Spy x Family Code: White

If you’ve paid attention to the anime scene in any capacity with the last few years, it’s likely you’ve heard of Tatsuya Endo’s Spy x Family, a highly successful manga and anime series about a spy who forms a false family for the sake of an important long-term mission without realizing that his adopted daughter is a telepath and that the woman he marries is an assassin. This success paved the way for not only a second season of the anime, but also a feature film, Code: White, which recently received a wide theatrical release in the US. As fans of Spy x Family, we leapt at the opportunity for more original content and saw a dubbed screening at the earliest opportunity. Needless to say, we had a blast, even with some small criticisms.

Stubs - American Fiction

American Fiction (2023) starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David. Directed by Cord Jefferson. Screenplay by Cord Jefferson. Based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Produced by Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson. Run time: 117 minutes. Color. USA. Comedy, Drama

When the Academy Awards nominations are announced, sometimes the movies being nominated are no longer in the theaters and if they come back, not always at convenient times or places. Such is my excuse for not having watched American Fiction before the Academy Awards. I tried to rectify this by watching the film, on my cell, during a recent flight to Texas. I enjoyed the film so much, that the next week, I watched it again at home so that my entire family could watch.

Migration (2023)

Following the original Despicable Me, Illumination has had a very spotty track record in terms of story quality, with incredible highs with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and varying lows with films like The Secret Life of Pets and Minions. What they have consistently improved on, however is their animation quality, to the point where I had some interest in viewing their latest film, Migration, for that sole reason, preferably without spending too much money in the endeavor. Fortunately, I got the chance to watch it as an offering of free in-flight (heh) entertainment, even if the airline made me watch it on my phone (RIP phone battery). Unfortunately, while Migration is a visual step up from Illumination's usual output, the story holds it back from really spreading its wings.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Following their collaboration with DreamWorks that ended with Flushed Away, Aardman began a new partnership with Sony that began with Arthur Christmas. Whereas their previous two films were done in CG, their next feature, and their final feature collab with an American studio, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (The Pirates!), would see them return to stop-motion in adapting the book of the same name by Gideon DeFoe, who also wrote the screenplay in a rare case of the author also writing the adaptation. Although I had seen an international cut of the movie before, I had at one point become curious about seeing the original British versions of some films that were edited for America, with The Pirates! being one of them, and so imported a UK Blu-ray of the film. While the movie as I saw it originally was already good, I can safely say that it’s even better seeing it as originally intended.

Stubs - Fast and Furious (1939)

Fast and Furious (1939) Starring Franchot Tone, Ann Sothern, Ruth Hussey. Directed by Busby Berkeley. Screenplay by Harry Kurnitz. Produced by Frederick Stephani. Run time: 73 minutes. Black and White. USA Comedy, Mystery

Long before the never-ending sequel machine franchise Fast & Furious (aka The Fast and the Furious) began appearing on the big screen in 2001, the title was used as part of a different franchise in 1939.

With exhibitors unhappy with the long intervals between pictures in The Thin Man series of films, MGM made Fast Company (1938) because its "light" detective theme featured main characters in the Nick and Nora Charles mode. Following Fast Company, which starred Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice, was Fast and Loose (1939) starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, and Fast and Furious (1939) starring Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern. The one thing all three films have in common is that all three were written by Harry Kurnitz. All three sets of stars played the same characters, Joel and Garda Sloane, a rare book seller and his wife who become amateur detectives.

This edition of the series was rather rushed to the theaters. Shot between August 4 and September 1, 1939, it was in the theaters on October 6, 1939.

Doug Huggem

Although the Duke Nukem franchise still maintains a healthy fanbase, it’s not without its fair share of controversy from those less familiar with the IP, namely with the argument of how certain aspects haven’t aged well. In light of this, around the release of Duke Nukem Forever in 2011, San Diego-based YouTube comedy troupe Mega64 released a sketch called “Doug Huggem”, in which the team of the People for the Enriched Tutor­age of Attitudes Particularly In Teens (PETAPIT) announced their own game called Doug Huggem, with the intention of spreading positivity and with a release date of March 2024. Like many, as the next 13 years went by, I started to wonder if the game would ever actually see the light of day, mainly due to Mega64’s talent of staying committed to a bit for extended periods of time. Though Mega64 did formally announce Doug Huggem last month, I was still skeptical of it actually coming out due to its announced March 31 release date, with a one-day delay to April 1, but then I was surprised to wake up this morning to see the game had actually come out, available for free on the Mega64 website and itch.io. After finally getting to experience the game in its full glory, I would say the wait was well worth it, and actually pretty decent for their first game.

