SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: JURASSIC WORLD

It has been since 2001 since Jurassic Park III hit theaters. There have been other films to have featured dinosaurs prominently since then too, perhaps the finest example of this is 2005's
KING KONG. No film since then though has been so ambitious until 2015's JURASSIC WORLD. Jurassic Park III for me left a sour taste in my mouth. It wasn't based off a book, it was the shortest film in the series by a whole 30 minutes, and to top it off my favorite dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex, is turned into a little bitch by a Spinosaurus. Basically with no new book from Michael Crichton there is no need nor want for another Jurassic Park.

I love dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were perhaps the first love of my life. I can't remember a time I didn't love these kaiju size thunder lizards. KING KONG (1933) captured my imagination like no other film has nor since. It is an adventure film, an exploration into the unknown film, there are dinosaurs, one massive gorilla, a beautiful scantily clad woman (Fay Wray) and an action extravaganza that never lets up! The film is streamlined, moving along at a vigorous pace. This film is the template for the modern special effects summer blockbuster!

In 1993, 60 years after King Kong, the special effects blockbuster film would be forever changed yet again. JURASSIC PARK is released for the first time. Never before had the world seen special effects like those in this film. Never before had dinosaurs been realized in such a way. The face of film was changed forever and imagination and wonder was fostered in the minds of millions of young viewers. In 1997 a sequel titled THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK was released and then in 2001 the final chapter simply titled JURASSIC PARK III was released. 14 years later and mixing the previous titles and we received the fourth film in the franchise, JURASSIC WORLD.

Over the last decade and a half we've seen a distinct increase in franchization of films. The world wants sequels and are happy with watching the same thing over and over again. I'm no exception. I celebrate such massive franchises as the Japanese Godzilla series, Zatoichi series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Friday the 13th series, and much much more. Given my love of dinosaurs the restarting of the Jurassic Park franchise is just the thing to secure my $13 dollars at the box office.

SPOILER ALERT
Here's what the film is about. The park is open. Attendance is down from previous years. They need a new attraction to increase revenue (yes, it's all about money). The geneticists develop a new type of dinosaur named the Indominous Rex. The park management hope that this new attraction will increase their profits. The geneticists however have an ulterior motive. They aren't after an increase in park patronage, but rather in the next evolution of weaponry. Weaponized dinosaurs... yep. Hubris anyone? Nope, that was the first film. There isn't a word to describe this level of hubris... well, there was a video game in the 1980's called Dynowarz. JURASSIC PARK 5: DYNOWARZ.

The Indominous Rex isn't the only war application explored at the park. Velociraptors (why the hell are they still breeding raptors?! Did they not see the first film?!) are being trained to serve humans. Chris Pratt's character is at the forefront of this project and has established himself as the alpha of a pack of 4 raptors. How this happened we are not privy to. He is called in to report on the Indominous Rex (well after the beast has reached full grown T Rex proportions. He firmly disagrees with everything the park has done. Bryce Dallas Howard's character refuses to acknowledge his warnings and acts foolishly in the financial interests of the park. By then it's too late.

Indominous Rex escapes. The park tries to contain it without killing it. It kills the containment team, security team, and every dinosaur it comes across, not for food but for the sheer delight of killing. It breaks the fences and aviaries setting loose nearly every dinosaur in the park upon the patrons. Chris Pratt is all that stands in the way of the evil Indominous Rex and oblivion. He and his pet raptors head out to hunt.

The Jurassic Park films function of the decisions of stupid people while the men with any measure of intelligence left are forced to save the day or suffer the consequences. Hammond spared no expense on everything in the park except on the one man that practically ran everything from his computer terminal. Also why the hell would you breed raptors if you can't even display them? For that matter why the hell would you breed higher predator carnivores? In the Lost World every single character is a moron except for Ian Malcolm and his daughter. In Jurassic Park III everyone but Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler make stupid decision after stupid decision. It makes the quota of likable characters in these films very small. This film is no exception. It functions exactly the same as the other films with barely anyone doing anything sensible to save themselves.

