Lost Project Discussion: Godzilla vs Kamacuras (2001)

[Tohosaurus]

Although there has been discussion of Kaneko's first two ideas leading up to GMK, one being "Godzilla vs M" and the other the original (known) idea of Godzilla against Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus. But apparently there was an idea Kaneko had prior to either of these: "Godzilla vs Kamacuras". Virtually nothing is known of the film, and you can find what little details Toho Kingdom knows of. It's interesting that Kaneko was reportedly interest in using CGI (heavily, it is implied) in order to portray the Kamacuras, or multiple if there were to be multiple (that's my preferred idea, but who knows?) simply because a few years later the Kamcuras in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) depicted Kamacuras with CGI. In fact, it doesn't seem that we have any real idea of what the plot was going to be like. I am surprised TK has only found out about this more recently, but we may never have more details than this, though I imagine Kaneko would've had some idea of the story he wanted to tell.

http://www.tohokingdom.com/cutting_room ... curas.html

Thoughts?

[kamilleblu]

Would Kamacuras really been an entertaining opponent on its/their own? Maybe Legendary should have used redesigned versions of them instead of creating new creatures that will probably join the ranks of Varan, Kumonga, Battra, and Jet Jaguar. Underused.

Kind of interesting Kaneko didn't initially realize another insect would have been overkill. Especially since his film directly follows Megaguirus.

[Tohosaurus]

Overall I'm glad we got GMK, though we don't know what Kaneko had planned for Kamacuras.

Would Kamacuras really been an entertaining opponent on its/their own? Maybe Legendary should have used redesigned versions of them instead of creating new creatures that will probably join the ranks of Varan, Kumonga, Battra, and Jet Jaguar. Underused.

Kind of interesting Kaneko didn't initially realize another insect would have been overkill. Especially since his film directly follows Megaguirus.

An interesting idea on using Kamacuras in last year's movie.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I'm wondering what they'd do to make Kamacuras more of a threat. Have multiple? Like not just three but way more. Or have a bunch and one big alpha? I don't know. Personally I'm not all that interested. Megagurius IMO is way more interesting and cooler.

[Vakanai]

I'm wondering what they'd do to make Kamacuras more of a threat. Have multiple? Like not just three but way more. Or have a bunch and one big alpha? I don't know. Personally I'm not all that interested. Megagurius IMO is way more interesting and cooler.

Eh, sounds too much like Legion of the Gamera Trilogy.

I like the sound of that Godzilla against Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus idea though, where has that been discussed before?

[LSD Jellyfish]

I'm wondering what they'd do to make Kamacuras more of a threat. Have multiple? Like not just three but way more. Or have a bunch and one big alpha? I don't know. Personally I'm not all that interested. Megagurius IMO is way more interesting and cooler.

Eh, sounds too much like Legion of the Gamera Trilogy.

I like the sound of that Godzilla against Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus idea though, where has that been discussed before?

Kamacuras had an acceptable appearance in GFW so that leads me to less disinterest. But yeah I've always been fond of the original GMK ideas. I was glad Baragon made it into the final film but I really wish Varan came back. GMK did wonders for Baragon by making him cannon (sure he was in a Godzilla movie but he never shared the screen with Godzilla prior) and the same could be done for Varan.

[Tohosaurus]

I like the sound of that Godzilla against Varan, Baragon, and Anguirus idea though, where has that been discussed before?

Here's a thread on it:
http://www.tohokingdom.com/forum/viewto ... =8&t=19311

Here's Toho Kingdom's article on it:
http://www.tohokingdom.com/cutting_room ... aragon.htm

I'm wondering what they'd do to make Kamacuras more of a threat. Have multiple? Like not just three but way more. Or have a bunch and one big alpha? I don't know. Personally I'm not all that interested. Megagurius IMO is way more interesting and cooler.

I think Megaguirus certainly is more interesting based on what we have to go on. That said, Kaneko is a solid director and seems to have an eye for a good kaiju story, so it's hard to say what he had in mind. And sadly I highly doubt we'll ever know much more than this.

I was thinking a group of them might have provided an interesting dynamic. Unlike Meganula or the Legions, these would be sized like the regular Kamacuras from the Showa era, therefore much smaller than Godzilla but still giant monsters. The other is have a queen or such as you implied with "alpha", but again that's much like Megaguirus. But like I said, being Kaneko is as talented as he is I would think he might come up with something interesting.

