Godzilla (1954)

With the latest Godzilla film due to come out in November, I thought I would start watching them all from the very beginning. This original film is probably my favourite (time will tell on the rewatch). The set up of the film is that after a series of ships sinking, an investigation is started. I usually like the first in a series because it isn't weighed down by over complicated plot strands or characters that are over the top.

The first appearance of Godzilla is relatively lowkey by 2026 standards. The effect might look a bit primitive but for 1954 it did what it needed to do. The next appearance is of Godzilla coming out of the sea and with the black and white filming, it looks a lot more effective and would have probably been the better choice for its first appearance. Something that Godzilla does well (and future films utilise this in every other film) is the destruction is brilliant. His first attack on Tokyo is spectacular and its made even more effective with the great shots to the people as they look on helplessly.

It might be unfair but the scene where there is a discussion about what the reporters saw and there are the stuffy scientists and politicians being shouted at by the residents is a little bit funny. I think this sort of scene was commonplace in films of this period but it just made me chuckle. That's the only time the film made me chuckle. I suppose the other issue with Godzilla that doesn't get really addressed until the terrible Roland Emmerich 1998 version is that it does look like a bloke in a costume.

The score is something that I wanted to point out. Normally films from the 1950's are something that stand out to me because of the score yet there is something about Akira Ifukube's score that manages to convey the terror of what Godzilla is doing yet have moments where the music is somewhat comical. That's not an easy thing to pull off and yet Ifukube manages it really well.

I do like the central performances. I thought that the trio of Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada), Emiko Yamane (Momoko Kochi) and Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata)  helped make the human side of the film more interesting instead of reducing it to screaming. Yamane did unfortunately resort to stereotypical 'woman crying/shrieking at what terror she saw' a couple of time but I thought that the role was well performed by Kochi. Takarada as Ogata is a good leading man although if I were judging by 2026 standards I would say he doesn't have the greatest charisma or charm. Hirata is good as Serizawa but it did feel like his character was centered around the eye patch. It was somewhat inevitable that Serizawa would sacrifice himself to kill Godzilla.

The idea that Godzilla wasn't the only one of his species is an interesting idea of having more of these films and getting yourself out of a creative dead end. Even in the 1950’s they were hinting at sequel bait. I still stand that this is one of if not the best Godzilla films. The story is straight forward, the performances were really good and the way that Godzilla was defeated was rather low key but perhaps one of the more inventive ways instead of building mechagodzillas or using every weapon known to man.

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki's Delivery Service is the third Studio Ghibli film I have seen at the cinema after My Neighbour Totoro & Spirited Away. It was nice to see a decent crowd in the screening I was at which was at 7pm on a Friday evening. The story is relatively simple, we meet Kiki who when she turns 13  leaves home to arrives at a town where she starts a delivery service. She doesn't find it easy to make friends and the only young person that seems to show her any interest fancies her and soon invites her to the dance which she doesn't seem to have an interest in attending. It is quite hard to like Kiki for quite a long period in this film. I get that she is trying to find her way in the world but I just found her to be slightly unlikeable but thankfully as the film progresses she warms to her surroundings and is easier to like.

There are a few instances of Kiki's business growing and they are quite interesting. One is where she has to transport a cage with a stuffed cat that looks like Kiki's but due to her inexperience with her broom she crashes into the trees, annoys the crows and the stuffed cat has fallen out so she has to go back and try to find it.  Then she visits an old lady who wants her to deliver a case to her ungrateful granddaughter but due to oven issues it isn't ready so she chooses to help knowing that it might make her late for the party. Then the finale see her trying to save Tombo but she has to make do with a broom but this comes as she is trying to regain her powers but this being a film she manages to get her powers back and this leads to Kiki saving Tombo's life.

The animation, like all Studio Ghibli stuff is beautiful. I like modern animation but there is something about animation from this period that looks like the sort of place you would want to live in. The town that the film is set in looks like a nice mix of old fashioned yet slightly modern and the fact that the people seem to be quite welcoming of a witch is a nice thing to have in the story.

The film does end quite abruptly. I wouldn't have minded if the film spent 10 more minutes with Kiki being accepted by the entire town or a bit more from her parents. They appear at the beginning and then at the end. They felt like an afterthought but it was just the abruptness that stood out to me.

Whilst I really enjoyed Kiki's Delivery Service, I don't think it is as good as Spirited Away or My Neighbour Totoro. I think the lack of fantastic characters or story meant that whilst it was lovely to look at and the score from Joe Hisaishi was lovely to listen to, it doesn't stand up to those other two but its still a highly enjoyable film. I hope there are many more Studio Ghibli films shown at the cinema because seeing them on the big screen is a more rewarding experience than watching them at home.

The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

Normally I would say 'do we need another film about Robin Hood?' But this is a genuinely different take on the mythical character that is perhaps best know for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. This is very much a different take with Hugh Jackman playing the titular character. This film is directed by Michael Sarnoski who previously did Pig where Nicholas Cage is friends with a Pig and did the Quiet Place prequel which was a lot better than I was expecting but those films are very much character pieces so I sort of knew what to expect but I will be honest that it took a while for me to understand that this isn't your typical Robin Hood film.

