Raymond Padilla

Random Thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past

As a huge fan of the X-Men: Days of Future Past comics, I was excited for and scared of the X-Men: Days of Future Past movie. Obviously the movie was going to change the source material — some of the changes were for Hollywood reasons, some of the changes worked, and some of them will make millions of fanboys cry out in terror. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It certainly has problems, but it’s fun enough that I can see myself watching it dozens of times on cable. Here are some random thoughts on X-Men: Days of Future Past. (Turn on your spoiler shields, please.)

Ch-ch-ch-changes: Going into the movie, I knew that things were going to be rearranged to feature Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence. They’re the two biggest stars in the X-Men movie franchise, so naturally the plot was altered to give them as much screen time as possible. Some purists will be annoyed that Wolverine was sent back in time instead of Kitty Pryde. While I love me some Ellen Page, I knew that wasn’t going to happen in Days of Future Past. The kids (and ladies) love Hugh Jackman.

One major change that bothered me was Kitty Pryde’s newfound TiVo powers. For some reason, Days of Future Past Kitty has the incredibly convenient superpower to transfer someone’s consciousness to the past. The scene where the future X-Men’s TiVo tactics are explained is pretty bad, topped of by the even worse idea that Wolverine can survive a multi-decade rewind because of his ~~copout~~ vaunted healing factor.

The ’70s Ruled: The movie alternates between a Dystopian 2023 and a completely awesome 1973. It was fun seeing bell bottoms, afros, garish polyester patterns, waterbeds, analog meters, reel-to-reel audio, etc. I’m pretty sure that the making of Days of Future Past caused a temporary shortage of polyester. As someone that has always been fascinated by the ’70s (disco, drugs, casual sex!), I loved the past scenes of this movie.

The Future Sucks: All nerd movies portray the future as dark and awful. Days of Future Past carries on that fine tradition. The bad news is that the future sucks for the X-Men and humanity in general. The good news is that the fight scenes are pretty sweet. Bishop, Storm, Colossus, Warpath, Sunspot, Iceman, and Blink don’t have a lot to do as far as advancing the narrative, but they’re featured in some awesome action sequences.

On a side note, I was totally embarrassed that I immediately recognized the actor that played Warpath as one of the werewolves from the Twilight movies. Oh well, at least I can admit it.

Hot X-Chicks: I’m always down with watching Jennifer Lawrence in body paint. In fact, one of my dream jobs is to work as the guy that applies her body paint and prosthetics. She’s a beautiful woman, but you already knew that.

I was pleasantly surprised by how cool Fan Bingbing looked as Blink. I’ve always loved this character. I don’t recall if Bingbing had any lines, but she made for an adorable real-life Blink and Days of Future Past made fun use of her powers.

Anna Paquin is in the movie for like 32 seconds and I would have loved more Ellen Page, but I’m totally not going to complain about hot Jennifer Lawrence and sexy Fan Bingbing. Whether it’s the past or the future, the X-Men have some hot chicks.

Excellent Use of Music: This movie will definitely win Academy Awards for “Best Use of Roberta Flack,” “Best Use of Jim Croce,” and “Best Use of the Theme From Sanford & Son.” I’m not sure if these awards actually exist, but they should.

Quicksilver Didn’t Suck: Going into Days of Future past, lots of fanboys were hating on the movie’s version of Quicksilver. Based off of stills from the set, he looked like crap. While he reminded me more of DC Comics’ Impulse than Marvel’s Pietro Maximoff, Quicksilver had a great scene that will make many moviegoers happy. Yeah, I could have done without the flippant line about his parentage, but his fight scene was very, very cool.

Tyrion Hates Mutants: Although I loved Peter Dinklage in The Station Agent before Game of Thrones came out, it’s hard to see him as anyone else but Tyrion Lannister. In Days of Future Past, he plays Bolivar Trask, creator of the mutant-hunting Sentinel robots. While I kept waiting for him to bust out an overly affected British accent, I appreciated his performance. The writing he had to work with was poor; the character was written as a paper-thin antagonist (i.e. science dick), but Dinklage manages to give Trask some depth.

