| Godzilla Vs. Iron Man (Sort of) | ||
| Pacific Rim | ||
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| Review by Ross Anthony | ||
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Wow! What a ride! We sat in the last row, far corner, and still had an exhilarating immersive experience. The film far exceeds the expectations of its retro posters and nondescript title. The action is large, loud and commanding. The sound effects and soundtrack rattle and rock the theatre. Art design unifies, solidifies and sparks. Wherever possible filmmakers include a vulnerable human in the same shot with the titans. This heightens the drama, cajoles all sorts of emotions, as well as hammers home the massive size of these combatants with a friendly peer scale reference. But it's not all about the action. Surprisingly, the human relationships compel as well. And the acting is pretty good. In fact, the little girl who runs and hides from the monsters displays a tearful fear so real that you'll want to sue somebody for seemingly putting her through so much strife. Kids (maybe not little kids), preteens and even teens are going to flock to this film. They'll love it. The storyline isn't too convoluted, there's no swearing, barely any actual blood, and no sexual overtones. So it's relatively clean. Of course the plausibility factor wanes a bit, but filmmakers keep the film fun, paced to engage and thrill, so audiences will happily buy into this futuristic world for the duration of the movie. Lastly, the film could have easily been meaningless and forgettable and still have been great entertainment. But there's one angle, expressed particularly well in one line, that I found powerful and relevant on a philosophical level. "Don't engage the memory. It's not real," One pilot implores another. In the film, focusing on an unpleasant past memory puts all of humanity at risk. To bring that message home, in smaller ways, for each of us, giving up our "now" to the "thens" that live in our minds, puts personal vitality at risk. Btw, adults will enjoy "Pacific Rim," as well. We did. Just pretend you're buying a ticket for one of the rides at Universal Studios and you'll get more than you expect. |
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Grade..........................A (3.5/4) |
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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186.
Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow. |
