Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

[eabaker]

[Terasawa]

I kind of like the climax. It's the most urgent sequence in an otherwise lethargic movie. The special effects and "near brush with death!" beats make it maybe the most "Hollywoodian" conclusion to a Japanese Godzilla flick. That may not be a good thing, but I remember thinking it felt very much like a modern Hollywood blockbuster when it came out. (Again... is that a good thing?) And hey, at least Michiru Oshima's score is awesome.

The movie's failure handling Godzilla at the climax then got me thinking about a more fundamental problem I have the with Kiryu movies: neither of them gives Godzilla any kind of characterization whatsoever.

Yeah, I agree. I think we're supposed to sympathize with Godzilla after we learn he's reacting to the desecration of Godzilla '54's remains, but that's after rooting against him for an entire film and most of another. It mirrors Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II in that the script pushes us emotionally one way and then tugs us back in the other direction at the end.

[eabaker]

I kind of like the climax. It's the most urgent sequence in an otherwise lethargic movie. The special effects and "near brush with death!" beats make it maybe the most "Hollywoodian" conclusion to a Japanese Godzilla flick. That may not be a good thing, but I remember thinking it felt very much like a modern Hollywood blockbuster when it came out. (Again... is that a good thing?)

I agree that it's technically well put together. My major frustration comes from the fact I don't particularly care about the characters, and that it really doesn't involve Godzilla at all.

And hey, at least Michiru Oshima's score is awesome.

I meant to mention that! On this last viewing, it actually put me in mind of Elmer Bernstein's score for The Magnificent Seven, not because it's especially similar musically, but because both are great scores struggling to add a sense of excitement and tension to what are really very lethargic (excellent word choice, Teresawa) movies.

[Mechagigan]

What pains me the most is how bogged up the truly creative ideas between these two films somehow became, likely thanks to rushed productions. MechaGodzilla being the original beast, from 1954? Ingenious.

Focus on the struggle said monster faced as an innocent-turned-menace, and how he is now being foced to commit destruction he arguably never intended anyway. Look at how he sees the new Godzilla - is the new one just like him, or is he really a menace to society? Does the new creature feel any remorse or appreciation upon recognizing his ancestor's remains?

Hell, I'm sure you could even fit some sort of societal allegory about the rejection and simplifying of past events much larger in scope than we can now ever manage to grasp. The problems with using nature for power, or the issue with focusing on what was over what is.

The core ideas here are so rich, but they dived straight into the linoleum.

On a different subject, I really have never liked KiryuGoji. He's essentially a watered down, lame-r incarnation of G2K, hardly anything new added.

[Godzillafan11]

What suit was used? It does not look like the from GMK Or 2000 and its NOT from Final Wars?

Added in 6 minutes 22 seconds:
I just watched this DVD and Now special features are on and they used a Puppet For Godzilla and Mothra? i thought were a actor in a suit?

[Mechagigan]

What suit was used? It does not look like the from GMK Or 2000 and its NOT from Final Wars?

Added in 6 minutes 22 seconds:
I just watched this DVD and Now special features are on and they used a Puppet For Godzilla and Mothra? i thought were a actor in a suit?

They re-used the KiryuGoji suit from GxMG, only added some battle damage. G2K, GMK and FW all had their own storylines, so GxMG and TSOS used the same Godzilla.

Spoiler:

Mothra's always been a puppet, even back in the old days. Godzilla was mostly a suit, but they made an animatronic version of his upper body to enhance some shots.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

^ no they made a completey new suit for sos, it just looks the same except for the battle scar. Go to wikizilla/kaijupedia and look up kiryugoji if u need a source

[Godzillian]

^ no they made a completey new suit for sos, it just looks the same except for the battle scar. Go to wikizilla/kaijupedia and look up kiryugoji if u need a source

Those are both notoriously uncredible sources

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

^ no they made a completey new suit for sos, it just looks the same except for the battle scar. Go to wikizilla/kaijupedia and look up kiryugoji if u need a source

Those are both notoriously uncredible sources

Yea i knew someone would say that but still i saw a photo with two Kiryugoji suits, gmk, final,and 2000 suits at some toho thing back then

[Missingno.]

Well, by seeing this one just a couple of days ago, I have officially seen every Godzilla movie that has been released here yet. This one was definitely focused more on the action, as I can agree with what seems to be the consensus of this movie: it is the Godzilla vs. Gigan of the Millennium series, with less talk and more action. The characters could have had just a bit more dialogue so messages such as not trying to control nature don't come as blatantly as they did, though. At the same time, I also felt this was just a rehash of GxMG with elements of Mothra vs. Godzilla thrown into the mix. Overall, it was pretty entertaining to me, and I would rank it in the mid to 'low-end high' (if that makes sense to you) point of my personal ratings of the Godzilla films.

