Godzilla (2014) Review. (NO SPOILERS)

The most anticipated film of the summer. The same amount of hype mirrored to the 1998 version of Godzilla.  Instead of the eye of Godzilla from 1998, the loud ear piercing scream of Godzilla fames the 2014 marketing. However that is the only similarity between the two as this film cherishes the source material of the Japanese film lore of the king of monsters.

It's very rare Hollywood respects the source material but it achieves it here with this remake. Godzilla is bigger, louder, more destructive. I can only recommend watching this film in IMAX because when Godzilla roars it literary sent chills down my spine. It's exactly the way Godzilla should be. The scale and destruction of this film is massive, the action is explosive. Even though the first hour of the film is very slow, when Godzilla is finally shown in full, the action exponentially rises and building topples, bridges explode and cars get thrown about. Godzilla really lives up to it's title of King of the Monsters.

Now there is some weaknesses in this film, it is slow in the first part of the film and takes a while to see Godzilla but I don't see that as a major flaw. It just heighten the anticipation of when Godzilla is finally revealed.  There are some plot holes that I can't mention due to spoilers and some scientific inconsistencies but this film is about and 300ft monster so who cares. I have been reading other reviews and they always comment on the cliche characters or not well developed characters. It doesn't matter, you don't go into this film caring about the humans, you want to see Godzilla. Maybe Walter White (Bryan Cranston) but people want to see Godzilla.  Now the cliche character does limit the actors abilities being shown so I can't really excel anyone credentials here, except for Cranston's, there are moment where he does create another layer to his character which all the other actors find hard in the confines of their cliche. The action sequences sometimes get cut short when it seem things are hotting up but this just builds up to the final encounter which is absolutely amazing, literary blown off my seat.

This was the Godzilla I wanted to see, it met my expectations from the hype, it might of not surpass it beyond the confines of awesomeness. However I am satisfied of Gareth Edwards careful consideration of Godzilla, you can see he is a fan with the little nods to the Japanese originals. I would recommend people to watch it. It's big, it's loud, it full of destruction. Not overkill like Man of Steel but enough destruction to fulfill to audiences masochistic needs. As a Godzilla fan, I loved it, I'll watch it again and I think you should too.
Rating 8/10 

Star Wars VII - Disney's New Hope

Star Wars 7 - Disney's New Hope.

How can a company that released one of the biggest blockbusters (Avengers Assemble) of the 21st century top itself. The whole plan of getting six superheroes, three with separate franchises, and fuse them together to make one mega film. Not just pull it off but with large critical acclaim but with a huge box office success as well. Now Disney have pushed forward for the second stage of the Avengers however spending $4 billion on the rights to Star Wars is the smartest move on Disney's side of the deal. 

The timing, the legacy and also the past failure from the short comings of the 'second trilogy' has made this deal a win-win situation for Disney.  After failures from Lone Ranger (2013) and John Carter (2012) Star Wars is not a gamble, research suggests that Star Wars VII (2015) being released in December 2015 will hit the billion mark. I'll repeat it again just because of the Legacy, Timing and Past Failure.

Timing

 2015 is a year for film lovers and cinema-goers. Avengers Assemble 2, Batman Vs Superman and Star Wars VII is the three big hitter in 2015.  Although I don't think Batman Vs Superman will perform as good as the other two due to casting backlash but cannot be sure till the trailer is released. The timing to release the new Star Wars in 2015 is perfect due to the technology being perfect for the film. In the 70's/80's Star Wars film defined a new era of special effects but some could argue outdated as of 2014. The prequel trilogy was a huge improvement in the SFX arena however it wasn't at the stage of realism. The recent advancements in Mo-cap and ILM has set the stage for a Star Wars film to match the technology that it requires. Also with the increase in demand for IMAX and 3D, technology that goes hand in hand with Star Wars. Star Wars VII will be a treat visually due to finally technology, no budget restraints and the viewing experience being ready for a film of this scale. We just have to look at Gravity (2013), a pure space spectacle that was a visual delight. That was just Sandra Bullock floating in space! Think of the Millennium Falcon Mark II, gliding across space in IMAX. The technology is ready.

Legacy

Star Wars fan base is something that every writer/film maker dreams of. The fans are loyal and invest into the universe of the lore. Hundreds of novels, side stories and characters created unofficially. Parodies, songs, animations. The fan base is already there. Even the poor critical performance of the prequel didn't deter fans, all three films were successes at the box office. Just over 10 years since the last Star Wars film and technically 30 years since the last continuation of the Star Wars franchise. (As the last three were prequels and the story was already known to fans) The thirst of knowing what happened after Luke Skywalker defeated the Empire is a long waiting one. Critics will claim sequel overload, but Star Wars has a whole universe to explore and in the medium of film it has only scratched the surface.

Past Failures.

What is the last thing you do before you release a product into the market. You test it on a target audience. Star Wars VII has that luxury. The prequel trilogy was not the trilogy the majority of fans wanted and if Disney had any sense is to not replicate the prequel's style. The criticisms of past should be taken into account and fixed in the 'sequel trilogy'. Poor writing, childish style, slightly racist characters, wooden acting and Jar Jar Binks. Just some of the critiques. Disney being known for it's audience to be children, this may be there downfall but Avengers Assemble was a perfect balance between the two, so they can aim for a slightly older audience. 

Overall, Star Wars VII will be a sure fire hit, with the reliable JJ Abrams at the helm, with his past of Star Trek success, Star Wars VII looks like it's going in the right direction. The technology is ready for this film, the fan base crave for a continuation of the lore and past failures allow the film makers not to tread in the same footsteps. Star Wars is looking to be Disney's New Hope. 

By Jason Blight, 2014.