May 2019 | Two Views Movies

Review: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Carson’s View)

May 30, 2019

Looking to see giant monsters destroy cities and fight one another? Then you should go get your tickets for Godzilla: King of the Monsters! Going for any other reason would be to completely overlook one simple fact… This is a Godzilla movie. King of the Monsters is the sequel to 2014’s reboot of Godzilla that also exists in the same cinematic universe as Kong: Skull Island. Neither are required viewing before sitting down for the newest installment because, again, this is a Godzilla movie.

The advantage King of the Monsters has over it’s predecessor is that the world now knows these monsters exist. We do not have to wait until the end of the movie to finally see Godzilla fight. We jump into this story where our human characters have already uncovered more “Titans” around the world. For a kid who grew up watching old Godzilla movies from the 50’s and 60’s, it was pretty awesome to see all those behemoths come to life. Typically in reboots, creative teams try to put their own spin on the design of a creature to make it look new and different, and more often than not the end result is a poor representation. With the exception of a (much needed) upgrade to Rodan, these monsters look, act, and fight like their original incarnations. And that made me happy.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters does a great job of world building in a short amount of time. It explains how and why these Titans exist quickly and easily so we can get back to why we were all there to begin with… the monster fighting. I very much enjoyed watching Godzilla put the smackdown on these other Titans, but I will say that in March of 2020 I will be on Team Kong!

Review: Brightburn (Garrett’s View)

May 29, 2019

Brightburn took a great concept and turned it into a run-of-the-mill horror film.

Review: Apollo 11 (Garrett’s View)

May 29, 2019

One giant leap for space documentaries.

Review: Brightburn (Carson’s View)

May 28, 2019

An R rated Evil Superman origin story?! What an amazing concept for a horror movie. That alone got me in the seat. Who is in it? I didn’t care. Who directed it? I didn’t care. Trailer? No need. Brightburn sold me at “Evil Superman”.

Everyone knows (should know) the Superman origin story. Alien baby sent to Earth. He crash-lands into a field in Kansas. He is found by two loving farmers who decided to raise him as their own. Johnathan and Martha Kent instill the values of “Truth, Justice and the American Way” into their young son. Eventually, he decides to use his powers to help those who cannot help themselves. He becomes the beacon of hope for the world.

Brightburn asks, “What if things went a little differently?” You now have a 12 year old boy with all the powers of Superman who is evil… for some reason. And that is where Brightburn lacks. The writers completely missed what made Superman good, and in turn, what could have made Brightburn evil. It had all the potential in the world to be truly epic, and they went the lazy, generic route instead. The world tends to let horror movies off the hook when it comes to motivations and good storytelling, but I hold anything that deals with Superman to a higher standard.

If you are looking to watch a horror movie solely for the “death scenes”, Brightburn may just be the movie for you. If you are looking for a good “what if?” type superhero movie that you can really sink your teeth into, this will leave you disappointed. So temper expectations, close off your brain, and enjoy the ride!

Episode 94: Brightburn

May 28, 2019 0:49:11

Garrett and Carson get super dark talking about Brightburn.

Review: Us (Carson’s View)

May 27, 2019

Us has all the right components to be an all-time great horror movie. Great concept, wonderful cast, superb directing, and an unforgettable score. Jordan Peele’s sophomore outing did almost everything right; except for the writing. Peele sacrificed his script and concept in an attempt to drive home his social message of class inequality.

Us gave us one of the most brilliant and terrifying trailers I have ever seen. Using a creepy version of “I Got 5 on It” in the trailer and in the movie itself was a stroke of genius. It set the stage to be the horror movie of a generation. Regrettably, the movie lost the horror vibe after the first 30 minutes. In what was done so seemingly effortlessly in Get Out, gave Peele major issues in Us. Us spent the remainder of the run-time seeking to force his message into the story which only creates questions and plot holes throughout.

I am excited for Jordan Peele’s next outing as he has proven he is a very capable director with many fresh new ideas. Unfortunately, until then we are left to wonder what Us could have been if he had just set out to make a great horror movie.

Episode 93: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

May 21, 2019 1:16:05

Garrett and Carson prepare for war to talk John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Garrett’s View)

May 19, 2019

The best of the Wick films, slightly edging out the original John Wick for top honors.

Episode 92: Cobra Kai Season 2

May 14, 2019 45:33

Garrett and Carson kick back and talk Cobra Kai season 2.

Review: Avengers: Endgame (Carson’s View)

May 11, 2019

If you are reading this review because you cannot decide if you should watch Avengers: Endgame or not, I can confidently say that you shouldn’t. Endgame is just that, the end of an era and the culmination of 11 years and 22 movies of Marvel’s grand experiment. A journey that started in 2008 with Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man has brought us to this thrilling conclusion staring over 30 A-list actors. There is only one way to truly appreciate the magnitude of Endgame and that comes with 48 hours of homework. If you have done your homework, then you were going to see this one no matter what. If you haven’t, you shouldn’t. Plain and simple.

I believe you could get away with watching Avengers: Infinity War without having seen any of the preceding movies. Sure, you might not grasp every joke or call back, but you could follow and enjoy the movie as a stand alone. That is not the case for Endgame. Endgame is best described as a tribute to everything we have seen over the past 11 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of the previous 21 movies are referenced in one way or another. Which may sound cheesy, but it is constructed in such a masterful way that it works on all levels.

Avengers: Endgame is a movie for the fans. Comic book and movie fans alike. It is jam packed full of Easter Eggs for the super fan, but also fully invests the casual movie fan. It is a movie for all ages that only gets better with multiple viewings. It should come at no one’s surprise that Endgame will be the highest grossing movie of all time. Deservingly so. It is an event unlike anything that has ever graced the big screen. It is a wonderful finale that everyone can enjoy… after they do their homework.

Month: May 2019