[Weekly Update] The Good Parts of Godzilla X Kong

Writing this update nice and early, because I can't sleep.

CHANNEL UPDATE

Hope you enjoy our video on Three Kingdoms adaptations. It was a ton of fun to make, mainly because I get to rewatch some of my favourite shows. It's also nice to make a video that I just know what to talk about without the need for extensive research.

It's interesting to see how differently the 2010 versions of Three Kingdoms was received. In China, a lot of people still think it is kinda a cringe series, with illogical changes leading to plot holes and tonal inconsistencies. But internationally, everyone seems to love it. Expectation really is the foundation of a review.

I understand that people may want us to make a similar video for Journey to the West, or even Water Margin. But Three Kingdoms is a rather special case, as it is the only one you shouldn't start with the book. There simply isn't a Journey to the West adaptation that's faithful, good, and also up to date. The novel is also an easy read, as all the character names are translated literally rather than phonetically. As for Water Margin... it has significantly fewer adaptations to go around. It'll be a short video.

Anyway, the first draft for our next video is complete. I just need to edit and record it. The script will be uploaded soon-ish. Tang dynasty here we come.

I think I'll go back to Ah Girl Go Army and see if I can finally put my thoughts into words. I'm not watching the sequel, though.

Oh and by popular demand, our bonus video will be about Planet of the Apes.

MEDIA TALK

So, I finally went to the cinema, partly because after uploading a video on Monday I was feeling the need to change my routine up. But mostly I felt like I should go to the cinema because that's my job.

There really wasn't a lot in theatres right now. Monkey Man is, unfortunately, not available. So I went to see Godzilla X Kong, a movie that really didn't need Godzilla but still included him just for marquee value.

This is by far the most wrestling style Godzilla film I have ever seen, and I have seen every single Godzilla movie. Everything from back body drop to pocket sand, to villain using a freaking chokehold to force a submission, the choreography is simultaneously amazing and also really fake. In a way, I like it better than Godzilla vs Kong because of this. The film does a better job at removing any pretence and go straight into the camp. This movie is about big Monkey finding a home, and you get exactly that and more.

I guess I don't need to spell out the bad parts of the film any more. By now, you know there'll be a lot of expositions from characters you don't care about. Instead, let's talk about the unexpected good parts.

Within the fandom, there's always this idea floating around: If the human characters are so boring, why don't we just make a movie with only the monsters? Well, this is pretty close to it. Large part of the film is told through Kong's perspective, without a human in sight. Impressively, these sequences all managed to tell a cohesive, if not emotional story through visual alone. It's a testament to the creature design, as they all can emote well enough that I can understand them without a single line of dialogue. Granted, the characters are stock wrestling characters. But for a kid who aren't familiar with wrestling, I think it'd be quite a magical experience.

Kong is also super relatable in this movie. You know why he does things, and feel what he feels. His character arc and personal journey may not be anything big, but because I'm always on the same page as him, I still feel a sense of satisfaction by the end of the movie, as if I just cleared a game or something.

The villain monster is hit or miss. It certainly is refreshing to pit Kong against an enemy that isn't stronger, but more cunning. The design certainly reflects the fact that this monkey plays dirty, and you love to hate him. I suppose in this aspect, he is memorable and thus, successful.

Finally, while I'm not the biggest fan of the characters, the actors all did an amazing job with what was given. They managed to make these characters NOT annoying. The thought gets more impressive the more I think about it.

Anyway, that's the update for this week. A bit of a shorter one this time. Hopefully I can to see a few more movies in the coming days or sometime next month. I'll get the script finalize tomorrow, and hopefully the video will be out soon!