It's just my personal feelings but the idea of Chris Pratt, a fun cuddly likable fellow, displaying enough cajones to dominate a pack of raptors seems ridiculous. In fact in the movie the raptors can't decide whose more manly, Pratt or Indominous Rex. That's kind of like wolves trying decide who to be more afraid of, a Kodiak Bear or a hamburger. And then there's the stock villain character of Vincent D'Onofrio which only adds to the bad decision making. And Bryce Dallas Howard doesn't make a single sensible decision until the very end of the film. Only the two young boys have garnered any sympathy from me in the film but even they go off road and intentionally endanger themselves. So like any good slasher film or body count film I don't care if anybody dies.

But we didn't come to this movie for the humans. We came for the dinosaurs! Simply put, the dinosaurs are awesome! Where the actors fail amazingly the dinosaurs flourish. There is a fight between the Indominous Rex and an Ankylosaurus which is basically Godzilla Vs Anguirus all over again! With a made up dinosaur in the mix the film takes on a kaiju like feeling. Indominous Rex, with all its ludicrous abilities, makes a great villain, one you love to hate and can't wait to see get his ass kicked at the end (something which should have happened to the Spinosaurus in JP3 but never happened). The raptors being submissive to Chris Pratt aside (I mean he'd have to have bested the former alpha in a wrestling match, ripped off the raptor's arms, bit out the raptor's tongue, tore off the raptor's claws and gutted and eaten him in front of the other raptors to earn their respect!) the raptors are pretty cool and have more character then they ever have. But they have also lost their frightening presence. And if you listen to Robert Muldoon's (my favorite character in the entire series) discourse about raptor's from the first film none of what happens with the raptors in this film makes any sense.

The dinosaur for me in this film and the one featured heavily in all the trailers is the Mosasaurus. It only has three scenes but it is such a sight to behold. I've always had a soft spot for the water dinos. But even then, after discussing it with some friends, the spectacle that was the first film is still a bit lost. We've become so desensitized to special effects films that even dinosaurs lose their shock and awe a bit as compared to the first film. The thrill of seeing a convincing dinosaur on screen has been lessened in the last 20 years.

SUPER SPOILER ALERT
The ending of this film is where it's at. I hope you've seen the movie because I'm gonna spill it. When Chris Pratt takes the raptors out to hunt the Indominous Rex the raptors turn on the humans (a twist which I love). Everything culminates at the visitor center when the raptors and Indominous have a little falling out when they can't decide between Indominous and Pratt as their alpha. They choose Pratt... and attack the Indominous. But the raptors are not enough. Bryce Dallas Howard runs off to get help and releases the Tyrannosaurus Rex. T Rex bursts through the skeleton of a Spinosaurus on display onto the scene (a nice jab at the the third film)! The raptors and T. Rex team up against the Indominous. It's a knock down drag out fight which puts the Indominous at the edge of the water. The Mosasaurus breaches the surface and drags the genetically engineered monster down to a watery grave.

It is the craziest ending you could ever think of. You either buy into it or you don't. You can tell that this film was made by fans of the original trilogy. There are loads of direct references to the original film and little tid bits and nods to the sequels. Having gone back and watched the previous three films before seeing this one I have to say Jurassic World is right on par with Jurassic Park III in terms of quality. Sheer nostalgia is keeping this movie alive and breaking every record in the box office. The kids who grew up with the original film are now grown up with children of their own. Several generations are reliving the experiences of 22 years ago. I honestly can't explain why this movie is doing as well as it is in the box office other than nostalgia and the entire world is feeling nostalgic this summer.

Between all the Jurassic Park films this one is somewhere between Jurassic Park III and the Lost World. Between 2013's Pacific Rim and 2014's Godzilla I feel both those films were better. This movie has nothing on Peter Jackson's King Kong. Compared to the other summer blockbusters of 2015 Mad Max is still the best one of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, I love dinosaurs and this kind of movie fair. Jurassic World is a helluva lot of fun and a very entertaining movie but it isn't far off from some of the SyFy original films of the early 2000's. Indominous Rex is just another Spinosaurus and Chris Pratt is just another wannabe Harrison Ford. Oh yeah, and T Rex's roar is off and not right.

