Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released from 1999 to 2015.
Post Reply
User avatar
MustafaDaisenso
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 398
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:16 pm
Location: Chiraq

Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by MustafaDaisenso »

In the past decade, Toho has had bigger budgets and more technology at its disposal when it comes to making Godzilla films. However, many recent efforts have been surprisingly uneven on a technical level, with standards lagging behind other Japanese monster films, such as Gamera 3.

Granted many of the G films are made on a very rushed time schedule, but at the same time, I'm wondering as to why a kaiju film from 1999 can have better effects than one with a larger budget from 2004.

While we have seen many great mattes, impressive miniatures, and well constructed suits, we have also seen some terrible CGI, obvious green screens, and poorly composited images.

Why do you think this is the case?
"I'm a freelance reporter, but... you could call me a scandal hunter hahahaha…"
Check out my YouTube channel for restored Toku trailers in HD
Rodan 1.85:1 US Reconstruction Thread

User avatar
MustafaDaisenso
Monarch Researcher
Posts: 398
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:16 pm
Location: Chiraq

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by MustafaDaisenso »

^ That and I think there is the lack of a visionary effects director, like a Tsuburaya/Nakano figure who are practically a co-director on the film. To me, many of the battles I've seen in the millennium films don't have that spark (no, not like Kawakita ;) ) of creativity and simply don't feel inspired. they may look cool, but they lack the impact.
"I'm a freelance reporter, but... you could call me a scandal hunter hahahaha…"
Check out my YouTube channel for restored Toku trailers in HD
Rodan 1.85:1 US Reconstruction Thread

User avatar
Pkmatrix
Futurian
Posts: 3480
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:19 pm

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by Pkmatrix »

MustafaDaisenso wrote:^ That and I think there is the lack of a visionary effects director, like a Tsuburaya/Nakano figure who are practically a co-director on the film. To me, many of the battles I've seen in the millennium films don't have that spark (no, not like Kawakita ;) ) of creativity and simply don't feel inspired. they may look cool, but they lack the impact.
I agree. Hell, the fight choreography just got more and more dull as the movies moved along. As much as I love GxMG, the fights were simply dull (and in the finale, seesawed with "laughably over-the-top"). Tokyo SOS is better, but mainly due to Mothra's Imago being way more dynamic than either Godzilla or Kiryu (and the larvae being simply different). GFW was a "one step forward two steps back" deal: the monster rampages were fun to watch and well done, but the fights were too short, uninspired, or absurd to the point of parody.

User avatar
Godzillian
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5789
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:36 pm

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by Godzillian »

As great as the suits and effects are they should really use some more CGI in future films and good CGI at that. They can still stick to the suits and miniatures (wouldn't have it any other way) but throwing in some good CGI effects and scenes would only make the film look better.
Image

User avatar
StriderSubzero
Monsterland Worker
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:04 pm

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by StriderSubzero »

I agree that the SFX are a little uneven across the Millenium series, but generally pretty decent. I hold Gamera 3 and GMK as the best SFX by far for kaiju movies as far as computer-generated effects go. I think Shusuke Kaneko must have very clear ideas for what he wants presented. Final Wars had good beam and explosion effects, but the pure CGI shots look super rushed (I'm thinking particularly of the whole Manda sequence).

It's a bit newer than the Millenium G films, but Gamera the Brave had really good SFX as well I think.

User avatar
Rody
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5577
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by Rody »

MustafaDaisenso wrote:^ That and I think there is the lack of a visionary effects director, like a Tsuburaya/Nakano figure who are practically a co-director on the film.
I suspect this was one of the main problems; Toho needed someone(s) with true skill in the field.

User avatar
Godzillasaurus
Gotengo Officer
Posts: 1953
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:47 am

Re: Millennium SFX: Room for Improvement?

Post by Godzillasaurus »

I thought that special effects looked decent in the Millenium Series. I thought Godzilla's ray and his opponent's attacks were pretty well done, although monsters themselves that were done purely in CGI (like Zilla in Final Wars) didn't look too great in my opinion.

Post Reply