Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

[eabaker]

They really try too hard to push the “coolness” factor in this movie and it just does not work…

I"campiness" & it worked if you liked camp.

It really didn’t though and I’d know, my favorite films are the more campy Showa ones like Astro Monster, Sea Monster, Gigan and Megalon, it’s all about execution and Final Wars did an ass job at conveying anything.

Other than Gigan (and maybe Se Monster), I'd call those movies "kitschy" rather than "campy." The strange, silly and over-the-top elements weren't being used (as far as I can tell) in a particularly self-aware or tongue-in-cheek way in Astro Monster or Megalon.

I'm willing to give Final Wars the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was crafted with camp as the intent, though I still think it did a pretty lousy job of it, and the movie doesn't actually seem to have anything to express through that camp tone.

[PitchBlackProgress]

Now that you say it, you’re completely correct about Monster Zero not being “camp” a better example would have been Ghidrah, The Three Headed Monster.

But I agree, if a “campy” feel was the intint, it did a shitty job of it.

[latinothor]

I'm willing to give Final Wars the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was crafted with camp as the intent

I used to think as such, but the more I watched the movie, I found basically all elements of the Godzilla folklore in the movie. Take for instance extremely contrasting scenes like the mutant attack on Ebirah, or Angie's attacks on the streets of China, and on the other side of the spectrum we have scenes like miniature tanks being blown up, in a comedic manner.
This is why I consider Final Wars a movie that embodies The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, per say, of the history of Godzilla. Fitting to a 50-year commemoration movie.

[Major sssspielberg!]

Final Wars works if you don't take it seriously, whether that was the intent or not! Kitamura worked to create his version of an entertaining Godzilla film. It's not perfect, but damned if it won't always hold a special place in my heart. It's the Godzilla movie I wanted to see when I was 12, and from what I've gathered it's still the one of the most popular amongst the younger set. Its all that Big Showa Energy, I'm telling ya!

[eabaker]

I'm willing to give Final Wars the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was crafted with camp as the intent

I used to think as such, but the more I watched the movie, I found basically all elements of the Godzilla folklore in the movie. Take for instance extremely contrasting scenes like the mutant attack on Ebirah, or Angie's attacks on the streets of China, and on the other side of the spectrum we have scenes like miniature tanks being blown up, in a comedic manner.
This is why I consider Final Wars a movie that embodies The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, per say, of the history of Godzilla. Fitting to a 50-year commemoration movie.

None of what you said contradicts the idea that the movie is a work of camp. If anything, "tanks blown up, in a comedic manner" is pretty cold-blooded if you don't read it as camp.

[latinothor]

Indeed, camp is part of Godzilla folklore, among other tones and aspects shown throughout the movie.

Added in 9 minutes 25 seconds:
I suppose what I mean is that the movie embodies many different aspects of Godzilla history, let it being 'campy', flashy, action, drama, comedy etc. And, as such, I value the fact of what Kitamura wanted to achieve with Godzilla FW: To portray different aspects of Godzilla 50 years of history in one movie.

[UltramanGoji]

Unfortunately he did an absolutely poor job at that because not once does the film feel like anything other than the fifth Millenium movie.

[Terasawa]

I too thought Kitamura achieved what he wanted: get the Godzilla stuff out of the way as quickly as possible to get back to his high concept Hollywood action movie training project.

[latinothor]

Unfortunately he did an absolutely poor job at that because not once does the film feel like anything other than the fifth Millenium movie.

Strangely, for me the movie doesn't feel like the prior millennium movies, but instead it feels like something NEW and ahead of its time. At the same time, there's nostalgia. Kinda like a Showa movie set up in a very distant future.

[eabaker]

Unfortunately he did an absolutely poor job at that because not once does the film feel like anything other than the fifth Millenium movie.

Strangely, for me the movie doesn't feel like the prior millennium movies, but instead it feels like something NEW and ahead of its time. At the same time, there's nostalgia. Kinda like a Showa movie set up in a very distant future.

Huh, I always thought GFW felt very much of its time. It's all about the kind of xXxXxXxTREME entertainment that was all the rage in the early 2000s.

[latinothor]

It's not perfect, but damned if it won't always hold a special place in my heart. It's the Godzilla movie I wanted to see when I was 12, and from what I've gathered it's still the one of the most popular amongst the younger set.

Indeed. And this is why I think the movie was ahead of its time. Toho needed to step up, for the future generations of fans.

Added in 13 minutes 54 seconds:

I always thought GFW felt very much of its time. It's all about the kind of xXxXxXxTREME entertainment that was all the rage in the early 2000s.

This is indeed one way to look at GFW. Specially with all the nods to popular movies at the time. This xtreme entertainment in movies, has not diminished over the years. Take for example The Matrix or Xmen (movies that GFW borrowed from) have become more entertaining over the years than in the earlier installations, than when GFW came out.

[eabaker]

This xtreme entertainment in movies, has not diminished over the years.

I disagree completely. I'd say that today's popcorn movies put far less emphasis on hollow, hyper-stylized sound and fury than what we were seeing 15 years ago. Gone are the days when everything had to incorporate bullet time and wire-fu.

[latinothor]

Sorry eabaker, I made a generalization when I meant to say movies of similar genres like sci-fi, or superhero movies, or even Anime like One Punch Man.

[goji89]

I too thought Kitamura achieved what he wanted: get the Godzilla stuff out of the way as quickly as possible to get back to his high concept Hollywood action movie training project.

I agree with this sooo much my teeth hurt.

[Gigantis]

this ones good if you want a good cheesy flick, but it honestly didn't hold up that well. some of my problems come from the monster designs.King Ceasar in particular.

[Grievous]

I too thought Kitamura achieved what he wanted: get the Godzilla stuff out of the way as quickly as possible to get back to his high concept Hollywood action movie training project.

I agree with this sooo much my teeth hurt.

You might want to get that checked out...

[Stump Feet]

I tried to rewatch this last night for the first time since 2006. I ended up getting to the Ebirah rampage scene and absolutely couldn’t handle it any longer and turned it off.

I don’t remember it being that unbearable but Jesus Christ…

[DirektorSplennic]

I tried to rewatch this last night for the first time since 2006. I ended up getting to the Ebirah rampage scene and absolutely couldn’t handle it any longer and turned it off.

I don’t remember it being that unbearable but Jesus Christ…

That makes me sad because I thoroughly enjoy the movie every time I watch it. I guess I'm just easy to please.

Also I saw Grievous at the top of this thread, and for a moment I got the heebie jeebies and thought he somehow came back, but then I realized it was an old post.

[Stump Feet]

That’s funny because I thought I remembered enjoying the film decently back in the day around when it first came out but I guess it just didn’t hold up for me, the human narrative started getting on my nerves and the monster scenes I thought were kinda cool just seemed lacking now.

[Godzillian]

This film always comes off as a Godzilla film written by middle schoolers to me