Uncategorized
https://nerdist.com/article/godzilla-king-of-monsters-hidden-deep-cut-character-mothra/
Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters follow!
The newest official entry to the world of Godzilla comes from the U.S. and takes on some of the 65-year-old series’ most iconic monsters, including the titular reptile and his famed fellow kaiju King Ghidorah and Mothra. But after watching the wicked monster-mash that is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we think there might have been a hidden-in-plain-sight deep cut character from the fan fave franchise.
The roster of human characters in Godzilla: King of the Monsters include many a famous face, but it’s Ziyi Zhang’s Ilene Chen who got our theory brain whirring. The searingly intelligent scientist is a third generation member of the monster fighting organization Monarch and a key part of the team that has to deal with the massive outbreak of deadly creatures that fill King of the Monsters. But she also appears to be a key part of Godzilla lore. To truly understand who she is, we have to look back at the history of Mothra, the Queen of Monsters and bringer of peace.
Mothra was first introduced in Toho’s 1961 movie of the same name and initially seemed to be a vengeful monster focused only on the destruction of the people who kidnapped the two priestesses who protect her and herald her arrival (we’ll get back to them, they’re important). Over the years, she’s become better known as a peaceful heroine who often saves the day. One of the key parts of Mothra’s lore is that in many of her appearances she’s accompanied by a pair of twins who are known as fairies, priestesses, and The Mothra Twins. At first glance, they don’t appear in Godzilla: King of the Monsters… at least not both of them.
During the newest entry to the Western Godzilla canon, Mothra takes up residence in a waterfall in her cocoon form. Just as the humans and Godzilla need her the most, she appears in her glorious fully grown form. But if we take a closer look at that sequence, there’s a tease that Zhang’s Dr. Chen may well be this world’s vision of the heralds of Mothra. Whilst the rest of the team sits inside the Monarch outpost, Chen is outside when a familiar song begins to echo—it’s the tune that usually heralds the arrival of Mothra. As Ilene stares up at the huge titan, the stars begin to come down from the sky and seem to power up the massive moth-like hero.
It could have just been a nice nod to the more esoteric part of Mothra’s lore, but when Ilene shows her family album and explains that she is a third generation Monarch operative, the other two generations of women in her family were both pairs of female twins. There’s even a photograph that looks like it depicts Ilene and her own twin sister, though where the sister is now we don’t know. But according to the Monsterverse canon, Chen and her sister were the ones to discover Mothra in 2009, which again hints at a deeper connection with the creature.
It’s a brilliant twist on the more supernatural aspect of the original films, as here we see the role of the Mothra twins as one transposed to the world of science. Still, a deep understanding of the lore and world of the monsters are leveraged to help humanity when needed. Something that adds to this theory is Ilene sharing her grandmother’s motto, “Myth is our compass.” Throughout the history of Godzilla, the group of women who help Mothra has shifted and changed, and it’s pretty likely that Ilene Chen and her sister are just the latest iteration of the heroic heralds.
Images: Warner Bros., Toho
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks
The post Does GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS Include a Classic Deep Cut Character? appeared first on Nerdist.
Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters follow!
The newest official entry to the world of Godzilla comes from the U.S. and takes on some of the 65-year-old series’ most iconic monsters, including the titular reptile and his famed fellow kaiju King Ghidorah and Mothra. But after watching the wicked monster-mash that is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we think there might have been a hidden-in-plain-sight deep cut character from the fan fave franchise.
The roster of human characters in Godzilla: King of the Monsters include many a famous face, but it’s Ziyi Zhang’s Ilene Chen who got our theory brain whirring. The searingly intelligent scientist is a third generation member of the monster fighting organization Monarch and a key part of the team that has to deal with the massive outbreak of deadly creatures that fill King of the Monsters. But she also appears to be a key part of Godzilla lore. To truly understand who she is, we have to look back at the history of Mothra, the Queen of Monsters and bringer of peace.
Mothra was first introduced in Toho’s 1961 movie of the same name and initially seemed to be a vengeful monster focused only on the destruction of the people who kidnapped the two priestesses who protect her and herald her arrival (we’ll get back to them, they’re important). Over the years, she’s become better known as a peaceful heroine who often saves the day. One of the key parts of Mothra’s lore is that in many of her appearances she’s accompanied by a pair of twins who are known as fairies, priestesses, and The Mothra Twins. At first glance, they don’t appear in Godzilla: King of the Monsters… at least not both of them.
During the newest entry to the Western Godzilla canon, Mothra takes up residence in a waterfall in her cocoon form. Just as the humans and Godzilla need her the most, she appears in her glorious fully grown form. But if we take a closer look at that sequence, there’s a tease that Zhang’s Dr. Chen may well be this world’s vision of the heralds of Mothra. Whilst the rest of the team sits inside the Monarch outpost, Chen is outside when a familiar song begins to echo—it’s the tune that usually heralds the arrival of Mothra. As Ilene stares up at the huge titan, the stars begin to come down from the sky and seem to power up the massive moth-like hero.
