Leave a comment Posted on Kaiju, Mecha

Pacific Rim

bg_0There are times when you see a trailer to movie that just speaks to you. You watch it, are utterly memorized, and say “I am there” to the person sitting next to you. When the time comes and find out the movie did fulfill its promises you feel even more satisfied that the film was exactly what you hoped it would be. This is the exact scenario I experienced with Pacific Rim, a film that was precisely what I wanted and more.

After a dimensional rift opens in the ocean and starts releasing giant monsters called Kaiju humanity is on the verge of being wiped out. In response, the world builds Jaegers, giant robots to fight them. Raleigh Becket is a former Jaeger pilot who wasn’t able to fighter again after losing his brother. Now as the Jaeger program is being forced into retirement, Raleigh is called back into service to fight one last battle: to deliver a bomb into the rift and kill the monsters on the other side. With the help of Mako Mori, a woman with a past deeply connected to the Kaiju, Raleigh will fight against the Kaiju and cancel the apocalypse. pacific-rim-jaeger-controls

Director Guillermo Del Toro delivered the ultimate love letter to fans of giants monsters and robots with this film. From the rocket punches to the Serizawa factor used to grade the Kaiju, this film was almost tailor made to be reviewed by a Giant Monster/Mecha fanatic such as myself. I’ve yet to see a movie that the director has made that I haven’t enjoyed immensely.

The monsters and robots are the real draw of this film. The monsters all look menacing and towering over every opponent they they take on. My personal favorite would have to be Otachi because of his ability to fly and spit acid at the same time. You would think that my favorite robot would be Gypsy Danger as its the main machine in the movie but I have a soft spot for Eureka Striker. Don’t know what it is about but it just calls to me. Really need to grab a figure of that character to add to my collection.

The characters are very interesting to say the least even though some might say they fit into such familiar categories. Raleigh is the guy brought by for one more mission. Mako is the newbie with a twinkle in her eye that’s eager to prove herself. Idris is the hardened commander that won’t put up with no back talk. Of course balancing out this ensemble are unique characters like Dr. Newton Geiszler who is a Kaiju fanatic and Hannibal Chau, who has a found a way to profit off the dead Kaiju corpses. All together they form a cast that is fantastic to watch over and over again.

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This film is epic, plain and simple. I am so glad that so many others found it to be just as amazing and we are eventually going to get a sequel to this film. I promise I’ll be there as soon as it opens to write up another review for others out there who are fans of Giant Robots using rocket elbows to deliver punches into the face of a Kaiju.

Also, they had a “Make a Jaeger” game on a website sponsored by the movie. I decided to make it the defender of my home state of Michigan. I present, Metro Renaissance.metro2

Rating: A

 

Leave a comment Posted on Anime, Mecha

Valvrave the Liberator

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You’d think Sunrise as a studio wouldn’t need to make any more robot series. After all they are the studio that makes all the Gundam shows. Still, despite a near monopoly on mecha, they eventually make other series in an effort to launch a new franchise. Though they may never be as enormous of a franchise as Gundam they are still entertaining in some extent as long as they have a draw that sets the series apart from others, memorable. The draw of this series: LOTS of blood.

Haruto Tokishima is a boy who is just trying to live an ordinary High School life and let his crush, Shoko, know how he feels. His world is thrown upside down when enemy forces from Dorssia attack the Module that he lives on and almost kill Shoko. Thinking she is dead, Haruto enters into the Valvrave, a mysterious red robot that allows him to fight off the Dorssia horde. After the battle is over, he is approached by the Dorssia spy L-Elf, who shoots Haruto repeatedly in the chest killing him. Haruto revives a few minutes later and sinks his teeth into L-Elf’s neck…which ends the first episode.

