That said, I still think Bryan Cranston is terrible in GODZILLA!
GODZILLA Movie Thread
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AndyDursin
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Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Fantastic job Michael, this is one of those great threads we should keep referring back to! I've enjoyed reading all of your posts and contributions!!
That said, I still think Bryan Cranston is terrible in GODZILLA!
That said, I still think Bryan Cranston is terrible in GODZILLA!
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Thanks for the encouragement Andy! I am glad you enjoyed the reviews! 
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AndyDursin
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Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Firing this back up in lieu of the new movie's release in a couple of weeks.
Because it was $15 (and selling off the digital copy brought it down to about $7!), I picked up the 4K UHD of the '98 GODZILLA, which I hadn't sat through in a while. The transfer and soundtrack on this disc are spectacular, so from a technical perspective I'm happy I picked it up. Yet time hasn't improved this movie. Yeah, I liked it at the time, I don't entirely hate it now, and certainly it's watchable in terms of the creature sequences and set-pieces. The issue is that there aren't enough of them -- there's just way too many silly characters, treated too lightheartedly. It's like all the worst elements of INDEPENDENCE DAY amplified, though truth be told, there really aren't that many differences between the two films tonally.
The casting is a big problem, though admittedly, with the script and tone being so broadly played, there's not a lot that could've been done there. Jean Reno is the only element of this movie that really worked at all, but in a movie where nearly everyone is the comic relief, it's not as effective as it should've been. Broderick plays it too broadly. Hank Azaria strains to convey being a stereotypical "New Yorker". The Siskel & Ebert portrayal is ridiculous. And Maria Pitillo really is awful -- totally unappealing in a career-sinking performance.
The largest problem of all? It's not Godzilla. It looks like Draco from DRAGONHEART. It doesn't act like Godzilla, it doesn't look like Godzilla...if this movie was just about some mutated creature running around, it's possible it wouldn't have been as derided. Certainly wouldn't have had to carry around the baggage of the name. Yet, Emmerich and Devlin seem to have no idea what Godzilla is -- or were disinterested in making a "Godzilla movie." Hence the switch to a JURASSIC PARK ripoff with the raptors...sorry, baby Godzillas...running around in the second half, or having the monster lay eggs in general. Yet, with the two of them having all kinds of power after ID4's success, Sony gave them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted -- and this was the result.
There are some fun scenes with those little monsters, but this is more like a comical KING KONG, chock full of product placement and repetitive dumb dialogue. And the ending? Did it need to be that sad, especially given the material and the comical tone of the film? Whats odd is you can see where a sequel would have gone -- with Broderick raising one of the little Godzillas as a good guy, which is what they did in the animated follow-up series -- and that plot probably would've been far more palatable for kids if not audiences in general.
I'll also admit something else this time around: I don't like David Arnold's score for this film. The movie is overscored with far too many triumphant horn flourishes, especially in the first hour. The thematic material is pretty thin, and in general, it reminded me of one of those "John Debney '90s specials" where some listeners got all hot and bothered because they were hearing a big symphonic score -- but didn't care what the notes were. It's way too much and tires you out.
It's probably more like a 5.5/10 for me now, so thumbs down on my review from 1998!
Because it was $15 (and selling off the digital copy brought it down to about $7!), I picked up the 4K UHD of the '98 GODZILLA, which I hadn't sat through in a while. The transfer and soundtrack on this disc are spectacular, so from a technical perspective I'm happy I picked it up. Yet time hasn't improved this movie. Yeah, I liked it at the time, I don't entirely hate it now, and certainly it's watchable in terms of the creature sequences and set-pieces. The issue is that there aren't enough of them -- there's just way too many silly characters, treated too lightheartedly. It's like all the worst elements of INDEPENDENCE DAY amplified, though truth be told, there really aren't that many differences between the two films tonally.
