Movie Review: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) directed by Adam Wingard

Kong is searching for other great apes in the Hollow Earth, a realm below the Earth's surface where a lot of primitive and prehistoric things live. His melancholy wanderings yield little more than an infected tooth. He returns to the surface where Trapper (Dan Stephens) gets him a replacement tooth courtesy of Monarch, an agency monitoring Kong's activities along with those of all the Titans on the Earth's surface. The main Titan is Godzilla, who wanders around fighting other Titans, typically stopping them from hurting humans (though there is plenty of destruction in his battles). Kong and Godzilla have been living peaceably thanks to living in separate parts of the world. Kong returns below the surface after his dental care and resumes his search for other apes. He becomes successful when he discovers an even deeper layer called the Subterranean World. The apes there live under the oppression of Scar King, a red ape with a bone whip and an enslaved Titan whose breath freezes things. Scar King wants to return to the surface of the Earth but has been kept in check by the Iwi people, a civilization whose only surface members used to live on Skull Island (where Kong was discovered back in the 1960s). The only survivor from Skull Island is Jia (Kaylee Hottle) who has been adopted by Monarch mid-level manager Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Their investigation into Kong's activities leads them to the Iwi civilization, creating some dramatic tensions for the humans. The conflicts between the monsters ramps up too.

The plot is quite outlandish. As if the Hollow Earth was not enough, there's an even deeper level! And a deeper mythology to go with it! The monsters behave more or less intelligently depending on the needs of advancing the story. The whole situation is a bit hard to take seriously, though probably no one expects to take it seriously. Some of the fight scenes are entertaining, though my pet peeve of the "obviously meant to be seen in 3D" bits of action are a little annoying when I am not watching it in 3D. The special effects are good if not always convincing. The ending was fairly standard without much surprise or satisfaction.

Mildly recommended--this is more of a special effects extravaganza with some good fight scenes between the monsters. I was entertained but not wowed. The story needs a lot of work.

Game Review: Exit: The Game: Kidnapped in Fortune City by Kosmos

Exit: The Game: Kidnapped in Fortune City designed by Inka and Marcus Brand and published by Kosmos

The sheriff of Fortune City (a town in the American Old West) has been kidnapped by one of the locals and is imprisoned in their cellar. You have come to town to right this injustice, not by being a gun-slinging vigilante. Instead,  you solve a lot of mysteries and riddles to discover which of the local hooligans does not have an alibi. The game proceeds through the usual imaginative puzzles.

The game uses a town map and several locations, including the jail, the gunsmith, and the saloon, to provide the initial puzzles to solve. The very first puzzle is to unlock the sheriff's journal, which provides some key information for the other puzzles as well. In typical Exit style, just about every component inside the shrink wrap is used in one way or another.

Location, map, and locked journal

I liked the use of locations, which allowed some non-linear problem solving. The game lets you choose which building to go to first. After all those puzzles are solved, then the players work on a couple of final puzzles that lead to the sheriff's location and the ultimate victory. Each location is its own fold-out page with valuable information on the front and back. The dispersal of clues throughout the other puzzles makes it possible to work on parts of the final solution before getting there, though obviously there's not enough to make the guess before the last puzzle.

As usual, we had one or two puzzles that we needed hints for, though one of them was because we weren't using a card we were supposed to have. We enjoyed it overall quite a lot (especially the name of the sheriff...R. Grimes--maybe we should have left him in that cellar to avoid the zombie apocalypse). A few other little jokes are thrown in. The game was a lot of fun and didn't seem as difficult as the rating states. 

Recommended.

Book Review: How to Destroy Western Civilization by Peter J. Kreeft

How to Destroy Western Civilization and Other Ideas from the Cultural Abyss by Peter J. Kreeft

Kreeft provides eighteen essays on the current state of our Western culture from a (mostly) philosophical view. A lot is going on that undermines the basic principles of our society, often in the name of being "tolerant" or "open-minded." The ongoing sexual revolution highlights the shift away from reality-based thinking. Truth and meaning are not found outside of ourselves; we choose them for ourselves. Reality is not something to discover and explore, which would mean that we need to be beholden to it. We need to accept reality and learn from it according to classical and Christian thinking. According to modern thought, we need to dominate, control, and define reality. 

Kreeft's discussion of the problems that arise is very insightful and interesting. He has a very entertaining style and is easy to read, thus making his ideas easy to understand and digest. He uses a lot of common sense, a tool often neglected in modern thinking. Providing solutions and ways to shift back into a better, more realistic way of thinking is refreshing. So many doom and gloom books are about how terrible things are without any sense of a way out. Kreeft does talk about our problems but provides plenty of answers too.

Recommended.

Random Minnesota Stuff 2024

Here's some stuff from our Minnesota trip that didn't make their own post...

We went out for brunch on Father's Day. Across the street was this amazingly large sporting goods store called Scheels. They have a ferris wheel and a fish tank archway! At the end of the trip, our kids rode the wheel.

