Unpopular Godzilla Opinions

[Ivo-goji]

I'm curious, what makes you say that?

I find the kaiju action in GTTHM mostly dull, and prefer the fight in GRA. The human cast in GTTHM is the film's highlight, but the protagonists in GRA are just as good.

[JAGzilla]

I find the kaiju action in GTTHM mostly dull, and prefer the fight in GRA. The human cast in GTTHM is the film's highlight, but the protagonists in GRA are just as good.

I find it to be some of the most colorful, memorable kaiju action in the franchise, personally. Very goofy, though, of course, and if that kind of thing doesn't land for you, I can understand why you'd find it dull.

[Ivo-goji]

I don't even think it's goofy; it just wasn't that entertaining.

Ghidorah's complicated puppetry was probably a factor.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I just watched both within the past week, so I feel like I can address this right. GRA is boring. The fight between angurius and Godzilla, amounts to little more then Godzilla and Angurius biting each other. To its credit, to great how much gets destroyed in the process, but it ends anticlimatically, and nothing special happens in the fight itself.

GTTHM, has some really great moments and emotion behind it. Godzilla and Rodan coming to mothra’s Aid is touching, and it’s awesome when Mothra gets on Rodans back. There’s also a few great moments like the midair collision between Ghidorah and Rodan.

The protagonists in GRA are horrible.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

The protagonists in GRA are horrible.

Oh banana oil!

[edgaguirus]

The characters aren't that bad. They're ordinary people , but that makes them more relatable and their story more touching. The characters in G3HM are more interesting and engaging, and they clearly have some fun with their roles.

[Terasawa]

Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Revenge, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus are the only Godzilla sequels (with multiple daikaiju) that don't use a monster fight as the climax. They're also three of the most reviled Godzilla films. Coincidence or not?

I guess GXM is a bit ambiguous here. I contend the climax is the G-Graspers' attempt to stop Godzilla in Tokyo using the failing Dimension Tide. Godzilla's battle with Megaguirus has almost no lead-up and the only lasting effect of that is the damage to DT that ultimately causes it to fail. However, I think they're two separate events with the former leading to the true climax.

I like to think of Godzilla Raids Again as a Godzilla film with Anguirus in a guest role, not as a monster vs. monster film that we would get a lot more of. I think the ending would have worked better if the rest of the film had been about mankind trying to stop Godzilla, although I don't think that would have allowed us to have totally civilian characters (which I like). And while I like the concept of having civilian characters always menaced by Godzilla wherever they go, the big fault with the movie is that their lives aren't very interesting.

[eabaker]

Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Revenge, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus are the only Godzilla sequels (with multiple daikaiju) that don't use a monster fight as the climax. They're also three of the most reviled Godzilla films. Coincidence or not?

I guess GXM is a bit ambiguous here. I contend the climax is the G-Graspers' attempt to stop Godzilla in Tokyo using the failing Dimension Tide. Godzilla's battle with Megaguirus has almost no lead-up and the only lasting effect of that is the damage to DT that ultimately causes it to fail. However, I think they're two separate events with the former leading to the true climax.

I like to think of Godzilla Raids Again as a Godzilla film with Anguirus in a guest role, not as a monster vs. monster film that we would get a lot more of. I think the ending would have worked better if the rest of the film had been about mankind trying to stop Godzilla, although I don't think that would have allowed us to have totally civilian characters (which I like). And while I like the concept of having civilian characters always menaced by Godzilla wherever they go, the big fault with the movie is that their lives aren't very interesting.

I completely agree with you about what the true central conflict/climax is in Megaguirus. And it makes for a clunky narrative, as a lot of screen time is dedicated to a second monster who is essentially a subplot/complication, rather than an actual driving force in the narrative.

[Gojira18]

GMK has my favorite Ghidorah roars. At least until KOTM comes along.

[Arbok]

Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Revenge, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus are the only Godzilla sequels (with multiple daikaiju) that don't use a monster fight as the climax.

You can add Destroy All Monsters to that list, as the Moonlight SY-3 versus Kilaak UFO scuffle takes place after the monster royale battle in that movie.

[eabaker]

Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Revenge, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus are the only Godzilla sequels (with multiple daikaiju) that don't use a monster fight as the climax.

You can add Destroy All Monsters to that list, as the Moonlight SY-3 versus Kilaak UFO scuffle takes place after the monster royale battle in that movie.

