sylkenvelvet

Revenge fantasies are tricky. They can get nasty and bitter.

Leverage is nothing but a series of revenge fantasies, but with all the tricks in hand. The plots are clever, the dialog is sharp, witty, and often side splittingly funny, and the fight scenes and special effects are great to watch. A very clever woman I know calls it "Competence Porn" -- smart people doing smart things in the most amazing, amusing way possible. Lots of little throw-away pop culture references just add sparkle, especially for the geek-minded.

The strength, though, lies in the interactions of the ensemble cast. Watching these characters learn to form a team over the series of episodes is the biggest part of the fun. From scary-maybe-psychotic Parker to tortured-alcoholic Nate, the mix of strengths and foibles in these characters make them interesting and involving. It helps, too, that the series works with a season long story arc -- yes, done in case the show wasn't picked up for the following season, but it still gives the episodes a nice feeling of continuity and closure.

I'm quite addicted to the show. I think it's a real winner, and I hope the things that make it strong continue through the third season.

It's hard to take this movie seriously as part of the overall Godzilla series, and that's fine. There's nothing serious about this movie except perhaps the producers intentions in creating it. It is a classically bad giant rubber monster movie, and that is exactly what makes it great. I've watched it dozens of times, and it never fails to make me laugh. I show it to friends at parties. All it lacks is captioning in badly typed Engrish.

Why is it so marvelous? Because it is so mockable! The special effects are wonderfully bad, so cheap they are glorious. Kong has duck lips (among other things). The story line is shockingly bad -- for instance, while every 'expert' in the movie claims ignorance of this "Mystery monster", they also know he is Godzilla! And he's the natural enemy of King Kong! And they are going to fight! The whole script is practically on the video cover. It could not be more perfect for what it is.

The added scenes for the American version are as typically awful as the hatchet job done on the original Gojira film -- it could only have been better if they'd dragged Raymond Burr back to stand around looking noble and clueless. Watching for the telling details is practically a game in itself. The humor built intentionally into the film isn't so great, but the unintentional humor can leave you breathless. The sincerity is palpable, and there is no irony. It's like Ed Wood took over the franchise for one film.

Don't go into this one looking for thrills, excitement, or tension. Don't look for development of the Godzilla story. There are no such moments, and if there were, they would ruin the movie. Don't even consider it part of the Godzilla legend -- there are much better movies in the series for the serious fan. Go in expecting a good time. Get out the popcorn and MST3K it. You'll laugh your rubber duck lips off.