Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994)

[LSD Jellyfish]

The ass shot is pretty much the height of it, serving absolutely zero purpose.

I've got a really good feeling I know why most people get...perturbed about that scene. But I'll refrain from saying.

Now, while I admit it's up for debate about how necessary the scene is, it does serve some narrative purpose. It clearly is set up to show that Yuki is a self-sufficient survivalist who's been "in the trees" for so long that he's either lost or just doesn't care about basic decorum, like covering his ass in front of people, and that these guys are totally contemptible to him. The immediate shot after or before, if I recall correctly, has the other two guys looking at him with a mix of frustration and bewilderment. It reinforces the differences between the three of them and it lays out that not only does Yuki not give a damn if "his ass is hanging out" but that he probably even gets a little kick out of provocation and sticking it to the "squares". The fact that the other two soldiers mean so little to him that basic things that we take for granted, like not sticking your ass out, are meaningless to him says something.

I get that an ass shot of a dude in the shower isn't necessarily something that belongs in a Godzilla film and I'd say that the naked breasts of a corpse aren't very couth either but I think the consternation over the butt-shot comes from somewhere other than quality or purpose. I mean, all the "yuck"s and "eww"s as form of critique say so.

Either way, that shot DID say more to me about the character than anything in Miki's entire plot said about her.

Nothing against seeing a males ass, I've taken a figure drawing class and drawn plenty of male asses based on nude models.

I like your interpretation but if that was the case I feel as though there's better ways of doing it. Early on in the film there is some very choppy editing and transitions from plot point to plot point. The ass thing just kinda sums it up.

[Captain Aktion]

Nothing against seeing a males ass, I've taken a figure drawing class and drawn plenty of male asses based on nude models.

I like your interpretation but if that was the case I feel as though there's better ways of doing it. Early on in the film there is some very choppy editing and transitions from plot point to plot point. The ass thing just kinda sums it up.

Hey, like I said, it's totally up for debate as to whether or not that was the best way to illustrate that part of the character or even if it was really necessary but there was more to it than just fucking with the audience. I just find it funny the way that people see an ass and they seem to quit thinking altogether about anything other than, "Did I just see an ass?"

What's more curious to me is how it got cleared by the execs. Not that there's anything particularly salacious about it or anything but, especially so for SG, these films played for the children so you'd think it would be a simple thing for them to say, "We get what you were going for but it's just not right and you gotta cut that shot." I mean, it wouldn't matter if it were Victor Salva (hey-o!) directing it and he had creepier reasons for insisting on the shot; if the producers say no to the dailies, then it ain't making it into the film. The fact that they clearly OK'd it is the weirdest part of it all to me. But it's the weirdest part of Katsura's breasts too.

[Mr. Xeno]

I honestly find it funny to see so much bitching over a half-second long ass shot in what's only a 5-10 second long scene.

[g2vd]

Regarding the budget a lot of people complain about an infamous scene where Godzilla's tail goes up and you can see it falling apart. While it's true if you pause it you can notice it it's not really noticeable unless you're specifically looking for it and pause it. I'm not excusing it, I just feel like as with a lot of the films in the franchise it's the chosen scapegoat of the era. Even if it does have flaws and a small budget it still has a noticeably higher budget and effects than the Showa films.

Huh? Every time I watch the movie I always see it without the need for pausing it's pretty noticeable.

[Giga Kaiju]

Well, maybe the shot is just there for the reasons that CA already stated, but then again people think of the 'WAS THAT AN ASS...?!' only but either way, it is amusing to give/or not reasoning to the scene.

At the end of the day, is what one makes up of the scene.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I honestly find it funny to see so much bitching over a half-second long ass shot in what's only a 5-10 second long scene.

It's more like that one scene represents a lot of stuff in GVSG that could be cut.

[Missingno.]

I honestly find it funny to see so much bitching over a half-second long ass shot in what's only a 5-10 second long scene.

It's more like that one scene represents a lot of stuff in GVSG that could be cut.

But then the budget wasn't there for a re-shoot of the original Kagoshima Bay sequence...