Kamacuras had an acceptable appearance in GFW so that leads me to less disinterest. But yeah I've always been fond of the original GMK ideas. I was glad Baragon made it into the final film but I really wish Varan came back. GMK did wonders for Baragon by making him cannon (sure he was in a Godzilla movie but he never shared the screen with Godzilla prior) and the same could be done for Varan.

I had thought the same thing. GFW is one of the few good redesigns they had, and the camouflage ability was a nice attribute.

[M.o.g.u.e.r.a14]

This movie would've been kind of like GvsM if this happened.

[edgaguirus]

I'm sure Kanako would have made a good film of it had it been tried, but it does seem a little too similar to Megaguirus. Only Mothra gets two films in a row, and she's popular. The Kamacuras are a classic foe, but I don't know how they're seen in Japan.

[DaddlerTheDalek]

Kamacuras could have been interesting in a 2000s Godzilla movie, but 2001 was too early because of Megaguirus.

[edgaguirus]

I don't think it would have bugged people, though.

[gigan72]

I don't think it would have bugged people, though.

I see what you did there.

This is one of the projects I would not have cared for. I've never found Kamacuras very interesting, and I don't think the public would have either.

[Showa Gyaos]

I think it could have worked depending on execution. I always believed that a monster like Kamacuras should be more threatening than portrayed on screen. It's based on a praying mantis, which is one of the insect kingdom's greatest predators. They eat other insects, which include hornets, spiders, wasps, etc. They will kill and eat things other than insects, like mice, lizards, frogs. They will eat snakes if they're hungry enough. Imagine where a giant praying mantis would be on the food chain if other creatures its size were around.

Still, I'm happy with what we eventually got. And if I had to choose, I'd still go with Anguirus and Varan before Kamacuras.

[edgaguirus]

We got a taste of what it would be like in The Deadly Mantis. Kamacura would be fearsome to humans, planes, and such, but Godzilla would be a tougher nut to crack unless Kamacura had some trick up its exoskeleton.

[KaijuFiend]

I'm wondering what they'd do to make Kamacuras more of a threat. Have multiple? Like not just three but way more. Or have a bunch and one big alpha? I don't know. Personally I'm not all that interested. Megagurius IMO is way more interesting and cooler.

Sounds a lot like the Meganula swarming Godzilla in GvsMegaguirus, which came just a year before. Which is probably this idea was scrapped, as Megaguirus covered a lot of the same ground. While Kamacuras isn't among my favorite kaiju, I'd certainly be open to him getting a starring role alongside Godzilla. But 2001 was not the time to do it with Megaguirus having been the previous film's foe.

[KingKaiju]

This idea just makes me think about that 5 minute scene in "Son of Godzilla" where he just whooped on the three Kamacuras.

[djkgoji]

I love Megaguirus and would not necessarily have been stoked at the idea of a second giant insect opponent so soon afterward, but I think Godzilla Vs. Kamacuras could have been one hell of a great movie. A group of giant mantids, more closely resembling those in Son of Godzilla than Final Wars, on the rampage in urban areas could have been really cool. I actually see this as more akin to Gamera battling a swarm of bloodthirsty Gyaos than him fighting Legion or Godzilla battling Megaguirus. Definitely an interesting notion.

[Giga Kaiju]

Well, potentially, this could have been interesting to see. As a nest of Kamacuras (or just an enemy that is composed of many beings to confront the Big G) seems like an actual threat makes for a really cool movie. The closest thing could be MEGAGUIRUS but still, it'd been awesome.

[SonOfGorgo]

Note: Is this thread dead? Because I to like place my own thoughts about this.

So anyway, considering Kaneko's ideas for Godzilla vs. M and GMK, I wouldn't be surprised if he would've set his GvK story in his "Republic of Japan" as he conceived for the former (had he actually made it). If so, I also kind of wish it would be in the same universe as his Gamera trilogy, set so many years if not decades later.

[GigaBowserG]

Note: Is this thread dead? Because I like place my own thoughts about this.

So long as you remain on-topic, an older bump is fine Shame we don't have much info for this lost movie outside of Kaneko wanting to use CGI for Kamacuras's sickle hand.