A Step Up Or Down For the Series?

[Jatahaxe]

It was a long time ago, but Godzilla: Final Wars was the previous entry in the franchise. Do you like Godzilla (2014) better or worse than GFW? Personally, I think their styles and objectives are too radically different for there to be a fair comparison, but I like the way in which I can take G'14 more seriously than the zany fun I get from GFW, so '14 gets my vote.
I know GFW gets some major hate around here, but occasionally so does G'14. Just how imbalanced those scales are is what I'd like to see.

[Variola]

Massive step up. It was better than GFW in virtually every possible way.

[godzillalives88]

I'd go even farther and say it was a step up for the series as a whole. Really, the only Millennium film I thought was better than G '14 (maybe) was GMK, and even those two are neck and neck in my book. It has less to do with the differences in budget, and more to do with the fact that G '14 actually committed to its world building rather than just showing a few clips from older movies and saying "okay, these are the films that count in this timeline." That and G'14 (like GMK) actually had a take on Godzilla beyond him just being a general nuisance/threat that the military has to deal with it.

[eabaker]

I would definitely call the '14 film a big step up from any of the last 3 Millennium flicks, both in terms of overall quality of filmmaking and in terms of doing anything interesting with the character of Godzilla.

[NewBloodGodz]

They're the same movie.

1. Godzilla has a run in with the military and goes to sleep.

2. The military fights the enemy monsters and a multinational conspiracy is involved in their battle (Monarch for '14, The Xiliens for GFW).

3. The enemy monsters cause more destruction than Godzilla (who doesn't show up in the movie for an hour).

4. The characters are underdeveloped and hardly evolve (Ozaki and Ford are the same character, because they're like every other mutant/soldier in the movie).

5. The villain is killed way too easily and wants to procreate at the cost of humankind (Xiliens/MUTO nests).

6. Godzilla is a hero, further exemplified by the military "escorting" him to the battlefield like a brawler in both movies.

7. The fights are short. (Though to be fair, there's no abrupt and frustrating cutaways in Final Wars)

8. There are convoluted subplots needed to make sense of the plot (Kaisers/Godzilla's new origin).

9. Marketed deceptively. (Both make Godzilla save the day, instead of being an antihero, at the series' end and reboot)

10. Both are not about Godzilla as the primary focus.

11. Both directors didn't know what they wanted out of the movie. Ryuhei Kitamura wanted it to be awesome and cool, and made a complete ass of himself especially because he hates Godzilla. Gareth Edwards marketed him as the punishment we deserve and has him save the day. Is he a Godzilla fan? Sure. Of the Hanna Barbera Cartoon.

12. Both movies objectify women and nearly make them as contrived as the action (does anyone seriously have a memorable moment with Elle in '14, or Otanashi in Final Wars?)

13. Godzilla fights two monsters and nearly dies, until a miracle on the part of a third wheel evens the odds (Ford with the Nest, Mothra with killing Gigan).

14. The villains are the byproduct of our arrogance (Xiliens = war/MUTOs = Nuclear Disarmament).

15. Godzilla nearly dies and a member of the human cast is why Godzilla survives (Ford/Ozaki).

16. Godzilla walks away at the coming dawn and roars before swimming away.

17. Over the top scores.

18. Godzilla is an afterthought in his own celebratory film.

19. Both have fan service in the form of their strongest male characters. Final Wars had Don Frye, 2014 had Bryan Cranston.

20. Both were an attempt to erase Zilla from our subconscious, both literally and metaphorically.

I could go on all day. XD

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

That's pushing it a little. Final Wars is zany over the top ludicrous fun, G14 was mostly a forgettable bore. Don't care which is techinally a better film, Final Wars entertained me and G14 did not.

[TetsukiGroudon]

They're the same movie.

1. Godzilla has a run in with the military and goes to sleep.

2. The military fights the enemy monsters and a multinational conspiracy is involved in their battle (Monarch for '14, The Xiliens for GFW).

3. The enemy monsters cause more destruction than Godzilla (who doesn't show up in the movie for an hour).

4. The characters are underdeveloped and hardly evolve (Ozaki and Ford are the same character, because they're like every other mutant/soldier in the movie).

5. The villain is killed way too easily and wants to procreate at the cost of humankind (Xiliens/MUTO nests).

6. Godzilla is a hero, further exemplified by the military "escorting" him to the battlefield like a brawler in both movies.

7. The fights are short. (Though to be fair, there's no abrupt and frustrating cutaways in Final Wars)

8. There are convoluted subplots needed to make sense of the plot (Kaisers/Godzilla's new origin).

9. Marketed deceptively. (Both make Godzilla save the day, instead of being an antihero, at the series' end and reboot)

10. Both are not about Godzilla as the primary focus.

11. Both directors didn't know what they wanted out of the movie. Ryuhei Kitamura wanted it to be awesome and cool, and made a complete ass of himself especially because he hates Godzilla. Gareth Edwards marketed him as the punishment we deserve and has him save the day. Is he a Godzilla fan? Sure. Of the Hanna Barbera Cartoon.

12. Both movies objectify women and nearly make them as contrived as the action (does anyone seriously have a memorable moment with Elle in '14, or Otanashi in Final Wars?)