The casting is a big problem, though admittedly, with the script and tone being so broadly played, there's not a lot that could've been done there. Jean Reno is the only element of this movie that really worked at all, but in a movie where nearly everyone is the comic relief, it's not as effective as it should've been. Broderick plays it too broadly. Hank Azaria strains to convey being a stereotypical "New Yorker". The Siskel & Ebert portrayal is ridiculous. And Maria Pitillo really is awful -- totally unappealing in a career-sinking performance.
The largest problem of all? It's not Godzilla. It looks like Draco from DRAGONHEART. It doesn't act like Godzilla, it doesn't look like Godzilla...if this movie was just about some mutated creature running around, it's possible it wouldn't have been as derided. Certainly wouldn't have had to carry around the baggage of the name. Yet, Emmerich and Devlin seem to have no idea what Godzilla is -- or were disinterested in making a "Godzilla movie." Hence the switch to a JURASSIC PARK ripoff with the raptors...sorry, baby Godzillas...running around in the second half, or having the monster lay eggs in general. Yet, with the two of them having all kinds of power after ID4's success, Sony gave them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted -- and this was the result.
There are some fun scenes with those little monsters, but this is more like a comical KING KONG, chock full of product placement and repetitive dumb dialogue. And the ending? Did it need to be that sad, especially given the material and the comical tone of the film? Whats odd is you can see where a sequel would have gone -- with Broderick raising one of the little Godzillas as a good guy, which is what they did in the animated follow-up series -- and that plot probably would've been far more palatable for kids if not audiences in general.
I'll also admit something else this time around: I don't like David Arnold's score for this film. The movie is overscored with far too many triumphant horn flourishes, especially in the first hour. The thematic material is pretty thin, and in general, it reminded me of one of those "John Debney '90s specials" where some listeners got all hot and bothered because they were hearing a big symphonic score -- but didn't care what the notes were. It's way too much and tires you out.
It's probably more like a 5.5/10 for me now, so thumbs down on my review from 1998!
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
I've actually been referring to this thread a lot recently as I've been watching several of the older Godzilla movies on DVD to get ready for the new one. Plus the local Alamo has been showing Godzilla movies on Monday nights.
Speaking of the '98 film, there's a dig at that one at the beginning of GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK. A character mentions reports of a giant creature attacking New York City. "Was it Godzilla?" asks someone. "The Americans seem to think so," another guy replies, "but our experts have doubts."
Speaking of the '98 film, there's a dig at that one at the beginning of GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK. A character mentions reports of a giant creature attacking New York City. "Was it Godzilla?" asks someone. "The Americans seem to think so," another guy replies, "but our experts have doubts."
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Official review to alleviate OCD...lol...
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019) - 6.5/10. Having lost their youngest son during Godzilla's battle with the MUTOs in 2014, scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma (Vera Farmiga) have gone their separate ways while trying to salvage their relationship with daughter Madison (Millie Bobbie Brown). Emma works for Monarch and has developed a device (the ORCA) that can change the behavior of the myriad of Titan monsters found all over the world (including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah himself). She and Madison are kidnapped by eco-terrorist group leader Alan (Charles Dance) while Mark is recruited by sympathetic Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Graham (Sally Hawkins) to try and get the ORCA back. Although the eco-terrorist group (and a surprise ally) want to release the Titan monsters in order to restore the natural order, they do more damage than they expected. Global chaos ensues, and only Godzilla can bring balance and save humanity from itself. In order to do so though, he has to avoid death by the hands of the human military (and their Oxygen Destroyer) and defeat/submission to the rule of King Ghidorah. In the midst of the final battle, Mark and Emma try to rescue Madison as well.