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

Despite what it sounds like I did like the movie. No, honestly I did. I swear!

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3

Few movies nowadays have the power to generate tension and fright like the Insidious films. From the opening title sequence your hair stands on end and your nerves are already on edge. What makes this all the more impressive is that these films accomplish so much and generates this potent of fear while only being PG-13. The first film was surprisingly eerie and skin crawling. The second film was even more frightening and correcting the failings from the first. Now we have the third chapter in what might be the next great horror series.

SPOILER ALERT
The first two films told the story of the Lambert Family Case. A medium named Elise Rainier comes to their aid and loses her life in the process, but she does not lose her soul. Even after death she helps them combat the evil spirits attacking them. Even after death she is helping others. This film goes back to tell us an earlier tale of Elise's before the Lamberts. We find her at her wits end, shell shocked with fright and refusing to practice her gift ever again. In her last attempt to spirit-walk she encountered a terrifying female spirit that threatened to kill her should she continue.

Quinn Brenner lost her mother to cancer a year and a half ago. Yet she can still feel her mother's presence with her. Sometimes she hears noises at night. She's found objects in unusual places. And sometimes she's even heard voices. From a friend of a friend of a friend she found Elise's address. One afternoon she knocks on Elise's door and asks her to try and contact her mother on the other side. Elise senses Quinn's genuine feelings of loss and need for closure. Elise, for the first time in a long time, attempts to spirit walk. A dark entity is waiting for her...

Quinn admits to having attempted to contact her mother by herself. Elise reveals to her that when you call out to the dead... all of them can hear you. Quinn leaves. She continues hearing strange noises in the night. One night while auditioning for an acting college she sees a figure in the shadows waving at her. Afterwards she leaves. While crossing the street at night she sees the same figure standing in the road waving at her. Suddenly a car strikes Quinn from behind. She has a near death experience where she sees horrible frightening people and dark places.

Her legs are shattered. She's wheelchair bound for the next couple months until her bones heal. She can't move on her own. For the remainder of her convalescence she is bound to her room. The noises grow worse. She begins seeing that strange figure in the shadows getting closer and closer. It terrorizes her. It attacks her. It tries to possess her. Only one person can save Quinn from a fate worse than death... a person with the gift of spirit walking.

The first two Insidious films scared the hell out of me! They were so effectively creepy and both had images that haunted me for the next night when I closed my eyes. Not many horror films can do that. Both of these films were very effective and both were directed by James Wan, director of the original SAW film and DEAD SILENCE. He is not the director of the third Insidious film however. First time director Leigh Whannell takes the helm from James Wan.

Leigh Whannell is no stranger to this type of entertainment nor James Wan's directing style. Whannell and Wan have collaborated many times in the past. Whannell was the writer of the original Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, and Insidious Chapter 2. He's also the writer of Insidious Chapter 3 as well as reprising his role as Specs from the first two films. Looking at these credentials one would think him the right man for the job, except for the first time director part.

Whannell delivers on yet another frightening chapter in the Insidious saga. Afterwards I still had images stuck in my head even after I went to sleep. The lead marauding spirit in this film is just as terrifying as the Bride in Black from the last film and equally as malevolent. One of the amazing aspects of Chapter 2 was how it tied in with the first film. This is very in line Whannell's Saw films as they all connected thoroughly. I'm pleased to say that this film too, in that same Saw tradition, ties in intricately to the other two films.

Lin Shaye returns as Elise and delivers yet another fantastic performance. Dermot Mulroney plays Quinn's father and he does a solid job as well. Some earlier scenes feel a bit forced and cliche but over all it only minutely detracts from the film. What matters are the scary parts and those are most certainly effective. Near the end there are few moments that lack the appropriate dread and seriousness of the subject matter but other than that I couldn't find a whole lot of complaints.

