5-22-14 Cinema Corner

Reviews by Roger Thomas. Design by Jason O. Boyd, The Stanly News & Press

 

Latest Cinema Corner. Reviews by Roger Thomas. Additional information and design by Jason O. Boyd, The Stanly News & Press.

‘Godzilla’ a welcomed return to screen

Godzilla returns to the big screen in a big way, tearing up San Francisco in the latest version of the classic monster movie. (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

My first experience with the fire breathing giant reptile came in 1971 when I was 8. I believe our babysitter took my older brother and I to see “Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster” while my parents went to a party one evening. As far as I know, I had never heard of Godzilla before then.

Eventually, I discovered other “Godzilla” films. My favorite, which I watched on television many times, was “King Kong vs. Godzilla” from 1962. Kong ended up the victor in that matchup, and I can even remember the closing line was something similar to: “It looks like he (Kong) is headed home and we hope he makes it.”

Needless to say, my relationship with “Godzilla” goes way back. I should also add, like most people who saw it, I was not a fan of the 1998 version of “Godzilla” starring Matthew Broderick and Hank Azaria. I have tried for several days to even recall anything from that film, but nothing seems to cross my mind. It was soon forgotten 16 years ago.

All this brings me to the new film entitled simply “Godzilla.” First, this film is everything a big summer movie should be. It is bold, exciting, fun, heroic, and stunningly presented with special effects depicting Godzilla with clarity we have never had before. (Usually I am critical of 3-D, but this is one to see with those plastic glasses. I saw it in Imax 3D and loved the experience.)

There is much more to like about this film. One thing is the surprise at how quickly they kill off characters played by big-name stars. There are at least two deaths in the first half of the film that caused me to think, “No one is safe in this story.”

The film begins mostly in Asia, but unlike the “Godzilla” of my childhood, this one makes the trek across the Pacific so he can see the Golden Gate Bridge and a few other sites in San Francisco.

This film also, surprisingly, has a plot and some character development. I would not say the individuals who populate this story are finely detailed, but there is enough to create some genuine concern. As for the plot, it mirrors other monster movies, but it creates suspense and tension, and after the two deaths, even a little concern about who might not survive this ordeal. There are also some surprises in the plot that one can probably already find on the Internet, but I will not divulge them here.

“Godzilla” is ultimately not flawless. The ending leaves a big question mark. And I do not recommend it for children under 10 because there is almost an hour of dialogue and setup before Godzilla ever appears. On the other hand, my 11-year-old leaned over to me four times during the film and whispered, “This is great.”

The target audience has spoken.

In this beginning of the summer film season, thus far two of the big action-adventure films have premiered. In a contest between “Amazing Spider-Man 2” and “Godzilla,” I think the big lizard stomps the web-master.

At the end of the year, “Godzilla” will not make anyone’s “Best of 2014” list. It certainly will not make mine. But hey, if one grew up watching “Godzilla” as I did, and if one thinks nostalgia is a good thing, then this film will bring you joy. And if you never were a fan, there is enough of a plot, developed characters and great visuals to satisfy most summer viewers.

This is not the season for serious films, so let us be thankful for the well-made fun films.

‘The Other Woman:’ How about another film instead

Leslie Mann, Nicki Minaj, Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton bond over their plot to get revenge. (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

I think I have written this before, but allow me to restate it now. Many people accuse me of not liking comedies.

That is not true. My favorite film of 2014 thus far, is a small little comedy that has the greatest laughs I have experienced in the cinema in quite sometime. It is also smart, intriguing and an ultimately brutal comedy entitled “Bad Words.” Going into the theater to see “The Other Woman,” I hoped it would be half the movie “Words” is, but alas, “Other Woman” is not that film, not even close.

Here are just a handful of the qualities that made “Other Woman” a lesser film.

First, many of the greatest moments in “The Other Woman” are showcased in the trailer. I understand why; these are the biggest laughs in the film, therefore, they have to sell the film with its strengths.

Second, the film is quite predictable. I have seen a handfull of films this year that surprised me with their story. I am not asking for a great twist, not every film is structured that way, but surprise me with something. In this film the only moment I felt a hint of surprise was toward the end.

Third, the choices of these characters are not natural. I am not sure that a spouse would embrace their partner’s mistress as a friend. I recognize this has to happen to project the plot forward, but it just seems unrealistic. Besides, these women are depicted as intelligent yet neither is suspicious until the wife and the girlfriend collide literally on a front porch with a really big vase. And then the third one is even more oblivious to reality than the first two. All three of these women would only exist in a movie plot and not a good movie plot.

As for the actors, Cameron Diaz has done much better work in films that eclipse “Other Woman” with their prestige and cinematic artistry. Leslie Mann does not have quite as a prestigious résumé as Diaz, but her work here is actually more developed than that of her co-star, as she depicts the emotional rollercoaster of being the victim of adultery.

Playing the constantly cheating husband Mark King is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who many will recognize from the series “Game of Thrones.” Don Johnson, yes, the one from “Miami Vice,” plays Cameron Diaz’s father, and Kate Upton plays the third woman with whom Mark is involved; these are supporting roles that do little to save the overall film.

Some are calling this film a romantic-comedy, or rom-com for short. I am not sure it qualifies as that. The women, especially after they discover there is a fourth woman in Mark’s life, are not falling in love but rather falling out of it. And perhaps that poses one of the film’s greatest struggles.

In spite of some cute moments, and some laughs, lives and hearts are being broken in this film. There is some depiction of this in the midst of the jokes, but ultimately it is a attempt to find very broad humor in one of the most difficult experiences than any person can endure. Films can and often do quite successfully find humor in poignant or even devastating moments in life; again “Bad Words” is a perfect example of this type of film. I am just not sure “The Other Woman” is a good enough film to justify mining humor from broken hearts.