Talkback: GMK - Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah (2001)

[Tyler]

^ At the beginning, during the G-Force briefing. One of the guys says to another that something happened in New York and they thought it was Godzilla.

I don't think they were exactly G-force but yeah.

[Goji]

Pretty sure there is no "G-force" in the GMK universe. That were just guys enlisted in the JSDF.

[kaijufan72]

it was a rather good godzilla movie, but the final battle was mostly underwater, and it focused majorly on the humans.

[Lord Gappa]

it was a rather good godzilla movie, but the final battle was mostly underwater, and it focused majorly on the humans.

Isn't it like that in every movie?

[Irys X]

It didnt really focus mainly on humans. There was a lot of monster action. And until KG and G's final battle the fight was mostly composed of completely destroying Yokahama. Besides, I thought it was nice to see a new kind of battleground. Only other underwater fights are in Godzilla vs the Sea Monster and Godzilla and Mothra the Battle for Earth.

[kaijufan72]

it Isn,t like that in every movie, but this movie seemed kind of slow to me.

[Irys X]

Alright. Your opinion. For me though the movie was perfectly paced.

[Gigan X3]

Alright. Your opinion. For me though the movie was perfectly paced.

I did think it had pacing problems but I don't blame it on the human characters, I actually liked them more than the monsters. I would blame the monsters for being to uncreative on their last fight

[DoctorMafune]

Boy, this topic resurfaces again and again, doesn't it?

Rather than write another long reply, I'll just cut and paste and old long reply explaining what I like about GMK...

GMK addressed a growing trend in Japan to minimize their responsibilities for WWII. This behavior has led many in Japan to see their country as the victims of foreign aggression in that war and now want Japan to once again build up its military forces.

There are also many Japanese who disagree with that thinking. Shusuke Kaneko is one of those people, and he made GMK as a ''Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it'' story, with Godzilla as a reminder of where that path will lead Japan.

To do so, Kaneko followed the basic concept presented in the original GODZILLA. In both GODZILLA and GMK Godzilla is both villain and victim; a representation of many things (the war, the bomb, etc), and a warning to mankind. Honda and the other filmmakers used GODZILLA to address what was happening in Japan at the time it was made and say that worse things were on the horizon if mankind didn't learn from it's mistakes. GMK is the same. Once again, the monster is not a one-note character... Godzilla is a villain, a representation of the victims of WWII, a symbol of the bomb, and a warning.

The "spirits of the war dead" angle is directly connected to the central theme of the movie. Godzilla specifically attacks Japan at that particular time because the souls of those killed in the Pacific conflict feel their sacrifices will have been in vain if Japan continues on its current path. It's the point of the story and the whole motivation for Godzilla's character in the film.

Up to WWII, the Japanese people believed their Emperor was a living god, and over many years the military rulers convinced the people that they were superior to everyone else and the world was theirs by divine right. Those soldiers fought and died for a lie, and the only thing that would make their sacrifice worthwhile would be Japan to learn from it's mistakes and never repeat them again.

The idea that Godzilla represented those soldiers had been around long before GMK. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun, Akira Ifukube described how audiences reacted to seeing the original GODZILLA in 1954: “The terror of the times was such that people thought that Godzilla might be the symbol of the spirits of the departed soldiers at sea.” In 1994, Professor Norio Akasaka wrote that Godzilla was a “representation of the spirits of soldiers who died in the South Pacific during World War II” and compared Godzilla’s actions in the 1954 film to the story The Voice of the Hero Spirits, in which the ghosts of kamikaze pilots appear before the Emperor and accuse Japan of spiritual decay.

That idea fits perfectly with Kaneko's theme for GMK and also provides Godzilla's motivation for why he returns after and attacks again so many decades. Godzilla is a warning... and as deadly as the monster is in the film, he doesn't compare to what could happen if Japan returned to its pre-WWII ways.

