Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire - Film Review

 

Hi Geeks!

Went to see the new movie in Legendary Pictures Monsterverse universe.  Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.  A sequel to 2021 Godzilla Vs. Kong follows on a few years later. 

Godzilla is keeping track of Titans which attack the surface and killing them to protect us humans.  Kong is still searching Hollow Earth for his own kind.

Jia, the sole survivor of Skull Island and who communicated with Kong in Godzilla Vs. Kong is having visions.  This leads the humans to find another faction of her tribe in Hollow Earth.  They believe she will awaken Mothra.  This is so Mothra can unite Godzilla and Kong to team up to fight against the Scar King.  An evil giant orangutan who controls an ice titan called Shimo.

Overall -  as you can see from my description of the film, the plot is a bit convoluted.  I haven't even described it all.  It is mainly a plot to get the titans fighting, which works well but can get messy.

As with these films, the main draw is the fights between the monsters.  The CGI is great and there are some good fights.  Although I feel Godzilla is short-changed and not in much.  Plus the final fight between Kong, Godzilla and Scar and Shimo is over too quickly.  It seems to be rushed and only lasts about 10 minutes.

It is still an enjoyable movie but not as good as the last couple of Monsterverse films.

Score -   8.5/10

2 Film Reviews!

 Greetings Film Nerds

I have 2 film reviews for you.

First up my friend Louis treated me to Ghostbusters - Frozen Empire.

Then I took my daughter to see Kung Fu Panda 4.

Ghostbusters - Frozen Empire 

The film follows on from Ghostbusters - Afterlife.  The Spengler family now live in the old Ghostbusters fire house and are the new Ghostbusters.  They are helped and supported by original Ghostbusters Ray, Winston and Peter Venkman (Bill Murray).

It seems a waste that for over 2 decades there were no original Ghostbusters sequels and yet within 3 years two films are out. 

Again this film seems like a nostalgia cash in, as the original Ghostbusters pop up all over the place.  Some scenes start with them no where to be seen then suddenly they are there in the room.

The film goes into some weird territory as the main character,  Phobe Spengler, a moody know all teen who's just 15 years old, falls for a female (older) ghost.

The female ghost tricks her into unleashing the big bad.  An ancient evil force called Garraka.  Then high jinks ensure trying to capture Garraka, as he freezes New York with fear and frees all past ghosts which have been caught.

Overall -  The film seems to be a rushed mess, with too much going on and too many characters involved.  The original Ghostbusters seem to be plonked into scenes so original fans watch the film.  The female teen ghost love interest scenes are cringy and go on too long.

The only good things are the CGI, the original actors when they are on screen and the big bad Garraka.  Although he is only on screen for the last 10 to 15 minutes.  It was enjoyable to watch and a few chuckle moments were there but not as good as the original Ghostbusters films or Afterlife.

Louis Score  - 6/10

My Score     -  6.5/10

Kung Fu Panda 4 

Another fourth movie in a franchise.  The concept is tired and formulaic, as with Ghostbusters Frozen Empire.

Like Ghostbusters the main character has switched and in this film it isn't Po anymore, but is now a female fox called Zhen.  Po is to find his successor so he can become a spiritual leader.

Zhen tricks Po at first (like the ghost tricks Phobe in the above film) into giving the bad Chameleon his magic staff so she can open a portal and steal Kung Fu skills from past Kung Fu Panda villains from previous films and cartoons.

Overall - now I'm writing these 2 reviews I see how much they are alike.  Female characters trick the main characters into helping the bad guys then turn and help the good guys, thus becoming the main heroes of the story overshadowing the hero. 

I feel the franchises could have gone in different directions but they have followed old Hollywood tropes over the last decade or more.  I'm also fed up of the sequels to tiring franchises, with not many new stories coming out.  There are the odd few but it's mainly sequels that are out the most.

I did enjoy Kung Fu Panda 4 more than Ghostbusters New Empire but only just.

The next film I'm off to see is Godzilla x Kong, another sequel which the trailer reminds me of Ghostbusters as it's called New Empire and has an ice monster in it.

Bels Score  -   8/10

My Score    -  7/10

April 2024 Update!