Indoor ferris wheel

Putting the "aqua" in aqueduct?

Getting off

Next to our hotel for the first night is a large conference center called Earl Brown Heritage Center. The property was originally a family farm. It was bequeathed to a university in hopes that it would become a teaching farm or agricultural extension. The university wasn't interested and sold off the land. It eventually turned into a sprawling conference center that retains some of its farm roots.

Farm-like entrance

Not many farms have fountains

Entrance by the big parking lot

An odd bit of decoration

Questionable blend of farm and electronics

At least they have some livestock wandering around

We went over to Chanhassen to scope out the neighborhood and get dinner at a brew pub. We got their a little late and most of the brew pubs were closed for Sunday afternoon, even though it was Father's Day. 

One claim to fame there is a large dinner theater complex where we wound up having dinner (at their pub, not with a show). After that, we went over to another claim to fame--Prince's Paisley Park Studio. We were too late to get in there, too, so we took some pictures from outside.

The way is blocked!

The studio complex

The next day my father-in-law and I took my son to Concordia Language Village just outside Bemidji, Minnesota. He's studying Spanish so the village (where they spend a month speaking only Spanish) has a hispanic flavor.

Approaching the village

Spanish-language countries?

Checking in

Going to the dorm

The plaza

Main room

Saying farewell for the month

Grandpa and I drove back through Bemidji where we saw a famous site. Northern Minnesota is Paul Bunyon country and they have a famous statue of the giant lumberjack along with his faithful companion, the blue ox Babe. 

I am the shorter one

Not far away is a statue of Chief Bemidji, the native for whom the town got its name. 

The chief and me

On our way back south we stopped at Zappy's Cafe in Akeley. The food was really great but the service was even better. Look at how many tater tots that came with my burger!

A great meal

My wife and I went to have dinner with a cousin in the area. We walked around their neighborhood and took some pictures.

My wife and her cousin

Me and the missus

Playing in the community game room

On the last day, my wife and I had some time to explore on our own. We went to visit the Capitol. In the area is a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The bluff has some Native American burial mounds and educational displays.

Info on the burial mounds

An airplane guidance tower

Another view of the mounds

Nearby is a geocache that requires a ladder! We did not have a ladder.

Can you see it?

Maybe next time

We went to lunch (without the kids) to Yoerg Brewing Company, the oldest beer-maker in Minnesota. They first opened in 1848 (ten years before Minnesota became a state!). They brag about their "cave aged" beers. The current pub serves hundreds of beers from across the world but no IPAs, since you can get those anywhere (at least, that's what the proprietor said). 

Yoerg Brewing Company

I tried a flight of beers while my wife sampled a local root beer.

Five beers in one sitting!

From left to right above, Yoerg's Beer is a steam beer, which is a lager-style that is brewed in heat rather than cold-brewed; Yoerg's Roggenbier is a rye beer with a nice flavor like a hefeweizen; Westmalle's Dubbel is a Belgian-style bock beer with a rich flavor; Gulden Draak's Tripel Dark is a tripel beer (also Belgian) that has an even richer, nutty flavor. Left to right was also my preference for these beers, the tripel was definitely the best of many good drinks.

I had the Austrian kasekrainer (a cheese-filled sausage) and soft pretzel for lunch. Sauerkraut comes as a side along with a pickle and Dusseldorfer mustard.

Yummy

We decided to get dessert since they serve cheesecake made by nuns(!). I picked another beer off their extensive menu, the Doppelbock Oak/Smoke by Brauerei Heller-Trum in Bamberg, Germany. The malt is smoked-kilned with oak wood giving it a smooth and smoky flavor. I am a big fan of Lapsang Suchoong tea (which has a lot of smoky flavor), so this was delightful to me. The cheesecake was good too.

Beer and cheesecake

The whole experience was quite delightful. We will definitely come back here on our next trip.

The quiet interior on a Thursday afternoon

Book Review: Panya: The Mummy's Curse by M. Mignola et al.

Panya: The Mummy's Curse based on characters by Mike Mignola, story by Chris Roberson, art by Christopher Mitten, and colors by Michelle Madsen

Among the many oddball agents at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Panya stands out as someone who didn't do field work much, if at all. She was brought in to the B.P.R.D. after the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra found her mummified corpse and brought it back to life in the 1800s. This story jumps back to her youth and her first experiences with the paranormal in 1339 B.C. She's a child during the reign of Akhenaten, the one Pharoah who abolished the panoply of gods to worship one true God. In this book, he's more setting himself up as God's conduit, which does not work out so well. Panya's dad is one of the Pharoah's priests, so their family has to tow the line. Panya is more interested in the fun mythology of the previous theology and has some mystical visions, including a conflict between primordial cats, representing light, and snakes, representing darkness. Panya is called to seek the light and to find the truth behind the myths. She journeys in search of something she can't quite find though she has some fantastic adventures.