Magneto’s a Dick: In the comics, many writers have portrayed Professor X and Magneto as the mutant equivalents of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, respectively. In X-Men: First Class and Days of Future Past, I’m pretty sure that being the master of magnetism is Magneto’s secondary mutation. It seems like his answer to everything is, “I know, I’ll be a dick!” While it’s clear that he cares about his fellow mutants more than anything else, his actions lack thought and his plans generally suck. Then again, I’m happy that he did what he did to RFK Stadium. That place is a toilet.

About a Beast: Adult Nicholas Hoult weirds me out. He’ll always be the kid from About a Boy to me.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past, despite its problems. I wouldn’t say it’s a great superhero film, but it’s good fun. Compared to the comics, it’s a bit dumber and not quite as grim, though it certainly has some dark moments. As far as 2014 superhero movies go, it’s better than Spider-Man 2 and not as good as Captain America 2. It’s one of those flawed movies that I’ll happily watch several times when it’s in rotation on cable.

Having said that, I can see some comics purists hating this movie. Some of the flaws are dismissible, but there are some comics fans that won’t stand for the drastic changes to the source material. When you combine those changes with the movie’s other problems, the film won’t stand a chance with some hardcore comics fans. Those guys and gals can complain all they want and I get it, but I’ll happily watching Days of Future Past again and again in the hopefully-not-Sentinel-dominated future.

Coffee Talk #625: Videogame Journalists Done Good

StarWars.com recently announced that Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and Gary Whitta will be working on the first Star Wars standalone spinoff movie. The second name took me by surprise (gleefully). You see, Whitta is a former videogame journalist. He was the editor of several gaming magazines for Future US and was quite popular within the business. Since (mostly) leaving the business, Whitta has written the screenplays for The Book of Eli and After Earth. Working on a Star Wars movie will undoubtedly take his success to new heights.

Hearing about Whitta’s Star Wars news reminded me of Kieron Gillen. Another…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, speculating on which player the Cleveland Cavaliers will take with the number-one pick in the 2014 NBA draft, your favorite Memorial Day barbecue food, or pregnant Mila Kunis, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Hearing about Whitta’s Star Wars news reminded me of Kieron Gillen. Another former videogame journalist, Gillen has written some of the best comics published in the last five years. His work on AvX: Consequences was great enough to redeem the sometimes banal Avengers vs. X-Men event. Gillen made me a Kid Loki fan for life with his thoroughly entertaining run on Journey Into Mystery. His work on Young Avengers is, in my opinion, one of the most criminally underrated books released in the last few years.

Guys like Whitta and Gillen make me happy. In Whitta’s case, it’s always awesome to see a colleague succeed. In the case of both gentlemen (I’ve never met Gillen in real life), it’s particularly satisfying to see them have fantastic success beyond the videogame world. Don’t get me wrong — I love the videogame business and will always be grateful for how it has enriched my life, but I have mixed feelings about being labeled a videogame journalist (even though I’m technically a verbal entertainer).

Within the business, videogame journalists aren’t thought of highly. There are exceptions, of course, but many journalists are only well regarded by PR people (and even that’s arguable). A lot of executives and developers look at journalists as pretty low on the industry’s totem pole. One famous developer once half-jokingly told me, “You know, you guys are just one step above GameStop clerks as far as being important to the business.”

Personally, I don’t disagree with what my designer buddy told me. I never cared about “being important to the business.” I love writing about games for people that love reading about games. The problem is that there are many videogame journalists that think they’re way more important than they actually are. Some of them genuinely think that they’re movers and shakers in the industry. Those kinds of videogame journalists always bothered me; they’re more concerned about promoting their own brand and meeting the right people in game publishing in order to get a better job than serving their audience with their words.