[LSD Jellyfish]

Moguera is more powerful than MG no? Minus having that Godzilla crippling system of course. It always kinda bothered me when I was younger thinking Moguera was inferior to Mechagodzilla but now it's obvious that's wrong. Spaceflight alone makes Mog have its own unique purpose, not to mention backwards easy mobility and the ability to split in two. Plus he's even got some melee attacks.

[Captain Aktion]

Either way, that shot DID say more to me about the character than anything in Miki's entire plot said about her.

I love that nobody has taken up this challenge. She really is a useless character, isn't she?

[g2vd]

Either way, that shot DID say more to me about the character than anything in Miki's entire plot said about her.

I love that nobody has taken up this challenge. She really is a useless character, isn't she?

Pretty much which is really sad actually. because the character had a ton of potential and it would have been really interesting to see the character develop through out the series, unfortunely much like everything else in the Heisei Series (Post Bio) is half baked I mean for example there could have been a really interesting discussion between her and the Cosmo in GVM, however she never really talks to them her whole purpose in every film after Bio is to come in stand around and do a little hand-waving just so the character can have slightly more purpose to the film than a Stan Lee cameo. I mean any interesting arcs or storylines with the character that could be done in the film are never thought of and she utlimately in most of the films serves very little purpose. seriously you could edit her out of GVKG and you really wouldn't notice anything just have her overlayed by somebody else in the opening of GVKG and you can effectively remove her from the whole film, and it would actually improve a scene like the Car Chase which basically shows just how little the charater or the actor did that had ANY kind of a impact on the whole film.

[Captain Aktion]

Pretty much which is really sad actually. because the character had a ton of potential and it would have been really interesting to see the character develop through out the series, unfortunely much like everything else in the Heisei Series (Post Bio) is half baked I mean for example there could have been a really interesting discussion between her and the Cosmo in GVM, however she never really talks to them her whole purpose in every film after Bio is to come in stand around and do a little hand-waving just so the character can have slightly more purpose to the film than a Stan Lee cameo. I mean any interesting arcs or storylines with the character that could be done in the film are never thought of and she utlimately in most of the films serves very little purpose. seriously you could edit her out of GVKG and you really wouldn't notice anything just have her overlayed by somebody else in the opening of GVKG and you can effectively remove her from the whole film, and it would actually improve a scene like the Car Chase which basically shows just how little the charater or the actor did that had ANY kind of a impact on the whole film.

I could almost be okay with her not really doing anything important if they at least gave her a character or a story. Why is she the foremost Godzilla psychic? Biollante showed us an entire school of psychic kids who could detect Godzilla(so did Mothra, IIRC), so what's up with Miki? Did "touching" his mind while out at sea connect them? Is she just a super powerful psychic? If so, that apparently only applies to Godzilla since she couldn't figure out what the Futurians or the crazy scientist in SG were doing. And if it only applies to Godzilla, it'd be nice to have some reason for that. But they just can't be bothered.

I used to have an idea that Miki's parents were killed by Godzilla in 84 and that triggered her powers and her connection to Godzilla. One of these days I'll get around to that fan-fic about how it wasn't really the bird-calls that drove Godzilla into the volcano but Miki herself. That's not even a great idea but it's something and that's more than she ever got.

But what about even having a character? Can anybody even begin to seriously guess at what Miki does in her free time? How does she feel about her powers? Did she go to school? Is she in the military or is she still a civilian?

Biollante was the only film where she really had a purpose and a role in the plot but even then she didn't have a character or an arc. When the Cosmos are a thing, why have Miki there if you don't even use her? When you already have the scientist lady in MG to connect with Little G, what purpose does Miki serve? It just goes on and on.

[LSD Jellyfish]

No, I agree with you. I've always found Miki to be a Mary Sue. Despite being in a Godzilla film she's never in any real danger, we don't know how/why she got her ESP and in general beyond being psychic we really know nothing about her.

I think that's why I'm disappointed to how she was treated in Godzilla vs Destroyah. Towards the end of GVS she clearly has a love interest and things finally seem like they're building towards something but in the very next film nothing happens.

[Missingno.]

and it would actually improve a scene like the Car Chase which basically shows just how little the charater or the actor did that had ANY kind of a impact on the whole film.