I'd call that more of a coda. Emotionally, the big monster fight plays as the climax.

[Arbok]

I'd call that more of a coda. Emotionally, the big monster fight plays as the climax.

Fair enough, as if we include any action piece that occurs after the main monster battle I suppose that would open up the doors quite a bit... even Godzilla vs. Biollante has that fight with SS9 after Biollante leaves. Still, I do find the structure of Destroy All Monsters to be a little anti-climatic.

[Dr. Professor]

I always kind of wished the UFO scene happened during the monster fight. Having it take place afterwards makes it feel so pointless and underwhelming.

[tbeasley]

The first half of GRA has some nice momentum to it, but once Godzilla beats Anguirus it loses its way fast. Varan is very similar to me - once Varan flies off the movie has a hard time figuring itself out.

Some simple restructuring would've gone a long way for GRA - rather than showing the monsters up front, maybe hint that Godzilla might be returning to Japan (ships disappearing, etc.), only for Anguirus to appear and go on a rampage (surprising the characters and audience). THEN Godzilla shows up and a monster battle commences. Anguirus retreats only for Godzilla to follow, the humans following in turn. Godzilla beats Anguirus on the frozen island only to be trapped in ice by the pilots.

AMA's ending doesn't bother me much because I like how Ichiro's fight with the burglars mirrors Minilla's fight with Gabara. And I like the bittersweet real-world stuff with Ichiro reuniting with his family and life going on.

Megaguirus is weirder to me because it puts a lot of emphasis on G-Force, er, the G-Graspers, the dimension tide, plasma energy attracting Godzilla, the main character's grudge against him, etc. And there's... the bugs from Rodan? They don't tie in very well with the neat alt history devised for the film and Godzilla's place in the story. Once Megaguirus is beaten the story goes right back to him, she's an afterthought.

Oh and I have always felt the fire dragon stuff at the end of DAM was needlessly tacked on.

[eabaker]

I'd call that more of a coda. Emotionally, the big monster fight plays as the climax.

Fair enough, as if we include any action piece that occurs after the main monster battle I suppose that would open up the doors quite a bit... even Godzilla vs. Biollante has that fight with SS9 after Biollante leaves. Still, I do find the structure of Destroy All Monsters to be a little anti-climatic.

Agreed. Following that 11-monster brawl (admittedly with a few of those monsters peripherally involved at best), the Fire Dragon sequence doesn't pack much of a punch. Might have worked better to have that happen mid-fight, in order to pull Rodan (and maybe one or two other monsters) away from Ghidorah.

[Terasawa]

Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Revenge, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus are the only Godzilla sequels (with multiple daikaiju) that don't use a monster fight as the climax.

You can add Destroy All Monsters to that list, as the Moonlight SY-3 versus Kilaak UFO scuffle takes place after the monster royale battle in that movie.

I actually forgot about that because of how boring that is, even though DAM is a favorite. I think the monster showdown with Godzilla instinctively taking out the Kilaak base immediately afterward is the true climax, with the Fire Monster tag an awkward coda (as eabaker put it). I could see it the other way though, I'd say it's up for debate.

AMA's ending doesn't bother me much because I like how Ichiro's fight with the burglars mirrors Minilla's fight with Gabara. And I like the bittersweet real-world stuff with Ichiro reuniting with his family and life going on.

I like it too, I think it's a great, tense sequence and one of Honda's finest. There's the right mix of suspense and humor that makes it tense but not enough to really frighten the primary audience (children). Honda evidently disliked scaring his audience but I think the closeup of Sakai's robber opening his blade against Ichiro is genuinely one of the scariest shots in any Honda film I've seen.

[tbeasley]

Whoops I meant to edit my previous post.

[Gerdzerl]

Okay, I know that era gets a lot of flack and all, but I really like how kaiju often had multiple forms and transformations during the Heisei series. It's fun and it makes for cool visuals.

[Arbok]

Okay, I know that era gets a lot of flack and all, but I really like how kaiju often had multiple forms and transformations during the Heisei series. It's fun and it makes for cool visuals.

Not sure this is an unpopular opinion. Granted, it got played out through out the entire series, but agree that it made aspects more memorable and the transformations themselves, Battra's in particular, were done well.

[edgaguirus]

As was Biollante. It showed which personality was dominant in the mutant flower.