Self-important critics (from any industry) always bring me back to the words of Anton Ego from Ratatouille:

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

While I would love to work at a videogame outlet that’s primarily concerned about making fun content and staffed by a team that loves serving an audience, I can’t help but be inspired by people like Whitta and Gillen. It’s awesome that they’re enjoying tremendous success outside of the videogame realm. It’s nice to see that the boys done good.

Vaping Diaries #212: VLS Crest Cap Review (IGO-W5)

The IGO-W5 by Youde is a nice rebuildable dripping atomizer for vapers on a budget. It’s arguably Youde’s best dripper to date — very well built for a mass-market atomizer. That said, it’s a spartan offering and lacks some of the features today’s vapers want in an atomizer. That’s where the VLS Crest Cap comes in. This third-party accessory is made for the IGO-W5 and adds features that many vapers expect from a dripper in 2014. The VLS Crest Cap elevates the IGO-W5 from a good budget atomizer to a great one.

The VLS Crest Cap is made primarily from 304 stainless steel. It’s a two-piece top-cap that’s reminiscent of the one featured on the popular TOBH atomizer, as well as Cap-it-All Vapes’ Halo top cap for the IGO-W3 and Patriot atomizers. The heat fins aren’t as long as the ones on the TOBH, so it doesn’t dissipate heat as quickly, but still does a good job. Compared to the Halo, the VLS Crest Cap has better build quality.

In addition to the heat fins, the VLS Crest Cap features cyclops-style airflow controls. I was able to achieve a wide variety of airflow options by playing around with the positioning of the top portion of the cap. It can be closed off enough to satisfy vapers that prefer a firm draw and more intense flavor. It can also be opened up wide enough to satisfy vapers that prefer big clouds and an airier draw. Naturally, extreme cloud chasers — you know, people that appear to have bullet holes in their drippers — will want even bigger holes. That said, the airflow options on the VLS Crest Cap are broad enough to satisfy the majority of vapers.

The two-piece design of the VLS Crest Cap allows for easy and convenient dripping. With conventional drippers, you have to be mindful of realigning the air holes every time you remove the cap. While some vapers don’t mind dripping through the drip-tip hole, many prefer dripping juice directly onto the wick and coils. Since you don’t have to take off the bottom portion of the VLS Crest Cap, you don’t have to worry about lining up the cyclops-style slots.

To my eyes, the VLS Crest Cap looks better than the stock cap on the IGO-W5. I’m not a fan of the stock cap’s looks, especially the way it thins out towards the top. The VLS Crest Cap is 22mm most of the way, with a slight flare to 23mm at the top. The logo is generally handsome, though personally I would have preferred a blank model. Looks are, of course, subjective; most of my vaping friends preferred the VLS Crest Cap’s design over the stock cap’s, but a few liked the stock cap better.

The VLS Crest Cap is available for around $20 online and at retail. I’ve seen the IGO-W5 available for around $20 online and $30 at retail. When you put these products together, you have a great dripping setup for the money. For $50 or less, you get a nice and versatile dripper that’s not a clone. If you’re looking for a great dripping setup that’s reasonably priced then I highly recommend the combination of the IGO-W5 and VLS Crest Cap.

Coffee Talk #624: Relegation and American Sports (Cleveland Cavaliers)

A few weeks ago, my friend Josh and I were having a conversation about how awesome American sports would be if they copied the relegation system used in Premiere League. For those of you not familiar with relegation, the bottom three teams in Premiere League are demoted to First League. In American sports, this would help the integrity of MLB, NFL, NBA, etc., protecting the leagues against cheapness and incompetence by front office executives.

Speaking of incompetence, the Cleveland Cavaliers…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Lindsay Lohan topless in Cannes, Andy Dick being kicked out of the Dancing With the Stars finale, or the end of Masahiro Tanaka’s glorious winning streak, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Speaking of incompetence, the Cleveland Cavaliers recently won the number-one pick for the 2014 NBA draft. For those of you not keeping track of this woeful franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had three number-one picks in the last four years. While the team has shown some signs of improvement in the 2013-2014 season, many agree that it’s underperforming due to a mix of poor draft choices (Anthony Bennett), foolish signings (Andrew Bynum), and poor chemistry (loads of rumors about the backcourt starters hating each other).