Stubs - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) starring Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O'Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson. Directed by Gil Kenan. Screenplay by Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman. Based on based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters by Ivan Reitman, and on the 1984 film Ghostbusters written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Produced by Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Jason Blumenfeld. Run time: 115 minutes. Color. USA Supernatural, Comedy

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) was a re-awakening of a franchise which had been dormant for more than 30 years. (I am purposely not counting the 2016 gender-bending remake/reboot since that is not part of this continuity.) The ending of the 2021 film, and by that, I mean the after-credits scene, pointed to bringing the story back to New York, which is where the new film comes in.

God of War: Fallen God (Comic)

Following the previous God of War comic from Dark Horse, a second miniseries, subtitled Fallen God, was made with the same creative team as the first, which began publishing in 2021. This miniseries would be another prequel to the 2018 game, this time going further back to the Greek games, making it the first new material to explore this era of the series since 2013’s God of War: Ascension. Unlike the previous comic, however, the physical collection for this one proved far easier to come by, which I would read shortly after the first. Much like the 2018 comic, Fallen God feels like a solid extension of the God of War mythos, while also seeming to provide a tease of what’s yet to come.

God of War (Dark Horse Comic)

Around the launch of the 2018 God of War game, the franchise returned to the world of comics under Dark Horse, with a limited series of the same name set within the timeline of the Norse games. While the series ran for four issues, these were preceded by a digital-only #0, available through the PlayStation Store and included with copies of the game starting as low as the Deluxe Edition. While I did want to read the comic physically, and even waited for a trade before doing so, I never got around to obtaining it until I realized a trade was available for the second volume, subtitled Fallen God, but by then the trade for the first volume was becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to find. With some patience, however, I was finally able to acquire a physical trade, by intentionally getting a copy that had some minor wear on the covers to save money. Upon finally reading the trade, which even collects the #0 issue, I thought it was worth the effort, but would have felt differently if I caved to the more exorbitant asking prices.

Second Look - God of War: Ascension

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

In the time between God of War: Ghost of Sparta and the 2018 Norse entry, a new entry in the Greek series, God of War: Ascension, was released on PS3. This not only sought to fill in another gap in Kratos’ story, it was also the first, and so far only, game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode. While I did play it when it first came out, even getting the Collector’s Edition that came with a mini Kratos statue, I found it to be a largely underwhelming experience with stale gameplay that left me wanting something new. Revisiting this game again over a decade later did not really change my mind all that much, with technical hiccups and the fact that it was the final Greek game arguably making it worse.

Kung Fu Panda 4

While DreamWorks Animation hasn’t had a consistent track record of quality, I’ve always found an exception in the Kung Fu Panda films. The first film remains one of my favorites from the studio, as well as one of my favorite animated films in general, with an equally good second film and a solid third film that ends the Kung Fu Panda trilogy on a high note. Imagine my surprise, then, when the same studio responsible for recent boundary-pushing efforts in The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish announced a Kung Fu Panda 4, an admittedly unnecessary sequel that still had a wealth of potential for expanding its fascinating world and characters and bringing the series to new heights. Now imagine my disappointment in how the first new main entry in eight years not only failed in living up to the quality of the original trilogy, especially Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, but also didn’t understand what made the rest of the franchise so appealing and successful in the first place.

Second Look - God of War (WildStorm/DC Comic)

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War (WildStorm/DC), God of War (2005) and God of War II.

While 2010 would see the release of two God of War titles, including the much-anticipated God of War III and the prequel game Ghost of Sparta, this would not be the only God of War media released that year. Coinciding with the release of the former, a God of War comic book was published on a bi-monthly schedule and ran for six issues, filling in yet another unseen gap in Kratos’ life. Rather notably, while the comic was initially published by WildStorm, an imprint of DC Comics at the time, only five issues would be published before WildStorm was shut down, with the sixth issue and trade paperback collection being published by DC. While I would witness this happen in real time from buying the single issues as they came, including a copy of the first issue signed by writer Marv Wolfman and a less-documented variant cover of said issue, I was still dumb enough to also buy a copy of the trade when it came out, though it has made re-reads a lot easier. While revisiting the God of War series, I thought it fair to also take another look at this comic, not only due to its canon status, but also to hopefully make up for my more lackluster first review. Revisiting this comic again after so many years, I thought it still held up as both a good God of War comic and a decent book on its own merits, but it’s definitely not for people who aren’t already familiar with the games.