First, the bad. The human story is very weak, and although I do believe with better dialogue and actors the story may have been a bit more moving, in the hands of Chandler and Farmiga it falls very flat. Emma and Mark are an extremely selfish and unlikeable pair, and it is hard to root for either of them (the soldier's comment in the car hits the nail right on the head). Although the script tries to infuse some humor into the story, it too falls extremely flat. Much of the "humorous" stuff was given to Bradley Whitford's character Rick Stanton, but I didn't really care for him at all. The story is very heavy with an Armageddon feel to it; I was honestly hoping for something a little more "light" after the GODZILLA 2014 story. Most of the battles also took place against darker backgrounds and storms (snow storms in Antarctica and rain storms caused by King Ghidorah)...something else I was hoping would not happen. It is a shame that the human story could not have been stronger and the dialogue less immature and sophomoric. Finally, a minor complaint...Godzilla still looks too overweight. His "beer belly" and arms hanging down his side when he was "resurrected" looked very weird to me.
Now, the good. Despite my complaints above, I saw the movie twice (with two sets of friends), and I had a blast both times mostly because I felt the monster battles were a huge improvement over what was given to me in GODZILLA 2014. Despite the dark backgrounds and storms I could clearly see what was going on; despite the cuts to the human story during the battles, I felt Dougherty showed enough of the fighting to compensate. I thoroughly enjoyed the battles (though it would have been cool to see Mothra and Rodan fight a little longer). I also liked how the movie paid homage to the Toho Godzilla series with bits and pieces here and there (for example, the nod to the original Infant Island fairies, the "thermonuclear" Godzilla, etc.). I loved how the monsters looked as well - King Ghidorah looks every bit as nasty as he is, and both he and Godzilla hd some great facial expressions in the film. Ken Watanabe's Dr. Serizawa is the human heart of the film, and I enjoyed his performance. Finally, I did generally enjoy Bear McCreary's score (though the sound effects were much louder than it at times). He paid homage to Akira Ifukube with his Godzilla theme, and he quoted Mothra's Song by Yuji Koseki as well (though not much...and to be fair he really didn't do anything to develop it either from what I could hear). All in all, for me G:KOTM was a significant improvement over GODZILLA 2014, even with its plot holes and faults.
Moving forward, here's what I am hoping for with GODZILLA VS. KONG: first, daylight fights. Second, less of an apocalyptic story and less heavy/doom-ish. Let Godzilla and Kong fight in an extended sequence or two uninterrupted by the human story; make the human story stronger (and get better dialogue...and better actors!) but make sure the monsters have center stage. They are, after all, the true stars of the film to me. Here's hoping they deliver a home run in the US Godzilla "trilogy."
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019) - 6.5/10. Having lost their youngest son during Godzilla's battle with the MUTOs in 2014, scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma (Vera Farmiga) have gone their separate ways while trying to salvage their relationship with daughter Madison (Millie Bobbie Brown). Emma works for Monarch and has developed a device (the ORCA) that can change the behavior of the myriad of Titan monsters found all over the world (including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah himself). She and Madison are kidnapped by eco-terrorist group leader Alan (Charles Dance) while Mark is recruited by sympathetic Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Graham (Sally Hawkins) to try and get the ORCA back. Although the eco-terrorist group (and a surprise ally) want to release the Titan monsters in order to restore the natural order, they do more damage than they expected. Global chaos ensues, and only Godzilla can bring balance and save humanity from itself. In order to do so though, he has to avoid death by the hands of the human military (and their Oxygen Destroyer) and defeat/submission to the rule of King Ghidorah. In the midst of the final battle, Mark and Emma try to rescue Madison as well.
First, the bad. The human story is very weak, and although I do believe with better dialogue and actors the story may have been a bit more moving, in the hands of Chandler and Farmiga it falls very flat. Emma and Mark are an extremely selfish and unlikeable pair, and it is hard to root for either of them (the soldier's comment in the car hits the nail right on the head). Although the script tries to infuse some humor into the story, it too falls extremely flat. Much of the "humorous" stuff was given to Bradley Whitford's character Rick Stanton, but I didn't really care for him at all. The story is very heavy with an Armageddon feel to it; I was honestly hoping for something a little more "light" after the GODZILLA 2014 story. Most of the battles also took place against darker backgrounds and storms (snow storms in Antarctica and rain storms caused by King Ghidorah)...something else I was hoping would not happen. It is a shame that the human story could not have been stronger and the dialogue less immature and sophomoric. Finally, a minor complaint...Godzilla still looks too overweight. His "beer belly" and arms hanging down his side when he was "resurrected" looked very weird to me.
