Talkback Thread #13: Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

[he-ba]

And here in America until recently

[three]

So, the reason I don't like kids in movies is that they have limited uses and roles, or so it would appear. Sometimes they break the mold, but more often than not, you get some annoying kid who's just in the way, r is totally ignorant to what's actually going on (and becomes a hero, somehow, or is abused by the villain), and this is a great example. He exists here just to be the innocent that JJ can be a role model and hero to, who also connects to the kiddy audience at home. I hate it. It's one of the few things I'd change about the Showa films: remove the kid from Megalon.

[skuzzy-punk-kid]

So, the reason I don't like kids in movies is that they have limited uses and roles, or so it would appear. Sometimes they break the mold, but more often than not, you get some annoying kid who's just in the way, r is totally ignorant to what's actually going on (and becomes a hero, somehow, or is abused by the villain), and this is a great example. He exists here just to be the innocent that JJ can be a role model and hero to, who also connects to the kiddy audience at home. I hate it. It's one of the few things I'd change about the Showa films: remove the kid from Megalon.

I remember watching the movie with my dad, and the scene where they subdue the Seatopian agent in Goro's lab, the agent flails out, sending poor Rokusan crashing to the floor. The kid was just standing there, unsure of how to grab a flailing adult's arms. And there's where my dad delivered the wham line:
"Look at him! What a worthless kid!"

Should I be angered by that comment, or should I share his opinion? I mean, he was just a kid; how effective would a kid of Rokusan's mass be when it comes to grabbing and holding onto a flailing adult? My only criticism of him was his shorts, but being that I was once that age when I was watching the movie, I sort of understand the kid's point of view. But then again, the kid was light years ahead of me seeing that he invented something that would have never occured to me if I was his age.

[edgaguirus]

With the kid it could have been worse. It could have been one those kids from the Gamera films.

[three]

With the kid it could have been worse. It could have been one those kids from the Gamera films.

Yes, yes it could have. And I am grateful it was not. Kid aside, it's one of my favorites.

[Kaiser]

I've never seen the appeal of the movie.

It's not even bad in a Plan 9 from Outer Space kind of way. It's just bad. It felt like nobody working on the film gave a poop about what they were doing and just wanted to get it out the way as quickly as possible. There really isn't anything the film does well and nothing about its ineptness that's really charming in any way aside from two or three scenes.

[kamilleblu]

I've never seen the appeal of the movie.

It's not even bad in a Plan 9 from Outer Space kind of way. It's just bad. It felt like nobody working on the film gave a poop about what they were doing and just wanted to get it out the way as quickly as possible. There really isn't anything the film does well and nothing about its ineptness that's really charming in any way aside from two or three scenes.

It was a rushed production and it shows.

I'm sure most fans know this by now, but this wasn't even supposed to be a Godzilla film. The titular character was thrown in because Jet Jaguar couldn't a film on his own and even then it didn't perform well domestically. The soundtrack was recycled from Godzilla vs. Hedorah and the special effects budget was so low that it borrows scenes from a film released only a year before. Seeing that both All Monsters Attack and Godzilla vs. Gigan, two stock footage heavy flicks, had pretty solid box office intakes, this film must have been particularly unpopular in its homeland. On the positive side of things, it gave us: Megalon, Jet Jaguar (and his theme song), an awesome dam destruction scene, and Godzilla's tail slide.

[edgaguirus]

You gotta love that JJ theme song.

[skuzzy-punk-kid]

I've never seen the appeal of the movie.

It's not even bad in a Plan 9 from Outer Space kind of way. It's just bad. It felt like nobody working on the film gave a poop about what they were doing and just wanted to get it out the way as quickly as possible. There really isn't anything the film does well and nothing about its ineptness that's really charming in any way aside from two or three scenes.

It was a rushed production and it shows.

I'm sure most fans know this by now, but this wasn't even supposed to be a Godzilla film. The titular character was thrown in because Jet Jaguar couldn't a film on his own and even then it didn't perform well domestically. The soundtrack was recycled from Godzilla vs. Hedorah and the special effects budget was so low that it borrows scenes from a film released only a year before. Seeing that both All Monsters Attack and Godzilla vs. Gigan, two stock footage heavy flicks, had pretty solid box office intakes, this film must have been particularly unpopular in its homeland. On the positive side of things, it gave us: Megalon, Jet Jaguar (and his theme song), an awesome dam destruction scene, and Godzilla's tail slide.

I wouldn't say the soundtrack was 100% recycled from Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster. The theme at the least was recomposed. Godzilla vs. Megalon, to me, used way more synthesizers than any preceding Godzilla movie.

[JAGzilla]

Just got done watching this with my little brother and sister. I hadn't seen it in about ten years, and they'd never seen it at all. We all had fun. I'm not going to sit here and call it good, but it pretty much did what it wanted to do, which was entertain kids and kaiju fans for an hour and a half. The characters are bland, parts of the story make no sense, and it dragged a little at some points, but the monster action more than makes up for all of that. Said action is silly and campy as all hell, and a blast to watch because of that. The monsters just have so much personality, and the fighting is really brutal at times. I loved Jet Jaguar breaking Gigan's arm, especially. The whole final battle is easily one of my favorites in the whole franchise.

[Goji]

The music is definitely NOT "100% recycled" from HEDORAH. I don't care how much one dislikes this movie, that's simply not even remotely true.

[KaijuFiend]

From a critical standpoint, this is a pretty bad film. From a personal standpoint, I enjoy this film. It's fun, and Megalon and Jet Jaguar are interesting kaiju.

[eabaker]

I'm not believer in "so bad it's good," but, assuming basic competence in execution (and sloppy though Megalon may be, it's not incompetent), I can buy a "so weird it's good" from time to time. And this is basically one of those for me.

[ThunderScore]

[Monster Zero]

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/b1136 ... 7597dc.jpg

Is that one of the US Buttons?

[edgaguirus]

They forgot Godzilla's tail.

[Kaijugriffey]

Remember class the ultimate purpose of giant fire breathing Kaiju is to protect the world from the evil destructive power of small stupid children. The little Timmy's that threaten us all.

I don't know why but I actually like this one. I mean everything about it taken in abstract is just awful. But when thrown together it becomes this glorious campy technicolor madness. Kind of like the Adam West Batman series...
Except for Timmy! That little twerp needs to die in an atomic fire. (and no I have no idea what the kids name was. They're all "Little Timmy". And they're evil. EEEEVVVIIIIILLLLLL!!!!)

[GodzillaFanatic2001]

Isn't their name normally Kenny?

[ThunderScore]

Isn't their name normally Kenny?

I think that's only in the world of MST...

[edgaguirus]

Rokuro is the kid's name.