Second Look - God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

Following the release of God of War III, a second God of War game was released on the PSP, subtitled Ghost of Sparta, which sought to expand on the character of Deimos teased in the original game and tie up loose ends with Kratos’ character arc. Like its other PSP contemporary, Chains of Olympus, Ghost of Sparta was later ported to the PS3, along with its original pre-order content, as part of God of War: Origins Collection, allowing players to experience the games in full HD and with minor gameplay tweaks to better suit the new platform. Much like Chains of Olympus, I had previously experienced the game on both platforms and found myself preferring the latter for its presentation and gameplay experience, and so chose to experience the game that way when reevaluating it. While I did like the game when I played it before, I felt like I got more out of it on my most recent playthrough, appreciating it even more as an integral part of Kratos’ backstory and motivations.

Pompo the Cinephile

 

As is the nature of film, Hollywood studios occasionally release films about the process of making one. While many are entertaining, they typically depict the process as grueling and filled with inevitable backstabbing or, at the very least, major interpersonal issues. Back in 2021, the anime film Pompo the Cinephile, which partially adapts the pixiv Comic manga Pompo: The Cinéphile, challenged this popular depiction as the only valid one. In fact, it also successfully challenges the notion of overt interpersonal drama as the main source of conflict, as well as other ideas about the filmmaking process in general.

Second Look - God of War III Remastered

Note: This review contains spoilers for the God of War series.

Following the release of God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP in 2008 came the long-awaited God of War III in 2010, the first to be released on the PS3. This installment happens to be my personal favorite in the series and one I have a fond memory of playing, in part since I attended a midnight launch of the game in my senior year of high school and, due to the timing of its release, was able to play through the entirety of the game across two days since I was able to skip most of those two days (I was also admittedly a little obsessive of its development during the pre-release hype). While God of War III also got the remaster treatment like most of the other Greek games, in the form of God of War III Remastered, this is also notably the only one of those games to be released on PS4, likely as a way of hyping the then-upcoming 2018 game. Naturally, I also played the remaster when it came out, and found it only fitting to revisit this game through said remaster. While I liked the original version well enough as a teenager, I got a lot more out of the game’s story on this playthrough, allowing me to appreciate it even further.

Second Look - God of War: Chains of Olympus

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Between God of War II and III, two portable games were released to help fill in the gaps in both the release and the story. The second of these games was God of War: Chains of Olympus, released on the PSP and developed by Ready at Dawn, serving as a prequel to the original God of War. Following the release of God of War III, this game and the second PSP game, Ghost of Sparta, were later ported to PS3 as part of God of War: Origins Collection, featuring an HD presentation and gameplay tweaks to bring them more in line with their console brethren. Though I have had experience with the original PSP release and find it to be a good reason to own the handheld, I remembered having a much better time when it was ported to PS3, which was how I decided to re-experience the game while revisiting the original Greek series. Although the game is very definitely showing its age, especially by virtue of having been a handheld game first, I still found it worth playing as a proper installment in the franchise.

Stubs - The Last Command

The Last Command (1928) Starring Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell. Directed by Josef von Sternberg; Screenplay by John Goodrich. Presented by Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky. Black and White. USA Run time: 88 minutes. Silent, Melodrama.

Once considered by the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database to be extant, the rumors of its demise have been overly exaggerated. The Last Command is a noteworthy work mostly because of its prominence in Academy Awards history. The lead actor, Emil Jannings would be the first actor to win for his work. Back then, the award wasn’t for one film, but for a body of work for the year, so Jannings won for this film, as well as his performance in The Way of All Flesh.