Now, the good. Despite my complaints above, I saw the movie twice (with two sets of friends), and I had a blast both times mostly because I felt the monster battles were a huge improvement over what was given to me in GODZILLA 2014. Despite the dark backgrounds and storms I could clearly see what was going on; despite the cuts to the human story during the battles, I felt Dougherty showed enough of the fighting to compensate. I thoroughly enjoyed the battles (though it would have been cool to see Mothra and Rodan fight a little longer). I also liked how the movie paid homage to the Toho Godzilla series with bits and pieces here and there (for example, the nod to the original Infant Island fairies, the "thermonuclear" Godzilla, etc.). I loved how the monsters looked as well - King Ghidorah looks every bit as nasty as he is, and both he and Godzilla hd some great facial expressions in the film. Ken Watanabe's Dr. Serizawa is the human heart of the film, and I enjoyed his performance. Finally, I did generally enjoy Bear McCreary's score (though the sound effects were much louder than it at times). He paid homage to Akira Ifukube with his Godzilla theme, and he quoted Mothra's Song by Yuji Koseki as well (though not much...and to be fair he really didn't do anything to develop it either from what I could hear). All in all, for me G:KOTM was a significant improvement over GODZILLA 2014, even with its plot holes and faults.
Moving forward, here's what I am hoping for with GODZILLA VS. KONG: first, daylight fights. Second, less of an apocalyptic story and less heavy/doom-ish. Let Godzilla and Kong fight in an extended sequence or two uninterrupted by the human story; make the human story stronger (and get better dialogue...and better actors!) but make sure the monsters have center stage. They are, after all, the true stars of the film to me. Here's hoping they deliver a home run in the US Godzilla "trilogy."
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AndyDursin
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Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
70% drop in its 2nd weekend off a disappointing start means this one is a total disaster. No way around it -- it's probably not even going to clear $100 million domestic, and the foreign is apparently weak also, meaning it's going to be a struggle to break even. Just shows there is a limited audience for these films, and this particular picture was a total fail in regards to appealing to anyone outside the hardcore.
So we are in a weird place where this series would be completely over with those kind of revenues -- they wouldn't be going forward with another sequel -- but they've already made KONG VS. GODZILLA.
The problem is -- the film's been shot. If there were any "lessons to be learned," and I agree with you Michael on the outdoor filming and characters -- it's likely too late to fix them if it's from a major character or conceptual level. You can reshoot but it'd be more like band-aids unless you want to spend big money -- and after the performance of this film, you wonder how much more WB/Legendary will want to invest in a franchise that looks like it's finished (and their contract with Toho expires next year anyway). Different director and apparently many different writers on-board, but if it has a lot of "shared DNA" with KING OF THE MONSTERS, they're DOA. It may be too late to hope for more than that, sadly.
On the plus side -- we might get a new game out of it!!
So we are in a weird place where this series would be completely over with those kind of revenues -- they wouldn't be going forward with another sequel -- but they've already made KONG VS. GODZILLA.
The problem is -- the film's been shot. If there were any "lessons to be learned," and I agree with you Michael on the outdoor filming and characters -- it's likely too late to fix them if it's from a major character or conceptual level. You can reshoot but it'd be more like band-aids unless you want to spend big money -- and after the performance of this film, you wonder how much more WB/Legendary will want to invest in a franchise that looks like it's finished (and their contract with Toho expires next year anyway). Different director and apparently many different writers on-board, but if it has a lot of "shared DNA" with KING OF THE MONSTERS, they're DOA. It may be too late to hope for more than that, sadly.
On the plus side -- we might get a new game out of it!!
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AndyDursin
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Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Lots of rumors that KONG VS. GODZILLA was moving out of next March, but at a big conference today WB confirmed the release date isn't being moved.
