Would Godzilla (2014) Have Been Better With JUST Godzilla?

[InstinctiveGigan]

No, the monster fights were the best part!

Yes, but without any Mutos they would rewrite the movie to be completely different, so not really a fair point.

[Showa Gyaos]

My only objection to such a thought is that it's happened several times before. King Kong, Mothra, Ghidorah, Hedorah, MechaGodzilla, etc.

Many of these monsters appeared in movies when Toho was still cranking them out year after year. This was the first movie in almost a decade. Consider that for a moment. People were crazy for him to be back. It's like going to see a friend you haven't seen for a long time. But due to circumstances, you only get about 15 or so minutes of time to see him. And the argument that the 1954 film only had him in it for 17 minutes is true, but his appearance wasn't preceded by loads of action with any monster co-stars. It felt like he was pushed aside, more like a plot device. There were times when I forgot I was there to see him.

We have to take in account it's now how much time Godzilla shows up, but how much time it FEELS like Godzilla showed up. He feels like he's in Gojira more than he actually is.

That's exactly my point. There was a lack of balance in that regard. I hope they fix that somehow in the sequel.

[InstinctiveGigan]

It would take dedication to make Godzilla NOT the focus. Considering everyone in the world now knows about him and he's the only monster alive (before a new one comes in) that we know is out there.

[Showa Gyaos]

He's had less screen time before. MZ for example.

But that was the sixth film in the franchise. This was a reboot for an American franchise, and quite possibly one that would introduce Godzilla to a new generation. I think it's a matter of circumstance. Godzilla hadn't been established in this universe. He was introduced as a plot device. I mean, the way they introduced him was also kind of awkward when you think about it.

Spoiler:

Especially when the MUTO was introduced. They basically sat Ford down and said "Oh by the way, we know about this big creature. His name's Godzilla, ever heard of him?"

It doesn't ruin the movie for me, but the way he was handled ruined it for many others.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Watanabe's entire performance came across as rather campy to me. He's usually a really good actor but this is far and away his worst performance I've seen. Not terrible but no way up to par with what he's capable of.

[HannibalBarca]

Watanabe was given very little to work with, honestly. His best scene, the stopped watch scene, was the only bit of dialogue written for him that seemed important or meaningful in any way. Everything else he said was either exposition or bizarre non-sequiturs couched as wisdom, both of which normally entailed his character jumping to ridiculous conclusions about the nature and motives of the monsters when there was no apparent evidence on which to base them.

[InstinctiveGigan]

I'm gonna blame the writers for that. Considering Max Borenstein had somewhat similar dialogue for the Awakening novel, I'm gonna blame that part on him and, now that I think of it, the Awakening novel kinda had the same style of Godzilla cutaways.....hmmm......interesting....

[Mr. Xeno]

We have to take in account it's not how much time Godzilla shows up, but how much time it FEELS like Godzilla showed up. He feels like he's in Gojira more than he actually is.

This is exactly what I've been saying, and this here is what totally killed the movie for me personally. I would have been able to excuse every other flaw if this was done right. But Godzilla was just an afterthought in his own origin story/reboot. And that's why it grinds my gears so much to hear the constant Jaws/Alien/Jurassic Park comparisons.

[Variola]

No, the monster fights were the best part!

Yes, but without any Mutos they would rewrite the movie to be completely different, so not really a fair point.

Without monster fights, there's no way I would have enjoyed it as much as I did.

[Janjira54]

I'm gonna blame the writers for that. Considering Max Borenstein had somewhat similar dialogue for the Awakening novel, I'm gonna blame that part on him and, now that I think of it, the Awakening novel kinda had the same style of Godzilla cutaways.....hmmm......interesting....

It's funny because everyone blames the cut aways on Gareth.

[Tohosaurus]

Many of these monsters appeared in movies when Toho was still cranking them out year after year. This was the first movie in almost a decade. Consider that for a moment. People were crazy for him to be back. It's like going to see a friend you haven't seen for a long time. But due to circumstances, you only get about 15 or so minutes of time to see him. And the argument that the 1954 film only had him in it for 17 minutes is true, but his appearance wasn't preceded by loads of action with any monster co-stars. It felt like he was pushed aside, more like a plot device. There were times when I forgot I was there to see him.

Plus consider it from a proportional perspective. There's about a quarter-hour of Godzilla in G54, which is a 96 minute movie. There's also about a quarter hour of Godzilla in the 2014 movie, which is a 123 minute movie. I'm not sure many TKers are of the opinion what Monster Zero or DAM would've been improved by another ~30 minutes of human scenes. Significant difference. But for me, it's also about the film's focus. With more Godzilla focus and less MUTO like Biollante or G2K, I'd not really care.

This is exactly what I've been saying, and this here is what totally killed the movie for me personally. I would have been able to excuse every other flaw if this was done right. But Godzilla was just an afterthought in his own origin story/reboot. And that's why it grinds my gears so much to hear the constant Jaws/Alien/Jurassic Park comparisons.

