Reconciling Gojira and Godzilla King Of The Monsters

[Thanos6]

First, my forgiveness if this has been discussed before.

When the original 1954 film was edited and the additional Raymond Burr-centric scenes were added, some damage was done to the coherency of the final project, such as the re-arranged scene where Yamane mentions "Gojira" before the expedition has even left for Odo Island.

But I've been thinking, and I believe there's a way to make the two versions work together.

Remember, the vast majority of G:KOTM is told by Steve Martin, as a flashback as he's laying there wounded. And we can see from the bandages that he obviously suffered a head injury.

My theory: The head injury Steve Martin suffered during the Tokyo attack scrambled his memories somewhat. What he tells us, the audience, is what he remembers, but not exactly what happened. Notice that once he's out of the hospital, and we've caught up to the present, the two films sync up pretty much perfectly.

Perhaps the narrative is an even him trying to straighten out his own memories to himself as he recovers, and perhaps he did so by the time he wrote his memoirs for G '85 or the Cerasini novels.

So: The events of Gojira happened, but there's nothing preventing an American journalist named Steve Martin being there, reporting for United World News, nearly being killed, and helping convince Emiko to convince Serizawa.

Thoughts?

[Ivo-goji]

A fan edit that works Raymond Burr's scenes into the original Japanese footage and smooths over contradictions like this through would be really cool.

[KaijuCanuck]

I’ve always felt with a bit of tinkering, they could be mostly canon with one another. He’s just kind of there, getting the story, and the Japanese characters are too preoccupied with the drama to take huge notice of him.

On a kind of unrelated note I just remembered this second, I was disappointed that the fictional news agency that follows the MUTOs in G14 wasn’t called ‘UWN’. I mean just put that acronym in the corner instead of whatever it was... it would have been so easy.

[Tarbosaurus]

I’ve always felt with a bit of tinkering, they could be mostly canon with one another. He’s just kind of there, getting the story, and the Japanese characters are too preoccupied with the drama to take huge notice of him.

On a kind of unrelated note I just remembered this second, I was disappointed that the fictional news agency that follows the MUTOs in G14 wasn’t called ‘UWN’. I mean just put that acronym in the corner instead of whatever it was... it would have been so easy.

I'm with this guy.

Martin's story really does work as a side story as an acquaintance to the Japanese cast. It's mentioned he's an old friend of Serizawa so him knowing and talking to Emiko later does make a lot of sense. Kinda reminds of a fan rewrite I talked about with some friends for the 1984 film where one could work Martin into the plot by perhaps having him as the only surviving people to have seen Godzilla up close besides Emiko (who wasn't talking), meaning Goro and company have to seek him out in a manner similar to how the US military brass sought him out in the US cut.

[tbeasley]

I think it's better to see KOTM/G85 as their own splinter timeline rather than working them into the Tohoverse. No matter how hard you try there'll be hiccups and it's just simpler that way.

[eabaker]

I think it's better to see KOTM/G85 as their own splinter timeline rather than working them into the Tohoverse. No matter how hard you try there'll be hiccups and it's just simpler that way.

How do they benefit from being a "splinter timeline"? It seems significantly simpler to just think of them as different versions of the stories.

[Pkmatrix]

I had made a fan edit that does basically this, though I lost it years ago now. I agree that there's really not much in KOTM that outright contradicts Gojira, and the two can be made to harmonize rather easily. It's not hard at all to watch the Japanese cut and imagine Martin is there, just off screen.

[tbeasley]

I think it's better to see KOTM/G85 as their own splinter timeline rather than working them into the Tohoverse. No matter how hard you try there'll be hiccups and it's just simpler that way.

How do they benefit from being a "splinter timeline"? It seems significantly simpler to just think of them as different versions of the stories.

Tomayto, tomahto.

[eabaker]

I think it's better to see KOTM/G85 as their own splinter timeline rather than working them into the Tohoverse. No matter how hard you try there'll be hiccups and it's just simpler that way.

How do they benefit from being a "splinter timeline"? It seems significantly simpler to just think of them as different versions of the stories.

Tomayto, tomahto.

Pragmatically, yes. In the abstract, though, one implies a diegetic relationship between the two which the other does not.

[Space Hunter M]

The French did this with their version already back in 1957.

[SpaceG92]

Same timeline, same universe. Told from another angle/another perspective of the same event. Sure - some stuff doesn't add up - blame that on localization. Though when you have a car accident, both parties involved as well as some people on the street will give different accounts of the same event. Same thing here.

OP's explanation is pretty good and the tidbit from KaijuCanuk about how others just didn't pay attention to him or how he never drew attention to himself, I personally like.