Talkback Thread #19: Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

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Re: Talkback Thread #19: Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

Post by godzillafan »

its my second favorite one in the heisei series
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Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992?

Post by RodanRedux »

Godzilla vs. Mothra: The Battle for Earth - So I've noticed a lot of people rag on this movie, I've always liked it. It has it's faults of course. The whole Indiana Jones thing in the first quarter of the film sticks out and the overall story is a little thin, but the monster fights are good and Mothra has one of her best looking appearances ever IMHO. I really dig the music in this one. Especially the chant that the twin fairies use to summon Mothra.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Battra2346 »

I am fond of this film but I do agree that the first human part is indeed ripping off Indiana Jones.
I don't accept Mothra imago being fluffy in a Godzilla film at all.I'm fine if she's fluffy in her own films.I liked how she was in past Godzilla movies.Hairy looking.
My main problem is how Godzilla's handeled here.He's just treated like a minor character.It's like as if he's there and hardly adding much to the plot.Other than that,the monster action is fun,the score is amazing,Battra is an interesting monster and the plot is somewhat good even though it's a rehash of Mothra vs Godzilla's plot.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by RodanRedux »

Battra2346 wrote:I am fond of this film but I do agree that the first human part is indeed ripping off Indiana Jones.
I don't accept Mothra imago being fluffy in a Godzilla film at all.I'm fine if she's fluffy in her own films.I liked how she was in past Godzilla movies.Hairy looking.
My main problem is how Godzilla's handeled here.He's just treated like a minor character.It's like as if he's there and hardly adding much to the plot.Other than that,the monster action is fun,the score is amazing,Battra is an interesting monster and the plot is somewhat good even though it's a rehash of Mothra vs Godzilla's plot.
I thought the fluffy look was an interesting update for the character. You're right the film does focus on Mothra and Battra more than Godzilla, but when he's on screen he dominates the action. Its great how it takes the two of them to take him down and he still manages to kill Battra anyways.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Arbok »

Critics enjoy it?

It's the largest money maker of the Godzilla franchise in Japan. It deserves credit for that. Battra is also an interesting concept and execution.

That said, I don't find the film particularly that great. I don't really understand the level of hate that it gets, as many seem fond of placing it near the bottom of the Godzilla film heap. I always found it to be mediocre and not that memorable as its largest faults.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Zilla103192 »

i was born the year of the Mothra!! heisei mothra that is...
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by TokyoVigilante »

The special effects are some of the lowest in the Heisei series. Godzilla's awful animatronic head, the loss of the 80s roar (that weird beam sound effect at that), the completely lifeless Mothra prop (which looks more like a plush toy then a living creature) combined with Kawakita's failure to properly mix footage of the flying props with the Godzilla suit leaves most of the big finale looking half-baked.

Battra is interesting and one of the best original creations to come from the Heisei era, so it gets props for that. But Godzilla in this feels horribly out of place.

The plot also is mostly just a weak rehash of Godzilla vs. The Thing, with none of the interesting parts of that.

To summarize, the film just feels partially done and Godzilla feels as forced into this as he does in Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Arbok »

Hellspawn28 wrote:
Critics enjoy it?
The movie has a 80% on RT the last time I check.
It also only has 6 reviews, 5 of which are counted.

Rotten Tomatoes is a great source, I use it for making a lot of my theater choices. However, its only as good as the number of reviews it attracts. For movies not released in US theaters and/or released before 2000, it's not the greatest barometer for quality.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by KaneLocke »

Why does the movie get so much hate?

Shallow plot, shallow characters, the overly-stiff Imago Battra prop, the boring fight scene between Mothra and Battra followed by an almost RANDOM change of heart by Battra, a HORRID pace that seems to stretch on forever...

Good musical score, though, and Battra Larva was incredibly awesome.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Mini-Godzilla »

This film is bizarrely underrated by fans here. I agree with Arbok--if anything, it's too mediocre for its own good. However, the film actually deals with a divorced couple trying to work together, which is a far more complex human story than what is typically seen in a Heisei film. Sure, the characters essentially engage in Howard Hawks-esque banter, and thus the film is not particularly deep or dramatic about the issue, but it's still a far more interesting character dynamic than, say, anything that a certain psychic character had to offer.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by godzillafan »

i really like this movie, the final battle had just blew me away
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Goji »

^ It did? Are we watching the same movie?