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Finally got to see SON OF GODZILLA (1967) thanks to the Criterion set. I found the movie entertaining for what it was...I did enjoy the moments where Godzilla tries to teach his son stuff, though to be honest Minilla looks really weird. I don't have a ton to say about it - the human story is okay but not the best. In my previous rankings I rated GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN a 4.5/10...on revisiting the film I feel like I went a bit high on that. I am dropping GRA to a 3.5/10 because I feel like SON OF GODZILLA is a 4/10...and I liked it better than I did GRA.
I rate this review a 2/10...lol!!
I rate this review a 2/10...lol!!
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
That gets a thumbs up from me!
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AndyDursin
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Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
Godzilla-related and well worth it for Toho fans is this new release from Mill Creek. Here's my quick capsule from next week's column:
Finishing off the contents of the Toho “Icons of Sci-Fi” DVD set that Sony released over a decade ago (“Mothra” was released last summer), Mill Creek's latest round of Blu-Ray releases is highlighted by the Double Feature pairing of THE H-MAN (78/87 mins., 1958) and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (91 mins., 1960).
This two-disc set packages a pair of color-coated early Toho sci-fi efforts from director Ishiro Honda, both minus Godzilla and Kaiju trappings: the “Blob”-like thriller “The H-Man” has long been a fan favorite, while “Battle In Outer Space” is a playful variation on '50s extraterrestrial invasion/outer-space fantasies. Each offer plenty of Tohoscope thrills and look terrific in this satisfying Mill Creek package: both Sony-licensed properties contain their original Japanese language versions as well as Columbia's dubbed U.S. theatrical release edits. In the case of “The H-Man,” this meant the American release was shorn of some 10 minutes of footage, while “Battle in Outer Space” was mostly left intact, save for some portions of Akira Ifukube's score, which were switched out with library music.
Mill Creek's set also retains the “Battle in Outer Space” commentary with Japanese genre experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, making for a must-have release for vintage sci-fi and Toho fans.
Re: GODZILLA Movie Thread
GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (1973) - 5/10. A prophecy of world destruction from an Azumi priestess turns true when Japan is visited by Mechagodzilla, a mechanical version of Godzilla manufactured by (you guessed it) aliens! Aliens once again try to conquer the world, but standing in their way are the real Godzilla and a new ally named King Caesar. The heroes of the story have to get an archaeological artifact (a statue) to the priestess in Okinawa on the day when the sun rises from the west, all the while fighting against alien attempts to stop them.
While this movie is excessive on the gore (don't need to see blood spurts) and definitely NOT kid friendly, I kind of like it. The story annoyingly jumps around from scene to scene (as is usual for these films); in addition, every time the heroes are in danger they get bailed out by a duo from Interpol who desperately want to stop the aliens. The movie isn't made by the human story...it is made for me, however, in the monster sequences. I love the moment when an injured Godzilla retreats and heals/energizes himself as he yells to the heavens. I also loved the "Godzilla uses the Force" bit where he magnetizes himself and eventually rips the head off of Mechagodzilla. While King Caesar is just a bit character, it is nice to see a different monster in the movie (I was kind of hoping Godzilla and King Ghidorah would join forces). Despite all its faults, this was WAY more entertaining than GODZILLA VS. MEGALON.
While this movie is excessive on the gore (don't need to see blood spurts) and definitely NOT kid friendly, I kind of like it. The story annoyingly jumps around from scene to scene (as is usual for these films); in addition, every time the heroes are in danger they get bailed out by a duo from Interpol who desperately want to stop the aliens. The movie isn't made by the human story...it is made for me, however, in the monster sequences. I love the moment when an injured Godzilla retreats and heals/energizes himself as he yells to the heavens. I also loved the "Godzilla uses the Force" bit where he magnetizes himself and eventually rips the head off of Mechagodzilla. While King Caesar is just a bit character, it is nice to see a different monster in the movie (I was kind of hoping Godzilla and King Ghidorah would join forces). Despite all its faults, this was WAY more entertaining than GODZILLA VS. MEGALON.