Category: Blockbuster

7.6

Did they try to shoe-horn in an extreme “girl power” message, destroying its effectiveness by being on the nose? Yes. Did they delve into politics of border security in a movie about time travelling robots? Also yes. That being said, if you can turn your brain off and watch the robots go boom, you’ll love what turns out to be one of the best action films to come out in a few months. The Terminator franchise still ends in my mind at Terminator 2. But nice try for the 4th time, Paramount…

6.8

Not as bad as everyone says it is. Not as great as this franchise deserves. That being said, it’s exactly what you would expect from this saga at this point. A great premise convoluted by a largely unnecessary villain with a side plot that takes away from the characters that everyone is here to see. The distinction between Fox and Disney’s Marvel handling has never been more apparent. The closing of a saga was handled at complete opposite ends of the spectrum, and I for one am glad that all of these characters are now in safe hands. I’m satisfied with the closing, but not really wowed like I was with “Endgame.” I can’t wait to see how the MCU grows with these characters and the combining of universes. Overall: Meh… Not bad. Could have been worse.

6.66

2/3 of this movie is great. The monster fights were epic, and most of the scenes with Ken Watanabe and his friendship with Godzilla were surprisingly heartwarming. That being said, the main human villain of the film came across as silly, and that entire story line got an old fashioned eye roll and sigh combo from me in the theater. I don’t want to be lectured about climate change and politics in a clear rip-off of Thanos’s plan in my monster movie. Come on, movie!

Once the story got out of its own way, things really got rolling and the action was superb. Not as much story as the last Godzilla film, but much more actual Godzilla. Take that as you will. Some will love it, some will not. It really depends on what you’re looking for. As something that I perceived being sold as a straightforward monster showdown meant to been seen in IMAX (it really takes it to another level), I was 2/3 happy. Lucky for the movie, it buried the crap in the middle and ended on a high note.

8.3

Did not expect this one… In the vein of other music biopics, this film checks all the boxes required for a music documentary. A rough childhood, drug and alcohol abuse, creative differences, the evil manager. What I especially enjoyed about this particular one is that the involvement of the artist did not lead to a watering down of the lows, but a deeper exploration of them. I was reminded of “Springsteen on Broadway” throughout the film, as many of Elton John’s songs took on a whole new meaning and levity with the context that the various stories add. (Also, hearing the actual accurate lyrics, not the nonsense I’ve been singing for years.) The cast, especially lead actor Taron Egerton as Elton, superbly conveys this tale of excess, heartache, and beautiful music. Heavy on the musical, you’ll definitely be re-discovering some auditory gems after leaving the theater.