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This show starts out extreme and doesn’t slow down at all. It has something of a “Game of Thrones” feel to it, a series which has a reputation of killing of large portions of its cast dying in order to advance the story. Likewise, the anime doesn’t mind killing a few of its characters quite often to advance the plot (a lot more in the second season but that’s a review for another time). The new form that the Valvraves (yes there is more than one) gives to their pilots allows them to be hurt a lot but survive from it, which explains why Haruto is able to survive after being shot in the chest in the first episode. That aside, there are characters that won’t even make it out of the first five episodes.

The robots are very unique. Much like a series like Gundam Wing, each of the suits is a powerhouse on its own with its own special abilities that distinguishes it from others. Haruto’s own robot does an impressive energy attack that allows him to destroy an entire fleet of ships with a swing of his sword. They are also given an interesting weakness in even though they are self powered, if the robot gets too hot it will shut itself down. Very interesting way to cap very powerful machines.

The use of social networking is actively addressed in this show. From the students using it to gain support to Haruto’s phone being overrun with friend requests after its revealed he is the pilot of the giant robot, the anime does a nice job showcasing what would happen when a world with giant robots has something like Facebook. One of the other pilots, Saki, uses social media to help to restart her career as an idol once after she makes her transformation. The show uses social media to also point out how fast information can travel and how the world can be aware of what is going around at a moments notice.

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The show, especially its first season was an intense ride that had me going the entire time. I was watching this show as soon as it dropped on Crunchyroll. The show is action packed and has some very interesting Mecha designs. I do wonder though if the series has truly become noteworthy though. I mean the show ended back in January of 2014 and I haven’t really heard that many people scream their love of it since it ended. Was it just a flicker in the dark or are more people holding it close to their hearts then I know?

Rating: A-

Leave a comment Posted on Godzilla, Kaiju

Godzilla vs. Megalon

godzilla vs megalon dvdThis film has something of a reputation. People will often describe it as campy, hockey, and lame. Such negative criticism is going a bit too far. This film has its shortcomings but I am one of the first to rush to its defense. This is not the worse Godzilla movie in existence. I have yet to get around to reviewing that one.

The lost civilization of Seatopia, which disappeared underground centuries ago, wants humanity to stop with nuclear testing, decides to retake the surface, and plans to destroy all life in the process. To accomplish this they unleash the insectoid, Megalon to destroy all that stands in his way and capture a scientist who has made a robot that they plan to use to guide Megalon as he rampages. The inventor, Goro, along with his friend and nephew, regain control of the android, Jet Jaguar, and have him call for Godzilla. As he waits for the king of the monsters to arrive, Jet Jaquar grows big and enters the battle, but Seatopia has a plan and calls for Gigan to even the odds. Who will wing/ Godzilla nd Jet Jaguar, the saviors of humanity or Megalon and Gigant, the harbingers of death?megalonvs4

I’ll start by addressing the negativity that surrounds this film. There is no explanation as to how Seatopia, a kingdom that has been stuck underground for years has a connect with aliens from Nebula M to the point that the aliens would have no problem loaning them Gigan (I’m sure this was another script draft or something along those lines where this plot point made sense). It utilizes a lot of recycled footage including the explosions (that were originally from King Ghidorah’s attacks) and Godzilla crossing the sea. The “Kenny” (annoying little kid character, named for the kid from “Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster”) Roku is pretty annoying especially his dub actor who can be very loud at times. Finally their is Godzilla’s flying kick, which makes no flipping sense at all. Of course after the incident in “Vs. Smog Monster” where he used his breath to fly, we really can’t fault the studio for not wanting to stick with logic. megalonvs3

Let’s move to the good parts. It IS a very fun movie. This is Godzilla in the middle of his “friend to humanity” time and he is more than willing to drop everything and swim across the sea at a moment’s notice. It’s fun to watch him and Jet Jaquar work together to take down their enemies. Also, despite the fact that this is only appearance, Megalon does do enough damage and was iconic enough to become a favorite of many a Kaiju fan. Maybe its the fact that he’s a insect like monster but doesn’t look disgusting in his appearance.

