This is not a movie that children should watch but it is a kid's movie in logic and plot- and that glue and consistency makes everything come together to make a movie that I now consider one of my favorites. The writer/director clearly has a great love for both "kid befriends monster" movies and tokusatsu programming. And it's funny. The script is tightly packed with humorous moments in almost every line and scene. After my spouse and I saw this at the drive-in, we drove home recounting our favorite tiny moments that stood out and made us laugh the hardest.
With a background in practical effects and a passion for the material, we have a movie that's consistently funny and does this concept without being edgy or "shocking just to shock". Yes there's plenty of gore in select scenes but it isn't gore that's done to turn stomachs but instead as a gift to those who love practical effects and those who enjoy B horror. And this may sound strange but pretty much every scene and image of gore is done strategically for laughs. It doesn't linger on a scene or revel in it. It's an homage and a gag.
I want to also briefly mention the character and "monster" designs of this movie. Incredibly, each new horrible transformation or supervillain was head-to-toe encased in a lovingly detailed and distinct wild and creative costumes, each a nod to power ranger-esque villains. My favorite was a walking bucket of corpses who got ground up to weakly spray blood as their attack. It's hard to describe in words what was such a slate of fantastic and detailed character designs.
In the end I don't know if this movie will land with everyone. Like I said above, this is very much a kid's movie, though twisted into a bizarre alternate world version of one where swearing is a no go but someone shattering into a pile of viscera right in front of two children is fine. I do think that most people who looked at the premise and were intrigued will find this a lovingly crafted and very funny way to spend an hour and a half.
With a background in practical effects and a passion for the material, we have a movie that's consistently funny and does this concept without being edgy or "shocking just to shock". Yes there's plenty of gore in select scenes but it isn't gore that's done to turn stomachs but instead as a gift to those who love practical effects and those who enjoy B horror. And this may sound strange but pretty much every scene and image of gore is done strategically for laughs. It doesn't linger on a scene or revel in it. It's an homage and a gag.
I want to also briefly mention the character and "monster" designs of this movie. Incredibly, each new horrible transformation or supervillain was head-to-toe encased in a lovingly detailed and distinct wild and creative costumes, each a nod to power ranger-esque villains. My favorite was a walking bucket of corpses who got ground up to weakly spray blood as their attack. It's hard to describe in words what was such a slate of fantastic and detailed character designs.
In the end I don't know if this movie will land with everyone. Like I said above, this is very much a kid's movie, though twisted into a bizarre alternate world version of one where swearing is a no go but someone shattering into a pile of viscera right in front of two children is fine. I do think that most people who looked at the premise and were intrigued will find this a lovingly crafted and very funny way to spend an hour and a half.