Hugh Jackman gives a very good performance but I did feel that it was a bit like a stage performance. The last time I saw Jackman in a movie at the cinema was in The Sheep Detectives and you couldn't get two more different films if you tried and yet Jackman is clearly having fun in both. He gets to do 'proper acting' in this and is the primary reason why the film works as well as it does.

Jodie Comer was also very good as Sister Brigid. It is a fairly ordinary part but Comer does what Comer does and makes it much more interesting than it would have been in the hands of someone else. Brigid's importance in the story comes when it's revealed that Robin Hood killed her family so she is torn with how to feel and what to do. It's a great scene when this revelation happens. Bill Skarsgård also stars in this film as Little John although I honestly didn't know that it was him until I started writing this review. He isn't in it a great deal and it isn't your typical performance from him. 

It is also worth noting that Faith Delaney deserves some praise as she is really quite good as the little girl that Robin Hood becomes attached to and trains her to use a bow and arrow. She is quite good despite not really having much to do but is the emotional weight in that portion of the film.

There are some truly beautiful location shots in this film and that almost becomes a character in itself. I think it has been a good year for films with stunning locations as Glenrothan and 500 Miles have shown some incredible sights and this film probably tops them. Not sure how much was special effects or how much was real but that along with the cinematography helps create a wonderful world.

It is worth pointing out that this was a preview screening and yet I was the only person in the screening. It has been a very long time since I have had a screening all to myself. I think that this is going to be a tough watch for most people. The film is more of a character piece which worked for me but if you are looking for something along the lines of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves then you are going to be disappointed but if you want something that follows a man trying to come to terms with his life as he is about to reach the end then I think that you will take something from it. 

It's worth watching but I don't think it will watched by many but I hope that I am proved wrong.

Mutiny (2026)

I had the choice to either see the new Insidious movie or the latest Jason Statham hitting and shooting people. I chose the latter cause I knew it would be more fun. You know what you are getting with a Jason Statham film. He usually plays an ex army guy or ex special forces or in this case an ex-police officer that finds himself framed for the murder of the man he is protecting because the company is about to be sold and some criminals want to use the business to transport people in a human trafficking ring and Statham is trying to find out who killed his boss.

Jason Statham is as good as he always is. He isn't the best actor in the world but he gets by on his fight scenes and the fact he understands his audience and doesn't stray too far away from that. There was one moment where he attempts to show he has some range but getting teary eyed over his dead dad who we learn died trying to save his son. He doesn't quite pull it off but it was fun seeing him attempt something some 30 years after first appearing in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Annabelle Wallis plays Angie who is summoned to the ship at the last minute and ends up helping Statham’s Cole. I thought that Wallis did a good job with what was a rather limited role. They do have a silly scene where they are in the engine room and are communicating on headsets which made me wonder why they didn't just shoot the scene in another room but both Statham and Wallis do well with it and work well together.

There are the usual issues with a Statham film, the plot is somewhat cliched and generic and I thought having the boat as the singular setting would be a huge advantage because I usually like films with one setting but it felt like it was a disadvantage. Also the fact that whilst the captain (Roland Møller) is a villain the main villain is actually Daniles (Simon Kluth) who is only in the film for about 10 minutes and 2 of those are his death scene. Ok it led to a good one liner from Statham but I think the film would have been better served with just one main villain and that would be the captain cause he was quite good.

At the point where Statham kills the captain with the harpoon gun, the crowd in the screening I was in cheered. Not quietly but quite loud in a way that I hadn't heard for a very long time. It was quite surprising that the screening was as full as it was. I would say that it was about half full and ok the screen was one of the smaller ones but that's still an impressive turnout for a film that will end up on Sky Cinema in a couple of months. I did enjoy this film although I enjoyed Shelter a lot more. I felt that the film did not embrace the absurdity of the situation as much as other Statham films. The fact that everyone is putting in effort helps cover up some of the issues with the film but if you want to spend 90 minutes watching Statham beat people up then this is well worth your time. It’s just that there are better Statham films out there.

Batman Returns (1992)

After the success of the last Batman film, it was inevitable that we would get a sequel. This film sees Batman take on Penguin and Catwoman in a format that would be used in the next two Batman films because one villain is not enough. I thought it was a brave move to not really have any connection to the previous film. There is a brief mention regarding the Joker and also reference to Vicky Vale but aside from that it almost treats this as a standalone movie. Like the Joker, we get to see how Selena became Catwoman whereas Penguin already is the Penguin when the film starts although we see his early years.