Second Look - God of War: Betrayal

In the intervening period between God of War II and God of War III, two other games in the series were released that expanded further on the story, both developed for handheld devices. The first of these was God of War: Betrayal, the only one to be developed for mobile phones, taking place between the events of the first two games. I actually played this game quite a bit in high school, back when I had a compatible phone that could play it, though the game’s canonicity had been debated over the years and has since become unavailable to download legally. Once it was confirmed that the game was canon, via a tweet from Santa Monica Studio animation director Bruno Velasquez, I scrambled to dig out an old phone I held on to that still had the game on it, or else have to resort to emulation just to play an old mobile game. Miraculously, after having to buy a charger, I managed to uncover an old LG Rumor phone that still had the game on it, allowing me to finally play it once again in its original glory.

 

The tweet confirming its canon status.

While the game was certainly groundbreaking at the time for its ability to translate the series to the mobile space, to where it was considered one of the best mobile games to play in the era before smart phones, its quality is now more hotly contested as a result of its antiquity.

Second Look - God of War II

Following the release and success of the original God of War, Kratos’ story was allowed to continue in a sequel, aptly titled God of War II. Notably, although the PS3 was around the corner during its development, the game was developed exclusively for the PS2, due to the developers having a better understanding of the PS2’s architecture in addition to the system having the bigger player base at the time. This game and the original God of War would also be ported to the PS3 as part of God of War Legacy Collection, which was made to promote God of War III and ended up popularizing, if not pioneering, HD remasters of retro games. As with the first game, I decided to replay the second through this collection after having not played it for a little over 10 years, coming away with a much better understanding of its plot and themes than I did previously.

Second Look - God of War (2005)

 

Note: This review contains spoilers for God of War (2005).

While my opinions of the God of War series have been mostly positive, as time has passed, I have not been completely satisfied with my original reviews of the entries centered on Greek mythology, which were originally written around the release of God of War: Ascension. Around the release of God of War: Ragnarök, the idea of revisiting Kratos’ roots resurfaced, and I felt more motivated to do so upon finishing that game, starting with the original God of War from 2005. While the game was originally released on the PS2, and I have played it multiple times on that platform, I decided to replay it through the God of War HD Collection on PS3 due to the graphical improvements made for that port, and in the process realizing I had not touched the game in a little over a decade. After diving back into it following such a lengthy absence, while it hasn’t exactly aged well visually, it has aged very well from a storytelling perspective and remains one of the best examples of a Mature-rated game.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Note: This review contains spoilers for Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

While Dragon Ball remains a popular franchise, due in part to the franchise’s second wind in the wake of the success of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, the newer films had more of a focus on the characters Goku and Vegeta at the expense of just about everyone else. This would change with Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Super Hero), which released in 2022 to critical acclaim and became the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, as well as the first one independently distributed by Toei following the Disney/Fox merger. Apart from a switch to CG animation in place of traditional, the film would also focus on the relationship between Gohan and Piccolo and revisit the Red Ribbon Army as antagonists. Although we admittedly still haven’t seen the original Dragon Ball (DB), we still found ourselves enjoying the film and its welcome change in focus.

Stubs - Leap Year (1924)

Leap Year (1924) Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Mary Thurman, Lucien Littlefield, Harriet Hammond, Clarence Geldart. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle, James Cruze. Screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason, Walter Woods No Producer Credited. Run time: 56 minutes. Black and White. USA. Silent, Comedy

Though finished in 1921, Leap Year would not get released in the United States until 1981. This was due to the scandal that would strike star, Fatty Arbuckle, a few months after he completed this film in connection with the death of actress Virginia Rappe following a Labor Day party Arbuckle was hosting at the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco.

Charged with rape and manslaughter in connection with Rappe’s death from a ruptured bladder, Arbuckle had three trials in connection with the charges. The first two would end in mistrials, but the third would end on April 12, 1922 with a jury acquittal. In addition to the verdict, the jury released a statement, “Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done to him … there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime. He was manly throughout the case and told a straightforward story which we all believe. We wish him success and hope that the American people will take the judgment of fourteen men and women that Roscoe Arbuckle is entirely innocent and free from all blame.”

Despite the jury’s sentiments, by 1923, after most theaters refused to run his films due to the scandal, Paramount had shelved the film, as well as two other films he had already finished, The Life of the Party (1921) and Brewster's Millions (1921) in the US. But the studio did release Leap Year overseas, the first being Finland on April 27, 1924.

Should a Man Marry, the film’s original title, went before cameras on Catalina Island in late May, 1921 and had a four-week shoot. The title changed in August, 1921 to This Is So Sudden, and again in September to Skirt Shy. Leap Year  would be the name it would be released under in Europe.

