“Godzilla 2000″ Starring Takehiro Murata,
Hiroshi Abe and Naomi Nishida Directed By Takao
Okawara
Once upon a time, long before the birth of Pokémon, a
different breed of superhero monster stole the hearts of almost 100
million viewers in Japan alone. Nearly 46 years since the creation
of the Godzilla series, director Takao Okawara and “Godzilla
2000″ bring the towering, 170-foot beast to theaters to wreak
havoc once again in the frazzled streets of Tokyo. Like its 22
preceding episodes, “Godzilla 2000″ can be summarized
by its terrifying concept: A big fire-breathing, razor-backed beast
stomps through the city and people begin running through the
streets like ants. He’s the star of the show until new
adversary Orga awakens from a UFO that was thought to be dormant
for 6,000 years. Big monsters. Little people. Buildings crumbling.
That’s the point. Marking his third starring role in a
Godzilla film, Takehiro Murata plays Shinoda, the head of the
Godzilla Prediction Network that researches the whereabouts and
minimizes the tearabouts of Japan’s perennial foe. Hiroshi
Abe plays Shinoda’s counterpart Katagiri, who dedicates
himself in his role as the chief of the Crisis Control Intelligence
Agency to destroying Godzilla forever. The highlight of the film
goes to Tsutomu Kitagawa, the gymnast who wears the Godzilla suit
and controls the beast’s inner mechanisms. The film’s
dubbed English dialogue loses its drama in the translation. Instead
of becoming a dark and haunting sequel, “Godzilla 2000″
leaves viewers with more laughs than gasps in awe of the fantasy
that made him charismatic in the first place. Who cares if Godzilla
was supposed to have been killed off in 1995’s
“Godzilla vs. Destoroyah,” which was announced as his
final film? The point of the series is not to label the monster as
the good guy, the bad guy or even the guy who was supposed to have
died long ago. Audiences who like fire-breathing, tail-whacking,
city-terrorizing beasts like Godzilla won’t have a problem
with that. Viewers who look for a plot with any more substance may
not find Godzilla’s destruction as fulfilling.
Sharon Hori Rating: 3
“Bring It On” Starring Kirsten Dunst and
Eliza Dushku Directed by Peyton Reed What do Kirsten
Dunst, Paula Abdul, Aaron Spelling and Dwight D. Eisenhower have in
common? They were all cheerleaders. Aside from a short cheerleading
stint in the eighth grade, Dunst, however, was only a cheerleader
for movie-making purposes. In “Bring It On,” Dunst
plays Torrance Shipman, the high-spirited and determined
cheerleader who resolves to lead her squad to the national
championships. Cheer glory seems within arms’ reach, until
Torrance discovers that her team’s routines were stolen from
a rival squad. The movie takes an unconventional approach to the
often light-headed world of high-set ponytails and pompoms.
Delivering all the excitement of the Olympics, the movie explores
the hard work and dedication involved in making cheer perfection
look so easy. Writer Jessica Bendinger is a linguistic master of
teen-speak, with sparkling dialogue that places the moviegoer in a
privileged position among high school cheerleaders. The film,
however, is not entirely serious. Humor ensues when Torrance learns
that her entire cheerleading career has been a lie. She is not
afraid to seriously proclaim: “I am cheerleading.” Not
so eager to embrace cheerleading is Missy Pantone (Eliza Dushku,)
who proclaims that cheerleaders are dancers who’ve gone
retarded. As a new transfer, she discovers that Rancho Carne High
does not have a gymnastics program and, as a last resort,
reluctantly joins the squad. Dushku adds an edgy shade of contempt
and enthusiasm to the otherwise monochromatic team. Just as
colorful is Jesse Bradford, who plays Missy’s equally
alternative-minded, Clash-loving brother Cliff. Bradford is
irresistibly charming, and it is no surprise that Torrance soon
finds herself having “cheer sex” with him despite her
initial reservations. “Bring it On” is a surprisingly
intelligent movie about the trials and tribulations of high school
and cheerleading. Many of the film’s feel-good scenes are
reminiscent of the teen classic “Clueless” and will
have young and old generations alike aspiring to become
cheerleaders all over again. As if!
Emilia Hwang Rating: 8
“The Crew” Starring Richard Dreyfuss and
Burt Reynolds Directed by Michael Dinner Whoever said you
can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family
never met the four retired wiseguys at the Raj Mahal. Not exactly
members of the most sophisticated mob family, they are nevertheless
confronted with the harsh realization that their good times would
not last forever. They once had it all ““ beautiful women,
power, money and respect. Now, they struggle to hold onto their
declining libidos, meager fast-food wages and their room with a
view at a senior citizen residence hotel. When the increasingly
pricey real estate and trendy clientele of Miami’s South
Beach threaten to force the foursome out of the Raj, they discover
that they still have what it takes get to scheme their way out of
any situation. From extortion to arson, the guys defend their
residence at the last retirement pad on South Beach by staging a
murder at the hotel. As a result, the management not only renews
their leases, but rewards them with a hefty bonus and a rent
reduction. Bobby Bartellemeo (Richard Dreyfuss) provides the
humorous narration that introduces each of the elderly wiseguys at
the beginning of the film. The chaos that ensues only escalates the
comedy, and their attempts to fight eviction result in their
inadvertent reinduction into gangland. But before their face off
with drug lord Raul Ventana (Miguel Sandoval), the hilarious
rejuvenation of their youth brings back the days of yore, in the
form of Rolex watches, fancy cars, and an effervescent stripper
named Ferris (Jennifer Tilly). Joining Dreyfuss in the cast of
retirees is Burt Reynolds (Joey “Bats” Pistella ), Dan
Hedaya (Mike “The Brick” Donatelli) and Seymour Cassel
(Tony “Mouth” Donato). While Tony never has much to
say, he abandons his reticence after a night of hired passion with
Ferris, and reveals how the gang created the bloody murder at the
Raj. Ferris then blackmails Tony and his cohorts to put a hit on
her stepmother, Pepper Lowenstein (Lainie Kazan). Ferris’
family ties translate into a large inheritance for the exotic
dancer. In a pool of misfits and manipulators, the only character
with a deeper agenda is Bobby. He is searching for the daughter he
abandoned when he went off to do time in prison. When he finds her,
their reunion adds a touch of sentimentality that offsets the
persistent comedy in the film. The movie starts out with the
elderly misfits thinking that they’d be better off dead. But
with family like “The Crew,” the senior citizens take
out a new lease on life in a movie that proves entertaining for all
ages.
Emilia Hwang Rating: 7