GODZILLA Returns on 4K Ultra HD and Steelbook

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Steelbook from writer/director Roland Emmerich and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is GODZILLA.

On an island in Polynesia, a military test has caused an iguana nest to be disturbed and, in the ocean, a Japanese vessel is attacked by something never seen before. Scientist Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick) who studies wildlife and radiation has an unexpected visitor and goes to other countries to see for himself what this “Gojira” has done. Discovering a species never before been encountered, Nick thinks it’s just a new species.

But Gojira has other plans making its way to New York leaving destruction in every direction. Nick tries to help the military capture whatever it is that causing all the problems. Also trying to discover what is happening is Nick’s girlfriend Audrey Timmonds (Maria Pitillo), a reporter who uncovers secrets the military has been hiding along with cameraman Victor (Hank Azaria). Preparing to put the information of air, boss Charles Caiman (Harry Shearer) steals the story and renames Gojira, Godzilla.

If things couldn’t get worse, Nick is taken by Philippe Roache (Jean Reno) who know what’s been happening but is trying to hide the French connection. Believing there was a nest somewhere in New York, Roache and Nick try to find it but a collision with a submarine sinks Godzilla but there is still the nest, oh yes, the nest.

In Madison Square Garden, the nursery becomes a shooting gallery for the military and Godzilla is not about to let that go without trying to settle the score. Man versus beast and someone has to win.

Broderick as Tatopoulos was happy studying worms until he finds himself standing in a footprint. The more he sees the more he realizes that the new species that is carving out a path of destruction is more important than the worms in Russia. Broderick gives his character a brain but also adds a bit of hero element in trying to stop Gojira from doing what he is doing.

Pitillo as Audrey is a young woman trying to start a reporting carrier in New York but finds herself a researcher to a douchebag. Doing what she needs to do, Gojira offers her the opportunity to get in the action, literally, walking into a nest! Azaria as Victor is a bit of comic relief who realizes what they are doing and doesn’t seem to mind jumping in to the fray as long as his camera is capturing it all.

Reno as Roache has a reason to be worried about what Gojira is doing because of how he was created. Now, to keep his country safe from blame, he jumps in along with Tatopoulos to not only find what Gojira is hiding but make it all stop. Reno is always a stern looking serious character and, in this film, he has a chance to smirk from time to time and crack a joke (which are actually funny).

Other cast include Kevin Dunn as Colonel Hicks, Michael Lerner as Mayor Ebert, Arabella Field as Lucy Palotti, Malcolm Danare as Dr. Mendel Craven, Glenn Morshower as Kyle Terrington, Chris Ellis as Gen. Hunter Anderson, Richard Gant as Admiral Phelps and Kurt Carley as Godzilla.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Special features 4K ULTRA HD DISC Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos + 5.1 audio, Theatrical Trailers. Also, on Bluray Disc, Feature presented in High Definition, 5.1 audio, Visual Effects Commentary, Behind the Scenes of Godzilla® with Charles Caiman, All Time Best of Godzilla® Fight Scenes and “Heroes” Music Video by The Wallflowers.

GODZILLA is a fun action film with the worlds most iconic monster. Coming to life in 1954 from director and writer Ishiro Honda. From then on, the world has been fascinated with this character to the tune of 33 film, video games, comic books and even television. He is literally the king of the monsters.

Of course, being a king, he has arch-nemises’ of his very own including Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus. Remembering my brother and I up on Saturday mid-morning waiting to watch the black and white films and cheering on Godzilla (or Mothra sometimes). Then, for a few years, Godzilla faded a bit into the background of film only to be revived again bringing his atomic breath with him and angry roar.

Director Emmerich takes the story of Gojira/Godzilla and attempts to modernize it. From the cause of the monster’s birth to making his way to New York, Godzilla is once again back on the big screen wreaking havoc that fans all love. That means the family gets to gather up, shut off the lights and turn on the sound bar for an epic time with the king of the monsters!

In the end – he is taking over!

The Ultimate Disaster of 2012

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Roland Emmerich and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the disaster of 2012.

Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a frustrated writer who has found himself now a chauffer driver of rich Russian Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric). Spending the weekend with kids Noah (Liam James) and Lilly (Morgan Lily), ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet) is not surprised that he is late picking them up.

That is not the biggest worry in the world, that would come from Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who has been given bad news about the planet. Getting that bad news to Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) at the White House means telling the President Wilson (Danny Glover) as well.

Jackson takes the kids camping and meets Charlie (Woody Harrelson) who tries to explain that the world is about to experience its end. Believing that Charlie is a one card short of a full deck, Jackson takes it in stride. That is until a phone call from Kate after a hard earthquake brings them all home. While taking Yuri’s kids to the airport, Jackson feels the ground shake under his feet – now he is a believer.

Grabbing Kate, the kids and her husband Gordon (Tom McCarthy) – they all hit the road just as everything around them is literally coming down. The one thing Jackson knows now is that getting back to Charlie to get more information is essential. Helmsely must break the news that everything he predicted is now speeding up rapidly and their plan for survival must start now.

Meeting up with Yuri in Las Vegas, Jackson and his crew and the Russian and his family jump on the plane to find the arks Charlie spoke of. What they never expected was what they will find and how much harder their journey will be to survive the destruction of their world.

Cusak as Curtis is trying to recover from writing a book that did not do so well and a family that has moved on without him. Once the planet become erratic, the character of Curtis goes into hyper-survival mode and Cusak does what he does best – gives us a character that you can believe even with all his flaws. Peet as Kate still cares about Curtis even though he makes her nuts. Convinced that Curtis is their only hope, she stands by him and protects her children.

Ejiofor as Helmsley is a man who must bring the news to the President. Then a plan is put in place but even as that is happening, Helmsley knows that something is not quite right with how it is playing out. When it becomes clear, Helmsley fights for saving as man human beings as they can – no matter who they are. Platt as Anhauser is just how everyone sees a politician – a little crooked and a lot concerned for himself more than anyone else.

Buric as Yuri is a rich Russian who get the tickets for his family the usual way – lots of money paid. The strange thing is I find Yuri an amusing character. McCarthy as Gordon isn’t happy with having to be saved by his wife’s ex-husband but he does his part to get the family away from danger.

Harrelson as Charlie is terrific, trippy, funny, a little left of center and I absolutely loved his time on the screen.

Other cast include Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson, Beatrice Rosen as Tamara, Alexandre Haussmann as Alec, Philippe Haussmann as Oleg, and Johann Urb as Sasha.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The Special Features include Discovery Channel’s 2012 Apocalypse, Theatrical Trailers, Picture-in-Picture Roland’s Vision, Commentary with Writer/director Roland Emmerich and Co-writer Harald Kloser, Alternate Ending, Interactive Mayan Calendar, Designing the End of the World, Roland Emmerich: The Master of the Modern Epic, Science Behind the Destruction, The End of the World: The Actor’s Perspective, Countdown to the Future, Deleted Scenes, “Time for Miracles” Music Video by Adam Lambert.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me or knows my film habits that I love a disaster film. I mean I LOVE watching things fall apart around the human race because it also shows the best in people. Of course, you will have a few characters that you want to throw in the nearest hole in the earth but, in general, its about survival and helping those around them to survive.

There is also this amazing creativity in that survival by the characters in these films and Roland Emmerich knows how to get that into all his films. Let’s face it, he has shown us some serious disasters with the films INDEPENDENCE DAY and DAY AFTER TOMORROW. The film 2012 takes that even further because there is not a moment to take a breath but instead feeling part of the group trying to survive.

That is what makes these films so great and 2012 is stunning in scope, special effects (that you forget are special effects) and the fight for humanity against mother nature.

In the end – the end is just the beginning!

 

MIDWAY Launches Again on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray, DVD and Digital from director Roland Emmerich and Lionsgate Home Entertainment comes the story of one of the biggest battles against Japan on MIDWAY.

On December 7, 1942, Japan surprise attacked Pearl Harbor and the one person not surprised is Lt. Commander Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) who had been trying to tell anyone who would listen of an impending attack. Lt. Dick Best (Ed Skrein) returns home to learn of the death of his friends with wife Anne (Mandy Moore) helping him to grieve.

