Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Just saw it today, and that was my big criticism, too. I really got drawn into the main lead character's story, motivation, obsession, and then redemption--and then the focus shifts completely to his son, who was not very interesting, IMO.

Hmm...I don't know what I think about this movie. I'm a big Godzilla fan and I think I have about 90% of his films on DVD. I liked a lot about this one, but it just didn't completely gel for me. I was okay with the buildup, the backstory, the screen time for G, and the effects--- I think a big problem for me is that visually it was just too dour, gray and gloomy. Didn't hate it, but didn't love it--I may have to see it again to form an opinion.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Kaiju Eiga expert Steve Ryfle on "The Whitewashing of Godzilla," at World Cinema Paradise:

www.worldcinemaparadise.com

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

For those of you who disliked this film, have you seen the original film? I don't mean the original film as in the bastard American version, I mean the original Japanese film.

I really dug this remake and one of the reasons is it tonally similar to the original, specifically in regards to the slow burn. Both focus more on the human element than Godzilla himself, but this remake/reboot has way more destruction.

If you wanted a Godzilla film consisting of nothing but money shots, there's Godzilla: Final Wars. At the same time, the "human element" to that film is far worse.

"Without that context, the latest installment is about nothing."

That's not wrong, but so were 90% of the sequels to the franchise, which have pretty much turned whatever metaphorical value the original film had into a massive toy franchise too. To be fair, Toho were complicit in doing it long before American productions starring the character ever appeared.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I have the Criterion BD of the original and I love it. The reason it works is because the characters and their plight are compelling. The fact is, despite being superficially like the original, the characters in this version don't hold a candle to the original and that makes it look worse by comparison. The slow burn and limited Big G scenes only work if you give a rats ass about the humans. Other than Cranston's character, was there anyone really worth caring about?

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Had a great time watching this one, I loved the build up to Godzilla making the finale really great. I've seen Pacific Rim quite a few times since it's been on HBO and each time I enjoy the robot/monster scenes and hate the characters even more since I saw it in the theaters but it really doesn't really match this as far as keeping interest for the entire length.

Unlike that movie, the characters in Godzilla are not overtly obnoxious in exposition and camp. Thin in material, sure I can agree to that, but they don't hurt the enjoyment of the movie on the whole. Everyone is serviceable in their roles and to progress the plot further leaving the movie to the real stars, the MUTO's and Godzilla, as it really should be. Isn't that the reason why everyone hates the Transformers flicks, because it's really Shia and the Robot Gang instead?

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Interesting article about the way the new movie distorts America's nuclear history. Thanks for the link.

BTW, this is the first thing I've read that identifies Watanabe's character as Dr. Serizawa, which is pretty significant, don't ya think? That was the name of the scientist who invented the Oxygen Destroyer in the first Gojira/Godzilla movie.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

This film was exactly what I expected it to be. My thought after seeing it was "Yep, that sure was a Godzilla movie."

The opening credits were fantastic.

His name was Ishiro Serizawa. The last name of course being a reference to the character from the original 1954 film, the first name presumably an homage to Ishiro Honda, the director of many of the original Showa films.

Well, that and the rampant misogyny, uninteresting characters, crass jokes, rambling narrative, frequently incomprehensible action sequences,and bloated over-length.

Where was Akira Takarada's cameo? I kept watching for it, did I miss it?

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Distorts for the narrative but it doesn't comfort the bomb either. It's not like it made us be heroes for making the bombs. We failed actually with the bomb for the film's narrative.

My issue with that article is this: is the bomb relevant now? In comparison to the property's associational history with the region. I don't think so. I don't think we needed him to be a property of the bomb now. I like that he was a force of nature in this film. It's not like Toho, for a good long while, really made his origin that important... Even though they used it as a first step to whatever mediocre narrative they'd do in, for example, the Millenium series. They rebooted G how many times in that series? 3 times, I think.

Have you seen it btw?

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I have the book he wrote and it's a must have for any G-fan. I got lucky when I found it for about $4 at a used book store. :) I have to say that I do agree with him. I was kind of disappointed that the G portrayed in the movie was not the "death incarnate" version we were lead to believe in the previews. Hell, the destruction we see in the previews is actually done by the MUTOs. However, I still liked the movie despite their decision to go with the "good guy" Godzilla.
However, he does seem kind of snobby about the original Japanese being the only true representation of the intended message. I think that's pretty much the case with all series that get Americanized.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Not to mention "flame farts".

