View Poll Results: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
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Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
05-16-14, 10:18 PM
#126
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05-16-14, 10:20 PM
#127
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
See I wanted more G by a slightly larger margin but if they went all out with him the whole time I'm sure the presence and tone for the character would've been wildly different. I just would've liked to not be teased the first two fights.
Saw it again tonight. Godzilla blasting away got HUGE love from the night audience. You could tell some people didn't know about the breath and it was awesome to hear their reaction.
Saw it again tonight. Godzilla blasting away got HUGE love from the night audience. You could tell some people didn't know about the breath and it was awesome to hear their reaction.
05-16-14, 10:46 PM
#128
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
This film was Godzilla fighting the Cloverfield twins and he gets less screen time than them.
05-16-14, 10:48 PM
#129
DVD Talk God
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I'm not going to write some 10 paragraph review which nobody will read. This isn't the New York Times. I gave it 4 out of 5 and probably around a B. The creature design was fantastic & the special effects were awesome. Edwards and company got it right as opposed to Emmerich and company back in 1998.
I looked at this movie as more of a throwback to the old Toho Godzilla movies from the 50's and 60's. Especially when they focused alot on the Mutos for the first half of the movie. I agree with some of the earlier comments that the human characters were a weakness. I just didn't think Ford, Elle, Sam were developed well enough. I also wished they would have given Joe a little more credibility instead of portraying him as some lunatic.
best scene was when Joe screamed like a little girl during the opening meltdown.
I'm anxiously awaiting Godzilla vs Mothra.
I did see the movie in IMAX 3D, while the IMAX aspect was cool, the 3D wasn't that great. Nothing really stood out as wow.
I looked at this movie as more of a throwback to the old Toho Godzilla movies from the 50's and 60's. Especially when they focused alot on the Mutos for the first half of the movie. I agree with some of the earlier comments that the human characters were a weakness. I just didn't think Ford, Elle, Sam were developed well enough. I also wished they would have given Joe a little more credibility instead of portraying him as some lunatic.
best scene was when Joe screamed like a little girl during the opening meltdown.I'm anxiously awaiting Godzilla vs Mothra.
I did see the movie in IMAX 3D, while the IMAX aspect was cool, the 3D wasn't that great. Nothing really stood out as wow.
05-16-14, 10:51 PM
#130
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
05-16-14, 10:55 PM
#131
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
You're right, and I didn't want endless shots. I know that seeing Godzilla could have become tedious if he was on screen for a ton longer. I also appreciate that he was this force of nature that had some real presence. That said, I still feel that the scale was tipped a bit too far in the sparing usage of Godzilla for my tastes. I wasn't calling for another 30 minutes of him, but maybe another 10. It really felt like we spent more time with the other monsters than the King.
05-16-14, 11:06 PM
#132
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I was immensely bored. The MUTOs looked terrible, and seemed to be more robotic in nature, as opposed to something a bit more fluid and naturalistic. The story was virtually non-existent. The acting was as wooden as I've seen in a while.
If you were to take away the final battle, which seems to be the only thing people are truly enjoying about the film, what's left?
If you were to take away the final battle, which seems to be the only thing people are truly enjoying about the film, what's left?
05-16-14, 11:40 PM
#134
Banned by request
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
The MUTOs are meant to be insectoid, and I can think of several insects with angular features like that.
05-16-14, 11:43 PM
#135
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
Guys, chill. I had quibbles, too, but you forgetting this is Gareth's second movie, and first big budget flick. He'll do a better job with the sequels.
05-17-14, 12:17 AM
#136
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
So Saw this for the second time tonight. Saw it last night in 3D in a crappy theater with blah picture and crappy sound. Saw it tonight in 3D in a fantastic theater and wow This movie is beautiful.
Seeing this the second time tonight.. Maybe I was in a better mood for Godzilla, maybe I was so hyped and excited for the movie the first time but I LOVED it the second time. Loved every time a Monster was on screen, there was a good setup. They set up the scale of the creatures in every shot so well. The first half with Bryan cranston was almost perfect. Creepy and tense. Some scenes with the MUTOs (Scene on the railroad) were amazing. The whole Hawaii Sequences blew my mind. So well done. I do wish we saw that fight but wow the build up was awesome.
