Kaiju Fan Confessions

[eabaker]

I don't think Mothra vs Godzilla recieves enough praise.

How times have changed.

In the 90s, I'd say that the Western fandom consistently praised this movie for all the things you cite, and it was often held up as on par with - sometimes even above - the original film.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

The filmmaking on display is arguably as good as the original but the themes never resonated with me as much. It's a wonderful film on it's own right, I place it right there with Shin as the second best films in the franchise.

[Godzillian]

The only people I've seen very critical of MVG (and this isn't a dig at anyone) are younger fans who like the flashier more monster fight heavy films.

[G2000]

I don't think Mothra vs Godzilla recieves enough praise.

How times have changed.

In the 90s, I'd say that the Western fandom consistently praised this movie for all the things you cite, and it was often held up as on par with - sometimes even above - the original film.

I feel like it still receives tons of praise, as the posts above mine illustrate, and I often see it on “best of” lists (and in my mind deservedly so). I wouldn’t say that it doesn’t get the praise it deserved by a long shot.

[Terasawa]

gOdZiLlA lOsEs To TwO wOrMs

Maybe he means it doesn’t receive the same sort of deep critical analysis that G54 does, which I think is pretty true.

[_JNavs_]

Yeah MvG I feel like normally gets plenty of praise, plus there's plenty of pretty cool fights to soothe the "Mah Monster Mash" crowd.

The way the film blends the corporate greed/magical aspects of the OG Mothra and the radioactivity aspects of the OG Gojira is pretty well done.

But it's definitely not as deep in themes as Gojira was.

[Dracosaurian]

Honestly I find Mothra vs. Godzilla okay. Just okay.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

gOdZiLlA lOsEs To TwO wOrMs

Maybe he means it doesn’t receive the same sort of deep critical analysis that G54 does, which I think is pretty true.

Yeah, this is what I was going for. Good discussion from everyone though, and I think it's theme about how we don't need a reason to help everyone is simple yet effective.

[The Baranosdragon]

I actually really like the anime Ghidorah

Upon further retrospection, I actually somewhat agree with this. Granted, I may like the Showa and Millennium versions more, but I still believe Anime Ghidorah was quite interesting, at the very least. I quite liked the more Lovecraftian approach to his design; it truly makes him appear to be a planetary threat, with it emerging from singularities, and distorting time and space with its mere presence. I understand why many dislike this incarnation of Ghidorah, but as a one-off redesign... I like it for for what it is, and believe it fits well in the Anime universe.

[GodzillaFan1990's]

No longer see Ford in the same bright as I used to being boring and such. He's IMO still a flawed character who had potential but not as bad as I used to make him out to be. One thing the film should had also done was have Joe live and join his son on his adventure or die in third act or final climax.

[_JNavs_]

Joe and Serizawa would've made for a great combo on the ship, if Ford died in the third act during the Egg explosion scene, that would've been iconic.

[Smuggers]

Joe and Serizawa would've made for a great combo on the ship, if Ford died in the third act during the Egg explosion scene, that would've been iconic.

Could've perhaps had some drama between him and Joe in regards to what to do about these creatures. Have Joe reach an end to his arc and give something for Serizawa to talk about besides Godzilla restoring balance.

Also, you seem to be calling a lot of things iconic lately. I'm not sure if Ford dying in the eggsplosion would've worked, mainly because it would've reduced the human element in the third act to a flat 0 when it was already about a 2.

[_JNavs_]

Joe and Serizawa would've made for a great combo on the ship, if Ford died in the third act during the Egg explosion scene, that would've been iconic.

Could've perhaps had some drama between him and Joe in regards to what to do about these creatures. Have Joe reach an end to his arc and give something for Serizawa to talk about besides Godzilla restoring balance.

Also, you seem to be calling a lot of things iconic lately. I'm not sure if Ford dying in the eggsplosion would've worked, mainly because it would've reduced the human element in the third act to a flat 0 when it was already about a 2.

Yeah I have been using that term often lately , I think it's because I recently watched Godzilla 1954 for the first time since I was little yesterday, so seeing all the little things in that film used throughout the entirety of the franchise really gave me this idea of,
if you create something new, bold and different, it could be used for years and years, eventually making it "iconic".

So like, if I use it when mentioning something within the Monsterverse, it's because these are things that haven't been done exactly like it previously and will potentially be used again down the line, For example, someone's son heroically dying in the third act while his father has to watch his son sacrifice himself, that'd be new (kinda), different and likely emotional for a franchise like Godzilla.

The Kaiju of course being the exception since they're are commonplace in the franchise, but what they do, how they behave and what they look like could be majorly different.

[Terasawa]

I think the purpose of Joe's death was to remind Ford that he had his own family he had to go take care of. But for several reasons it didn't work very well in the film.

[_JNavs_]

I think the purpose of Joe's death was to remind Ford that he had his own family he had to go take care of. But for several reasons it didn't work very well in the film.

I thought he fainted when I first saw it, so the fact that he died off screen really bugged me.

[GodzillaFan1990's]

I for one think it would had been more tragic and great character development for Joe if it was Ford that died during the first M.U.T.O. attack. Imagine the emotion of him having to tell his daughter-in-law and grandson that his son and their husband/father is dead and in the process becoming more determine to stop the M.U.T.O.'s and saving his grandson while Joe and Serizawa has a bit of an rivalry of their views towards how the outcome should go.

Either that or again Joe joining Ford either surviving or dying until the third act/climax I would had really liked though at the same time there was more they could had done with Ford that was potentially missed IMO like I said.

[UltramanGoji]

in the process becoming more determine to stop the M.U.T.O.'s while Joe and Serizawa has a bit of an rivalry of their views towards how the outcome should go.

But they both want the MUTOs stopped, what would the rivalry even be about?

[GodzillaFan1990's]

But they both want the MUTOs stopped, what would the rivalry even be about?

Serizawa's whole "let them fight" whereas Joe wants them killed right away ASAP. Should had been more clear on that.

[UltramanGoji]

But they both want the MUTOs stopped, what would the rivalry even be about?

Serizawa's whole "let them fight" whereas Joe wants them killed right away ASAP. Should had been more clear on that.

I don't think that would be very compelling, honestly.

The whole "Joe focusing on the cover-up of Janjira" feels like it could've been expanded much more. Maybe they should've gone with a lone Joe somehow believing Godzilla was the cause for the incident, harboring an Ahab-like hatred and then half-way through the film the MUTOs turn out to be the culprit.

[GodzillaFan1990's]

I don't think that would be very compelling, honestly.

The whole "Joe focusing on the cover-up of Janjira" feels like it could've been expanded much more. Maybe they should've gone with a lone Joe somehow believing Godzilla was the cause for the incident, harboring an Ahab-like hatred and then half-way through the film the MUTOs turn out to be the culprit.

That would work. More the reason such a rivalry between them could had worked.