Despite the title, Leap Year, has nothing to do with the additional day added to the Georgian calendar every quadrennial.

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

 

With the continuing success of Spin Master’s PAW Patrol multimedia franchise, the logical conclusion was the theatrically-released PAW Patrol: The Movie in 2021. This proved successful enough to warrant a sequel in 2023, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, which revisits the Mighty Pups subline of the series. Having seen the original PAW Patrol film on Paramount+ and actually enjoyed it, I became curious about The Mighty Movie with cautious optimism for a similar level of quality, but opted to wait for its Paramount+ release since I didn’t feel strongly enough about seeing it in the theater. Upon getting the chance to watch it, I still found myself enjoying it even as a non-fan.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Note: This review contains spoilers for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Whether or not you’re familiar with middle grade fiction, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, a novel series by Rick Riordan about a young demigod named Percy Jackson. The series proved popular enough that a film based on the first book, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (The Lightning Thief), was released in 2010. The film, directed by Chris Columbus, did well at the box office, but was criticized, even by the author, for the way it deviated from the source material. It was actually around when the film released that I first became aware of Percy Jackson, although I didn’t do anything with that knowledge at the time because both the Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events series had reached their end around that time and I thought I had outgrown middle grade fiction. As an adult, however, when I rediscovered the joy of reading middle grade fiction, I finally dipped my toe into Percy Jackson and read the first book in time for the Disney+ adaptation, which I enjoyed. Afterwards, I decided to try watching the film just to see how badly it had apparently handled the same material. By the end, I realized that my past self was right in not watching it.

Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition

As most Transformers fans are familiar with, the franchise goes through a refresh every three years in an effort to attract new fans. 2022 saw the launch of the most recent incarnation, Transformers: EarthSpark, on Paramount+, which follows the batch release format and completed its first Season last year, with a second on the way as of this writing. As someone who has been watching it in an effort to stay current with the TV side of the franchise as much as possible, I so far don’t find it to be on the same level as Prime or Animated in terms of story, but I think it has some great animation and interesting ideas, such as the concept of the Terrans and the Season 1 antagonist Mandroid, and I’m at least curious to see what the second season will bring (that said, the Season 1 ending was a little rough).

Last year, a video game based on the cartoon was also announced called Transformers: EarthSpark – Expedition (Expedition), which caught my interest due to being what seemed more like the sort of Transformers console gaming experience I been wanting since Fall of Cybertron, though I had already tempered my expectations due to it being a family-oriented game published by Outright Games. Said expectations were met just by glancing at gameplay on display at Comic-Con that year, but I still wanted to experience it myself, eventually getting it on sale for Black Friday after it came out later in the year. Despite a PS5 version having been announced, I could not find any evidence of its availability in the US, which led me to get the PS4 version with a free PS5 upgrade. While the game did meet my already tempered expectations, I feel like it could still have been better.

Review Hub - Silent Hill

Since the original Silent Hill game launched on the PlayStation in 1999, the Silent Hill series has capitalized on its unique brand of psychological horror, typically showcasing normal people struggling to move past their personal demons. The Team Silent era is usually held in the highest regard, but even the games developed afterwards display a clear passion for the series and a willingness to take it in bold, new directions. While the cancellation of Silent Hills certainly still stings, P.T. is still a continued source of inspiration for other horror developers. As Konami moves forward with its full revival of the brand, we'll continue hoping for the best from what's to come.

Below is a list of links to every Silent Hill review on this blog, separated by development era and medium and listed in release order.

Team Silent

 

  

Silent Hill (Game)

Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 3

Silent Hill HD Collection

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Post-Team Silent

  
  

Silent Hill: Origins

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Silent Hill: Downpour

Silent Hill Downpour: Anne's Story

P.T. (Second Look)

 

Revival

 

Silent Hill: The Short Message

Films

 

Silent Hill (Film)

Silent Hill: Revelation

Stubs - The Holdovers

The Holdovers (2023) starring Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa. Directed by Alexander Payne. Screenplay by David Hemingson Produced by Mark Johnson, Bill Block, David Hemingson. Run time: 133 minutes. Color. USA Comedy, Drama, Christmas

After six years between projects, Alexander Payne returns to the screen, and re-teamed with Sideways star, Paul Giamatti, with The Holdovers (2023), a comedy drama set at Christmas vacation in 1970 at a private boys school. The result has been nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), Best Original Screenplay (David Hemingson), and Best Film Editing (Kevin Tent).

