Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (Michael Dougherty, May 31, 2019) Movie • Page 27

If Anguirus is already dead then what’s the point of even continuing this franchise

 

There are about 5 or 6 out of 33 films that have humans as prominent characters. The other films just have them as an excuse to get the monsters fighting. It worked because Japan doesn’t expect the same level of art in films that Americans tend to.

The original Godzilla has the best. The entire “kill Godzilla or learn from it” debate as well as Serizawa’s position with oxygen destroyer and the love triangle is good.

Shin Godzilla is a good one. Some critique the dialogue and actions of the characters but they were designed to critique the way the Japanese government handled the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami.

The most interesting character, imo, in the Godzilla universe is Broderick’s character in the ‘98 film.

 

ok so yeah my take still stands

 

There’s so many different kinds of Godzilla movies you can get away with basically anything. I don’t think Americans expect any kind of high art in movies, quite the opposite actually. Even though the human story in this one is worse than 2014 people still seem to like it better because MORE ACTION. MONSTERS FIGHTING. Personally I enjoy both and it’s an Alien/Aliens situation for me.

 

I think this is my main issue with it, the movie feels like it can't decide whether to go in the campy direction or try to be a serious story. I think they took the wrong lessons from the "boring humans" critique of the first one and thought inserting cookie cutter family drama and more comic relief would be better. It turned out to just be frustrating and lacking in overall self-awareness. The 2014 Godzilla, while definitely flawed, at least seemed to have a more coherent vision. This a fun overall movie, but I hope they lean harder into the campy tone for the next one.

 

did anyone else feel like the second half of the movie (which is much more dire/a main character dies) had like, a ton of jokes all of a sudden?? so weird

 

I'm in rant mode now. Sorry, I can't help it.

I would have made the plot less convoluted. I would have started with a flashback cold open with the discovery of Ghidorah by Monarch frozen in ice. Then we jump to modern day, society is coping with the aftermath of 2014 and the question about what to do with titans. Something goes wrong at the Monarch site holding Ghidorah, he awakens causes destruction. Then he travels to wake up Rodan. The humans try to defeat Ghidorah before this happens but are completely useless. As soon as Rodan wakes up, Godzilla arrives to kick some ass. Here we have a big fun monster fight with Rodan and Ghidorah vs Godzilla and Godzilla is ultimately defeated. Rodan & Ghidorah then go on a rampage and are waking up other titans across the globe. The humans are helpless to stop them, hoping to wake Godzilla back up. To do this, they set Mothra free (add in the twins mythology here). Then Mothra & Godzilla team up to defeat Ghidorah & Rodan. We have one big final showdown in Boston (yea, we are definitely still destroying that city). Godzilla defeats Ghidorah, all the titans bow to Godzilla. Except Godzilla smacks the shit out of Rodan for siding with Ghidorah.

I'd get rid of Charles Dance and the family dynamic entirely. I'll keep Vera Farmiga's plan to set all the titans free with her revealing that she set Ghidorah loose. But as she's giving this speech near the end of the movie she's blasted away by Ghidorah.

 

In order for the human story to be both good and serious, the screen time for the monsters will have to be toned down.

The three critically acclaimed Godzilla films with the most praised human stories are

Godzilla ‘54
Godzilla ‘14
Shin Godzilla

All of which have less than 25 minutes of screen time for Godzilla.

 

yeah i feel like if it had had, i dont know, 10-15 minutes less human stuff it would have made such a difference, because none of it really worked and there were too many characters doing basically nothing aside from saying, "wow, godzilla sure is big huh? crazy."

 

The more I sit on this movie the more I hate it. I’d prob watch Dark Phoenix again before I watch this again.

The trailers for this were unreal ugh.

 

The first trailer is a masterpiece.

 

Shin godzilla won best picture in Japan. What would be the equivalent of that here?

 

It was also a huge significance culturally. A lot of Japanese people caught the 2011 tsunami influences and loved how the government was portrayed as incompetent. It’s almost on par with what the original Godzilla meant to Japanese audiences (after the shock and distaste that lingered for the first month of its release).

The equivalent of that here would be Best Picture at the Oscars because it won Best Picture at the 40th Japan Academy Prize.

Also, JAP also has its own “foreign film” category that’s usually just American films lol It’s interesting to see which American film usually wins though.

 

The human story in King Kong vs Godzilla is so wild haha.

At one point dude breaks out bongos to play to put King Kong to sleep like his islanders do.

 

I used to want to drink the red juice in the jars that Kong would slurp down

 

I meant more like what would be the American equivalent of Godzilla winning. Like Kaiju films are a purely Japanese cultural thing so for American films it would be what? Westerns? Super hero movies?

 

I don't buy the notion that there isn't a way to make an American Godzilla movie with good characters and a solid and coherent story, or that the filmmakers shouldn't even try because this is 'just a Godzilla movie'. That's bullshit. And that notion lets filmmakers like Michael Dougherty off the hook much too easily. This film cost $170 million and then some.

Godzilla '14 was absolutely a coherent, unified vision, and I think it was so damn close to being a masterpiece. I have found an increased appreciation for the film since people on here pointed out that it follows the Jaws / Alien blueprint, but I still think it is let down by not having well-written characters. Nobody in G '14 resonates on the level of Robert Shaw as Quint or Roy Scheider as Chief Brody. I don't think the actors in the film are bad actors either. I have seen Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen each give fantastic performances recently in Outlaw/King and Wind River, respectively. I do also think that the story decision to kill off Bryan Cranston's character at the point in the film when they did was a huge mistake, and one that the film never fully recovers from.

Godzilla: KOTM is loaded with actors that have given outstanding and compelling performances in other things, and for the most part they are wasted here - stranded by an overblown, illogical, poorly written mess of a story.

I think it is a shame, and I also think it reflects poorly on Hollywood's blockbuster output regarding pretty much anything non-MCU. As justin. pointed out earlier, Shin Godzilla won "Picture of the Year" and "Director of the Year" at the 40th Japan Academy Prize. I realize that Godzilla as a character and as an idea plays much differently for Japanese audiences than it does for American audiences, but that shouldn't be a reason to not work hard and try to craft a version of that story that attempts to work as powerfully and resonate as much for American audiences.

 

I would say if Black Panther won Best Picture then it would be the closest equivalent to Shin Godzilla winning. The genre is unusual for Best Picture wins but the cultural significance boosted it.

 

I think a good American Godzilla movie could be made with a compelling human story. It would just need to cut down on the monster action and only focus on Godzilla or, at most, one other monster as a subplot when it comes to kaiju. The story would also need to be more than humans trying to escape Godzilla and finding family. There has to be a message that reaches beyond family which is why Godzilla ‘14 and KOTM didn’t do so well.

 

I'm sure it's possible, but I'm just content recognizing the thing isn't great and having a blast with it anyways

 

I've actually grown to really like '14s theme of the insignificance of man in comparison to the power of nature, but I feel like it could have had a stronger climate change type origin for Godzilla. This one tries to shoehorn some climate change messaging in, but it feels like it's giving lip service to the theme as opposed to committing to it.

 

Still can't get over how much I loved Mothra in this though. So perfectly designed.

 

Wonder how much money they're paying PUBG for all the ads.

 

This made another 8 million this weekend...I guess it has a chance of getting 100 mil domestically which is obviously disappointing but at least it made a profit world wide

 

Some of that was me.