While I found the set-up for this story interesting, it didn't pay off in a satisfactory way. She never gets a semblance of truth or of getting closer to the secrets of the world. The narrative makes some odd jumps which had me trying to see if two pages were stuck together and I had missed something. The pages weren't stuck together but I still felt the lack. This reads like it needs some more narrative to let it reach a successful, or at least satisfying, conclusion. 

Barely recommended--more for Hellboy completists or fans of the character.

Movie Review: Shin Godzilla

Shin Godzilla (2016) co-written and directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi

A mysterious sea creature rises up from the ocean and attacks ships. It works its way into Tokyo harbor, where it destroys another ship and causes a breach in a transit tunnel under the floor of Tokyo Bay. The government becomes quite active but is slow to respond. A lot of theories are floated by various departments with only one maverick suggesting an enormous sea creature. The prime minister and his main advisors are reluctant to accept such an outlandish theory. The theory soon proves right as a great sea creature starts belly-crawling its way up one of the bay's tributaries. Destruction and mayhem ensue.

The movie focuses more on the government's disaster response, or lack thereof. They poke some fun at bureaucratic inefficiency and infighting as the situation develops. As the incident (set in modern day) spirals out of control, different plans are tried to stop the monster. Most don't do much, forcing Japan to make deals with other countries. Some local scientists have a scheme to stop Godzilla through a chemical process that should shut his body down, but will they get enough time to implement it before the Americans insist on using a nuke to get rid of Godzilla? The drama is okay, with some better moments and some lesser ones. It's interesting as a look at how difficult and sometimes inept a democratic bureaucracy can be. Certainly, it looks like a comment on the Fukushima disaster.

The depiction of Godzilla is very creative, though not in the best way. The creature evolves several times. The initial form is almost unrecognizable (the only hint is the distinctive dorsal fins and the title of the movie). Godzilla goes dormant several times during the movie, letting the human plot have time to react and move forward. Godzilla has some weird biological changes and random powers. Some powers seemed like they were convenient just to keep the plot going. The final resolution is a bit abrupt and unconvincing. I was not quite satisfied with the main character, which is a big problem in any movie, let alone a monster movie.

Only recommended for Godzilla fans/completionists. 

Capitol Building, Saint Paul, Minnesota

The capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul. The Capitol is the building in the capital where the state government meets. The current building is the third Capitol of the state. The project started in 1893 with approval for a new building. The cornerstone was laid in 1898 and the building opened in 1905. As the government grew, other building were created in the area. The building itself was expanded and the latest restoration effort was from 2013 to 2017, repairing the exterior marble, replacing the roof, and updating electrical and mechanical systems. They also restored much of the 1905 look to the interior.

Minnesota State Capitol

Over the entrance is The Progress of the State, often referred to as the "Quadriga." It's a Roman chariot that represent the forward motion of civilization, with the horses representing the four elements and the two women represent industry and agriculture. Together, they show the prosperity of the state.

The Progress of the State

The dome is 223 feet high over the main rotunda. 

Dome

View of the second floor walkway

More of the second floor walkway

Under the dome is a large marble star representing the state's motto, "The North Star State."

Star in the floor

View from the third floor

Display cases in the rotunda show battle flags carried by Minnesotans during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. 

Minnesota unit's flag

Civil War flag--not much left!

Flag pole carried by Civil War soldier

In the early 1800s, the area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio was called the Northwest Territory. Minnesota became a state in 1858, just before the Civil War broke out.

Northwest Territory plaque

Another plaque commemorates those who died during the Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Gettysburg memorial

Allegorical frescos and painting are all over the building.

A random fresco

The Governor's Reception Room is on the first floor and is used to impress guests, hold press conferences, and provide workspace for meetings. The decor has been restored to the 1905 grandeur, including several paintings of Civil War scenes.

Governor's Reception Room

One corner

Second Minnesota Regiment at Mission Ridge by Douglas Volk

The basement has a cafeteria called the Rathskeller. We were fascinated by the information here. A rathskeller was typical in German government buildings--a bar or restaurant was put in the basement where legislators could relax and interact with the public. The builders imitated this bit of German history (since many immigrants to Minnesota were German). A lot of mottos and sayings were put up in German, some promoting the joy and camaraderie from drinking together. The popularity of Germany tanked during World War I and of drinking during Prohibition, so the decor was changed considerably. By 1999, a restoration project was started to give it back its original flavor.

Rathskeller

Patriotic ceiling decor

On the second floor, the Minnesota House of Representative and the Senate meet in magnificent chambers. The house has 134 representatives who have two-year terms of office; the senate has 67 members who have four-year terms.

House of Representative

Seating chart

Skylight

Senate Chamber

Seating chart

Fresco in the Senate

Another Senate fresco

The hallways have lots of paintings, sometime of common people at their professions.

Lumberman

Milk maid

Tomorrow, Today, and Yesterday

The Minnesota Supreme Court has a chief justice and six associate justices. Their chamber is also on the second floor.

Supreme Court chamber

Back outside, we discovered that it had started to rain. I took one last picture looking over at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in the not too far distance.

Separation of church and state!