In end its one of those movies that has the split “Love it or hate it” reputation. Personally though I love it. That Godzilla gives out such a thrashing on both Megalon and Gigan, especially Gigan considering Gigan kicked Godzilla’s butt the first time he appeared. I know Godzilla won that battle but it wasn’t without first getting knocked around like old garbage. Anyways, if you a new fan give it a shot. The show is free to watch over at Crunchyroll and I recommend you give it a watch as you explore your the genre of Kaiju.

Rating: B

Leave a comment Posted on Gunpla, Mecha, Toys

My Gunpla: Tokimaru Zero 3

 

 

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Today’s Gunpla sat in a “To sell on Ebay” pile for the longest time. Then I got back into the swing of things thanks to Build Fighter and decided to build it. This is a long forgotten little Super Deformed by the name of Tokimaru Zero 3, who bares a striking resemblance to the Zeta Gundam. Let’s get started shall we.
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I started by using a pair of nippers to cut the piece from the runner. After all pieces were cut from the runner, I slowly assembled them a piece at time using a combination of a nail file and Exacto Knife to clean the burs off.

Originally once the parts were clean, I applied the decals to it and found that I still have difficulty with the stickers. My wife pointed out that special tweezers are usually used to help make sure that the decals come off cleaning and are applied to the model without the glue losing strength or having to peal them off and reapply. I’ll work on obtaining a pair before my next build. I was originally gonna stop it there but decided to make a major change. 
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I experimented with a fine tip marker as I found it helps to accentuate the details of the model. Unfortunately, despite the fact that it SAID that it was a fine tip marker it was far too big for some of the lines that I wanted to make and resulted in some smudging here and there on the model. When this was dry I decided to cover it with a matte coating and call it done. 20150508_22475820150508_225144

RESULTS: 

Its okay but I did learn a few things.

One: Any metallic pieces should not be submitted to a matte spraying. If you do it results in splatter. You can’t really tell from the photo but the helmet crest looks like a windshield that hit a lot of bugs on a hot summer day. Not a good effect unless I was going for weather, but even then, no.

Two: Really need to work on painting. The line drawing aside, the parts I did give a little bit of black paint to look poor. I think its that I have to work on making sure my brush strokes are more even and that I’m not clumping my paint as I brush.

Third: Acetone Nail Polish remover is a last step move and should be treated as such. As I was painting the chest part black, a little of it went too far and I tried to use a Q-tip with Nail Polish remover on it to get it off. A very noticeable mark appeared on the painted plastic. Had I not already determined that this model was a practice piece I would have been very frustrated with myself.

Wasn’t half bad of a build, especially for a figure that I originally had planned to sell because I didn’t want him. I do need work on my details skills. Of course this is why I’m writing this up at all. To evaluate my work and make sure that I am doing all that I can to ensure that I making the best Gundam models possible.

Personal rating: C (and I’m probably being generous)

1 Comment Posted on Anime, Mecha

Full Metal Panic

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As I’ve said mixing genres can be very tricky. You would think just from the description that a “Comedy mecha series set in high school” would not be a good idea because it sounds ludicrous. Well it is ludicrous, and hilarious, thrilling, touching, memorable and a whole lot of fun. This is the series known as as Full Metal Panic, a show that truly is the full package.

Sousuke Saga is a member of an elite secret military organization known as Mithirl who works to defend the world from the shadows. TO protect a young girl who is believed to be the target of a terrorist organization, Sousuke enrolls in her high school. Unfortunately, Sousuke doesn’t exactly fit into Japanese High School life and becomes a major annoyance to the young girl named Kaname Chidori. Just as it seems as if Kaname can’t take any more of Souske’s behavior, the bad guys come for her and Sousuke it there, ready to jump into a giant robot to protect her. Who says there’s no good guys in the world anymore?

