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Reviews
Ultraman (2004)
Enjoyable, a step above most Ultraman films
I had the pleasure of watching this film, and found myself entertained for a number of reasons.
1. It was a reboot of the Ultra series, accessible to newcomers, but not so much of a reboot that it would alienate longtime fans (like me).
2. The kaiju in the film was well written and thought out.
3. I liked the majority of the characters in the film, I also was pleasantly surprised that the lack of monster fighting teams (like the Science Patrol) made the film more interesting.
4. The action scaled up rather nicely, with the stakes being raised each battle.
The only downsides I feel are the lack of proper miniature destruction (many of the battle scenes were shot against a green screen with buildings composited in), and that overall, the production lacked value. There were times where it felt like more of a made for TV movie than an actual film.
But those are minor points, and I feel that most everybody would like the film.
Yonggary (1999)
Admirable, but very flawed effort.
SPOILERS:
As a kaiju fan, I remember being excited when they announced a remake of Yonggary: Monster from the Deep. And it was not going to be an American remake, but a Korean update of their own film. I figured that it would not go the same route at the 1998 Godzilla.
I was not totally wrong, but the film was severely lacking. The characters have little impact on the story, and most of them are unmemorable (save a few hammy performances). Yonggary has a good design, but the CGI is pretty bad for a production this expensive. I know that the VFX team had limited experience, but they were clearly hoping for it to compete with Godzilla 1998, which had state-of-the-art VFX at the time.
What this film does have over Godzilla 1998 is plenty of monster action and city destruction. Yonggary felt like a real force, which was one aspect I liked. The alien invasion plot was something that could have been developed much further, but alas was left lacking.
I feel that only hardcore kaiju fans would appreciate this. The casual viewer would probably despise the film.
Girara no gyakushû: Tôya-ko Samitto kikiippatsu (2008)
Hilarious off beat comedy
What can I say? I thought this film was funny! Some of the humor may get lost in translation, and kaiju fans looking for epic scenes of city destruction will be disappointed. The locations are limited and the scope is small. I do not mean these as criticisms, just facts.
The acting from the Western stars is decidedly awful, but endearing in a hilarious way. The various schemes the leaders devise are quite comical and struck a humorous cord. There is enough tributes and homages to daikaiju eiga for fans to appreciate.
Revenge of the Lost (2017)
Decent for what it is
Okay, going in you know it's going to be a low budget film with plenty of amateurish aspects to it. Still, I enjoyed myself with the action/creature scenes. They are not up to Hollywood quality, but far superior to anything The Asylum has put out.
The writing is a bit on the nose for certain plot points, and overall the acting/directing needed improvement, but I give Franklin-Husser credit for trying. According to the IMDb it's their first film, so I was willing to give them a break.