Danny DeVito is very good as the Penguin. I think that Colin Farrell's version of the character is really good but this version plays into the idea that he the human form of a penguin. The character gets some unusual emotional depth by having being abandoned by his parents because he didn't look how a child should normally look. This does feel like something that wouldn't get used in today's movie so it adds something different to the film. Michelle Pfeiffer is very good as Selina who then becomes Catwoman. It's a role that is quite difficult to pull off but being Pfeiffer is a great actress and I did like the dynamic between her and Keaton. That seemed to be a more interesting aspect of the story than Batman and Penguin. I also thought that Christopher Walken was great as Max Shreck. If the film had just been him then I would have still enjoyed the film because Walken is always great as a villain. This was a more confident performance from Michael Keaton although the increased payday might have helped but I still thought that the overall performance was better. Bruce Wayne came across as a more complicated character and Batman feels more like a strong character than in the previous film. 

Despite this being another Batman film directed by Tim Burton, Gotham feels slightly different to how it did in the first one. I think there must have been a bigger budget because it feels like its heading towards the Gotham we see in the Joel Schumacher films which is sad to see but I do like the fact that this is effectively a Christmas film and its barely acknowledge and often gets overlooked as a Christmas film. I don't think that Batman Returns is as good as the first Batman film. I think the fact that the villains don't really connect means that there doesn't seem to be to much of a threat for Batman. I can see why people like this film but for me the first one is a more enjoyable film to watch although this is pretty close in terms of enjoyment.

Batman (1989)

The two Tim Burton Batman films were being shown at the cinema and I thought that there was no better way of spending a Sunday afternoon. I have always felt that these were worthy of being in the discussion for the best Batman movies alongside the Christopher Nolan films. This is the one that reset the Batman movies after the camp 1960’s offerings. 

It always strikes me as funny that Jack Nicholson got his credit BEFORE Michael Keaton, you know the actor playing the lead character. There is no way that would have happened today but I suppose because Nicholson was the more famous actor it would make sense (sort of) to lead with him. Jack Nicholson is very good as the Joker. I know that Heath Ledger leads the way as the best Joker but for a long time it was impossible to think that anyone could be better than Nicholson because he walked that fine line of being menacing and yet over the top in that 80’s kind of way. I think that it's a great performance from Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. Having just watched the Christian Bale trilogy, it's weird to see Bruce Wayne in such a way that makes him quite likeable instead of the rich playboy that we are supposed to dislike in future films. Keaton does go a bit Beetlejuice at one point which must have been an accident but was quite amusing.

I do miss this era of comic book films where the villain would be your normal villain and then something would happen to turn them into the villain. With this film, Jack Napier is set up by Grissom (Jack Palance) because he is having an affair with Grissom’s girlfriend Alicia played by Jerry Hall and after encountering Batman falls into an acid bath and becomes The Joker. It’s a great set up and something that needs to be brought back. Nicholson is one of those actors that can always be relied upon to give a great performance and despite being the villain he does it again.

There are a couple of effects shots that do stand out but overall the production value from a film in the late 80s is still pretty good. There are lots of model shots which still look amazing and something that also needs to be brought back in today's films because when done right they wont age badly whereas CGI that is overused will be dated within 10 years. Overall this is a great Batman movie. There are very many indicators that Tim Burton directed this film but it's the least Tim Burton film that Tim Burton ever directed. The story is really good, the performances are above what you would expect from this type of film in the 1980’s and we don't have the silliness that would come with the Joel Schumacher films and as a result you don't appreciate how good this version of Gotham City is. Ok Keaton isn't the best Batman but for this film he is the Bryce Wayne that works. Even the Prince tunes don't ruin this although it does date it.

Leviticus (2026)

Leviticus was a mystery horror screening that I was convinced was the new Insidious movie and I have to say that I was relieved that it wasn't. This is an Australian film which sees Naim (Joe Bird) fall for his classmate Ryan (Stacy Clausen) and when Ryan is subjected to a gay exorcism he and eventually Naim are stalked by a figure that takes the form of the person you have feelings for in an attempt to kill you.

The film works because of the main two performances. Both Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen give very strong performances as people falling in love when people around them will try their best to stamp it out. Yes, Naim effectively starts it when he grasses Ryan up just because he was jealous that he was kissing another guy but they do work well together. There is something about Mia Wasikowska’s performance (in a good way). She doesn't support Naim in the way that she should really and almost seems to be against him just by not being around.

I thought that the end was quite good. It would probably have been a cop out if they had managed to completely defeat it but the fact that Naim sees it as the coach he and Ryan are on and dismisses it shows that in a way they have defeated it by seemingly accepting it. Not sure if everyone else would see the ending in a good way but for me it worked and it did not undo all the good will that the film had generated over the previous 80 minutes or so.

I actually enjoyed this film. It reminded me a bit of Get Out in the sense that it has a serious theme but horror is used in a creative and effective way. The story is quite good although I could have used a better exposition scene but aside from that I thought it was a good horror film. There is something about Australian horror that is under-appreciated. This is the sort of film that I would probably have waited until it came out on streaming so I think that this was a good choice for a mystery screening and to the best of knowledge there were no walkouts which is the first time that has happened in a long time.