Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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tymon
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by tymon »

Great responses from everyone, thanks. Jory, you bring up a great point about Megaguirus. Too bad Schlesinger and co never got to that one.

@eabaker - I'm curious, which cut did you end up showing to your fiance? I understand the conflict there, but ulitmately agree with Arbok that the better version is probably the way to go.

And anyone who hasn't listened to the audio commentary (with Mike Schlesigner and two other members of the US crew) on Sony's G2K disc, should. It has a lot of insight into the changes to the US version (it was actually the first audio commentary I ever heard, back when I first got a DVD player in December 2000).
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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tymon wrote:@eabaker - I'm curious, which cut did you end up showing to your fiance? I understand the conflict there, but ulitmately agree with Arbok that the better version is probably the way to go.
Actually, we still haven't gotten around to it. The last one we watched was SpaceGodzilla. But I have decided it will be the U.S. cut, when the time comes.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Gojira1963 »

The first time I saw Godzilla 2000 was on a VHS and it was the Japanese version with subtitles. I liked it but when I saw the US DVD I really liked the changes they made. The pacing and the flow of the movie has improved greatly. It is one of my favorites.
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JGAR
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by JGAR »

Yeah I liked the US Version vastly version (<<why am I saying this?!?)
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Jory »

JGAR4Entertainment wrote:(<<why am I saying this?!?)
Because the purist viewpoint isn't always right.

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eabaker
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Jory wrote:
JGAR4Entertainment wrote:(<<why am I saying this?!?)
Because the purist viewpoint isn't always right.
Well, it really depends on the topic under discussion. If the question is about entertainment value, then, no, of course the "purist" viewpoint isn't always right; I'm not even sure where a purist viewpoint could come into that discussion.

If, on the other hand, one is watching/discussing/studying the movies based on their reflection of, say, specific moments in Japanese political and cultural history, then the purist viewpoint is absolutely right. One would no more discuss the relevance of the American cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla to Japanese culture in 1962 than one would discuss the relevance of the Italian cut of Dawn of the Dead to American culture in 1978.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Kaiser »

While I admit the American version is better than the original cut pacing wise and music wise, it still isn't better by much in my opinion. There's only so much you can do with a script as dry as the one used for 2000. And while the music is better some of the dub voices are pretty grating to have to hear.

I wonder if a fan edit exists somewhere that keeps the original Japanese dialogue while cutting some unnecessary padding and adding the American version's music?

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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Goji »

This cut of the movie is monumentally boring, and hard to sit through. Those who haven't seen it really aren't missing anything, believe me.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Honestly, I actually enjoy the Japanese version more than the U.S. version. I guess it's because I don't really mind the stuff like the music that doesn't fit in certain scenes, the lackluster sound effects and the pacing. Also, I think the Japanese dialogue is better than the English dialogue.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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CrimsonBloodX wrote:Also, I think the Japanese dialogue is better than the English dialogue.
It kinda sucks how it's hard to gauge how much of what nuance was botched in the Schlesinger cut was due to the export dub's failings/a lack of further proofing from the Japanese continuity on their team's part, or just bad writing.

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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by GojiDog »

I too saw the US edit first and what shocked me the most when I finally saw the Japanese version was the overall sound design.

The US producers REALLY beefed up the sound effects and the musical score. There were places where I missed the great sound effects from the US version, and Hattori's score really plays that main theme to death. He's always been great with the prettier and more atmospheric moments, and that's true of all his scores in the franchise. But when it comes to battle music, it rarely works. So the new tracks that were added in for the US cut were definitely beneficial.

And I know alot of us are purists and really like to have the film as untouched as possible, but the 9 or so minutes they removed really was just dead footage, and losing it improves the pacing of the movie considerably.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Terasawa »

I've come to prefer the Japanese version's soundscape because frankly J. Peter Robinson's new music is inadequate and artificial. And while the TriStar cut has some excellent foley, I don't think there's much wrong with Toho's version's sound design, although I think Orga's new sound effects better fit its appearance.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Terasawa wrote:J. Peter Robinson's new music is inadequate and artificial. And while the TriStar cut has some excellent foley, I don't think there's much wrong with Toho's version's sound design, although I think Orga's new sound effects better fit its appearance.
I like the meatier blows during the ending battle, but the new choices for the rays are a little questionable.

I think the bit where Godzilla and the UFO clash for the first time is really botched. There's this nice kind of rhythm/crescendo to the sound design as the two are powering up their weapons that gets unfairly jettisoned.

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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by CrimsonBloodX »

Don't get me wrong, I do think the U.S. version did the better job with the sound effects and music, but it's not like the Japanese version is so bad that it's boring or unwatchable.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Aye. To me it's the difference between a B and B+. Getting a B ain't bad at all, but it's not quite as good. The crew of G2k were some of the talented regulars from the Heisei films so it's not that they were for lack of experience or skill. But G2000 was a very quickly cobbled together plot derived from at least two very preliminary story pitches, filmed in near record time, and on the cheaper side vs. the Heisei films. The fact it's watchable as it is, let alone fairly solid as the series goes (not excelling but not lacking too much) is a testament to how simplicity can work. The US cut wasn't a reworking, just a tightening up of what was already there.

One of the noticeable spots it happened at, and I didn't even realize this till I watched both cuts back to back on the BluRay and also later with commentary on, was the monster and military sound effects. For some reason that must have just been because they were in a bit of a rush, multiple times their are visible explosions or Godzilla roaring onscreen; and yet the Japanese cut either has no SFX at all or just Godzilla grunting. I know as a creator, even the best reviewed pieces can have holes in them. Doesn't matter if I'm writing, drawing, or editing a documentary. Sometimes multiple viewings by multiple people are needed and it just seems the Japanese cut didn't have the time to.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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^According to Wikizilla anyway, Godzilla 2000 had the same 1 billion yen budget afforded to the '92 to '95 Godzilla films.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Space Hunter M »

CrimsonBloodX wrote:Don't get me wrong, I do think the U.S. version did the better job with the sound effects and music, but it's not like the Japanese version is so bad that it's boring or unwatchable.
I just think the two have about equal strengths and weaknesses. I completely respect either, I just haven't found myself preferring one or the other in recent years. I just think in general, a lot of people are willing to jump the gun and use the Schlesinger cut as the Toho-approved sacred cow of English-language reversionings, dismissing the original version without appreciating its own nuances.

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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

Post by Omegazilla »

I haven't seen the original version is such a long time I don't think I can appropriately compare them right now. However one thing I did find very jarring at the US version was inserting GINOs roar in the movie.

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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Terasawa wrote:^According to Wikizilla anyway, Godzilla 2000 had the same 1 billion yen budget afforded to the '92 to '95 Godzilla films.
I stand corrected, at least as reliable as the numbers are but they seem legit. Major points still stand, though is rather impressive actually Toho foot that 1 billion yen on a rush job.
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Re: Godzilla 2000: Japanese Cut

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Omegazilla wrote:I haven't seen the original version is such a long time I don't think I can appropriately compare them right now. However one thing I did find very jarring at the US version was inserting GINOs roar in the movie.
According to the audio commentary, contrary to popular belief they didn't use GINO's roar, according to them, they weren't even permitted/allowed to do so.

Again, that's what they say....I haven't exactly pulled clips from both films to draw comparison....but when you consider the basic palette/rhythm that a "Godzilla roar" has to form, a lot of different people can probably come up with some VERY similar results without intending to. I'm inclined to think they weren't blatantly lying in the audio commentary.
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