What the heck - it's Saturday, I don't have other plans, so how about one more?

I found this one to be better-balanced than the 2014 film - it's still a disaster movie, through and through, but it seems to be a little lighter and self-aware than the first one (though not nearly as much as Skull Island).

I admire their restraint in minimizing the amount of "destruction porn" throughout - even as the world was devastated by monsters, you didn't really get to see much of it aside from a few establishing shots of DC. Sadly, a lot of it was set at night or in the dark once again.

I know the laws of screenwriting say Emma has to pay for her crimes, but I wish they'd kept her around rather than have her sacrifice herself. A reformed villain can be a fun toy to keep on the shelf.

The eco-terrorism angle is interesting - it actually reminds me a lot of what the later "Jurassic World" films were attempting to do.

Unfortunately, Alan Jonah didn't really register for me at all as a character. The post-credits scene suggests he'll be a going concern, which...sure, okay.

All in all, a fun watch. It's always good to see Kyle Chandler in things. And the mass destruction seen in the film makes for interesting table-setting for future instalments.

But I think I'm monstered out for one day - I'll continue my journey in the near future.

Godzilla

Okay, I watched this several days ago, and honestly didn't have much to say about it. I enjoyed it, but I found it pretty perfunctory. The most interesting aspect to me was the backstory of the 1950s nuclear tests secretly being attempts to kill Godzilla - fun worldbuilding!

The characters are pretty generic, buoyed by good performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston, in particular. Ken Watanabe gets the instant classic "let them fight." Unfortunately, I didn't care much for Ford, or Aaron Taylor-Johnson's portrayal of him.

It was fine! I enjoyed it! But not a lot to chew on long-term.

Kong: Skull Island

This one, on the other hand, was a hoot. The movie has personality to spare, taking full advantage of its Vietnam-era setting, from the character archetypes in play to the musical choices. That setting also gives it a little more thematic weight, as the Americans showing up and bombing the crap out of Skull Island sets the film's events into motion.

Kudos to the filmmakers for daring to set a number of the action pieces in daylight - a confident move.

Both movies have a good thoroughline of the MUTOs being fairly amoral, not necessarily "good" or "evil." Between the two Hero Monsters, Kong comes off as smarter and more empathetic, while Godzilla is more of a force of nature.

My biggest complaint? It took me about 20 minutes to figure out why the movie looked so weird before I concluded that it must have been filmed with 3D in mind. I really hate that.

A visiting instructor arrives at the Academy and uses an unorthodox method to help our cadets process the emotions of recent trauma. At the same time, a cadet faces an unexpected challenge that will alter the trajectory of her life forever.

Written by: Gaia Violo & Jane Maggs

Directed by: Andi Armaganian

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