Greetings Nerds.

April has sprung, the clocks have been put forward an hour.  Summertime is here. Also the weather is warmer and brighter.  The daffodils are out and it's a brighter Month.

A very quick update this month.

Reading - Have started Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett and enjoying it immensely.  Hopefully will have finished it by the end of the first week of April.  It even had me buying more books in the City Watch series.

Writing - Did some writing in March but not enough.  In April I'm going to push myself to write.  I may try to get to Cleckheaton Writing Group at least once in April.  Fingers crossed.

Other - Still off work with stress.  Not sure what to do job wise.  Any suggestions please comment.

I'm wanting to exercise more this month too, which includes more walking and swimming.

Early this month I'm looking to have a sort out and throw out old Sci-Fi and Writing magazines.

I'm also going to rearrange my 4 book shelves in the first week of April also.  Photos to follow.

Well have a great April.

Neil x

Sheffield Waterstones - Book Haul - A Facebook Friend

Hola Book Worms

Went and visited Sheffield for the very first time (what a sheltered life I lead).

Of course, I had to visit the local Waterstones in Sheffield, as part of my mission to visit as many Waterstones as possible.

I also wanted to visit Sheffield Waterstones as a Facebook friend and fellow book nerd Andy Angel frequents there regularly.

We had talked about meeting there a while ago, and I didn't expect to bump into him but I did, briefly.  I should have known I would as it's his second home.

I thought I'd seen him as I went to my table with my tray and took a photo of him, and was going to send it to him asking if it was him.  Sadly I needed the loo and was queuing when I saw him getting ready to leave, so dashed out to say hello.

Sheffield Waterstones is big.  One of the biggest I've visited so far.  With a huge selection of books.

The cafe was one of the biggest I've been in too.  It had very nice latte and cakes.

The store also had some of the best stock of my favourite genre's - Sci-fi and Fantasy, Horror, Crime, Graphic novels plus lots of Manga.  It also has the best selection of movie tie-in books I've seen.

 It is the Waterstones with the most Warhammer books too.  Over the last few years these seem to have dwindled from stores.

Of course as I'm there I had to get some books.  As I'm reading Terry Pratchett and Guards Guards, I thought I'd get some more City Watch books.

Overall I was very impressed with the size of the store and selection of books.  Plus a nice big cafe helped too.  Definitely better than the Meadow hall Waterstones nearby.

This is what my top favourite Waterstones looks like now -

1 - Leeds Waterstones - because of the author events I've been to.  Plus decent cafe and selection of books.

2 - Sheffield Waterstones - large store and selection and big cafe.

3 - York Waterstones - good selection of books but small cafe lets it down.  But in my favourite city.

4 - Llandudno Waterstones - again a big store and cafe.

5 - Bradford Waterstones - big, fantastic old building.  Ok selection of my favourite genres and nice cafe.

6 - Harrogate Waterstones - similar to York.  But need to go again as it's been a while.

Well Happy Easter and Happy Reading.

Neil x

Reading Update!

 

Hello Reading Nerds.

Just a quick update on my reading.

I'm behind my reading goal of 24 books in 2024, as I'm only on book 3.

Half way through Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett and so far liking it a lot.  Better than Mort and Hogfather.

So hopefully will have finished it by Easter Weekend.  A review to come soon.

Then what?

Well the Zeke Hailey books by Ian C Douglas, which I'm excited about.

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments.

Neil x

Mid-March Update and a Castle

 

Hello Nerds

A quick update. 

At the moment I'm currently reading and enjoying Guard's Guard's by Terry Pratchett.

I'm still off work with stress and unsure what to do.  So to help relax I returned to Llandudno for a relaxing weekend.  I even stayed at the same hotel as last time.  The Headlands Hotel.  A beautiful, old and probably haunted hotel.

Also I went for a walk in the hills and of course revisited Waterstones at Llandudno.

On the way home from Llandudno, I called in on the town on Conwy and the huge Conwy Castle.  One of the biggest castles remaining in Europe.

Conwy Castle and town was fantastic, steeped in history and hope to go back soon.

Update again soon.

Neil