GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS

Release Date: Malaysia, 30 May 2019

Genre: Adventure

Running Length: 2:11

Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Zhang Ziyi, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Director: Michael Dougherty 

Screenplay: Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields 

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS is a direct sequel to Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla. One of the major complaints from the fans back then was that it featured "too little Godzilla" and "not enough kaiju smackdown". That movie had a more dramatic approach as it centred around its characters. 

I guess the filmmakers took those feedback and boy, did they double-double down on the monsters. You gotta see it on the big screen to fully appreciate the spectacle and the visually stunning kaiju smackdown! There was a scene in the movie where I literally exclaimed, "YEAAAH!!!" when one of the monsters literally "power up" by chomping on some power grid.

It was like watching a WWE match.

"I've seen stranger things"

However on the flip side, when it came to its characters, boy oh boy, I really don't know what were the filmmakers thinking. I have no idea what's the purpose of the human beings in this movie except to give exposition. Everytime when the characters appear on the screen (usually in-between the monsters fight sequences), they are there telling each other stories on the legend of the gods (the kaiju). Mind you, whoever is explaining this usually has images magically ready on their monitors to help the other people in the room to visualize better what he/she is talking about. Yes, like a powerpoint presentation.

And the dialogue is JUST TERRIBLE. Who talks like this! And I really pity the actors involved in this movie as they are capable artist but unfortunately, they were dealt with a poor script. So when some of these characters die, I just couldn't care less.

And don't get me started with the baffling decisions these characters make throughout the movie! All in all, the plot is supposed to be simple but it turned out to be so convoluted. When I checked on IMDB who is this "Michael Dougherty" director, I was surprised to find out that he is primarily known for being a screenwriter. But yet, he could churn out such a garbage script! Makes me wanna scream!

"Hehe. That tickles!"

If there is one movie which did an excellent job in balancing the monsters and the human beings, it's the original Jurassic Park. 

That being said, if you're into seeing cities being torn apart and flattened as these god-sized monsters collide with one another (accompanied with a dramatic soundtrack) , you won't leave disappointed.

RATING: 6/10

THE IMITATION GAME (2015)

Genre: Drama

Running Length: 1:54

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance, Mark Strong

Director: Morten Tyldum

Screenplay: Graham Moore, based on the book "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges

There is nothing more painful than a broken heart especially those involving a break-up or unresolved romantic relationship. It takes a person on a seemingly endless emotional roller coaster ride. But for some, like Alan Turing in THE IMITATION GAME, it was the source of his motivation and inspiration in creating a machine (that will eventually evolved to what we called "computers" today) that will crack the German Enigma code. His work shorten WW2 by two years, thereby saving thousands of lives. The movie provides 3 glimpses into Turing's life; a rejected boy during his formative years as he was a recluse and a homosexual, the building of the code breaker and his final days before he took his own life. With such a meaty narrative and Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing, I was expecting to be moved. I was waiting to hold back my tears towards the climax of the movie but it didn't do it for me. I didn't dislike the movie but I just thought it could have been much better under the direction of a director who has more experience in handling such material. To be fair, there were some dramatic moments. One scene came to mind where Turing and his team were faced with an impossible dilemma, right after they successfully broke the Enigma, but such scenes were few and far between. The Imitation Game is a war movie where no glorious battlefields are shown. It illustrates an important concept that is even more valid today - that mathematicians and scientists play a critical part in winning the war on terrorism. 

Rating: 7/10