Giantrobo

How does Toho get away with rehashing Godzilla with minimal changes in storyline? For instance, Godzilla took on Mechgodzilla again earlier this year....only this time...MG has G's skeleton. That's it! That's the only difference in storyline! Don't get me wrong, i'm sure it's kinda interesting and I would love to see it. But it sounds like Godzilla v "insert kaiju here". Godzilla is fighting the same monsters he fought 30 years ago and no one(BUT ME) accuses them of lacking originality???

When will Toho stop using G's DNA storylines(G V Biollante, G V DESTROYAH, G V MechaG...and so on) the way Star Trek writers whore off of TIME TRAVEL?????

Steve Phillips

As long as monsters stomp on stuff, I'm there.

PixyJunket

If the monsters were named after religious figures, I'd be all over that phiosophical genius.

Jason

I think Japanese popular culture is big on repitition. Every year, they run new sentai (power ranger) series that have the exact same story arcs year after year, changing only the actors and the costume theme. They've been doing this for about 30 years now. Sure, they're made for kids, but kid's programming does a lot to set their entertainment expectations for their whole lives, and reflects cultural norms. A lot of anime is based on repeated themes too.

Of course, maybe Toho is smart enough to give people what they want and not muck about too much with the formula. The series suffered in the 1970's when G went from being a monster to a kid friendly superhero type.

Besides, G movies are no more repetitive than James Bond movies.

The new G. v. MG looks good. It features a female lead character, which is unusual for a G movie, and the effects are getting better all the time.

cactusoly

I just wish toho would release all the Godzilla movies after godzilla 2000 on DVD in the US.

cultshock

I think Jason is pretty well right. Toho and producers of the sentai TV shows very much subscribe to the motto "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Unfortunately, in Japan, Godzilla films are looked upon as basically childrens films. So Toho barely bothers with much of a story, as long as it leads to a couple of big kaiju beating the hell out of each other.

I haven't seen the new one yet (G X MG) but its coming out on R2 DVD soon.

jaeufraser

Godzilla movies are stupid. There's no denying that, they're just dumb. But they're entertaining. And quite honestly, as was said before, people watch these things to see monsters stomp on things. If you want original stories, then you can't have them churning these monster mayhem movies out constantly.

Giantrobo

Thanks.

your post makes sense.

Dr. DVD

Godzilla movies are like pornos, you don't watch for the plot.

Giantrobo

Don't get me wrong, I'm a G-fan like anyone else.

I do wish they would go back to the realism of the 50's Godzilla. I mean the cities were torn apart and everyone was either freaked out, injured, or DEAD. Not happy go lucky as if a big monster doesn't bother them.

cultshock

I agree. I think GMK (2001) was the first G film since the original that actually depicted (more or less) people dying as a result of the damage inflicted by Goji and the others. It would be great if Toho continued in that direction.

Josh-da-man

Hmm. Godzilla vs. Jesus Christ. Godzilla and a big Jesus ripping up Tokyo. I'd pay good money to see that. Jesus could walk on water, too.

Or Godzilla vs. Shiva. Godzilla and a four-armed god beating the **** out of each other.

Godzilla bouncing off of a big fat Buddha's belly.

Godzilla vs. Mohommad. Sub-titled, Peace Be Upon Him. (Look for someone to earn a fatwa for that puppy!)

UAIOE

He wakes, he fights, he leaves. I know its not much, but do we really demand oscar caliber storyline when a giant lizard is breathing fire on poor Tokyo?

I watch because i am fasicnated with those miniture cities that are used in the movies.


I also watch for the wanton destruction of those model cities

SunMonkey

Dr. DVD

A reviewer here actually addressed that and said it wouldn't really work nowadays. The big problem is that when it all boils down, these are nothing more than big guys in rubber monster suits that no one can really take seriously. To try and be philosophical in the middle of ludicrous action really proves a stalemate.

Giantrobo

Well I guess that's it.


Serisouly, I see so much potential for Godzilla.... Oh well...

I'ts too bad G98 screwed up anyone else's(non japanese) chances of taking a crack at Godzilla.

milo bloom

Therein lies that truth that blows away all the attempts to brush off Godzilla films as mindless destruction flicks on the same level as pornography. G98 has mucho destruction and things blowing up, but it somehow rings hollow. The reason is the original Toho flick was an allegory on the dangers of nuclear power. Remember it was made in Japan in 1954, less than 10 years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan wanted to tell a story about power and it's misuse. While the series did take a decidedly jokey turn after a while, the point still remains that the monsters are symbolic of the fact that we humans are not much more than "carbon-based infestations" of this planet to crib a phrase. I think in the novel of Jurassic Park, Malcolm makes the statement about if all humans were to disappear today, the earth would recover in a geological blink of the eye. We would not be missed. However, if the nuclear arsenal we have that is strong enough to blow up the world a thousand times over were used, then I think we would make a bit more of a dent.

I think we would do well to take such tales a little more seriously.

Dr. DVD

Let me say that when I made the point about Godzilla movies being about guys in rubber outfits, I was referring to the later ones with the hokey feel. I too must admit that the original G flick of 1955 was really eerie. It just seems that trying to make a serious flick with guys in rubber suits would undermine a message nowadays. That, and the fact that the G movies always wind up dubbed hurts. Dubbing, IMO, can lower any movie a couple of notches IMO, including great ones like CTHD.

Giantrobo

Thank you and I guess that was my point all along.