Loved the atomic breath, the ending, it was awesome. I do wish there was more Godzilla. but even with that. Fuck it was sweet. Way Better then Pacific Rim. I loved that movie but it was all action. No Build up, no suspense and I don't think a sense of scale of the creatures because everything felt so CG and stylized.
First viewing I'd say 9/10. Second time I'd say 10/10. Its not perfect but I enjoyed it so much. It was a packed theater that clapped at the end. It was awesome.
Seeing this the second time tonight.. Maybe I was in a better mood for Godzilla, maybe I was so hyped and excited for the movie the first time but I LOVED it the second time. Loved every time a Monster was on screen, there was a good setup. They set up the scale of the creatures in every shot so well. The first half with Bryan cranston was almost perfect. Creepy and tense. Some scenes with the MUTOs (Scene on the railroad) were amazing. The whole Hawaii Sequences blew my mind. So well done. I do wish we saw that fight but wow the build up was awesome.
Loved the atomic breath, the ending, it was awesome. I do wish there was more Godzilla. but even with that. Fuck it was sweet. Way Better then Pacific Rim. I loved that movie but it was all action. No Build up, no suspense and I don't think a sense of scale of the creatures because everything felt so CG and stylized.
First viewing I'd say 9/10. Second time I'd say 10/10. Its not perfect but I enjoyed it so much. It was a packed theater that clapped at the end. It was awesome.
05-17-14, 12:30 AM
#137
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
Pacific Rim had it exactly right, realizing big monster fanservice is the way to please audiences. Pacific Rim simply didn't have the big name IPs for audiences.
05-17-14, 12:37 AM
#138
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I haven't seen this yet but I'm not really liking the sound of so little Godzilla in it. Whenever I'm watching a Godzilla movie, I get intensely bored when he's not in the action.
Pacific Rim had it exactly right, realizing big monster fanservice is the way to please audiences. Pacific Rim simply didn't have the big name IPs for audiences.
Pacific Rim had it exactly right, realizing big monster fanservice is the way to please audiences. Pacific Rim simply didn't have the big name IPs for audiences.
05-17-14, 12:41 AM
#139
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I unspoilerized this point to make mine. You're dead on. That was the single biggest letdown, even moreso than the shot of the zilla as the hospital bunker doors closed. I mean, to have zilla show up and confront the MUTO, then cut away to show Ford's kid sitting on the couch silently watching the fight on TV.... that was a hairball.
05-17-14, 01:54 AM
#140
DVD Talk God
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I liked it a lot. Very well done. I didn't mind that we didn't get to see godzilla really until later. Loved the end fight scene. That was bomb.
05-17-14, 02:04 AM
#141
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I liked it overall but I too thought Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen were wasted since they didn't really do a whole lot. Killing off Cranston's character so early on was a major letdown to me as I figured with him being prominently featured in the ads that he was going to have a larger part. Aaron Taylor Johnson was okay as the lead I suppose but nothing too special really. Overall though I had a fun time with the film though even if Godzilla himself isn't present all that much. The fight between him and the Mutos at the end was pretty cool. To me the film didn't feel long really and I didn't mind the slow buildup even if I do wish Godzilla had more screen time. I would say I had more fun with this than I did with Pacific Rim which I wanted to like but I kind of felt was a drag and had a really hard time getting into.
05-17-14, 02:18 AM
#142
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
Funny how many people are saying Pac Rim had it just right, because I seem to recall a lot of people ragging on it when it came out.
05-17-14, 02:26 AM
#143
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
What's funny is that, aside from the opening brawl and the Australian news clip, it takes an hour before we get any more Jaeger and Kaiju battles in Pacific Rim. So this movie must be extremely disappointing in terms of Kaiju action to compare so negatively.
05-17-14, 02:56 AM
#144
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
All I'm going to say is that if Godzilla is worse than Pacific Rim, I'll mail Gareth Edwards a package filled with the contents of my cat's litter box.
05-17-14, 03:40 AM
#145
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
05-17-14, 05:27 AM
#146
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
I unspoilerized this point to make mine. You're dead on. That was the single biggest letdown, even moreso than the shot of the zilla as the hospital bunker doors closed. I mean, to have zilla show up and confront the MUTO, then cut away to show Ford's kid sitting on the couch silently watching the fight on TV.... that was a hairball.