The sucktitude of the Cleveland Cavaliers isn’t a recent phenomenon either. Longtime fans of the team had to suffer through the reign of Ted Stepien. Many sports fans view Stepien as the worst owner in the history of American sports. Stepien managed the Cleveland Cavaliers so badly — trading high draft picks for middling players — that the NBA had to institute the “Stepien rule” just to contain him.

With all of that in mind, wouldn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers be a perfect team for relegation? Sure, the team didn’t have the worst record in the league, but it should be punished for historical ineptitude. Sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA D-League for a year ought to shake up the front office. In baseball, the Houston Astros should be relegated to triple-A for essentially serving up a minor league team for other MLB franchises to pick on. I’m sure that you creative guys and gals can think of several examples of American professional sports teams that should be relegated. Kindly pick a sports team or three that you’d like to see relegated and explain your picks in the comments section.

Vaping Diaries #211: Ahlusion Review IX

It’s Ahlusion review time, once again. This time around, I vaped a trio of juices from this outstanding e-liquid company. Two of them were naturally-extracted tobacco e-liquids rounded out by sweet flavors. The other featured extracted tea accompanied by vanilla. One of the juices floored me after a month of steeping, while I enjoyed the others, but didn’t love them as much as other Ahlusion juices I’ve had in the past. Here are my tasting notes on Shipwreck, Caramel Wild Wood, and Vanilla Black Tea.

Shipwreck: This is one of the most unique naturally-extracted tobacco juices I’ve tried, but it’s not among my favorites from Ahlusion. That said, it’s unique flavor is something I crave every now and then. Shipwreck features a light tobacco base accompanied by coconut and lime. In some ways, the tobacco and coconut combine for a richness that reminds me a bit of Five Pawns’ Castle Long. Of course Castle Long doesn’t feature tobacco, so they’re distinctly different juices. The lime rounds out the blend nicely, giving Shipwreck a citrus top note. The juice is lightly sweet (my personal preference) and the tobacco is, of course, great. Compared to the tobacco e-liquids I see at most retail shops, Shipwreck is a superior juice. Compared to the many outstanding tobacco juices Ahlusion offers, Shipwreck is really enjoyable, but not among my favorites.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Caramel Wild Wood: My favorite e-liquid in this Ahlusion review, Caramel Wild Wood features a medium tobacco base accompanied by a rich caramel flavor. Out of the mail, the caramel was too strong for me; it’s a great flavor that reminded me of Ahlusion’s Gold Member, but I wanted more tobacco out of the juice. After a month of steeping…wow. The tobacco becomes more prominent and the blend is outstanding. There are a lot of caramel tobacco e-liquids on the market, but few of them are in the same league as Caramel Wild Wood. The tobacco is fantastic — more distinct (to my palette) than Ahlusion’s House Blend and Tree River Blend tobaccos — and the caramel is marvelous. This is a juice that I will definitely order again in the future and only in big bottles. If you’re a tobacco fan with a sweet tooth then you’ll love Caramel Wild Wood.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Vanilla Black Tea: This Ahlusion juice is a mix of extracted black tea flavor and the company’s excellent vanilla. On paper, it seemed like a juice I would love. In real life, it’s something I merely liked. Initially, the vanilla was much stronger than what I was hoping for. After a month of steeping, the sweetness backed off and the tea was more pronounced, but still not as much as I’d like. The black tea flavor is excellent — rich and slightly bitter (in that pleasant way). I wanted much more of the black tea flavor out of this juice. Vanilla Black Tea is certainly a very good juice and much better than most of the tea e-liquids on the market, but the balance didn’t quite work for me. I would order this juice again, but make a request to go heavy on the black tea and light on the vanilla.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Steeping and Review Notes (Updated December 29, 2013)
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method as of December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on.

RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in a bottom-coil silica atomizer (The Russian and Aqua), various rebuildable dripping atomizers, and a clearomizer.

Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer #2 (I Am Groot!!!)

The first trailer for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie delighted and disappointed me. I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was, but disappointed that Vin Diesel didn’t say, “I am Groot.” The second trailer for Marvel’s intergalactic summer spectacular is even better than the first. You learn more about the protagonists, see more action, and (finally) hear the first utterance of, “I am Groot.” On the negative side, ~~WWE Batista~~ Dave Bautista is seen “acting” in the trailer and, as most of you know, that guy pretty much sucks at everything.

Please check out Guardians of the Galaxy trailer #2 when you have a chance and let me know what you think!

Vaping Diaries #210: Surefire Vapor Garry Rivera & Mike McNeely Interview

Earlier this week I caught up with Surefire Vapor chief executive officer Garry Rivera and chief marketing officer Mike McNeely. The two covered a variety of topics, including the newest King Mods, updates to the Onyx Mod, the company’s upcoming atomizer, the company’s upcoming $140 mod, collaborating with Hot Import Nights, and an exciting mod design contest. While I’m a fan of the company’s Brass Knurled King Mod, I was quite envious of the dark brass Hot Import Nights King Mod and stainless-steel jewelry-finish King Mod. Be sure to check out the video for closeups of these hot mechanical mods.

When I first met the Surefire Vapor, it was one of a handful of American companies competing in the high-end mod space. These days, its seems like there’s a new American high-end mod company debuting every week. While it’s always fun to hear about new products, it was interesting to get Surefire Vapor’s view on how the market has evolved and how the company has evolved with it. McNeely also addressed the always-fun-to-chat-about issue of Chinese clones and the impact clones have had on Surefire Vapor.

Lastly, the company talked about its social media strategy. Surefire Vapor is one of the most popular vaping companies on Facebook and Instagram. While that’s always a boon to marketing efforts, many vapers feel more connected to Surefire Vapor because of the company’s social media efforts. I’ve always admired how the company has handled grassroots outreach (and wanted to make sure Nielson from Surefire Vapor got a shoutout).

When you have a chance, check out the clip above, peruse the new King Mods, get details on the mod design competition, and learn about what’s new with Surefire Vapor. After you’ve done that, kindly leave a comment below and let me know which Surefire Vapor product you’re most excited for.

Today’s Poll: Auntie Anne’s vs. Wetzel’s Pretzels

It’s time for another RPadTV poll involving an extremely serious issue: pretzels. It’s the battle of shopping mall pretzel chains! In the red corner, it’s Auntie Anne’s pretzels. In the blue corner, it’s Wetzel’s Pretzels. Which company serves up the better pretzel? Please give this profound matter some appropriately profound thought and vote in the poll below. If you have extra time, please explain your choice in the comments section. Please note that this poll involves pretzels only and does not include pretzel dogs. In that battle, it’s Auntie Anne’s all the way, since the company uses Nathan’s Famous hot dogs. Anyway, it’s Auntie Anne’s vs. Wetzel’s Pretzels poll time — fight!

[poll id=”193″]

Vaping Diaries #209: Angelcigs Aqua Clone Review

The Aqua by Footoon from UVO System is one of my favorite atomizers on the market. It’s something I vape on every day and it’s normal for me to have two Aquas at the ready. Since I was mostly impressed with Angelcigs’ Kayfun 3.1 clone, I was curious to see how the Angelcigs’ Aqua clone would compare to the real deal. While it does offer a comparable vape, the Angelcigs Aqua clone’s build quality is rough and it’s prone to leaking.

What’s in the Kit: The Angelcigs Aqua clone comes with the atomizer, a matching drip dip, spare o-rings, and two pre-made coils. The kit is complete and gives newcomers everything they need to start vaping. Experienced vapers will , of course, trash the pre-made coils in favor of their own. The box notes that the product comes with two drip tips and a hybrid adapter for the Origin mod; only one drip tip was included and there wasn’t a hybrid adapter in the box I received. This looks like a case of the company copying the text from the original manufacturer without checking.