General Tachibana is the only character pushing for Japan to stay aware and vigilant against the old threat... but he's also not some right winger pushing for military might. He talks about how a true soldier at heart takes honor in never having to fight, he keeps an open mind about the Yamato Guardians, and disagrees with his superiors belief that more firepower is all that is needed. It's not an accident that Tachibana is the one who helps save the day.

Nearly everyone else (including Tachibana's own daughter) really couldn't care less about Godzilla or remembering the past. Godzilla has become such a distant memory that people are unsure what he even looks like (he's confused with Baragon), and high school kids call him a "poor animal" who would make a good pet. The government refuses to take the threat seriously at first. The Yamato shrines are disturbed by people who (again) have no clue or interest in what they represent. Again, it's no accident that many of those characters end up dead or are proven wrong.

So rather than not gelling, all the major story elements act in service to the central theme of GMK. In fact, the story is so well developed that Kaneko also uses it to make a point about the current public perception of Godzilla. In Japan these days Godzilla is no longer considered "cool"; kids are more into anime and hero shows while adults think the movies are only good for children and geeks. In GMK, notice how many of the characters think Godzilla to be old news, unimportant, passé, or not much of a threat... and how everyone (who lived) has vastly different views by the end of the film.

That's what I like about GMK... just like the original GODZILLA-, it's actually about something beyond the usual monster fare. It's not doing the standard "we should stop nuclear testing", "we should respect the environment" lip-service these films often have but instead deals with a current situation (just like GODZILLA did) on multiple levels. You can enjoy films like GODZILLA and GMK on a simple "monsters smashing stuff" level, but if you're aware of the subtext they become that much richer.

GMK opened well in Japan, and then ticket sales went up weeks into its theatrical run based on positive word of mouth. The positive buzz spread outside Japan (very rare for a Godzilla film)... when it was shown at the American Film Market the audience applauded Kaneko's onscreen credit at the end of the film (the only time I've seen that happen for any movie at AFM). Sony Studios requested a print of GMK for a private screening, they picked up the US rights, and over the past 8 years it is easily the most theatrically booked Godzilla film in their repertory division.

Kpa's post is one of the most thoughtful on the subject that I've ever read. Well said, sir.

I just watched GMK (finally bought the DVD) after having seen it only once before, years ago. While I will be the first to admit that some of what Kaneko attempted did not quite work, and even some of the effects scenes fail (e.g., ships, and Godzilla, CGI'd into water scenes without making so much as a ripple on the surface; Baragon's long, slow float backwards onto the human bystanders), this movie, IMO, stands head and shoulders over everything else produced in the 2000s.

SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, PLEASE WATCH IT BEFORE YOU READ THIS... unless you don't mind my giving away some of the film's surprises.

The downsides, first:

Yes, I objected to the depiction of so many modern-day Japanese as jerks (the motorcycle gang, and the idiots at the lake who broke into the store and had plans to drown the dog); airheads (the kids at the island inn); or buffoons (the staff at "BS Productions" (or whatever they called themselves); the bystanders who flapped their arms and jabbered like slapstick comedians when Godzilla appeared.) Kaneko was extending his point about too many of his countrymen living in their own mental worlds and ignoring history, but these scenes were overdone.

And would Mothra really have pulled individual human beings under the water to drown?

The point about recording ancient souls on stone CDs was so over the top, even for a fantasy movie, that it's merciful that it goes by so quickly, as throw-away dialogue.

While Baragon was well-sculpted, I don't agree with making him "cute" (even though Kaneko may be tipping his hat to the 1965 version, which apparently, legions of toy-buying kids thought of as cute), or giving him that wimpy, squeaking roar. Sure, he's supposed to be completely outclassed by Godzilla... Baragon's the underdog, by any measure: but that didn't mean he needed to be turned into a puppy.

Still, Baragon had the cajones to keep attacking Godzilla when it was clear that he wouldn't survive the encounter.