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The characters of this show really make it stand out. Sousuke is clueless but a very competent solider. Kaname is an easily angered tsundare (A ruff exterior, sweet on the side type), but the anger can sometimes can justified given that Souske’s first thought is usually to reach for his gun, even in school. Still, the fact that Sousuke is so impulsive and one to make things blow up on a regular basis is what what makes this show so entertaining. The supportive characters such as Kurtz Weber and Melissa Mao are also great and help add to the story. I even enjoyed Tessa Testarossa, despite the fact that I am well aware that she is a rather annoying character to some fans.

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The mecha of this series are very unique. The show seems to showcase that every country has its own designs and different suits. A suit from Japan would be different from one in Russia. Still, its the main guys themselves who get some of the more impressive suits. I still think that the Arbalest (pictured above) is a one of my favorite suits throughout history. Hmm, that’s a list I should probably put together one of these days.

I know that I would heavily criticized if I didn’t mention the relationship between Kaname and Sousuke. There really isn’t anything that I could say that hasn’t been said a million times before by bigger fans then myself. They are adorable together, Sousuke does her best to try to protect her, even though his best sometimes makes Kaname very annoyed at his actions. They are one of the most entertaining Anime couples out there. I like many would probably squeal with delight if they actually animated a scene of the two of them kissing. Someday maybe it will happen.

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Getting around to reviewing fumoffu (even without giant robots) and second raid. I’ll give it some time though and hopefully by the time I get done reviewing all three series they will finally get that newly announced Full Metal Panic: Another done. Come on people, don’t leave me hanging.

Rating: A

Leave a comment Posted on American Giant Monsters

Clash of the Titans


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I was originally on the fence on whether to write this review for the blog. I questioned if it really fit into the general message of “all things big” that I set for myself. Eventually I realized that this film has one of the most iconic American giant monsters in it and was definitely one worth talking about. I present to you dear readers, the epic known as Clash of the Titans.

The young son of Zeus, Persues grows up unaware of his heritage. It is only when he falls in love with Andromeda, a cursed princess that his world turns upside down. Now to protect the woman he loves from the behemoth know as the Kraken, Perseus must journey across the globe and back to obtain the head of Medusa, whose stone gaze is the only thing that would slay the unstoppable beast and save Andromeda.

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The greek mythology and more adventurous tone to the movie is what threw me off. Once you break the down the plot it becomes incredibly clear how much of a Kaiju storyline it really is. The hero is introduce, the giant monster attacks, the hero develops and tries to find a why to stop the monster and a final showdown occurs between the hero and he monster. That’s the basic recipe with a Kaiju movie but its what is added to the recipe that really makes it some movies stand out from other. The secret ingredient in this film: Ray Harryhausen. The special effects master brings his trademark stop motion animation in full force and showcases creature not easily replicated or reproduced (yes that was a jab at the remake). The Kraken looks imposing and deadly from the first moment he is on the screen. Of course the first moment he is on the screen he is destroying an entire city so it really reinforces his look.

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Persues is a pretty good hero to watch fight against all the incredible monsters that appear in this film but I would be in the wrong if I didn’t mention Bubo, the robot owl. This cute little guy is the unofficial mascot of the movie and serves to lend aid when he can to the team. I remember watching this movie and thinking, man I’d love to have a Bubo of my own. I wonder if they make replicas. Also, there’s Pegasus the winged horse. Not much of a fan but I know winged ponies are all the rage today right people?

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This film remains a classic that any Kaiju or just movie fan needs to see sometime in their life. The special effects truly are intense and will help someone to truly see the joy that can come from stop motion animation. It’s also one of the most well know interpretations of Greek Mythology on film. More recent generations probably would know the Disney animated Hercules movie more, but I’m pretty sure I should stay away from that one. Or should I? Let me know in the comments.

