Say Something Negative About The Heisei Series

[Dawsbfiremind]

It nosedives in quality after Biollante. And I do mean nosedives, WW2-era plane droning and all.

No, no. I think it was more like this:

[HedorahGrabber]

It nosedives in quality after Biollante. And I do mean nosedives, WW2-era plane droning and all.

No, no. I think it was more like this:

100% accurate
Hell, even some of the sets are the same quality as that plane

[GODZILLA2877]

I wish these scenes were kept in the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mHFSBgNyac&t=9s

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

This is more of a subjective thing but I don't view the "strong continuity" as a plus for these films. Not to mention Miki is more of a plot device in some cases.
People always bring up the continuity as a plus for the Heisei series but is that helping the quality of each individual film? I don't think it does, and not to mention it doesn't even bother to develop anyone else over the course of the films..... because no one besides Miki is brought back. Any one else that happens to return later down the line are forgetable characters.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the Heisei films they're just not as good as I remember them. I still have a great amount of nostalgia for them but nowadays I'm starting to view the 90s as the actual dark era of Godzilla films.

[Maritonic]

I've never really thought of these having strong continuity. I'd say they have stronger continuity than the Showa and Millennium Eras, for sure. But the continuity here certainly isn't strong. Couple returning characters, some minor cause and effect with events, and tech evolving. But it's pretty light on all of it, honestly.

[eabaker]

I've never really thought of these having strong continuity. I'd say they have stronger continuity than the Showa and Millennium Eras, for sure. But the continuity here certainly isn't strong. Couple returning characters, some minor cause and effect with events, and tech evolving. But it's pretty light on all of it, honestly.

Well, he did put "strong continuity" in quotation marks.

I will say that I think the development of Baby/Little/Junior over the course of multiple movies helps give some emotional heft to Destroyah, as does Miki's ongoing relationship with Godzilla.

On the whole, though, the continuity is sort of a half measure. Something like giving Gondo a sister and a best friend 4 movies later definitely doesn't land, because the story doesn't really do much with the connection.

[KaijuCanuck]

Still the strongest of the franchise as a whole though, unless you count the Kiryu saga or the anime series.

[Maritonic]

anime series.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhaaaaaaa

[KaijuCanuck]

anime series.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhaaaaaaa

Strongest continuity, if that wasn’t clear.

[Maritonic]

anime series.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhaaaaaaa

Strongest continuity, if that wasn’t clear.

Misunderstood that.

[Kaiju-King42]

Why the skreeonk does this thread even exist? Complaining about the Heisei series is literally what every single other thread is for, which is why my own thread was made to serve as a counterbalance.

Clearly we need a "Say Something Negative About G98" thread.

And it's sequel: "Say Something Negative About the Anime Trilogy."

Edit: Wait. That last one is an actual (albiet locked) thread...

[Titanoterror98]

Welp, I might as well get my thoughts out before they lock this down.

Basically, it all comes down to a lack of two things: originality and consistency. I'd say more but you guys have it covered pretty much.

[JAGzilla]

Eh... I feel like the lack of originality is exaggerated. Yeah, three of the seven movies starred returning classic kaiju, but all of them were substantially revamped. And then we did get a large number of new kaiju and concepts: Biollante, Battra, Spacegodzilla, Destoroyah, the Super Xes, the psychics, G-Force, etc. The execution of any or all of those things is up for debate, but to call the series unoriginal is a stretch.

[Grievous]

Honestly...for me...

When the Heisei series is good...its great...fantastic in places...
but as a whole...its incredibly uneven.

I've always wondered how good the Heisei series could have been
if they would have made less films & took more time with the films
they did make.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

The series limited itself for the sake of continuity, and yet never made good use of its continuity with one exception: Mecha King Ghidorah's remains being used to create Mechagodzilla and Garuda. That's it! Otherwise, the plot of one movie never has any bearing on the plot of another. Space Godzilla tried really hard to work in connections to Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. Mothra, but that just made the movie even worse. I would accept the bland tonal consistency of the Heisei series if each movie tied into the next really well, but they don't. They're stand-alone movies that just happen to occupy the same timeline with a couple of recurring characters. And most of them are kind of boring.

[airforce111]

I remember I absolutely hated (and still do but not as much now) Godzilla vs Mothra 1992 because they built everything up like Battra was the bad guy, worse than Godzilla. So Battra starts owning mothra near the end, she gets the crap kicked out of her, battra puts up a good fight with godzilla before as well, kick godzillas ass until godzilla gets a hold of him. To me it seemed like Godzilla and Mothra were just teaming against battra. Finally godzilla gets Battra but fricken Mothra comes out of nowhere to save Battra? I was so confused as a kid. Godzilla just helped save your furry butt from Battra then comes the tag team. Always hated mothra in there.

Also Miki always seemed concerned mostly for Godzilla in the film, if you rewatch all the scenes she is barely caring or talking about mothra or battra in the fights, she genuinely looks like she want's godzilla to be ok. Still hate that sh!t

[Fish Cakes]

We don't have to say anything negative though, the Heisei series itself does that for us.

[Gigantis]

Something something beam-o-wars.

Miki is useless and her psychic powers are useless.

Chunky suits that can barely walk.

Hesei Mechagodzilla has a ugly design.

All the films stopped being fun after vs. King Ghidorah.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

Aside from Return of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, I think every Heisei film is unrealized potential. They all sound pretty good on paper but flop, to varying degrees, on screen.

Godzilla vs. Biollante has a lot of amazing ideas, but they all come together in a climax so messy that, for me, it will always hinder the film from being one of the true greats of the franchise.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah has a unique and fun premise but the execution is thoroughly mediocre and the pacing is perhaps the worst in the entire series (part of a three way tie with Raids Again and Tokyo SOS).

Godzilla vs. Mothra had the opportunity to reinvent Mothra for a new generation, and even gave her a rivalrous dark twin, which is pretty cool. Instead, it just retreads the first two Mothra films while Battra is just kind of there to be there.

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla had a cool central idea, but every aspect of the film is a failure. Bad writing, bad directing, bad acting, bad special effects, bad cinematography. The music is okay, I guess.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah wants so badly to be this epic conclusion not only to the Heisei series but to the whole Godzilla franchise. Unfortunately, while Godzilla's death is an effectively somber scene, the movie fails to achieve the spectacle it aspires toward and, minus the emotional impact of Godzilla's meltdown, is a lackluster and shoddily written film.

[Cryptid_Liker]

All of the returning kaiju (except Godzilla) are okay at best.