Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

[Monster Zero]

I was never a fan of the bug and spider that much, so I don't care about them much, regardless of era. The designs of the monsters themselves in this movie are secondary for me really. I watch it for the awesome fight scenes (both human and monster) and the music throughout the film. I feel the soundtrack is one of the things this flick got right.

I absolutely love the soundtrack of this film. I totally agree with 100% of your post.

[Legion1979]

Never got the appeal of the soundtrack, it's a clusterfudge of different styles. I think a more standard film soundtrack probably would have helped the movie immensely.

[Castellan Zilla]

Standard is kinda vague. For what the movie is, the soundtrack works. There's craziness in the film, so have a soundtrack to pair with that. Yet, when I listen to a certain track I can pinpoint exactly what scene it's connected to. So, I'd say they nailed it.

[GalacticPetey]

I do find it odd that two of Sato's tracks randomly show up in the film. I can sort of understand Minya's theme, but the Anguirus vs. Mechagodzilla music randomly shows up in one scene. I doubt mind it since I like the song, but it's an odd callback. If they were going to use classic tracks, I would have liked some Ifukube as well.

[KingKaiju]

Speaking of the soundtrack, I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there. Never made sense to me.

[Space Hunter M]

I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there.

SUPERSIZE OUR TRAGEDYYYYYYY

[Castellan Zilla]

Speaking of the soundtrack, I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there. Never made sense to me.

Yea well, I don't consider them an actual contribution towards the overall soundtrack. They were more like an annoying guest that popped in for thirty seconds.

[AbudJasemAlBaldawi]

Honestly don't see why this is any worse than any of the 70s movies. And I mean that in a good way, this feels like something Toho would've cooked up in the 70s if they'd decided to spend on a DAM 2.0 back then.

[g2vd]

Just rewatched this bad boy today. I know it gets a lot of hate, but man, every time I watch it I enjoy the hell out of it. It's just a fun stupid movie and I love it.

I agree. I feel the kaiju are much better than their Showa counterparts. Keizer Ghidorah is handled much better than the neck spasming Showa Ghidrah

At least he looks alive when he does that more than I can say for the rest of the Heisei creations following Biollante.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Speaking of the soundtrack, I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there. Never made sense to me.

It's worth noting I've heard this as a way to criticize the film for trying to appeal to American audiences. Truth be told that's not exactly the case, the Japanese are as big fans of cringey bad American rock as weeaboos are obsessed with bad jpop.

Honestly don't see why this is any worse than any of the 70s movies. And I mean that in a good way, this feels like something Toho would've cooked up in the 70s if they'd decided to spend on a DAM 2.0 back then.

I just watched Atragon, Mysterians, and Battle in outer space. Those who say that this film isn't faithful to the Showa era are being ridiculous as the Xilliens and the dogfights in this film+the crew are pretty much identical to those in all the earlier scifi flix just executed with a bigger budget and better special effects.

This film is pretty much a Showa film but it's ironic that for the most part it's the Showa fanboys that hate it the most.

G2VD actually brought up another good point in the Godzilla resurgence thread. A lotta those fanboys criticized the heisei series for not having flexible suits and too much beam wars. Now we got a movie where Godzilla was jumping, kicking, impaling monsters and throwing them far and suddenly they hate that too.

[Goji]

I do find it odd that two of Sato's tracks randomly show up in the film. I can sort of understand Minya's theme, but the Anguirus vs. Mechagodzilla music randomly shows up in one scene. I doubt mind it since I like the song, but it's an odd callback. If they were going to use classic tracks, I would have liked some Ifukube as well.

Not odd at all when you consider Kitamura's favorite era of Godzilla is the 1970s.

This film is pretty much a Showa film but it's ironic that for the most part it's the Showa fanboys that hate it the most.

Is it really, though? Seriously, you should take the time to think for a few minutes about why that is.

You really think callbacks in the form of advasaries, actors and music from the Showa era suddenly means people who like those films more should suddenly 'accept' it, and just ignore the fact that it's a shitty movie because "it's pretty much a Showa film" when it's nothing of the sort? Showa just is something fans use to refer to a time when the film was made in the context of the Godzilla series, not some kind of standard for quality. Having "Showa stuff" doesn't mean it's suddenly not a steaming pile.

I also didn't realize that horribly rendered, schizophrenic lasershows (that can't even compare to something seen on Battlestar Galactica, which was on TV around the same time) were something "Showa fanboys" were supposed to get excited about. So it kind of resembles the finale to Battle In Outer Space. Yippy kayay?

Again, the inside of the alien ship (as well as the lighting) looks just like the inside to the second Death Star, and that sure as hell wasn't a coincidence. I suppose Star Wars fans should LOVE GFW, based on some of the logic being displayed here.

[StAiRcAsE KiTtY]

Speaking of the soundtrack, I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there. Never made sense to me.

