“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (Action/Science-Fiction: 2 hours, 12 minutes)

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe and Charles Dance

Director: Michael Dougherty

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, moments of peril, and language)

 

Movie Review: “Godzilla” (2014) was a modern revival of the Godzilla monster series. Paired with “Kong: Skull Island” (2017), these movies are a restart of the monster movies for American audiences. 

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is a continuation of the 2014 movie. The latest outing is energetic entertainment, but it is a poor movie beyond the action and visual effects. It has inconsistent characters and annoyingly questionable character actions and alliances.

Monarch, a crypto-zoological agency led by Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Watanabe), study Titans, giant god-like monsters that once dominated the Earth. The colossal monsters are now awakening because of the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. 

Monarch scientists believe some of the monsters are benevolent beings, among them Godzilla, the king of monsters, and Mothra. When Ghidorah threatens humanity, Godzilla becomes the savior of the planet. 

Michael Dougherty (“Krampus,” 2015) directs the sequel. It is the return of a few familiar faces. Oscar-nominated actors Ken Watanabe returns as Dr. Serizawa and David Strathairn as Admiral William Stenz. They are the steadiest characters in this enjoyable, action-packed movie.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is never boring, yet it suffers from monstrous issues. Illogical action sequences, chronological conveniences and shifting character motives are prevalent.

Characters are inconsistent. That is the worst flaw. Their motives waffle. Kyle Chandler’s Mark Russell wants to kill all Titans to avenge his deceased son. Within two scenes, he thinks the opposite. Scenes later, he appears to switch again before settling on just killing some Titans.

Dr. Emma Russell, played by Vera Farmiga, is just unsteady. Her character appears shocked by the actions of a group led by Jonah Alan, played by “Game of Thrones” actor Charles Dance, who is also uneven, when Dr. Russell has a connection to them.

The characters’ actions are baffling during action sequences. Titans are the size of skyscrapers. When they fight, people stand near or under them and watch as if running has not been invented. Then, they are shocked when someone dies. 

Surprise, common sense has left the building.

The third issue with the movie is time means little. Humans can move around the world in minutes. It is difficult to believe an automobile can travel many miles faster than a military helicopter or jet. This time expediency is one of convenience for writers lacking foresight.

Despite these issues, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is not boring. It is just as easily enjoyable as it is irritating.

Grade: C+ (Gigantic entertainment with equally momentous flaws.)

“Ma” (Horror/Thriller: 1 hour, 39 minutes)

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers and Juliette Lewis

Director: Tate Taylor

Rated: R (Violent/disturbing material, profanity, sexual content, nudity, gore and teen drug and alcohol use)

 

Movie Review: Academy Award recipient Octavia Spencer and Tate Taylor dazzled audiences as part of the team that rendered “The Help” (2011). 

Their collaboration relies primarily on the riveting performance of Spencer, who captures the angst and then spills it upon victims. Otherwise, “Ma” could use development. It plays more like a melodrama for laughs more often than horror.

Sue Ann Ellington (Spencer) is a lonely middle-aged woman. She befriends five high schoolers and turns her basement into party central for them and their friends. The teens begin referring to Ellington as Ma. 

She only has a few rules: students must have a designated driver, no cursing and no one must go upstairs. 

Soon, Ma’s hospitality sours and she becomes obsessed with partying with the teens. When they begin to reject her, her obsession turns violent, all stemming from childhood trauma.

Again, Spencer shines as Ma, even if the pace of the script is uneven. Spencer has a manner making her characters real, even when the writing for her role is iffy. Spencer plays a character still suffering from a prank played on her in high school. While she wants revenge, she only singles out a few people. The plot mechanics appear more important than its development.

The movie could do a better job divulging why she snaps the moment she does. The movie does not explain why she targets some of her classmates but not others. She lived in the city with some but never acted on her ill feelings toward her old classmates. The movie makes it appear that she would never encounter them in her seemingly small town.

The characters are also typical horror personas. If only people in horrors did the correct thing, these movies would end quicker. 

However, some actions make sense because of the age group, teenagers. Youthful minds just might do some of these impulsive actions. Still, the narrative’s pace for characters does not allow one enough time to care about them.

That may explain the murder of individuals as humorous portrayals in this movie. Humorous moments exist because of the nature in which Spencer’s character assaults her victims.

“Ma” tries to reach dramatic tones but turns into comical scenes. These quirky moments become entertaining in an odd, funny manner. The final scenes play like a B-movie without the intent of being one.

Grade: C+ (She has no motherly charm, but her actions are interesting.)

“Rocketman” (Musical/Biography: 2 hours, 1 minutes)

Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell and Richard Madden

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Rated: R (Profanity, brief violence, drug use and sexual content)

 

Movie Review: “Rocketman” is a good semi-biographical musical of the life of the talented Elton John. 

Music, fancy costumes and plenty of drama are present. The result is a gratifying musical that makes one sympathetic toward John. It also makes him more human in a triumphant manner.

Elton John (Egerton) is the center of a revisionist screenplay. It details John’s life through drugs, sex and shopping addictions, his troubled relationship with his parents, Shelia (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), and an abusive relationship by his manager, John Reid (Madden). 

John’s loyal friend through it all is Bernie Taupin (Bell), who co-wrote songs with Elton John. 

Taron Egerton is a talented young actor. He proves he is more than able to play a legend such as Sir Elton John. He sings and parades around in outrageous costumes similar to a younger Elton John, but Egerton shines underneath the makeup, costumes and decorative eyewear.

Egerton collaborates with Director Dexter Fletcher again. Egerton and Fletcher last gave audiences the impressive “Eddie the Eagle,” 2015. Fletcher was a producer for the Oscar-nominated movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Director Bryan Singer, 2018), which was another iconic gay singer-musician biopic and one that Fletcher helped finish after Singer’s dismissal. 

Others in the cast also shine. Jamie Bell is good as John’s best friend and Madden plays his abusive lover with engrossing charm.

Elton John’s breakthrough years are the basis of this fantasy. It is full of the pomp and circumstance similar to John’s actual life. 

Everything is at a point overdone, but before it manages to go overboard, this biography of creative allowances inserts good dramatic moments. The movie allows for some intriguing visual scenes that score points for their artistry. Those moments and the music bring one back to a pleasing narrative.

Grade: B (And I think it’s gonna be — in cinemas — a long, long time)

 

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar lives and works in Valdosta.