The music is once again by Joseph Bishara. It is an effective score and very evocative like the previous Insidious films, both to his credit. I have to point out the music in these films because it is as much an integral part as the sights and story. Part of the reason for these films being as effective as they are is due in large part to their terrifying scores. Not since the film RAVENOUS have I heard such an effective and powerful horror score as those supplied by Joseph Bishara.

If not for THE BABADOOK I'd have to say this is the scariest horror film of the year. And technically The Babadook was released last year, so... We've been in a dry spell for horror films for a while now. I haven't seen the new POLTERGEIST remake yet, but what I've heard hasn't been good. So if you're looking for a quality horror film look no further than Insidious Chapter 3... Look no further, but beware the Further.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

KAIJUOLOGY: MAGUMA

Subject: Maguma

Documentation: Gorath (1962)

History: In 1982 our world faced one of the gravest perils in history. A star hurtling through space was discovered by a brave team of astronauts. Through as yet unknown circumstances this star, code named: Gorath, was dislodged from whatever orbit it once held and now streaked through space on a collision course with Earth.

The world united to combat this threat. Many plans were enacted, one such plan was to move our planet out of its own orbit and thereby moving it out of Gorath's path. The plan commenced, construction of massive nuclear powered thrusters upon the earth's poles had begun. An equal number of thrusters were constructed on both poles, one set to move us out of range and the other to move us back into position once the threat of Gorath had passed.

An unforeseen problem occurred during a test of the south pole thrusters. The intense heat produced by the construction as well as the thrusters themselves resulted in massive ice melts, literally changing the face and terrain of Antarctica. Many prehistoric fossils  and unique land formations were discovered beneath the snow and ice.

Odobenus Rosmarus Magumadon, a.k.a. Maguma. A colossal prehistoric ancestor to the modern day walrus. The melting of the ice revealed a massive subterranean cavern in which the great beast emerged. The beast, sensing the severe climate changes to it's environment, acted to preserve its habitat and attacked the thrusters. Maguma succeeded in disabling several thrusters.

The great creature, although only acting on instinct to save its home, threatened the success of Earth's survival. An aircraft equip with high yield laser tools, used in constructing the thrusters in extreme temperatures, was used against Maguma. Initially Maguma survived the attack, having been buried under a mountain of rubble. The kaiju began climbing it's way out. It moved on the rockets once again. Nothing seemed to dissuade the beast from attacking. The men piloting the aircraft were forced to fire the laser until this rare, long thought extinct creature was killed.

Art by Yasushi Torisawa

Once the threat to Earth was over and Gorath had passed the Earth by, scientists returned to Antarctica to investigate more on this prehistoric animal. What they discovered was that the cavern from which Maguma emerged opened up into the sea at another end. They also discovered fossils of multiple Odobenus Rosmarus Magumadon and evidence suggesting more might yet exist... alive. These claims cannot be substantiated due to the collapse of the cavern before any evidence could be recovered.

Art by Yasushi Torisawa

Maguma, in addition to its enormous size, is different from its Walrus descendants. The animal is a far greater developed quadruped, possessing two far longer and stronger back legs and front legs, to allow for a greater movement and of course necessary to move such a large body. The gigantic tusks are believed to be the kaiju's primary weapons along with incredibly sharp claws on its front two feet. Since the encounter was so brief it is not known if Maguma possesses any other means of attack or special abilities. Should we encounter another of its kind greater care will be taken to study this unique kaiju.

Review: It's a walrus. But it's more than that too. It's a kaiju from the golden age of Tokusatsu (Japanese special effects genre), portrayed by the legendary suit actor himself, Haruo Nakajima (the man who played Godzilla and just about every kaiju from the original films). And Maguma is a kaiju from director Ishiro Honda (the Stan Lee of kaiju films). True, not every creation of Stan Lee's is a gem, but they're still deserving of note.

Maguma was the kaiju that almost wasn't. Ishiro Honda didn't intend to have a kaiju in the film GORATH, but producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (another of the men responsible for Godzilla and kaiju in general) insisted upon Maguma's inclusion. He's a rare kaiju and a very briefly seen kaiju. He falls into the category of kaiju designs that are in keeping with real life animals and prehistoric creatures. And his origins are very reminiscent of the Rhedosaurus from The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (a classic origin for sure).