Silent Hill: The Short Message

For nearly a decade, Silent Hill was considered a dead franchise following the cancellation of Silent Hills and subsequent delisting of P.T. While I was already upset with Konami’s actions after their treatment of Hideo Kojima (who would have directed Silent Hills with Guillermo del Toro) came to light, the idea that the series would remain dormant didn’t affect me as much until I actually played through every main game back-to-back, as well as multiple times each. In a very timely coincidence, however, Konami would announce a full-on series revival in late 2022, which would include a new movie as well as multiple new video game projects. The official start of this revival would start with Silent Hill: The Short Message (TSM), a short experimental concept game that received a surprise release after Sony’s State of Play on January 31, 2024, the 25th anniversary of the original Silent Hill’s release (according to Konami, at least). Naturally, as someone excited at the prospect of more Silent Hill content, I downloaded TSM the instant I learned of its surprise release and played through it shortly after. While it’s not a perfect experience, and not as good as some of the series’ highs, TSM still felt like a step in the right direction and gave me confidence about the future of the revival.

Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia

Gabrielle Vincent’s Ernest & Celestine books may be harder to come by now, but when I finally watched the 2012 animated adaptation, which got an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, years after it came out, I liked it enough to track down a former library copy of the first book due to a lack of modern availability. 10 years later, this film would receive a proper sequel, subtitled A Trip to Gibberitia, the idea of which had me excited. Although I had known about it for a while, I somehow missed its limited US theatrical run, but I would finally get to see it when GKIDS listed an English US Blu-ray release, and found to be just as enjoyable as the first film.

Stubs - Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color (aka G-1.0/C) (2024) Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Screenplay by Takashi Yamazaki Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, Keiichirō Moriya Run time: 125 minutes. Black and White. Japan. Epic, Kaiju, Monster.

Godzilla is one of the most shopworn monster characters, having appeared in 39 films in 70 years since its first appearance, Gojira (1954). Usually, the films are cheap numbers with similar plots with Godzilla, obviously a man in a suit. More often that not, Godzilla has had to share the bill with a litany of other monsters, Mothra, Hedora, Biolantte and/or King Kong. Godzilla has become big budget in recent years with Hollywood productions and once again teaming the dinosaur-like monster with the giant ape. The emphasis is almost always on the monsters and not the people it terrorizes.

That changed, and for the better, with the November 3, 2023 release in Japan of Takashi Yamazaki's Gojira Mainasu Wan. A film with a relatively low budget, $10-15 million, it would come to the US on December 1, 2023 and win rave reviews, becoming the first Godzilla film to be nominated for an Academy Award, for Best Visual Effects, also supervised by Yamazaki. Eventually, the film would cross $100 million in worldwide boxoffice.

A black-and-white version, Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, premiered in Japan on January 12, 2024, and was distributed in the United States by Toho International on January 26 and that is the film we're reviewing here. We regrettably missed out on seeing the original color version of the film. Both are Japanese with English subtitltes.

The Boy and the Heron

I don’t think I need to explain who Hayao Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli are. For decades, Miyazaki has built up a reputation as one of Japan’s greatest anime film directors, starting all the way back in 1979 with The Castle of Cagliostro and continuing through Studio Ghibli with such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away (also the highest-grossing Japanese film ever made until Mugen Train), to name a few. Following The Wind Rises in 2013, Miyazaki would announce his retirement from producing feature films due to his age, though this would be short-lived, as only three years later, after creating the short Boro the Caterpillar, he started work on his twelfth film, The Boy and the Heron (JP: Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, lit. How Do You Live?). Notably, the film took seven years to produce and didn’t have a robust marketing campaign ahead of its Japanese premiere, opting instead for a single poster image.

The poster in question.

While I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore Miyazaki fan, as I haven’t seen all of his films yet, I have seen enough that I understand his talent as a director and why his works are so beloved to this day. In fact, what grabbed our attention with seeing The Boy and the Heron while we could still catch it in a theater was that it received animation awards despite competing against the boundary-pushing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like The Boy and the Heron, considering the director’s track record, I found it lacking where it mattered most: the story.