It could have just been a nice nod to the more esoteric part of Mothra’s lore, but when Ilene shows her family album and explains that she is a third generation Monarch operative, the other two generations of women in her family were both pairs of female twins. There’s even a photograph that looks like it depicts Ilene and her own twin sister, though where the sister is now we don’t know. But according to the Monsterverse canon, Chen and her sister were the ones to discover Mothra in 2009, which again hints at a deeper connection with the creature.
It’s a brilliant twist on the more supernatural aspect of the original films, as here we see the role of the Mothra twins as one transposed to the world of science. Still, a deep understanding of the lore and world of the monsters are leveraged to help humanity when needed. Something that adds to this theory is Ilene sharing her grandmother’s motto, “Myth is our compass.” Throughout the history of Godzilla, the group of women who help Mothra has shifted and changed, and it’s pretty likely that Ilene Chen and her sister are just the latest iteration of the heroic heralds.
Images: Warner Bros., Toho
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks
The post Does GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS Include a Classic Deep Cut Character? appeared first on Nerdist.
Source: Roy JAMES Shakespeare / Getty
I am a part-time bra-wearer. That’s right—just part time. May aim is to only wear a bra when I absolutely have to, like for exercising, or times the AC may be blasting and my top will be thin. But, my default setting is to not reach for a bra when I get dressed. It’s really quite liberating. One of the very reasons I stay in sweats and big t-shirts for most of the day is the fact that putting on a bra is so damn tedious. You have to put the back in the front at first so you can see what you’re doing with those clasps, then you must put your arms through each strap, then you have to adjust the tightness of said straps because it never stays in place, and move that under-arm boob around so it isn’t spilling out over the sides. What a nuisance. I just reached a point when I realized I was wearing bras more for other people than myself, and I don’t want to anymore. If you do decide to go bra-less, there are some things you should prepare for—good and bad.
Never run late
Give yourself plenty of time to get everywhere because you don’t want to catch yourself running to catch a bus, or running from your parking spot to the venue or…just running at all. Because you don’t have a bra on and running bra-less hurts.
You’ve seen one rom-com, you’ve seen it all, but yet there is something a little unique about the film Always Be My Maybe, and a lot of it has to do with its eccentric and diverse cast.
Always Be My Maybe stars Ali Wong (Sasha) and Randall Park (Marcus) as two kids who develop an impenetrable friendship. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and Sasha and Marcus have a falling out. The two separate and don’t speak to one another for 15 years. One fateful day, Sasha is now a chef and opens a restaurant in the town where she grew up in San Fransisco. As she hires a local maintenance team for repairs, she unknowingly runs into Marcus her old childhood friend. The two now have significant others and very different lives, but their connection has remained the same.
From filmmaker Nahnatchka Khan, most notably known for her work as showrunner for the sitcom series Fresh Off The Boat, Khan managed to find the time in her already busy schedule to create a cute rom-com for Netflix.
With a predominantly Asian cast, the comparisons to of Always Be My Maybe to the critically acclaimed Warner Bros film Crazy Rich Asians inevitably to be expected. However, what this rom-com captures that is unique is its relatability. While Crazy Rich Asians err to the side of more of a Cinderella fantasy rom-com, Always Be My Maybe is organic, authentic and could easily play out in the lives of anyone reconnecting with someone from their past. Marcus is kind of a goofball. He’s a weed-smoking blue-collar worker who plays in a band in his spare time. Sasha is a bit prudish, but she’s also a successful entrepreneur that has been so focused on her career she’s been blind to her choices in men. Her fiancé Brandon Choi is even more successful but also very obsessed with his image and celebrity. His loyalty to Sasha is lacking and this relationship is hanging on by a thread.
However, when Marcus re-enters Sasha’s life, her perspective begins to change and she’s finally seeing through rose-colored glasses what she’s been missing in her life. Marcus, too, learns some lessons from Sasha and tries his best to become a better friend to her and accommodate her lifestyle. When the two begin to compromise for one another, you quickly see where this is going.
The story is as old as time and the plot is pretty predictable. The reason Always Be My Maybe is worth your time is for the laughs, a refreshing blend of culture and an appearance by actor Keanu Reeves which is the highlight of the entire film. The laughs will not end after you see Keanu Reeves appear as an off-the-wall character filled with camp and charisma, which is in perfect Keanu fashion.
Michelle Buteau plays Veronica, Sasha’s colleague and friend who is having a baby that is ready to pop in any day. Michelle does an incredible job of keeping up the funny in each scene that she’s in as Veronica waddles around in her ninth month of pregnancy.
The character development is well done establishing moments of Sasha and Marcus’ lives as kids and the loss of a loved one when tragedy hits their home. Always Be My Maybe also has an eclectic selection of music with a beautiful blend of hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul. The music helped set the tone to the backdrop of this story set in San Fransico.
Always Be My Maybe is far from anything super original, but its cast makes up for its idiosyncrasies and there is a large audience that will likely devour this film.
Always Be My Maybe streams on Netflix May 31st.
The post Review: ‘Always Be My Maybe’ Tells Us Old Friendships Never Die appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.