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Hiya Toys King Ghidorah.

What a beast of a figure...

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Some Cloud and Tifa action.

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"Let's mosey."

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Splurged on Play Arts Kai Cloud and Jessie...

(Tifa is on pre-order, will get Aerith eventually when she's back in stock or not at ridiculous resale prices)

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"I seen it, Spider-Man! Yer fond of me lobster! Say it!"

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Earl Sinclair and Godzilla have a civil discussion

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Remember Alf? He's back! In toy form!

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NECA toys horror shelf grows

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9/10: Absolutely captivating.

This is how one makes a Godzilla movie: a strong emotional core centered on a group of likeable characters, a sincere exploration of the human condition in the face of a seemingly implacable force, a tangible sense of dread and impending doom, and plenty of truly terrifying nuclear-powered Godzilla spectacle.

Reverential of the 1954 original's tone, updated with modern filmmaking, the film explores its heavy themes with utmost sincerity. While Shin Godzilla was more of a satirical criticism of the Japanese government's disaster response, Minus One is purely a character drama. Main protagonist Koichi Shikishima -a surviving kamikaze pilot dealing with survivor's guilt following an incident on Oda Island and his own shame at shirking his suicidal "duty" by faking a mechanical failure on his aircraft- makes for an empathetic lead. Much of the story deals with his post-war trauma, haunted by the deaths he feels responsible for. As he discovers reasons to live and fight, caring for a small orphaned baby with Noriko, a young woman he meets by happenstance, director Takashi Yamazaki is able to explore the ways the Japanese citizenry come together to rebuild, and ultimately cooperate to face the new monstrous threat. Despite his often dour and dejected behavior, Koichi remains likeable thanks to a script that gives him many interesting characters to interact with, such as his fun mine-sweeping boat crewmates. Dialogue can sometimes veer into corniness, but the cast makes it work.

While the subject matter is quite serious, this is still a Godzilla movie, so there are many scenes of characters discussing the creature and ways to fight it that sometimes feels at odds tonally with the post-war drama. Again, the cast makes the campier elements work by injecting enough sincerity and humor. The film feels balanced between its intimate moments between people, and its exciting action scenes.

Much has been said already of how good the movie looks despite its relatively low budget. Though it doesn't have the graphical fidelity of the biggest Hollywood productions, it still manages to put a lot of western blockbusters to shame through near flawless execution of its ambitious set-pieces. Godzilla hasn't looked this terrifying in years (unlike Shin Godzilla, this version has a perpetual expression of absolute malice). The atomic breath attack of this iteration somehow tops Shin's focused laser beam in terms of sheer destructiveness.

The score feels very modern, and works to increase the tension. When the iconic Akira Ikufube theme kicks in... chills guaranteed.

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Waiting for the GotG Vol.3 figures to get heavily discounted paid off. They look so good together. (GotG Vol. 2 Gamora, since we didn't get a vol. 3 version of her...). Will we ever get a High Evolutionary?

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"...I always thought that I was the Samaritan in that story. It's funny, isn't it? How even the best of men can be... deceived by their true nature... It means that I'm not the Samaritan. That I'm not the priest, or the Levite.

That I am the ill intent... who set upon the traveler on a road that he should not have been on."

Marvel Legends Kingpin/Wilson Fisk

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Want...

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Some BMO drawings for fun

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OPPENHEIMER (2023): 9/10

Chain reactions, ripples in the water. Actions and consequences.

Christopher Nolan has created a propulsive character piece, filled with constant anxiety and tension. This is a biopic as a Hollywood spectacle: loud, busy, and intense. But not at the expense of maintaining a sincere emotional and thematic core.

His skill definitely remains predominantly in the technical side. The film is beautifully shot, and meticulously arranged like a cinematic puzzle. The first half-hour or so is edited frantically, quickly jumping between periods. I initially feared the entire runtime would be akin to watching a montage of disparate scenes plucked from various times in Oppenheimer's life, arranged into some thematic collage. Thankfully, it all coalesces once the context behind all the elements is understood, from the flashes of vague imagery to oppressive sounds representing key moments in Oppenheimer's life. The use of non-linear storytelling, splitting attention between time periods leading up to the Los Alamos test and the post-WW2 political drama between Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss (with creative use of color-coding to represent their points of view), helps to keep the film feeling balanced and emotionally rewarding.

Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. are absolutely captivating here as Oppenheimer and Strauss. Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and the rest of the supporting cast (too many to list) are natually terrific as well. Many familiar faces appear to help familiarize the audience to the numerous people introduced.

Nolan typically has a problem with his films feeling a bit cold and sterile. The way he edits together scenes often leaves little time for us to grow attached to characters before moving to the next plotpoint. He leaves little time for them to dwell. His dialogue has also run the gamut from heavily expository, to anvilicious and corny. Here, he has definitely improved, by focusing mostly on Oppenheimer's motivations and eventual apprehension towards his devastating contributions to the world. Characters still make occasional statements that benefit from the hindsight of history and sometimes come across as melodramatic.

While Nolan's use of blaring, oppressive sound, and relentless editing gets a bit grating at times, it rarely results in incoherence. Still, I am not a fan of his need to constantly fill his dialogue scenes with very loud background music that drowns out everything. There is rarely any moment of quiet, even when characters are having moments of contemplation. The persistent score by Ludwig Göransson helps to maintain the film's momentum during these scenes, but becomes distracting when it is blasting through the theater surround sound.

These are minor quibbles that ultimately do not detract from the overall experience. Despite the 3 hour runtime, it does not feel exhausting. There is a degree of inventiveness displayed here that showcases Nolan's ever-growing talents as a director. Despite lacking the fantastical elements of his previous films, in tackling this mature, very real subject matter, this may be his most ambitious film yet.

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BARBIE (2023): 8.5/10

"I am Kenough"

Those who may dismiss this as a purely female-oriented, feminist film that takes aim at the "patriarchy" would be keen to reassess their preconceived notions. This has an important message for both women and men, and grapples with our collective struggles for identity, societal expectations, and legacy through Barbie and Ken. Humorous, post-modern, and giddily weird, Greta Gerwig is able to explore the existential crisis of Stereotypical Barbie (an absolutely perfect Margot Robbie), and isn't afraid to be critical of the IP's effects on society, culture, and womanhood. The film is very unsubtle about its messages, but I don't consider this to be a fault. Some things need to be hammered in. Anyone who watches this and considers it to be "anti-men" are probably not capable of absorbing anything presented with more nuance anyways. Regardless of it's relatable themes, even taken as a pure comedy, the film mostly succeeds with many jokes and sight gags to keep you thoroughly entertained. Not every joke lands, and many may not accept the meta, self-deprecating narrative, but those willing to embrace a more oddball interpretation of such a popular IP will be rewarded. Brief lulls in the middle act, and a repetitive tendency for characters to just explain the film's themes at each other are a few minor sour points in this otherwise sweet piece of heady pop art.

The burden of expectation weighs heavy on women of the modern patriarchal world. This consequently fills Stereotypical Barbie with an unexplainable sense of dread and anxiety that she attempts to understand by venturing from the "perfect" Barbieland to the Real World. Tagging along on her journey, Ken (an also perfect Ryan Gosling who steals every scene he's in) discovers the power of the patriarchy and toxic masculinity, and happily brings his discovery to the Kens of Barbieland, much to the detriment of the resident Barbie population. A sizeable chunk of the plot ends up focusing on this takeover of Barbieland by the Kens, which was unexpected. I would have liked to see more of Barbie exploring the Real World and confronting the positives and negatives of her legacy, but the amusing hijinks that ensue in Barbieland make for some very memorable moments (including a wonderful song and dance number led by Gosling). America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt play a mother and daughter who are swept up into Barbie's crisis, and provide fun outsider perspectives on the pastel plastic world. The relationship between this mother and daughter wasn't quite as fleshed out as I'd liked, nor is their direct tie to Barbie's existential angst. But they fulfill their parts in the story well enough. Ferrera has a rather deservedly longwinded rant about her struggles in a male-dominated society that I'd imagine many in the audience will relate to. Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, and Will Ferrell provide fun supporting roles. Rhea Perlman was also a welcome surprise. The sheer number and diversity among the various Barbies and Kens will make for a fun rewatch (I was particularly pleased by the inclusion of a plus-sized Barbie, considering the problems with body-image that the doll has contributed to).

Much praise should be given for this film's production design. Barbieland is absolutely beautiful and whimsical in a way that modern blockbusters rarely get to be these days. The soundtrack is also impeccable.

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McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Kingdom Come Batman

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NECA Bride of Frankenstein