Rating: A

Leave a comment Posted on Gunpla, Mecha, Toys

My gunpla: My past messes

This is going to be an extra feature on this blog. I’m going to try and put it on a separate day from the reviews to make it special. These will only come once in a while though as they take a big longer than my reviews to get through. Still, I feel these are perfect to place here on the blog.

I’m a big fan of the Gundam franchise. I know I haven’t been posting any reviews of this series yet, but trust me they are coming. I actually have something special planned. And as any true fan of Gundam, I found myself getting into Gunpla (the name for the plastic Models associated with the series). Originally I thought I had put this aspect of the fandom away for a while and hadn’t built a model in many years. Then I saw Gundam Build Fighters and it made me remember the fun of working with Gundam Models. I am now back in gear, planning and obtaining new projects to work on.

Still, before I get anywhere and making any new pieces I have decided that I would showcase the efforts of my past. See back in the day there was no one to show me the proper way to build any of these creations and all the instructions were in Japanese (thanks for that one Bandai). To this end I usually just broke off the pieces from the plastic runners and put the pieces together. As you can see from the pictures, my work wasn’t exactly display case worthy.

To best showcase my point, I would to display pictures of one of my own creations. To that end I give you my build of the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam Seed:

20150508_224108The work isn’t terrible but once you get up close and really look it it the defects really stand out. I didn’t even give the suit a matte coating, which I know now really helps to make the suit look so much better.

20150508_22431920150508_224339As get up close there is a lot of minor errors that add up to making the entire thing look like crap over all. Bits of plastic left over from removing the piece from the plastic runners (which other internet sites seem to call nubs but I personally refer to them as BURS). Pieces not fully pushed together resulting in a the suit looking as if it were about to slit open. That’s before going to the paint job.

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The paint on the eyes is not nearly as bad the detail work that was done on the rifle. I’ll definitely have to work on that. Still both of them are not really worth showcasing with pride, especially now that I know different tips and tricks to make the work better such as shading and line drawing.

It was only after watching Gundam Build Fighters that I actually took the time to look at the other model work that could be done and the different steps and techniques that a person could use. That is why I’m using the Freedom here as a mile marker to show where I am now and how I will improve as I keep working with my craft of Gunpla making. Also, there is the small problem that my other models were not properly stored during my last major move and they currently not in the best of condition. Still, gives me a lot of spare parts to experiment with on a road to greatness. Or least a less suck showing then this.

 

Leave a comment Posted on Anime, Mecha

Samurai 7

Samurai.7.full.441206I am a big fan of tracking down source material. When I hear an adaptation or remake is coming out often will go out and read some of the original work to see how it stacks up. That being said I actually haven’t taken the time to watch the original “Samurai Seven.” I really need to though as I keep getting told its an incredible film. Still with all the hype about how its such a great film, how would an anime adaptation of such a film stack up?sam7_2Large

After their village is continuously ransacked by bandits, the villagers decide they must fight back. A young water priestess named Kirara, along with her sister, Komachi, and the farmer, Rikichi, ventures into the city to find Samurai, mighty warriors from the previous war to aid them in their blight.  the three set off to the city. There they witness the skills of Shimada Kambei, who after some convincing agrees to help them in their blight. He insists he will need a team of seven to take down the bandits. He finds and recruits Katsuhiro the student, Gorobei the performer, Shichiroji the veteran, Heihachi the Mechanic, Kyuzo the assasin, and Kikuchiyo the cyborg to aid him in his quest to defend the village.

