Godzilla is a series that while I am familiar with but. The first movie I ever saw from the king of monsters was the 1998 adaption staring Matthew Broadrick, aka “That’s a lot of fish”…….yes, that film. Not the best first impression and even the MonsterVerse movies didn’t help change my opinion either. This year however saw the release of Godzilla minus One. A bunch of my favorite reviewers were praising this film and it was showing at my local theater, so I decided to give it a watch. The film takes place during the end of World War II and focuses on pilot Kōichi Shikishima who is struggling with survivor’s guilt after failing his kamikaze mission during an attack from Godzilla. When he returns home, he meets and takes care of Noriko Ōishi and her orphaned baby.

Kōichi is a very sympathetic and well written protagonist. Anyone who’s suffered PTSD and/or survivor’s guilt will identify with him. I also really his minesweeper crew and each of them have likable and enjoyable personalities. Unlike most films where Godzilla was a metaphor for nuclear, here he is a metaphor for trauma which cleverly ties into Koichi’s arc throughout the film. Also, it’s kind of rare to see Godzilla actually being a kind of a dick instead of a usual misunderstood and tragic creature. I also thought the effects on him were very impressive and realistic. Something about the way he’s filmed or the way he moves gives him such an intimidating presence.

Naoki Sato’s score in this film is amazing. They play the signature theme but the way they use it is brilliant. The first time is plays its slower but every time it plays throughout the film it gets faster. Some of my favorite tracks are Devine, Honor, and Resolution (the violin bit in the beginning gives me chills). This film has probably my favorite climax of any film this year. Everything from the directing, editing, cinematography and of course the music gives this final battle such an epic scale. I’m also really glad that none of the major characters die in the end because they were very likable and even Koichi surviving wonderfully ties into his arc of overcoming trauma.

Seeing this film was actually a very new experience for my because not only was this the first proper Godzilla film I ever saw but it was also the very first subbed film I ever saw in theaters. Most foreign films like anime films I’ve seen dubbed so this was something new to me. I’m really glad movies from Japan such as this and The Boy and the Heron are doing very well here in America. If there was any film in the Godzilla series that would be a great introduction to this famous giant lizard, Godzilla minus One is honestly a great first choice.

Verdict:

+ Godzilla

+ Naoki’s score

+ The characters

+ The climax

Score: A

Over the years I have grown a huge respect for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. All his films have great animation, music, and of course mouthwatering food. Seriously how is there not a Studio Ghibli themed restaurant yet?! His most recent film The Boy and the Heron (How Do You Live?) was supposed to be Miyazaki’s last film before he retired “again” but he changed his mind and is starting on another film. The Boy and the Heron takes place near the end of World War 2 and focuses on a boy named Mahito Maki. After his mother dies, he moves in with her sister/new step mother. While there he comes across an abandoned tower which leads him into a fantasy world populated by birds. This film has a lot of the tropes Miyazaki likes to use such as a child protagonist, a fantasy world, war setting, and either a flying creature, flying scene, or even both.

Like most Ghibli films the voice talent here is impressive. Famous actors like Mark Hamill and William Dafoe all do a fantastic job. The biggest stand out of the entire cast to me has got to be Robert Patterson as the heron who you probably know as Cedric Diggory from the Harry Potter series, Batman from The Batman and especially Edward from the Twilight series. What’s so impressive about his performance is that while most actors use the same/similar voice for all their roles, Robert Patterson as the heron sounds nothing like his other roles. You can’t even tell it is Patterson. It’s really impressive when an actor is able to hide his voice so well.

The animation of course being a Ghibli film and also an anime film is incredible. The animation gives this fantasy world such an amazing and epic scale to it. One of my favorite little details in the movie is the wind animation. Something about the sound and the way things move in the wind, you really feel the wind as if you actually in the movie. The music again like all of Miyazaki’s films is fantastic. The composer Joe Hisaishi is to Hayao Miyazaki what John Williams is to Steven Spielberg. It’s hard to imagine a Miyazaki film without Hisaishi. His score gives the world so much whimsy and magic to it. My favorite bits of music in the film have to be the Warawara theme and the music when they fly away. Bascially any music involving these cute creatures are great.

Spoilers: If there was one problem, I had with this movie is that the whole blocks being stacked thing near the end isn’t really set up or explained very well. It’s not really a huge problem I just wish it was explained better. Even if this isn’t Miyazaki’s last film, I still think this would’ve been a great sendoff for this beloved director. The Boy and the Heron is one of Miyazaki’s finest films he’s directed. It’s got everything that makes a Ghibli film amazing.

Verdict:

+ Joe Hisaishi’s score

+ The animation

+ The voice acting

-The blocks plot device

Score: A

This year Disney released a short film called Once Upon a Studio which was suppose to release with Wish. Once Upon a Studio is about Mickey Mouse getting almost every Disney character from the studio (not counting Pixar) for a group photo to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Disney animation. Every character in this short is animated in their original art styles and. Every film in the canon gets representation and we see a lot of great interactions between these characters with a lot of the actors reprising their roles. The ending where everyone sings When You Wish upon a Star is very touching. Once Upon a Studio is the best thing Disney has made this year. It’s a funny, touching and of course wonderfully animated love letter to 100 years of animation.

Score: A+++++++

Wish takes place in the kingdom of Rosa where people come here to make a wish and once every year the ruler of Rosa King Magnifico grants one. The protagonist Asha wants him to grant her grandfather’s wish but is denied. That night she makes a wish which takes the form of a little star. King Magnifico gets word of this and decides to take him at all cost. Asha is a very standard Disney protagonist. She’s performed well by but she just doesn’t stand out compared to other Disney protagonists. The biggest highlight of the film is the villain King Magnifico played by Chris Pine. While he isn’t the strongest Disney villain it was refreshing to see a villain from Disney that wasn’t either a twist villain, a force of nature villain, or even a redeemed villain. Chris Pine really sounds like he’s having a blast being over the top evil and hammy.

Unlike previous Disney movies which kind of looked the same, Wish tried to do something unique with its animation. The backgrounds look like illustrations from a storybook and they look really neat. I do think it would’ve been cool if it was in 2D but that’s just me. The songs are kind of a hit or miss for me, there not particularly awful there just not really that memorable. Some songs I liked were “At All Costs” and “This Wish” because they felt quieter and epic. The other songs however feel too upbeat. This film has a bunch of Disney references for example in the end Star gives Asha a robe and wand that’s very similar to the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella and her friends are expies of the seven dwarfs. Unlike OUAS a lot of the references felt very forced especially near the end. There were a few touches I actually liked. One is in the opening which uses “a WALT DISNEY Feature Presentation” in the exact same font as from Snow White’s. Also, it’s kind of nice seeing Walt in. The other is the end credits which shows star shaped forms of characters from almost every Disney movie. They literally showed Aladar from Dinosaur and Chicken Little! It’s a really cute way to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Disney animation.

I kind honestly see why Disney decided to show Once Upon a Studio a month earlier so it wouldn’t upstage this movie since that short felt more like a better love letter. Disney’s Wish is as ok a run of the mill Disney animated movie can be. It’s a fine tribute to 100 years of Disney animation but I still wish (pun intended) it showed more of it’s potential.

Verdict:

+ King Magnifico

+ The Animation

+/- Songs

-Asha

-Forced references

Score: B