Design: Like the original, the Angelcigs Aqua clone is a bottom-coil silica atomizer that’s great for dual-coil setups. It’s not a 1:1 replica, but it’s close. The o-ring positioning is a bit off. The differences in design and workmanship impact performance (more on that later). Aesthetically, the Angelcigs Aqua clone can pass for the authentic model when viewed from afar, but when you see it up close it’s fairly easy to tell that it’s a copy.

Build Quality: While I was generally impressed with the build quality of the Angelcigs Kayfun 3.1 clone (for the price), I found the Angelcigs Aqua clone to be poorly made. The threads on this atomizer are very, very rough. You hear and feel the metal-on-metal grinding whenever you unscrew the atomizer. The tolerances are relatively low too, giving the atomizer a loose feel. Compare that to the authentic model, where everything fits together perfectly and the threads are smooth.

The o-ring material is different and the placement is slightly off. When you combine that with the poor threading, the Angelcigs Aqua clone doesn’t feel nearly as secure as the original. For a complex atomizer like the Aqua, precision workmanship is vital for a great vaping experience. I rarely have leaking issues with the real Aqua and when I do, it’s almost always my fault. With the Angelcigs Aqua clone, I experienced a lot more leaking due to the atomizer’s inferior workmanship and manufacturing shortcuts.

Performance: On a more positive note, the Angelcigs Aqua clone produces a vape that’s similar to what the real deal offers. That wasn’t surprising, since the design is straight-up copied. That being said, it’s not a precision copy. This replica can be a bit more finicky than the authentic model. You have to be more careful with your builds and how you screw the atomizer together in order to compensate for the inferior workmanship. Getting a great vape out of a real Aqua is fairly mindless, while a bit more care is required to get the same experience out of the Angelcigs Aqua clone.

Verdict: Considering the positive experience I had with the Angelcigs Kayfun 3.1 clone, my experience with the Angelcigs Aqua clone was disappointing. The build quality and construction aren’t very good, the unit is prone to leaking, and it just feels cheap. The good news is that it only costs $22, while an authentic Aqua costs around $175 and the well-regarded Hcigar Aqua clone costs around $40.

If you’re curious about what the Aqua offers then the Angelcigs Aqua clone is an inexpensive way to dip your toe in the water and see what all the fuss is about. If you dig it, then you can either buy an authentic model or a superior clone. If you’re looking for an identical experience to the Aqua for a fraction of the price then you’ll want to look elsewhere. While the Angelcigs Aqua clone is very cheap, its build quality and workmanship are also cheap.

Random Thoughts on Godzilla 2014

Last night I attended a screening of Godzilla. Here are some random and spoiler-free thoughts on the movie.

Growing up as an Asian-American kid in New York, Godzilla was one of my role models. The Toho monster was pretty much the coolest thing on television. I’ve enjoyed the evolution of Godzilla over the years…until that crap Matthew Broderick movie happened. It left me thinking, “This is why ~~white people~~ Americans should never make a Godzilla movie.” When I first heard about Godzilla 2014, I was excited and scared. A Godzilla film with a big Hollywood budget and modern special effects was tantalizing…but would American moviemakers get it right this time? Last night I was absolutely thrilled by Godzilla 2014. The movie is 123 minutes of brilliant special effects, breathtaking monster battles, epic destruction, and surprisingly good acting.

First thing’s first — the CGI in Godzilla 2014 is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The monsters and collateral damage are stunning. I saw the movie in IMAX 3D and while the 3D didn’t do much for me, I was beyond happy that I witnessed it on an IMAX screen accompanied by killer sound. If you’re on the fence about Godzilla 2014, I highly recommend giving it a shot in theaters. Even if you don’t end up liking it as a film, I guarantee that you’ll be dazzled by the CGI (appreciate of giant monsters is required, naturally).

