GODZILLA (2014) – My rating: 7.5/10

For some reason, Japan and the US has had a long term affair with Godzilla or the idea of a Godzilla.  There have been several movies dedicated to Godzilla, each holding it’s own merits.  This Godzilla has the best special effects I’ve seen since Avatar.  Since this is a fantasy, the plot can be as outrageous as Hollywood can make it.  If I were naming this movie, it would be called Godzilla vs Alien Praying Mantis.  Unexpectedly, Godzilla turned out to be the hero and the bad guy.  A lovely family consisting of a husband, wife and son become casualties of a cataclysmic phenomenon.  Actually the son and father survive.  The movie picks up 15 years later when the son, Ford Brody, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson is grown and dad Joe Brody played by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad’s Walter White) is presumed crazy.    Once we really get into this story, it’s all over the place.  Since there are quite a few creatures, we are taken to many different locations that are being attacked.  Ford has a wife and son who he is trying to get back to with the hopes of keeping them safe.  Interestingly, the Japanese doctor played by Ken Watanabe, had the same look on his face throughout the entire movie.  He looked shock and disturbed at all times.  I think he was always in think mode and that was how he expressed that emotion.  Just when you think the movie is over, we get a surprise twist.  Godzilla didn’t quite come together the way I wanted it to but it held it’s own.  I was entertained and as I said the special effects were awesome.  If you’re going to see Godzilla, see it on the big screen.  Godzilla 2014 is definitely better than Godzilla 1998 which was a disaster of a film starring Matthew Broderick.

HOMEFRONT (2013) – My rating: 7/10

This was a quick Hollywood, holiday season throw-in.  Decent plot but nothing to get excited about.  A single dad and former, top DEA agent, played by Jason Statham, ends up having to clean up his new town by annihilating a current meth lab and teaching the locals a lesson or two.  There is lots of violence and action.  No surprise there — Jason is known for his fighting antics and no nonsense execution of lethal blows.  The big surprise for me was James Franco who played a drug warlord.  I’m not use to seeing James in this type of role.  He did a pretty good job for a guy who kind of zoned out on the academy awards presentation he was hosting.  Another surprise for me was that Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay.

If you’re looking for a nice family movie to take the kids, this is not the one.  Lots of profanity as well as the violence.  I wasn’t sorry I saw Homefront but it didn’t make me go WOW!