On ship is Vice Admiral Bull Halsey (Dennis Quaid) waiting for orders to stop the Japanese. His aviation crew include Lt. Commander Wade McClusky (Luke Evans). Put in charge of a plan along with Lt. Cmdr. Layton is Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) who looks to a group of code breakers led by Commander Rochefort (Brennan Brown).

The first strike is for Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (Aaron Eckhart) and his men to fly to Tokyo and carpet bomb the city. The Japanese are caught by surprise not ever believing it was possible for the United States military to strike back so quickly.

Leading the Japanese fleet is Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi (Tadanobu Asano), Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo (Jun Kunimura) and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Etsushi Toyokawa). Pearl Harbor isn’t their only target as the plan now includes Midway. Gathering all their forces, they are confident that no one sees them coming and victory is sure.

With so much ship loss at Pearl Harbor, the ships that are left have to come together as well as planes and pilots to make the plan work. Lt. Best and Lt. Cmdr. McClusky go to their men with confidence to let them know that they must give it their all and remember their fallen friends. As the battle for Midway approaches, Nimitz and Layton trust the information given to them by the code breakers to stay ahead of the plan, Best and McClusky fly for their lives as everyone does their part.

It is the history of taking one step at a time to win.

Skrein as Best is a man who is a little dangerous in the sky, but he wants to be prepared for any eventuality. With each battle, he only wants to go home to his wife and daughter. Using every bit of his flying experience and a little bit of his grit, Skrein gives his character bravery and the will to fight. Moore as wife Anne is a lady, I’d call a spitfire. She knows that what her husband does is dangerous and holds her breath with each bit of news that all the wives can know.

Harrelson as Nimitz is brought into the fight at the time of Pearl Harbor. He has to trust those around him for the information knowing that more American soldiers will die and that’s a hard job to have. Wilson as Layton tried to warn his superiors about what Japan was capable of and they didn’t listen. When given the opportunity to show what he knows and how he knows it, Wilson gives his character strength and determination to stand by Rochefort.

Quaid as Halsey shows his character as a gritty leader who, like everyone else, wants to stop the Japanese fleet from destroying anything else or getting to the west coast of the United States. He may be gruff, but he knows what is necessary to win. Evans as McClusky thinks Best is a reckless pilot but since Pearl Harbor realizes that perhaps reckless, in this case, is a brave thing that is needed in the fight.

Kunimura, Toyokawa and Asano have the difficult roles of the Admirals (Rear and Vice) who feel strong that they can win. Pearl Harbor gives these characters a feeling of invincibility and feel Midway is the next reasonable step in their plan. What they do not expect is that the United States military forces have banned together with a plan of their own and they will stop at nothing to punish the Japanese fleet.

Other cast include Alexander Ludwig as Lt. Roy Pearce, Keean Johnson as Chief Aviation Radioman James Murray, Luke Kleintank as Lt. Clarence Earle Dickinson, Brandon Sklenar as Ensign George Gay, Jake Manley as Ensign Willie West, Darren Criss as Lt. Commander Eugene Lindsey, Jake Weber as Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance, James Carpinello as Captain Brockman, Geoffrey Blake as John Ford, Greg Hovanessian as Lieutenant Arizona, David Hewlett as Admiral Kimmel, Mark Rolston as Admiral King and Nick Jonas as Aviation Machinist Mate Bruno Gaido.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

The Bonus Materials of MIDWAY are Audio Commentary by Roland Emmerich, “Getting It Right: The Making of Midway, The Men of Midway, Roland Emmerich: Man on a Mission, Turning Point: The Legacy of Midway, Joe Rochefort: Breaking the Japanese Code, We Met at Midway: Two Survivors Remember, Optional English SDH and Spanish Subtitles for the Main Feature and Theatrical Trailer.

MIDWAY is exactly, first, what you’d expect from director Roland Emmerich coming in at 127 minutes long.  A Master of Special Effect and the big bangs, the battle scenes on the screen are epic (as I suspect they were in real life). Beginning with the Pearl Harbor attack until the final battle for Midway, the film gives the feeling of all the films Hollywood put out in the 50’s and 60’s that I watched growing up. My father was a Gunner’s Mate on many of Navy ships from aircraft carriers to destroyers like the Hornet, Boxer, Constellation and Kitty Hawk.

