How big a problem is the lack of Godzilla?

[Fighing On Fuji]

This has me worried. Compared to, say, Smaug, how much screen time does G enjoy? Is it satisfactory or not really? How much time does he get compared to the "Jaws" shark?

Gonna see the movie tomorrow, so I'll be weighing in once I get back.

[SaiyanRider54]

Honestly, even though Godzilla wasn't in the movie that much, when he is on screen, he steals the show and makes every second count. The cinematography in his scenes are amazing, the SFX are gorgeous, and Godzilla is the TRUE Godzilla. Godzilla does get teased a lot, but when the final act comes along, it pays off. So it's worth it. And for when Godzilla isn't on screen, the MUTOs fill in. So your still getting a ton of monster action regardless. Plus, after re-watching Gojira, I recently noticed Godzilla is barely in the movie until the end, yet it is considered the best of all his films. I'm sure when a sequel inevitably roles around, he will have a lot more screen time.

[pikmintaro]

Yeah people are complaining about him not having much screentime, but he is actually in the movie quite a bit, and there are plenty of Godzilla movies where he doesn't have that much screentime.

[three]

how big of a problem? it's not a problem. like at all. i'm not sure what people were expecting but this movie was extremely well - rounded and did everything well and maybe one or two things not so well, the hype around EVERY Godzilla appearance falls into the "done well" category.

[PopInPicsPresents]

"I went to go see Godzilla to see Godzilla fuck shit up! What a rip off..."

Well I went to see a good movie with Godzilla in it.

Godzilla could have used a TAD more screen time, but what he was was great. The MUTOs had a perfect amount of screen time.

[Ghost_Ultramantis]

Probably taking my 9 yr old son and 8 yr old daughter (she is NUTS for big G).

Three things:

1. Pacing builds tension and suspense. "Spielbergian" has been thrown around alot. How long did it take to get to the big TRex and Velociraptor reveals? Jaws? Also, the high speed internet/fast food/Instant EVERYTHING generation, the people complaining about "not enough", will be the first to use their 30 second attention spans to denounce the film as derivative and overexposed. Enjoy the journey and relish the payoff in the final act.

2. From a practical perspective, Edwards was budget-savvy with the above philosophy. The reveals were done REALLY well and leave us wanting more.

3. Gareth has a vision for a sequel that acts as a nice counterpart to his Spielberg-esque Godzilla 2014 origin story. Multiple sources quoted his interest in a riskier, budget-intense "Destroy All Monsters" type of sequel, but knows it hinges on the success of the first movie. Edit: It could also have been a "Final Wars" type of movie. I'm sure a quick Google search will tell us...

[three]

3. Gareth has a vision for a sequel that acts as a nice counterpart to his Spielberg-esque Godzilla 2014 origin story. Multiple sources quoted his interest in a riskier, budget-intense "Destroy All Monsters" type of sequel, but knows it hinges on the success of the first movie.

even if you didn't know this, it was something i thought was obvious. a lot of this film felt like a setup for something greater (as in something more grand, not necessarily better in quality).

[GodzillaFan1992]

It was no problem for me. There happens to be many Godzilla movies, where Godzilla has little screen time and those movies still tend to be good. For example the first Godzilla had Godzilla only appearing for 20 minutes max. This is the Godzilla movie people consider to be the best.

Then there are others like GvKG where Godzilla doesn't appear until an hour in as well as ToMG where he doesn't appear until 50 minutes in.

[PopInPicsPresents]

(five points to anybody who understands the reference)

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

I feel like a DAM still movie should be the last in a trilogy (if it even gets one). You can't have a DAM style movie without establishing at least 3 more monsters.

[three]

(five points to anybody who understands the reference)

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

False. It's not a Godzilla movie.

well whatever you're on about it reminds me of those stupid movies where everything is "in the mind" of the person who's starring in the film, like "shutter island". i me an come ON. we spent the whole movie watching this weird crap play out and you let me down like this? for christ's sake.


and i guess if we can joke and rant like this the lack of Godzilla ain't much of an issue, now is it?

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Of all the problems I have with this film a lack of Godzilla is not one of them.

[Spirit Ghidorah 2010]

I'm more concerned with the lack of humans. Yeah, I know that the movie is called "Godzilla", but he makes far too many appearances. It gets to the point that his presence loses all impact. The sequel should dial down his screentime a little more.

[1tisoygoji]

IMO, making a monster movie will always have the problem of balancing out the monster(s) and humans. This movie had it down very well. While I felt that Godzilla could have had more screen time, the movie was good no matter what.

[Chris85]

Ok I went to see it a 2nd time today, this time in 3d! And I think the time complaint is fairly valid. Don't get me wrong, I did like this movie a ton, but I timed Godzilla's screen time, and it was only 8 minutes 45 seconds, and I was being very generous, counting even the slightest scene with his tail or dorsal fin, and even the picture of him from the beginning. Now for the length of this movie I find it pretty low still. I wished we could have seen the Big G a bit more, after all we've been waiting 10 years for... just under 9 minutes new footage? And being the geek that I am, decided Id time his screen time from the original 1954, and got 9 minutes and 4 seconds, so similar screen time, but then again that was a shorter movie as well

[GojiraFanMan]

I liked the teasing and it only served to make the climax mean more.

That said, I would have liked a TOUCH more of Godzilla.

I would have liked an underwater scene showing him awaken to the sound of the MUTO call (not a full reveal, but a zoom in on his eye).

I also would have liked something involving him to take place in between the reveal at the airport and his appearance at the Golden Gate Bridge, even if it was something quick.

[Chris85]

No way, honestly man, I had a stopwatch and everything. I just finished the movie about an hour ago. And I made a mistake it was the King of the Monsters 1956, but shouldn't the Godzilla screentime be the same?

[three]

why are you "clocking" how much time Godzilla has on screen? his presence is what counts and the MUTO are incredible. this does not hurt the film in the slightest, at least not like the absence of another (human) character does later on in the movie.

[Chris85]

why are you "clocking" how much time Godzilla has on screen? his presence is what counts and the MUTO are incredible.

Well because I've heard many people talk about his screen time, so I thought it'd be interesting to actually have a solid number of how long he was on screen, that's all. You're absolutely right, his presence is what counts, I agree.

[Jatahaxe]

If you need a stopwatch or any other such tool to criticize a movie I suggest you stand back and look at your life . I bet if I watched this movie with infrared binoculars I would see pixels! Chagrin! Shame! Despair!
Seriously though, it wasn't a problem for me. If I had to guess with no reference I would say he had tons of screentime, if not solely because whenever he is on screen it is so monumental that not much more is necessary.
Eh, I do feel like he was mainly there sometimes just to push the muto off the screen and go back to the human drama, and I was like NO GO BACK GO BACK.
In conclusion, time is an illusion.

[Empress Jingû]

It's not a problem at all. Many of the old films were like this. It was just enough, and done just right.
Too much of him would have made everyone just say, too much gratuitous monster screen time.
No matter what they did, someone would have complained.