Yea well, I don't consider them an actual contribution towards the overall soundtrack. They were more like an annoying guest that popped in for thirty seconds.

I actually liked that song, but I see what you mean.

[g2vd]

G2VD actually brought up another good point in the Godzilla resurgence thread. A lotta those fanboys criticized the heisei series for not having flexible suits and too much beam wars. Now we got a movie where Godzilla was jumping, kicking, impaling monsters and throwing them far and suddenly they hate that too.

Mmn, Yes. My influence grows ever stronger soon everybody will be quoting me and I shall surpass all the major people in this fandom.

But what post do you mean? I made a post recently about "how could anybody look at the Heisei Suits and not think they're incredibly bulky and super fat" was it a earlier post I remember I have made quite a few in that Subforum but I made no so point praising FW as I can recall.

And that's actually one thing I really like about FW we finally get a Godzilla that's not super bulky and can actually fight again the problem is all the fights are so fast it basically renders it completely null.

[szmigiel]

I just watched Atragon, Mysterians, and Battle in outer space. Those who say that this film isn't faithful to the Showa era are being ridiculous as the Xilliens and the dogfights in this film+the crew are pretty much identical to those in all the earlier scifi flix just executed with a bigger budget and better special effects.

This film is pretty much a Showa film but it's ironic that for the most part it's the Showa fanboys that hate it the most.

G2VD actually brought up another good point in the Godzilla resurgence thread. A lotta those fanboys criticized the heisei series for not having flexible suits and too much beam wars. Now we got a movie where Godzilla was jumping, kicking, impaling monsters and throwing them far and suddenly they hate that too.

Main reason the people that hate GFW give is; the fights are to short to be enjoyed. I do think the fights are short, and it would have been nice to have longer battles. But I have come to enjoy the way the fights are choreographed overtime, short and brutal. Then when the battle in Tokyo takes place the battles are longer a lot like the way Honda and Tsuburaya did kaiju scenes in the 60’s. It really wasn’t till the Champion Festival films that the battles started to become longer and the main focus of the film. In the end the battles in GFW are unique.

I like the call back to over 2 dozen sci-fi films both Japanese and Western, and it does make me enjoy the film more. When GFW was on El Rey during their Christmas Marathon I was thinking that maybe I will sit down and try to list the references and what others films they come from.

[Cookson]

Speaking of the soundtrack, I always thought it was super random that Sum41 was in there. Never made sense to me.

It's worth noting I've heard this as a way to criticize the film for trying to appeal to American audiences. Truth be told that's not exactly the case, the Japanese are as big fans of cringey bad American rock as weeaboos are obsessed with bad jpop.

Honestly don't see why this is any worse than any of the 70s movies. And I mean that in a good way, this feels like something Toho would've cooked up in the 70s if they'd decided to spend on a DAM 2.0 back then.

I just watched Atragon, Mysterians, and Battle in outer space. Those who say that this film isn't faithful to the Showa era are being ridiculous as the Xilliens and the dogfights in this film+the crew are pretty much identical to those in all the earlier scifi flix just executed with a bigger budget and better special effects.

This film is pretty much a Showa film but it's ironic that for the most part it's the Showa fanboys that hate it the most.

G2VD actually brought up another good point in the Godzilla resurgence thread. A lotta those fanboys criticized the heisei series for not having flexible suits and too much beam wars. Now we got a movie where Godzilla was jumping, kicking, impaling monsters and throwing them far and suddenly they hate that too.

This is actually a good point. I think it's just hard FOR A LOT of people to watch a 2004 film as a 60's and 70's Toho film. I think if that was the way they advertised it, it might have been accepted more. They promoted it as a serious film, and people were shocked to watch the overall outcome. I think that's the solution to this... if Toho would have promoted it as a tribute to the 60's and 70's films it probably would have been received better and possibly made more at the box office. Toho promoted this film totally the wrong way... it's funny that we're going from a 60's/70's tribute Godzilla film to a "Terrifying" Godzilla film this year.

[ernesth100]

Regardless of what you thought of these films. You must admit, the fight scene choreography was on point.

[Cookson]

Regardless of what you thought of these films. You must admit, the fight scene choreography was on point.

Yes, and if the haters of the film can go into it watching it as a tribute to the 60's and 70's films, I think a lot of peoples opinions on it would change.

[Lain Of The Wired]

Regardless of what you thought of these films. You must admit, the fight scene choreography was on point.

It was ok.

[Captain Aktion]

They promoted it as a serious film

Did they? Or were some of the fandom misinterpreting information and clouding it up with their own judgements and expectations?

[Lain Of The Wired]

They promoted it as a serious film

Did they? Or were some of the fandom misinterpreting information and clouding it up with their own judgements and expectations?

Why fuck no, we'd never do something like that