with some high budgeted special effects films from Hollywood, that’s how great the CGI was. The fight choreography, while nothing we haven’t seen before is nonetheless visually striking. In its final moments the screen comes alive to the point where the final fight will really get your blood pumping. And the last thing I enjoyed about Tokyo Ghoul is the atmosphere of the film, it doesn’t hold back on the violence, there’s a lot of blood, you see ghouls devouring humans, and ghouls being killed by CCG investigators. All these things add to Tokyo Ghoul and make it even more compelling than it already sounds. And so at the end of the day, this 2017 live action adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul is certainly one of the best anime to live action movie adaptations to exist. It follows the source material, the effects are spectacular, the performances by all the actors make memorable characters, and the fight scenes are thrilling. To anyone is a fan of the anime and manga, I definitely recommend this masterpiece of a movie that feels far much longer than it’s 2 hour runtime. If you haven’t read or watched any of the manga and anime then that’s still okay, because the film can be enjoyed by anyone who either has or haven’t seen any of the source material. No matter what small flaws the film holds, it has truly marked its place in history as one of the most unique monster movies to ever hit the world.

After watching The End of Evangelion for the second time, I can conclude that yes, this movie is a masterpiece. Much like the original 1954 Godzilla, The End of Evangelion is a lightning in a bottle movie. This film endears your attention from the very beginning, in which SEELE try’s to hack NERV’s magi system. There are so many things to love about this movie, it introduces new concepts while also retaining the same sympathetic characters as the original TV series, one of the best highlights of the film is when Asuka pilots Unit 02 into a battle with the mass production Evangelions, it’s an amazingly thrilling and surprisingly gruesome scene. I really was not expecting how grotesque and gorey this movie would be, but dang that was messy! The animations in this film are absolutely unforgettable for how amazing they are. Something I actually think was a good thing to do in this movie was to have Shinji begin to descend into despair and madness as he begins to question the purpose of his life, an idea that is eventually expressed even more during the third impact. The film has a good paste in which half of the run time is spent on the assault on NERV HQ and the the other half spent on Shinji’s psychological journey to his soul while the third impact is going on. Another thing that is finally revealed in this movie is the purpose of Rei Ayanami. In the second half of the film it is revealed that Gendo genetically modified her with Lilith’s DNA so that she could fuse with Lilith to start the third impact and complete the human instrumentality project. The scene of which a giant Rei is seen looming over earth will most likely give you the chills. But most importantly, the story ends with Shinji rejecting the concept of Human Instrumentality. Realizing that he loved having relationships with others including Asuka, Misato, and Rei, he rejects human Instrumentality and allows mankind the opportunity to regain their physical forms if they want to; as shown with Asuka, and that Shinji can hopefully get the opportunity to new relationships with people and take his relationship with Asuka even further, Despite what the final scene of the movie implies. At the end of the day, it is hard not to think about what the world would’ve been like had this film not existed. Hideaki Anno truly created a masterpiece, the legacy of which has not been forgotten. In over 24 years, it still doesn’t get any better than this.

Starting at the very beginning, Death Note 2017 follows high school student Light as he discovers the power of the death note and becomes the notorious Kira. Director Adam Wingard’s Death Note is almost like Shuske Kanako’s Death Note: The Last Name, it does everything right enough to satisfy fans but also leaves a few blemishes in the mix. Willem Dafoe is at the top of his game as Ryuk, keeping the cool personality of the original, but also becomes more of a demonic figure than the original. The cast is great as well. Nat Wolff does a great job in the role of Light, as the film goes along you get the sense of Light’s signature personality and while he doesn’t reach the heights of Tatsuya Fujiwara’s Light from the 2006 film, Wolff is a worthy successor. Lakeith Stanfield’s L isn’t as bad people say he is, but he does get a little too obnoxious and angry than the original. Unfortunately the biggest flaw is this movie’s Misa; Mia Sutton. A psychopathic teenager girl who inherits most of if not too much of Light’s character traits, but Margaret Qualley’s performance does make Mia somewhat likable. The rest of the cast is unfortunately bland and one-dimensional. The intense gore elements in some scenes help to sell the Horror/Thriller vibe the movie is supposed to give off. The second highlight of the film right next to Dafoe’s Ryuk is the Ferris wheel scene at the end of the the film, as the camera lingers on shots of Light and Mia falling to their doom, Chicago’s “I don’t want to live without your love” is playing in the background. It does add a bit of corniness to the scene, but it is still an amazing scene. In all honesty die hard Death Note fans may be disappointed and think that this should be be the end of the line for live action Death Note films, but new comers to the series may walk out pleasantly entertained.

Spoiler alert 5 years after director Guillermo Del Toro successfully revived the Kaiju genre with a Mecha/Monster Movie unlike any other, 2013’s Pacific Rim had become a massive phenomenon in the Kaiju film series, and so in 2018 director Steven S. DeKnight made the decision to continue Del Toro’s 5 year old Franchise with an ever underrated sequel called Pacific Rim Uprising. The story of Uprising is a very interesting plot, taking place 10 after the breach was sealed and following Jake Pentecost, the son of war hero Stacker Pentecost, as he, his copilot Nate Lambert and Jaeger cadet Amara Namani, suddenly when a rogue Jaeger called Obsidian Fury shows up in Sydney Australia, it is quickly apparent that the aliens behind the Kaiju invasion, the precursors may have found an alternative way to conquer the Earth. In many ways and more Pacific Rim Uprising is better than people say it is, granted it does start out slow and uninteresting, but the film knows that you’re here for some awesome action and once Obsidian Fury shows up, all hell breaks loose, making for a very enjoyable viewing experience going forward. The cast is appropriately made of faces both old and new, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman all return to reprise their roles as Mako Mori, Newt Geiszler and Hermann Gottlieb, but the three stand out performances are John Boyega as Jake Pentecost, Cailee Spaeny as Amara Namani and Jing Tian as Liwen Shao, Boyega and Spaeny embellish Jake And Amara with so much personality it makes them stand out, and Jing Tian as Liwen Shao is another great performance, the film plays her like a villain until her true intentions are revealed. Adding to this goodness are great special effects for both the Jaegers and the Kaiju, which arguably have more cooler designs this time around, as well as one of the Franchises most cherished creations the Kaiju-Jaeger Hybrid which are straight up awesome, they don’t have a lot of screen time but they make the most of what they’re given, and the scene where they start reopening the breaches is truly amazing, this and the final battle in Tokyo are easily the film’s highlight. However there is one major blemish that keeps the movie from being perfect, the film makes a terrible mistake killing off Mako in the first act, which wastes all the potential she had in this movie. Despite this Pacific Rim Uprising is a must see for any Kaiju fan and anime fan as well, fun and wildly entertaining, Pacific Rim Uprising is a film that should leave you satisfied, at the same time wanting more.