05-17-14, 07:08 AM
#147
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
Godzilla is a three-hundred foot tall monster who levels cities.
A bit of a difference there.
05-17-14, 08:09 AM
#148
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Re: Godzilla (Edwards, 2014) The Reviews Thread
The Jaws comparison is fair. You can tell that Edwards didn't want to linger on Godzilla shots until the very end. I'm also pretty sure that naming the family "Brody" was also intentional.
I hate to compare this to Pacific Rim because they are two different approaches to kaiju films. It's like trying to compare most of the sequels to the original Godzilla. I like what Edwards did here and prefer it. He invoked imagery of many different tragedies that have occurred in the past 15 years...9/11, Fukishima, Indonesian Tsunami, etc. The horror of the film comes from that imagery. We don't need to be heavily invested in these characters to feel sympathy or to even root for them to survive because we've seen these tragedies unfold in real life. It makes the horror seem real, just like I'm sure the original Godzilla did for Japanese audiences in 1954. There's also no forced comedy to try and lighten the mood.
Pacific Rim may have had more money shots but Godzilla's were more special to me. Looking back at it, I wanted Pacific Rim to be more like this film. Edwards did a great job and I'm looking forward to a sequel.
I hate to compare this to Pacific Rim because they are two different approaches to kaiju films. It's like trying to compare most of the sequels to the original Godzilla. I like what Edwards did here and prefer it. He invoked imagery of many different tragedies that have occurred in the past 15 years...9/11, Fukishima, Indonesian Tsunami, etc. The horror of the film comes from that imagery. We don't need to be heavily invested in these characters to feel sympathy or to even root for them to survive because we've seen these tragedies unfold in real life. It makes the horror seem real, just like I'm sure the original Godzilla did for Japanese audiences in 1954. There's also no forced comedy to try and lighten the mood.
Pacific Rim may have had more money shots but Godzilla's were more special to me. Looking back at it, I wanted Pacific Rim to be more like this film. Edwards did a great job and I'm looking forward to a sequel.
05-17-14, 08:14 AM
#149
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Jaws also used the shark as little as possible out of necessity because it almost never worked. Don't get me wrong, the film is brilliantly effective, I'm just saying that it wasn't entirely an aesthetic choice (or rather, it became one).
Anyway, as regards the lack of G and "not enough monsters" complaints, I echo them, but they're not inherently the problem. The human drama itself was just not interesting enough and frequently kind of clichιd. Cranston was good, but had a glorified cameo where every line of dialogue he had ended in an exclamation point, and Elizabeth Olsen was wasted. And while I understand what Edwards was trying to do, cutting away from the monster fights not once but twice was a little irritating. The finale was fun though, although why exactly G just wanders back into the ocean I didn't quite get. So he's the protector of Earth? Um, why? I initially thought that using all of that darkness in the big battle would be annoying and not let us see anything, but it turned out to be pretty effective and atmospheric. Watanabe is a good actor, but most of the cheesy, ominous dialogue he gets is a little ripe. Loved that they called him Serizawa though, hell of a nice touch, as well as the 1954 bit. I'd post a full review, but it'd be boring and no one would read it anyway
.
Anyway, as regards the lack of G and "not enough monsters" complaints, I echo them, but they're not inherently the problem. The human drama itself was just not interesting enough and frequently kind of clichιd. Cranston was good, but had a glorified cameo where every line of dialogue he had ended in an exclamation point, and Elizabeth Olsen was wasted. And while I understand what Edwards was trying to do, cutting away from the monster fights not once but twice was a little irritating. The finale was fun though, although why exactly G just wanders back into the ocean I didn't quite get. So he's the protector of Earth? Um, why? I initially thought that using all of that darkness in the big battle would be annoying and not let us see anything, but it turned out to be pretty effective and atmospheric. Watanabe is a good actor, but most of the cheesy, ominous dialogue he gets is a little ripe. Loved that they called him Serizawa though, hell of a nice touch, as well as the 1954 bit. I'd post a full review, but it'd be boring and no one would read it anyway
.