Godzilla

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

We finally get to see the iconic Japanese Kaiju back on the big screen and simply put, it was one of the most rewarding monster movies I've watched so far, perhaps even topping Pacific Rim.

Godzilla hits all the right notes. I could really tell that the director Gareth Edwards took a lot of effort in ensuring that the beast and the story stay true to its roots and not repeat Roland Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla flop. The result was a well-balanced, well-written and well-paced monster movie with enough intensity, emotion and action to keep the audiences' adrenaline pumping. 

One of the great treats from the film was the introduction of a few other Kaijus to the story which opens up more possibilities to which the story can go. Unlike Spider-Man's villains, the law of diminishing marginal returns do not really apply here. The additional Kaijus actually helped enhance the story, leading to a great and fulfilling conclusion.

When it comes to acting, Bryan Cranston's stellar performance in the first act of the film really set the bar for standards which the subsequent lead actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson struggled to maintain. I am a little disappointed the Bryan Cranston did not have the amount of screen-time I expect him to have, but he delivered a strong performance nonetheless. Elizabeth Olsen and Ken Watanabe were also good but unfortunately movies like these do not offer much character development and interactions. 

In all, Godzilla is a fantastic re-imagination of the famous genre that is not only able to honour the legacy this beloved monster but also bring it to the modern age. It is definitely a film viewers would enjoy and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a great summer blockbuster movie. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

MY RATING: RECOMMENDED 

The second instalment to the Spider-Man reboot is finally here! Spider-Man returns in this sequel adjusted for inflation with more villains, more action and more emotional drama. In general, I really enjoyed this film, although there were several approaches and concepts I feel could have been improved on.

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man has gotten used to his powers and his responsibilities in protecting the city of New York against crime. However, he still struggles to find the truth behind his parents leaving and struggles to keep the promise to Gwen Stacy's father to stay away from Gwen. Amidst this, he faces new adversaries, including Electro and his old friend, Harry Osborne. 

What I really liked from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are the actions, acting, humour as well as the chemistry between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. The actions in the film are spectacular and the CGI is one of the most impressive I've ever scene. The fight scenes between Spider-Man and Electro and Harry Osborne are undoubtedly the highlights of the film. A lot of attention is being paid to detail in this film, especially in terms of Spider-Man's suit and Electro's skin, making a lot of CGI scenes look very realistic. 

The acting was also great and it made the film more compelling to watch. Andrew Garfield plays Spider-Man perfectly and at times I felt that he portrayed Spider-Man a lot better than Toby McGuire in the original trilogy as he is able to bring more charisma and humour to the character. Also, the chemistry between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy is so powerful and natural that you want to root for them to be together regardless of how complicated their relationship is. 

On the flip side, there were also many parts of the film that I felt could have been improved. I felt that the character developments for the villains could have been a lot better. Max Dillon (a.k.a. Electro) merely came across as a weird anti-social character who seems to be suffering from a mental disorder. This makes him quite unrelatable and thus failing to garner the amount of sympathy it should deserve. Harry Osborne came across as a jerk in a very superficial manner. The original series did a lot better in the character development of the Green Goblin. Harry's introduction in this film felt a little forced and his transformation to the Green Goblin also felt a little too rushed.

The mystery behind Pater Parker's parents' departure was resolved in this film, but after all the hype and suspense that has been built up around the mystery, the resolution felt a little too underwhelming. Many critics reviewed the film saying that the plot was too heavy with all the issues and villains coming into Peter Parker's life and that it made the storytelling clunky. There is some truth in this but I feel that such a problem is inevitable and that the director, Marc Webb, did his best to tie all of these together using the common theme of responsibility and making the right choices. 

In all, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will undeniably be an enjoyable time for all. Marc Webb did a good job with this film and I am eager to know what comes next in this franchise.