I think like you a lot.

[junkerde]

And that's why it grinds my gears so much to hear the constant Jaws/Alien/Jurassic Park comparisons.

I don't like the comparisons much either. it's really a face value thing with that , you obviously cant compare the whole movie with it, but yes visually he doesnt appear much, but it doesnt have the same effect as jaws

[HannibalBarca]

I'm gonna blame the writers for that. Considering Max Borenstein had somewhat similar dialogue for the Awakening novel, I'm gonna blame that part on him and, now that I think of it, the Awakening novel kinda had the same style of Godzilla cutaways.....hmmm......interesting....

If nothing else, Awakening shows that the script could have been much, much worse if Borenstein hadn't had his script passed off to Goyer and Darabont to make changes.

[Janjira54]

I sorta feel like I shouldn't like this movie

[HannibalBarca]

The movie is definitely better than it has any right to be. I think that, without a director with as much obvious talent for visuals as we got with Edwards, this movie would have fallen apart pretty badly.

[gzilla46]

We have to take in account it's not how much time Godzilla shows up, but how much time it FEELS like Godzilla showed up. He feels like he's in Gojira more than he actually is.

This is exactly what I've been saying, and this here is what totally killed the movie for me personally. I would have been able to excuse every other flaw if this was done right. But Godzilla was just an afterthought in his own origin story/reboot. And that's why it grinds my gears so much to hear the constant Jaws/Alien/Jurassic Park comparisons.

I feel the same way.
If he wanted to make a Jaws-like movie so bad, he should've just made a Jaws movie.

[Tohosaurus]

I agree. The story was kind of a mess and uninteresting or bland in parts. I know there's a good story hidden in here because I didn't dislike everything, there were things I like but the whole monster coverup thing and Monarch that had potential to be something interesting got washed away pretty fast. I'm glad they didn't make it last the whole movie but I feel they could have done more with it and just wasted it. I know you can do more with a conspiracy than this because we've seen it done before. Godzilla 1985 and Godzilla vs Biollante were conspiracy films involving media blackout and a secret war with three sides fighting over G-cells. I know you could have done more with the monster cover up.

Maybe Monarch will get more development in the next two films.

But yeah, too many writers doing rewrites, I feel like there was a good story originally but I think there was too many hands in the cookie jar and it just devolved into a "how long till the next fight" thing.

Hate to say it but the visuals save the movie cause, well, I hate to say this as well but a lot of us Westerners are easily impressed by action and declare a movie good on that alone. This movie was fun but I feel the story could have been much better.

Part of the creativity involved in your Heisei examples was the mixing of that subplot with some geopolitical aspects that made it even more credible. The Monarch thing wasn't handled badly IMO, but hopefully in the future it becomes more central to the story because "Well we were hiding the MUTOs and Godzilla but actually they aren't the only three.....Rodan says heyro".

Ultimately the actually battles and visuals (as you say) are what really help it. Like I may have said before, aside from effects it's not really better than something like G2K. It didn't bother me so much in the beginning, but the lack of focus on Godzilla in the film is starting to bug me a bit more as time goes on.

It was an entertaining movie, a good Godzilla movie, but not overall a "great" movie. As Godzilla fans we are accustomed to such things, and that's fine. I liked it, as did many others, and that's really all that matters in the end.

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

Well that's what sequels are for, always room for improvement.

I just wish we never had to say that for this film.

[Godzilla165]

Well that's what sequels are for, always room for improvement.

I just wish we never had to say that for this film.

...Why exactly? This film whether people can accept it or not, was never going to be perfect, nor meet any of our standards and expectations to a tee. That's why mistakes and flaws exist, so they can be fixed and rectified the next time around. A good director learns from their mistakes, and listens only to the valid criticisms that their movie garnered, and if the movie earns enough revenue, they take what they have learned and improves them. This movie is essentially the Batman Begins of this new franchise, not perfect, but a solid start. The next film if Gareth learns from the mistakes and flaws of this film, could be the Dark Knight to this franchise... Which is a good thing.

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

Well that's what sequels are for, always room for improvement.

I just wish we never had to say that for this film.

...Why exactly? This film whether people can accept it or not, was never going to be perfect, nor meet any of our standards and expectations to a tee. That's why mistakes and flaws exist, so they can be fixed and rectified the next time around. A good director learns from their mistakes, and listens only to the valid criticisms that their movie garnered, and if the movie earns enough revenue, they take what they have learned and improves them. This movie is essentially the Batman Begins of this new franchise, not perfect, but a solid start. The next film if Gareth learns from the mistakes and flaws of this film, could be the Dark Knight to this franchise... Which is a good thing.

Well to me saying the sequels are room for improvement means the film could've have been much better since that's the context that it's usually used in when I encounter it. I wasn't expecting perfection.
P.S. Batman Begins was awesome