Umm, that wasn't Miki in the car chase scene. That was Emmy (played by Anna Nakagawa) in that scene. But I do agree with your post. Miki post-Bio was just "there" and didn't really contribute much, and in some cases like GvD, was in the way of something, such as trying to not let the other psychic (whose name I cannot remember at this moment) lure Godzilla Jr. to Tokyo to fight the flying Destroyah.

[g2vd]

and it would actually improve a scene like the Car Chase which basically shows just how little the charater or the actor did that had ANY kind of a impact on the whole film.

Umm, that wasn't Miki in the car chase scene. That was Emmy (played by Anna Nakagawa) in that scene. But I do agree with your post. Miki post-Bio was just "there" and didn't really contribute much, and in some cases like GvD, was in the way of something, such as trying to not let the other psychic (whose name I cannot remember at this moment) lure Godzilla Jr. to Tokyo to fight the flying Destroyah.

I know but Miki is the reason the reason that..( I forgot his name..let's call him) Kenji and Emmi get in the Car, because Miki says G is still moving around (Because Even though they have a Government Official in the same room apparently nobody thought to get him to call somebody that could than relay the info or just call somebody themselves) they get in the car to go tell Shindo to pull the Submarine out but after Emmi gets taken by M11 he apparently completely gives up and doesn't go to warn Shindo, even though nothing happened to him because of "Reasons" which are never explained which basically makes him somewhat responsible for the Submarines destruction. if Miki was removed than without that scene, it just has them driving around granted without that scene it could be quite jarring to suddenly go to this but it would be better than him just completely giving up and never bring it up again.

[Space Hunter M]

Textless opening and ending sequences from the old Sony TV/streaming version.
If anyone has the TV version in HD, tell me (not like I expect much from this shit fandom).

[godzillalives88]

I rewatched this on Blu-Ray last weekend, and I don't know if it was the transfer or what, but I actually really enjoyed it.

Granted, there are some things about SpaceGodzilla that are undeniably stupid and/or terrible like Yuki's special, the asteroid battle, and the broken tail.

But...I liked the Fukuda vibe that runs throughout (the first half feels like Son of Godzilla, and the second, like Godzilla vs. Gigan), liked the character of Yuri, found SpaceGodzilla to be menacing and didn't mind Little Godzilla, and was generally impressed by the sheer amount of battles/destruction on display.

Also, while the Yakuza plot's a detour for sure, it literally lasts all of five minutes and does strengthen the relationship between Miki and Koji.

I'd still rank it near the bottom of the Heisei series (although now tied with Mothra instead of below it), but I don't think the gap between it and the other films is nearly as wide as the fandom makes it out to be. I even dare say it's a little underrated.

[Giga Kaiju]

But what about even having a character? Can anybody even begin to seriously guess at what Miki does in her free time? How does she feel about her powers? Did she go to school? Is she in the military or is she still a civilian?

Biollante was the only film where she really had a purpose and a role in the plot but even then she didn't have a character or an arc. When the Cosmos are a thing, why have Miki there if you don't even use her? When you already have the scientist lady in MG to connect with Little G, what purpose does Miki serve? It just goes on and on.

Now that you mention it, it is quite sad that she was just THERE on any consequent film after her appearance in BIOLLANTE. No development, no important role, TECHNICALLY, to the plot that is. If she is recognized is mostly because of her coming back to the series.

Sort of.

[Israha]

I don't think Miki's lack of purpose in the later Heisei entries is that much of a problem. After all, it looks like she's meant to be just a recurring character to make the movies look more like direct sequels to one another, nothing more. And while I agree that giving her more background and personality wouldn't hurt anything, it wouldn't significantly improve any of the movies either.

[Scarlet Spider]

Just finished watching this movie. I enjoy the lengths Godzilla went through to save his son. Little things like holding him when Space Godzilla was firing at them and shielding him.

[Giga Kaiju]

I don't think Miki's lack of purpose in the later Heisei entries is that much of a problem. After all, it looks like she's meant to be just a recurring character to make the movies look more like direct sequels to one another, nothing more. And while I agree that giving her more background and personality wouldn't hurt anything, it wouldn't significantly improve any of the movies either.

It isn't a problem with me, honestly, but it can be seen that her character doesn't change much unlike the ones where the plot followed as each movie passed on.