There's not much to be said about this kaiju other than he's as big as Godzilla and probably has a ton of strength (like a real walrus) so a smackdown with him would be pretty tough. Although he's probably greatly susceptible to energy attacks. All in all it would be cool to see him return in a new movie and expanded upon. He was considered as another kaiju to be included in Destroy All Monsters but ultimately didn't make it into the film. So close...

Threat Level: 4 out of 10

Early draft art for Destroy All Monsters featuring Maguma, Ebirah, and Odako

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS ~ PART 19: GODZILLA VS MOTHRA

I have nothing against remakes. Hell that seems to be all Hollywood is doing nowadays, remakes or sequels. I enjoy both in fact. But I must admit to feeling a little disappointed when I get a remake versus a sequel. If I had to choose between the two I'd choose sequel 9 times out of 10. For one I'd rather see the story move forward instead of backwards. Thus my beef with GODZILLA VS MOTHRA, part 19.

It's virtually the exact same story as Mothra Vs Godzilla (1964) and the original Mothra (1961). Both are great movies, but they have never been my favorites. Both films represent two of the high points of the genre and are highly regarded amongst fans and critics alike. I guess Mothra just doesn't resonate with me like the other kaiju do. She's still a wonderful character and classic kaiju but not the one for me.

In case you've forgotten, the basic plot is the discovery of Infant Island. A small group of people travel to the island at the behest of a corporate giant with nefarious interests. What they find are some cave paintings depicting an ancient battle between two primeval gods, twin women the size of Barbie dolls calling themselves the Cosmos, and a giant egg. Both Cosmos and the egg are loaded up and transported across the ocean back to Japan.

Godzilla rises from the sea and attacks the egg. The egg hatches and a young Mothra still in larvae form emerges. During the attack Battra shows up too. All three monsters disappear and the ship escapes. The Cosmos are taken to said nefarious company and are held captive. Mothra crashes through the city to find them. Godzilla descends on the city in the final act and both Mothra and Battra are needed to stop him.

The aspect of this movie that I really enjoy is the new stuff it brings to the table, namely new kaiju BATTRA, the anti-Mothra. Godzilla's battle with Battra is clearly the highlight of this film and why I continue to watch it. The special effects are still good and the monster throwdowns are as epic as ever! Battra's design is like a Goth version of Mothra. More like a beetle than a moth, equip with an exoskeleton and longer insectoid legs. Curiously the larvae form of Battra seems bigger and more powerful than the adult. It's definitely one cool design and cool concept having an anti-Mothra. So sad Battra didn't see a return in the 90's Mothra trilogy.

Godzilla too gets a little revamp in his look. He looks a little bigger, a little less trim. And he looks angrier. The Heisei designs for Godzilla have always been my favorite and to me they feel like the definitive look for the king of the monsters. Another cool little part of the film is Godzilla and Battra's first fight. The battle rages along the bottom of the ocean. The two monsters fight their way into an active lava tube. Godzilla is swallowed up and disappears. When he reemerges later it is out of the mouth of a volcano. Godzilla swam his way from the ocean through a lava tube all the way to the mouth of the volcano. How wicked cool is that?!

The reason this film and the previous movie went back to familiar territory instead of forging ahead into the unknown was because the general audience wasn't as receptive to Godzilla VS Biollante as the studio had hoped. TOHO studios got cold feet and decided to play the following three films safely. And that's the reason why these three aren't among my top favorites in the franchise. Yet all three seem to garner high praise from fans and critics of the series. It's moments like these where I wonder if I'm the only one who knows what's really good and what's just so so. Then I wonder if maybe it's me and I simply have no taste. Odds are stronger I have little to no tast.

All in all there is a lot in this movie that's good. Godzilla is represented very well and Battra is a welcomed addition to the kaiju roster. The special effects are very good and the monster fights are well done. Like I said, most fans really like this movie. It is a worthy entry in the franchise, but it isn't one that I continually return to.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Category: Transcendence