I honestly can’t remember where I started this trope for Movie Slate’s blog, but I think the whole thing about her having massive crushes on dragons that are several times her own size has gotten out of control, at least in the subtext. I wasn’t even thinking when coming up with her pose, then suddenly found myself posing her in a rather alluring manner like she’s about to ask if there is a Dragon Lady waiting for him at the nest. And good grief, I don’t know if I ever want to stop insinuating that Movie Slate has a dragon fetish. They’re too big for her anyways, I doubt anything will ever come out of it. I’m quite happy with the way Torch came out in this one. He’s a bit further away, had I drawn him closer we’d only be seeing his lower jaw.
 
I think the biggest failing of ““Q, The Winged Serpent[](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084556/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1) is the way it connects its two genres. There have been movies that do this sort of thing, where they start as one movie and then they turn into another movie, “From Dusk til Dawn” being perhaps the shining example on how to subvert the audience’s expectations with a plot twist so out of nowhere it makes absolute perfect sense. But the way this movie and others make it work is by setting a tone that seamlessly works the audience from one setting to the next. “Q” never does this. It keeps the gangster stuff from the perspective and tone of a gangster movie, while doing the kaiju stuff from the perspective and set up of a kaiju movie. At many points it feels like someone is behind you switching back and forth on the TV with a remote, unsure as to what to stay on and get watching. I’d say it’s a deal breaker if it wasn’t because of how much fun the whole movie is.
 
You’d think I’m lying, but I’m not. I seriously enjoyed this movie. In all honestly the concept of a gangster plot that suddenly gets interrupted with a giant flying snake is one that should be celebrated. It’s like watching “Heat” then all of a sudden they fall into a sewer to meet with the Ninja Turtles. It’s weird, and bizarre, really out there and you’d think it stops there, but there’s also a good amount of likeability to be found in the main characters. While David Carradine is just doing his usual tough guy David Carradine thing, he’s just so good at it that I couldn’t help but be swept away. And I am happy to say that Michael Moriarty’s character continues the trope of likeable characters in kaiju movies making everything better, with his sleazy weasel of a character carrying a tone of pathos with a very human and sincere performance. It shouldn’t work, but by golly ding-dang-dong if it doesn’t fucking do so. It’s just so entertaining to watch, and towards the end I found myself rooting for these two to defeat the giant monster and the gangsters, in the sort of climax that belongs to a Fallout game.
 
So after all, and despite its many failings, I think I can recommend “Q” if only for the oddity and the bizarre value that it carries. Its likeable characters, earnest performances and downright insanity of set up carry it further enough that you can ignore the problems with tone, editing, and some bizarre pace issues. Which for a movie with these stakes it’s nothing to sneeze at.
 
I hope you guys enjoy the picture!