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

They cut that scene out.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Haha. You're right. Unfortunately unless I monetize my videos and add advertising I have 3 to choose from, so it's oftentimes picking the best of the worst. :p

Thanks for checking out! I viewed the script flaws as:



In retrospect, some of these are a little nitpicky for an action, monster movie, but nevertheless things I thought about during and afterwards.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I agree. Liked how they built it up to be an event when Godzilla would be on screen. Reminded me of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Except that whenever the T-Rex made its grand entrance, the movie wouldn't randomly cut away to some other bullshit.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I guess we'll have to let the filmmakers' TDKR logic go, but I get what you mean.

He breathes atomic fire, and it's a "special power move", so he saves it to use sparingly because it drains his energy.

The MUTO was hovering over the railway, but was close enough to the tunnel entrance the men walked right under/over it.

Again, his atomic breath drained him, so he fell as that building collapsed onto him. The building itself isn't what took him out momentarily.

They decided to let them fight because what else can they do? The nuke was taken into town, so there's nothing to lure them away and no guarantee that would work. Since G was being seen as "nature's power" they figured might as well let him do his thing. Can't stop them anyway.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

how many megatons was the nuke again? I remember he says it and makes the comparison to the small size of Hiroshima with this nuke they have. Depending on the megatons the range varies.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

It wasn't made clear at all how far off-shore they took the nuke. With only five minutes or so it certainly wasn't far, but it was more than a couple hundred yards since it was just cruising out on auto. This is the only questionable problem to me, and someone theorized earlier that Godzilla absorbed the radiation. It's an all-too-easy answer, but within the context of the movie having creatures devour nuclear bombs, it absolutely works.

I don't think we need an explanation on how Godzilla breathes fire, unless you want a Godzilla autopsy. Plus, if you're going to question this, then you should question how the MUTO can create an EMP. We don't even know exactly how cats purr, and they are real creatures.

It is nighttime and foggy, all they have are a couple flashlights and the MUTO as I recall was standing over the tracks near the tunnel exit, so they wouldn't necessarily have noticed it anyway.

The building that fell on Godzilla towered over him when he was standing next to it.

The plan obviously went to hell - the nuke was inside the city with the MUTO hatchlings, after all. Godzilla and the MUTO's were already fighting by the time the soldiers even got the nuke on the boat.


I don't consider any of these, beyond the first, to be script problems, and the first was possibly answered. We don't need Dr. Serizawa to be inserted into every single scene as color commentary to explain what is going on, because sometimes it's just evident.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

Ok. You bring up some good points as there are some flaws with the movie. The nuclear bomb at the end could have been handled better. They sort of dug themselves into a hole with the bomb because if they had Ford stop the bomb, it would have been too cliche of an ending. If they had it go off and the fallout devastates San Francisco, it would have been viewed as too dark of an ending. So they went with a happy medium where the bomb goes off somewhere in the distance and doesn't have any devastating consequences. Is it realistic? Probably not but it's the ending they went with.

Godzilla's breath is atomic. This goes along with the point about the building falling on him. I don't think it's only the building that knocks him out. It's the use of the atomic breath. It took all of his energy. Also, Godzilla is supposed to be about 350 feet tall. He wouldn't be taller than all the buildings in San Fran.

I also don't think the military just decided to allow Godzilla to fight. After the MUTO stole the warhead, their plan had no chance for success and it became a race to stop the bomb from going off.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

While the yield does play into it, the biggest factor into how destructive a nuke is would be the altitude of the burst. You generally don't want a ground burst or one that's too high.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I hope this film doing well means that Toho will allow some of their other popular kaiju to be utilized for the sequel.

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

I'm actually glad we didn't get any classic Kaiju in this. It was cool to see something different for Godzilla. Not too outlandish but also very Kaiju.

I wonder if Toho will make their own now?

Wasn't the Millenium series decreasing in financial profit for them?

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

A fan art but very cool looking.


https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...17239057_n.jpg

Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) — The Reviews Thread
 

$93 million with all the IMAX showing, that was just about the amount I was thinking.

My IMAX was completely full for Godzilla.