13. Godzilla fights two monsters and nearly dies, until a miracle on the part of a third wheel evens the odds (Ford with the Nest, Mothra with killing Gigan).

14. The villains are the byproduct of our arrogance (Xiliens = war/MUTOs = Nuclear Disarmament).

15. Godzilla nearly dies and a member of the human cast is why Godzilla survives (Ford/Ozaki).

16. Godzilla walks away at the coming dawn and roars before swimming away.

17. Over the top scores.

18. Godzilla is an afterthought in his own celebratory film.

19. Both have fan service in the form of their strongest male characters. Final Wars had Don Frye, 2014 had Bryan Cranston.

20. Both were an attempt to erase Zilla from our subconscious, both literally and metaphorically.

I could go on all day. XD

Oh god, this is going to be one of those threads....

OT: Definitely a step up regardless of whatever little conspiracies, objectively 2014 is a better film. 04 only has small little things that 2014 may lead to some people to like it more. Like more monsters and action, I guess.

[Variola]

I'd go even farther and say it was a step up for the series as a whole. Really, the only Millennium film I thought was better than G '14 (maybe) was GMK, and even those two are neck and neck in my book.

Agreed.
In fact, I'll be controversial and say G2014 is the third best in the series after Gojira and GMK.

[eabaker]

^I wouldn't go that far, but my wife would. For her, the top three are Gojira, KKvsG and '14.

[Variola]

^I wouldn't go that far, but my wife would. For her, the top three are Gojira, KKvsG and '14.

You're a lucky man to have a partner that's into kaiju eiga, mate.

[eabaker]

^I wouldn't go that far, but my wife would. For her, the top three are Gojira, KKvsG and '14.

You're a lucky man to have a partner that's into kaiju eiga, mate.

Among other reasons, yeah, very lucky.

[Noble Saber]

1. Godzilla has a run in with the military and goes to sleep.

Doesn't Ken Watanabe's character say, "In 1954, we awakened something."?

3. The enemy monsters cause more destruction than Godzilla (who doesn't show up in the movie for an hour).

Like how they do in a shit ton of the other Godzilla films?

4. The characters are underdeveloped and hardly evolve (Ozaki and Ford are the same character, because they're like every other mutant/soldier in the movie).

Personality-wise, maybe. But each character has something that made them unique - Ford was an EOD defuser; Ozaki was a Kaiser.

5. The villain is killed way too easily and wants to procreate at the cost of humankind (Xiliens/MUTO nests).

I was under the assumption the M.U.T.O's were the villain, with the nest being a byproduct. Also, Monster X.

6. Godzilla is a hero, further exemplified by the military "escorting" him to the battlefield like a brawler in both movies.

Godzilla still attacked the Gotengo in FW.

7. The fights are short. (Though to be fair, there's no abrupt and frustrating cutaways in Final Wars)

That San Francisco fight was not short.

8. There are convoluted subplots needed to make sense of the plot (Kaisers/Godzilla's new origin).

Explain to me what was so convoluted about Godzilla's new origin. A prehistoric animal awakened by nuclear bomb tests is convoluted to you?

12. Both movies objectify women and nearly make them as contrived as the action (does anyone seriously have a memorable moment with Elle in '14, or Otanashi in Final Wars?)

lmao.

17. Over the top scores.

G14 was honestly not that over the top. What soundtracks felt that way to you? I'm one who can't even remember half the tracks in G14.

19. Both have fan service in the form of their strongest male characters. Final Wars had Don Frye, 2014 had Bryan Cranston.

I didn't see a shirtless Bryan Cranston.

[Variola]

Both movies objectify women

I must have missed Elle and Dr Graham walking around in short skirts, lip gloss and high heels all movie, or the camera panning lustfully over their legs like Miyuki and Anna in GFW...

[kamilleblu]

Godzilla (2014) fits right in alongside a number of the millennium entries, another bland installment. Though it is a step up, even if it's only for the increased production value. While Final Wars bombed, remember that was mainly because of the absurd amounts of money wasted on location shootings, it had tough competition, and it was released during a period of over-saturation in the kaiju genre.

[NSZ]

Both movies objectify women

Jenga towers have fallen apart more gracefully than your argument just did.

[kamilleblu]

Both movies objectify women

Jenga towers have fallen apart more gracefully than your argument just did.

The word objectify (and its variants) are enough to kill a discussion. One of the most overused words of the century. Besides, have people forgotten what franchise this is? Ford and his wife's intimacy in G14 broke new ground in a franchise that is reluctant to show couples kissing.

[Samayel]

GFW Vs G '14 is The Phantom Menace Vs The Empire Strikes Back.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

More like comparing Phantom Menace to Revenge of the Sith.

[morgoth]

Definitely a step up. G'14 kept me entertained 90% of the time while Final Wars human motorcycle fights were a nice sedative.

[Xx_The_Masquerade_xX]

Comparing one of the worst Toho series films to the best American film? Gee wonder which way this will go?

Obviously Godzilla 2014 is superior. But it's cutting away, teasing, lack of Godzilla and killing off it's only likable character and replacing it with one of the weakest characters hurt the film greatly.

Godzilla 2014 - 5.8 out of 10

Godzilla: Final Wars - 1.5 out of 10 (yea i hated it that much)