The series presents an interesting world to say the least. It has giant robots, cyborg samurai, and flying ships, but still has people living in poverty and conducting business like an ancient society. It ranges somewhere between Steampunk and Cyberpunk but I’m really not sure where it would be. The Samurai are trying their best to survive after apparently no longer being needed after fighting the war which is shown in flashback through the series. They are entertaining to say the least but some times they seem like they could go just a bit farther with their development to help ensure they were memorable. samurai7

Many may point to this film and insist that it has the “Gonzo Effect.” For those who don’t know this term refers to the studio creators Gonzo and how they were infamous for making shows with an extremely strong start but would lose focus in their story telling or art quality by the end of the series. While I would admit I have seen series that this rule applies to I feel that Samurai 7 is spared from it. Not that I believe the Gonzo effect doesn’t exist. I witnessed it first hand watching “Speed Grapher” and if I had been reminded of this effect earlier I would have made mention of it in my Burst Angel review. Samurai 7 keeps its consistency all the way through. Probably because of the high expectations given its source material.

samurai7_6This anime is serviceable and has some good moments to it and even had a mainstream run on TV, running on the relaunched Toonami back in August of 2012. Sadly, the series is another show that falls into the “good, not great category.” Sure their are some good characters to love and an interesting world presented for viewer but its not enough to make sure that its carves itself into the halls of anime history and place it high in fan’s “All time greatest series lists.” Maybe in the honorable mention category. If you feel I’m being too harsh, feel free to check out http://www.myanimelist.com where the series is currently ranked #1152 at the time of this entry. Sorry might Samurai, but your time has truly come to an end.

Rating: B-

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Rodan

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When I was a kid Rodan freaked me out and made me not want to watch Giant Monster movies ever again. Lucky for me I eventually recovered from the experience and stayed true to the genre even to this day. It wasn’t because of terrible quality or because I came to the insane belief that Kaiju films was not worth my time. It was because Rodan and War of the Gargantuas (which I watched on the same day, but I’ll get to that review another day) showed me the first scenes in a film of someone drowning. I know for most people, the first drowning scenes they seen in cinema were from Jaws, but for me Rodan was my Jaws.

6a00d8341bfb8d53ef00e553d0741a8834-800wiWhen miners start to go missing in a small town, Shigeru, the head of security for the mine starts to become worried, especially once his fiancee’s brother disappears. As he starts to investigates the strange appearances he soon discovers large insects called Meganula are to blame for the miners’ disappearances. As Shigeru takes a team to seal up with the mine and kill the insects he becomes trapped himself. As strange phenomenon in the sky start to be reported, Shigeru returns, without his memory and near catatonic over what he saw in the mine. As he starts to recover, he reveals that he has seen the birth of a monster that consumed the Meganula as it awoke as food and my just threaten to devour all mankind.

This was the only film to start Rodan exclusively and sadly the only time when he has something of a unique theme associated with him. While Godzilla is a force of nature, Gamera a friend to the children, and Mothra is a being of peace, this first interpretation of Rodan is something else all together. The two monsters that appear are the last of their kind and trying to cut out a place from themselves in this new world. Unfortunately, cutting out a place for themselves results in an insane amount of property damage. They are just trying to build a nest and start a life together as two last of their kind species would do. Sadly, they never addressed this idea again with the monster. More on that later.

This is movie tackles an idea we don’t usually see in movies, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Shigeru comes back from seeing Rodan’s birth and is utterly traumatized by the incident. He has to take time to adjust to the terror of what he saw, considering the larger than a man sized Meganula were already scary enough but to see a creature even larger use them as food was too much for him to bear. Realistically, Rodan would probably be able to eat several humans as if they were bird seed. Luckily he has of those Meganula to munch on.

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It’s a shame we never seen Rodan like this ever again. For the rest his movie career he would be recast as Godzillas friend/foe and never once would his name be prominently displayed on the title for the films where he was cast. Not once has any attempt ever been made to try and retell the story of the two of its kind maintaining a nest, that unfortunately leads to them destroying humanity as they try to maintain a place for themselves. Instead of holding onto the theme that was presented for him in the first movie, the studio would forever abandon it in favor of Rodan being a creature that could show up in a film, kick some butt, and fly away into the horizon when he wasn’t needed anymore. Truly a shame they his humanizing role would be his first compared to his fellow giant monsters who have had multiple movies where they have been allowed to shine as individuals.

Rating: A-