So, I watched many, many films IN HARMS WAY (1965), THE LONGEST DAY (1962), SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949), FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953), TORA! TORA! TORA! (1973) and the list is endless. I am well versed in war films, so I expect a lot. Emmerich spends very little time depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor because it has been done so many times before. He gets in, makes it clear and moves on because the goal in the storytelling is what happened next and next and next.

The actors themselves did well with what they were given. There were a few moments where I felt nostalgic with lines being delivered in such a way that I felt I was watching a 50’s/60’s war film instead of 2019. The characters were righteously angry because, let’s face it, no one who saw, was part of and survived Pearl Harbor could ever be the same again.

Skrein, Evans and the rest of the actors portraying the pilots were amazing to my way of thinking. The pilots job back then was to focus on a target and get the job done, that’s how Skrein and Evans made it look and feel which is totally successful in my eyes. Harrelson and Wilson together made a dynamic duo doing something totally different than their predecessors in the job. Harrelson gave his Nimitz portrayal an opportunity to trust when there was really nothing else left and Wilson’s portrayal of Layton jumps in as if to say, ‘we can’t do it the old ways anymore’.

What the film lacks in dialogue it makes up for in Emmerich battles and constant action. He proves over and over again with such films as INDEPENDENCE DAY, STARGATE (both personal favorites of mine), THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and INDEPENDENCE DAY: Resurgence, and the best disaster film that is a guilty pleasure with the film 2012. He knows what is epic and MIDWAY falls into that category with ease.

Prepare to revisit MIDWAY!

In the end – they awoke a sleeping giant!

MIDWAY Launches for Veterans Day

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Roland Emmerich and Lionsgate comes the story of one of the biggest battles against Japan on MIDWAY.

On December 7, 1942, Japan surprise attacked Pearl Harbor and the one person not surprised is Lt. Commander Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) who had been trying to tell anyone who would listen of an impending attack. Lt. Dick Best (Ed Skrein) returns home to learn of the death of his friends with wife Anne (Mandy Moore) helping him to grieve.

On ship is Vice Admiral Bull Halsey (Dennis Quaid) waiting for orders to stop the Japanese. His aviation crew include Lt. Commander Wade McClusky (Luke Evans). Put in charge of a plan along with Lt. Cmdr. Layton is Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) who looks to a group of code breakers led by Commander Rochefort (Brennan Brown).

The first strike is for Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (Aaron Eckhart) and his men to fly to Tokyo and carpet bomb the city. The Japanese are caught by surprise not ever believing it was possible for the United States military to strike back so quickly.

Leading the Japanese fleet is Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi (Tadanobu Asano), Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo (Jun Kunimura) and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (Etsushi Toyokawa). Pearl Harbor isn't their only target as the plan now includes Midway. Gathering all their forces, they are confident that no one sees them coming and victory is sure.

With so much ship loss at Pearl Harbor, the ships that are left have to come together as well as planes and pilots to make the plan work. Lt. Best and Lt. Cmdr. McClusky go to their men with confidence to let them know that they must give it their all and remember their fallen friends. As the battle for Midway approaches, Nimitz and Layton trust the information given to them by the code breakers to stay ahead of the plan, Best and McClusky fly for their lives as everyone does their part.

It is the history of taking one step at a time to win.

Skrein as Best is a man who is a little dangerous in the sky but he wants to be prepared for any eventuality. With each battle, he only wants to go home to his wife and daughter. Using every bit of his flying experience and a little bit of his grit, Skrein gives his character bravery and the will to fight. Moore as wife Anne is a lady I'd call a spit-fire. She knows that what her husband does is dangerous and holds her breath with each bit of news that all the wives are allowed to know.

Harrelson as Nimitz is brought into the fight at the time of Pearl Harbor. He has to trust those around him for the information knowing that more American soldiers will die and that's a hard job to have. Wilson as Layton tried to warn his superiors about what Japan was capable of and they didn't listen. When given the opportunity to show what he knows and how he knows it, Wilson gives his character strength and determination to stand by Rochefort.