As for the film itself, it delivered everything I want from a Godzilla movie and more. The battles are appropriately epic and it was great fun watching the kaiju destroy various parts of the world. While I was sad that my favorite bar in the universe got trampled on, I was giddy that Waikiki was destroyed. That place is awful — like the dullest parts of Irvine and Las Vegas mashed up. It was interesting to see that the movie followed the trend of visiting locations around the world in order to appeal to a broader audience. In this movie, you’ll get to go to Japan (duh), the Philippines, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. Perhaps some European cities will be demolished in Godzilla 2016 (I’m hoping for Helsinki).

The latest incarnation of Godzilla is the biggest yet, at a shade over 100 meters tall. While some longtime fans of the Japanese movies believe that this Godzilla is “fat,” I loved the way he looked. It’s a modern and more realistic take on the monster. He looks believable and familiar at the same time. Visually, it made the battles and destruction more impactful. Through advancements in filmmaking, the directors and CGI crews were able to create a breathtaking sense of scale.

The element of Godzilla 2014 that surprised me the most were the humans. Most Godzilla movies go something like this:

Boring human stuff, boring human stuff, AWESOME MONSTER FIGHT!!! Boring human stuff, boring human stuff, AWESOME MONSTER FIGHT!!! Boring human stuff.

One of the most impressive things about Godzilla 2014 is that a lot of the human stuff is really good. Sure, there are some overly dramatic scenes and a few instances of ridiculous anthropomorphism, but a good chunk of the story is very good. There were a few moments where I was so caught up in the drama that I forgot I was at the theater primarily for glorious monster battles.

That isn’t to say that all the acting was great and all the story elements were winners. The first half of the movie was far better than the second half as far as plot goes. Godzilla 2014 is initially driven by the excellent Bryan Cranston. He brings so much to the film. You feel his sense of loss, the pressure he feels for being viewed as a conspiracy nut, and how empty his life has become. The second half of the film is driven by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) and while he does have pretty blue eyes, they’re no substitute for the acting chops that Cranston brought to the film. Elizabeth Olsen is just hot. I melted a bit every time she was onscreen. Ken Watanabe was decent, but I’m still waiting for him to have a performance as great as the one he pulled off in The Last Samurai.

Really though, the human parts of the movie are all about context. As I enjoyed the human scenes in Godzilla 2014, I couldn’t help but think about Pacific Rim. When I reviewed the movie last year, only some of its human elements bothered me. Since it’s been on cable rotation, Pacific Rim seems dumber and dumber each time I watch it (the Honest Trailer didn’t help). Obviously some suspension of disbelief is required with Godzilla 2014, but it doesn’t have the nonsensical human elements of Pacific Rim that make it hard to rewatch (the robot vs. kaiju battles are still awesome). More importantly, the actors and writing in Godzilla 2014 are just superior to what Pacific Rim served up.

A few random bits:

There were times when I wanted to call the movie Kick-Ass, The Last Samurai, and the Hottest Olsen Sibling Watch Godzilla Destroy Stuff.
Kick-Ass’ character’s name is Ford. I found that a bit distracting. There were times I wondered, “Is his middle name Pinto?” and, “Why didn’t his father name him after a better car company?”
I found every scene with Sally Hawkins completely distracting. The way her hair and makeup were done, she looked like a human version of Sarah from Team America. That was just weird.

At the end of the night, I left the theater as the Asian-American kid that gleefully watched Godzilla movies on a black-and-white television in the kitchen. That’s to say that I very much enjoyed Godzilla 2014. It left me more than satisfied, relieved that American moviemakers finally got it right, and anxious for a sequel. The special effects were better than I dreamed they would be and in between the glorious monster skirmishes, there’s some nice acting (mostly Bryan Cranston) and writing. If you find monster battles and wanton destruction the least bit entertaining then you’ll absolutely love Godzilla 2014.

[For another take on Godzilla 2014, be sure to check out PaulSemel.com’s review.]