Never been all too fond of this movie. It's just bland, and borrows too much from other Mothra films. Battra (especially the larval form) was a cool concept, and was actually pretty bad ass. Mini-Godzilla definitely brings up some good points, but unfortunately because everything about this film feels so half baked, none of that stuff really matters, or stands out for that matter. Godzilla also feels so tacked on in this film, but what's sad is that he probably still has more screen time than he does in FINAL WARS. :lol:
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Legionmaster »

Goji wrote:Godzilla also feels so tacked on in this film
Because he basically was lol. It would have been a MUCH better film had they left him out of it and focused on the actual story. And not made such awful props. And not made such a ridiculous cast of "characters" for us to follow. And basically not made it a shoddy movie.

I would have much rather seen them put their efforts into Mothra vs. Bagan.

At least Battra is NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICEEEE!!!!
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Mini-Godzilla »

I will admit that this is one of the films in the series that I would rather not be a Godzilla film. Mothra always seems to steal the show from Godzilla, anyway, so I'm not too upset over it.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Ethan »

Has anyone else noticed that Godzilla's head prop is far less mobile and detailed than in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Arrow »

I don't mind that the film borrows from other movies like Mothra, considering that Mothra vs. Godzilla does as well. The problem is that it comes up far short when compared to either movie. The characters, while fine in concept, fall flat in execution. The film fails to make them interesting, so why should I care about what happens in the lives of any of them? The acting is, in general, mediocre (a problem with pretty much all the Heisei Godzilla films). I find the Godzilla suit a step down from the 1991 incarnation, the face just doesn't do it for me. The horrible execution of the Imago Mothra and Battra props is just ridiculous and they look silly whenever they're on-screen. And I hate the Heisei Mothra design. The Indiana Jones rip-off in the beginning is embarrassing. And the climax, consisting mostly of beam fights between the three monsters, bores me. And considering how well-done the fight between Godzilla and Mothra in '64 was, I felt disappointed that they were unable to create another great fight between the two with Battra thrown in this time to keep it different. And the scene between Mothra and Battra, where they agree to put aside their differences and fight against Godzilla, seems to come straight out of left field. Considering that Battra wasn't an interesting character in the movie, I feel nothing in that moment nor do I feel anything when Godzilla kills him at the end.

It does do some things I like, though. Akira Ifukube's score is great and there are some neat effects (Godzilla rising from Mt. Fuji; Mothra rising from her cocoon). Effects-wise, it doesn't touch King Ghidorah, RoG, or Biollante, but it certainly beats out Space Godzilla. Battra is an interesting monster with a neat concept behind him and the battle between the larva and Godzilla was well-done. Overall, however, the movie ties with The Return of Godzilla for position of "second least favorite" Heisei Godzilla film.

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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Showa Gyaos »

I don't dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra, but I was somewhat disappointed because it was basically Mothra; Godzilla and Battra were just added to the script. :|

Edit: Spelled disappointed incorrectly. Fixed.
Last edited by Showa Gyaos on Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Legionmaster »

Ethan wrote:Has anyone else noticed that Godzilla's head prop is far less mobile and detailed than in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah?
Which is sad, because that prop is the crowned pinicle of Heisei-series SFX. It in of itself is one of my favorite aspects of that movie. GvM also hhad that really annoying new sound for Goji's beam.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by Hotrod93 »

I enjoyed the film but it just futher proved that Godzilla always plays second fiddle to Mothra. I did enjoy the battles in the movie and the bit of human story but its still one of my least favorite Heisei movies.
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Re: Why do many people dislike Godzilla vs. Mothra 1992

Post by KaneLocke »

Mini-Godzilla wrote:This film is bizarrely underrated by fans here. I agree with Arbok--if anything, it's too mediocre for its own good. However, the film actually deals with a divorced couple trying to work together, which is a far more complex human story than what is typically seen in a Heisei film.
Yeah, and it shows us exactly why the series doesn't try to be that complex. It fails... miserably.
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