Quaid as Halsey shows his character as a gritty leader who, like everyone else, wants to stop the Japanese fleet from destroying anything else or getting to the west coast of the United States. He may be gruff but he knows what is necessary to win. Evans as McClusky thinks Best is a reckless pilot but since Pearl Harbor realizes that perhaps reckless, in this case, is a brave thing that is needed in the fight.

Kunimura, Toyokawa and Asano have the difficult roles of the Admirals (Rear and Vice) who feel strong that they can win. Pearl Harbor gives these characters a feeling of invincibility and feel Midway is the next reasonable step in their plan. What they do not expect is that the United States military forces have banned together with a plan of their own and they will stop at nothing to punish the Japanese fleet. 

Other cast include Alexander Ludwig as Lt. Roy Pearce, Keean Johnson as Chief Aviation Radioman James Murray, Luke Kleintank as Lt. Clarence Earle Dickinson, Brandon Sklenar as Ensign George Gay, Jake Manley as Ensign Willie West, Darren Criss as Lt. Commander Eugene Lindsey, Jake Weber as Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance, James Carpinello as Captain Brockman, Geoffrey Blake as John Ford, Greg Hovanessian as Lieutenant Arizona, David Hewlett as Admiral Kimmel, Mark Rolston as Admiral King and Nick Jonas as Aviation Machinist Mate Bruno Gaido.

MIDWAY is exactly, first of all, what you'd expect from director Roland Emmerich coming in at 127 minutes long.  A master of special effect and the big bangs, the battle scenes on the screen are epic (as I suspect they were in real life). Beginning with the Pearl Harbor attack until the final battle for Midway, the film gives the feeling of all the films Hollywood put out in the 50's and 60's that I watched growing up. My father was a Gunner's Mate on many of Navy ships from aircraft carriers to destroyers like the Hornet, Boxer, Constellation and Kitty Hawk.

So I watched many, many films IN HARMS WAY (1965), THE LONGEST DAY (1962), SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949), FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953), TORA! TORA! TORA! (1973) and the list is endless. I am well versed in war films so I expect a lot. Emmerich spends very little time depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor because it has been done so many times before. He gets in, makes it clear and moves on because the goal in the storytelling is what happened next and next and next.

A few problems that I have are such things as the story about Lt. Col. Doolittle and his men. It seemed one minute they were there and the next gone. Things like this happened a few times in the film which if you are attempting to keep me in the story - then keep me there, don't take me on little side ventures.

Here's a touchy problem - writer Wes Tooke sort of muddled the lines between Japan and the United States. It seemed as if there was an attempt to make us feel sorry for the Admirals of the Japanese fleet and that's a little difficult when they were the aggressors. I kept thinking, 'pick a side and tell that story' but then again that's been done as well.

The actors themselves did well with what they were given. There were a few moments where I felt nostalgic with lines being delivered in such a way that I felt I was watching a 50's/60's war film instead of 2019. The characters were righteously angry because, let's face it, no one who saw, was part of and survived Pearl Harbor could ever be the same again.

Skrein, Evans and the rest of the actors portraying the pilots were amazing to my way of thinking. The pilots job back then was to focus on a target and get the job done, that's how Skrein and Evans made it look and feel which is totally successful in my eyes. Harrelson and Wilson together made a dynamic duo doing something totally different than their predecessors in the job. Harrelson gave his Nimitz portrayal an opportunity to trust when there was really nothing else left and Wilson's portrayal of Layton jumps in as if to say 'we can't do it the old ways anymore'.

Is there anything here that says epic? Not really and that's a shame. Personally I would have loved to see this film in black and white. What the film lacks in dialogue it makes up for in Emmerich battles but just barely. I have a feeling that MIDWAY is going to have a love-hate relationship with viewers. This is a target movies for an audience that wants to see a war film but going up against an old hotel, a romantic comedy and an Irish tale, MIDWAY might not be able to hold its own.

In the end - they awoke a sleeping giant!