[eabaker]

the consensus of this movie: it is the Godzilla vs. Gigan of the Millennium series

I've never seen it described that way before, and, other than the fact that both have extended monster battles in their respective second halves, I don't see the similarities (any more than SpaceGodzilla could be said fill the same role in the Heisei era). Gigan is a stylish movie with a darkly playful tone and slightly bizarre but engaging characters. Tokyo SOS is pretty generic in its presentation, has very little in the way of humor or edge to it, and doesn't really give its characters much in the way of personality beyond one guy being a jerk.

[Missingno.]

the consensus of this movie: it is the Godzilla vs. Gigan of the Millennium series

I've never seen it described that way before, and, other than the fact that both have extended monster battles in their respective second halves, I don't see the similarities (any more than SpaceGodzilla could be said fill the same role in the Heisei era). Gigan is a stylish movie with a darkly playful tone and slightly bizarre but engaging characters. Tokyo SOS is pretty generic in its presentation, has very little in the way of humor or edge to it, and doesn't really give its characters much in the way of personality beyond one guy being a jerk.

Perhaps consensus was a bad word. It was described in this way a couple of times in the first pages of this thread, but I could have sworn it had been more. Either way, I meant to put "it is like the Godzilla vs. Gigan of the millennium series", not that it simply is; and for the reasons you mentioned.

[Godzillafan11]

What suit was used? It does not look like the from GMK Or 2000 and its NOT from Final Wars?

Added in 6 minutes 22 seconds:
I just watched this DVD and Now special features are on and they used a Puppet For Godzilla and Mothra? i thought were a actor in a suit?

They re-used the KiryuGoji suit from GxMG, only added some battle damage. G2K, GMK and FW all had their own storylines, so GxMG and TSOS used the same Godzilla.

Spoiler:

Mothra's always been a puppet, even back in the old days. Godzilla was mostly a suit, but they made an animatronic version of his upper body to enhance some shots.

Thanks I have Now on DVD !

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

For some reason to me that final battle scene with Godzilla and Mechagodzilla at the Diet building is just fricking epic.

[akanes_kiryu]

Thanks WheelDecide for picking out simultaneously one of my least favorite Godzilla films and one of the most underwhelming Blu-rays to start watching random Godzilla movies on my new TV! Chaos reigns!

I was at least struck by a few more scenes than I remember during my last viewing but this movie is still just so unengaging. I'm still pissed off by Akane being reduced to a cameo.

[The Royal SCP]

I hated it as a child, due to the fact that I thought Godzilla died (I used to automatically hate a Godzilla movie if he died), but I re-watched it and now I love it!
(wait, did Godzilla die in Tokyo SOS?)

[Destorogoji]

I hated it as a child, due to the fact that I thought Godzilla died (I used to automatically hate a Godzilla movie if he died), but I re-watched it and now I love it!
(wait, did Godzilla die in Tokyo SOS?)

Wich Godzilla?
Kiryu definitely dies, or well, he finally finds rest and peace. As for the second Godzilla... I don't think he dies, he only got all wrapped up and sank with Kiryu, I supose he would find a way to get rid of that silk.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

I hated it as a child, due to the fact that I thought Godzilla died (I used to automatically hate a Godzilla movie if he died), but I re-watched it and now I love it!
(wait, did Godzilla die in Tokyo SOS?)

Wich Godzilla?
Kiryu definitely dies, or well, he finally finds rest and peace. As for the second Godzilla... I don't think he dies, he only got all wrapped up and sank with Kiryu, I supose he would find a way to get rid of that silk.

Yep, he lived.

[The Royal SCP]

I hated it as a child, due to the fact that I thought Godzilla died (I used to automatically hate a Godzilla movie if he died), but I re-watched it and now I love it!
(wait, did Godzilla die in Tokyo SOS?)

Wich Godzilla?
Kiryu definitely dies, or well, he finally finds rest and peace. As for the second Godzilla... I don't think he dies, he only got all wrapped up and sank with Kiryu, I supose he would find a way to get rid of that silk.

Yep, he lived.

Ok, thank you so much for telling me!

[Lain Of The Wired]

I hated it as a child, due to the fact that I thought Godzilla died (I used to automatically hate a Godzilla movie if he died), but I re-watched it and now I love it!
(wait, did Godzilla die in Tokyo SOS?)

He most certainly died, they wouldn't have ended it that way if it wasn't meant to be implied Godzilla wasn't coming back. The resolve was Godzilla was finally laid to rest when he was united with Kiryu at the bottom of the sea.
If he was coming back, they would have showed it, like they did in Godzilla vs. Ghidorah, and X Megaguirus