I read somewhere that one of Kaneko's staff was so bummed that he didn't get to sculpt his favorite monster, Varan, for the film, he made all three of Ghidorah's heads resemble Varan (not sure if that's true or not.) Either way, KG looked strange, and even though I know that Toho forced Kaneko to use him instead of Varan or Angilas, it would have been a lot easier to get past the incongruity of Ghidorah protecting Japan if he'd been more formidable looking. (Still, I love the fact that Ghidorah's original cries were mixed into his sound effects... FINALLY.)

The score made heavy use of electronics, which sometimes worked (Mothra's theme, in particular), but sometimes would have, IMO, sounded better on traditional instruments. I would love to hear a full orchestra doing Otani's Godzilla theme.

And what was it, exactly, that the spirits of the Yamato monsters did to Godzilla? He absorbed them, and then he started sinking. A rather odd way to try to kill a sea monster, if that was the point, but I may be missing something, here.

And the negatives are, IMO, far outweighed by the positives.

Here are a few scenes in particular that came close to genius:

• The housewife in the grocery store going — in a matter of seconds — from whining about being forced to evacuate ("Godzilla's just a legend!") to looking up into the face of death itself, and the fact that it is her screams that redirect Godzilla's attention, leading him to incinerate the entire crowd. And what the thunderstruck teacher and her class see, across the bay, put a lump in my throat. "An atomic bomb...?!?"

• The moment where the survivor from the island (the same girl who'd been joking about how 'that poor animal' (Godzilla) shouldn't have been killed in 1954), with her broken leg suspended over her bed in a hospital room, hears the booming footsteps, looks out her window and sees Godzilla approaching rapidly... and she is completely helpless, unable to flee. She goes from shock to hysterics in a matter of seconds, almost laughing at the nightmarish insanity of what's about to happen to her, only to watch in wide-eyed wonder as Godzilla walks right past the hospital without touching it. She tries to calm her breathing. She's safe!

Until the tip of his tail lashes back in a random motion and turns the entire building into rubble.

Holy Guacamole. I've seen a lot of giant monster movies, but I ain't never seen nothin' like that.

• Godzilla's atomic breath-pulse building up in his throat as he thunders toward the docks, with Tachibana's seemingly doomed ship in the water in front of him, and Mothra sneaking up behind him... only to have Godzilla whirl at the last moment and blast Mothra into oblivion. Otani's Mothra theme swells to a crescendo as the human characters look on in disbelief, and damned if I didn't get a tight throat for the second time in the same film. I actually felt that one... a moment of shock and grief from a fictional giant monster being sent to kingdom come in a moment of heroism. I love a lot of the Godzilla films, but I'm hard pressed to think of many moments outside of the 1954 original that had that kind of impact.

These scenes by themselves would have been worth the price of admission, and the film has so much more going for it. For one thing, my favorite take on Godzilla is when he's the Bad Guy, and I don't think Godzilla was EVER before depicted as being this evil... not even in 1954 or in Mothra vs. Godzilla. This suit, designed to embody both his evil and his overwhelming power, isn't perfect... for one thing, I think it was designed more for the actor to walk bent forward, leading with the head (more like a T-Rex probably walked; Ed Godziszewski's 2002 issue of Japanese Giants discussed this, if I remember correctly), and the suit was just too massive and heavy for that: hence, the upright stance and the pot belly. Also, his fins, while not as outlandish and inorganic-looking as those freaky purple stalagmites on the Millennium suit, are under-detailed, and still didn't look as impressive as the ones in the 60's. But that ferocious head and those ghost-like eyes made up for it all. I'm really glad X-Plus is issuing a 30cm replica of GMK-Goji... can't wait to get it.

For another, I really like the human element in the film: how Tachibana and his daughter both resolve their major conflicts over their roles in life, by the end of the film.

Then there's the fact that it's Godzilla's most terrible weapon, the one that's done catastrophic damage throughout the film, that he's preparing to use on our heroes at the end... only to meet a most ironic end, courtesy of the rearrangements to his internal anatomy, from Tachibana's sub and drill missile.

And while the supernatural element isn't my favorite angle on giant monsters, I have to give Kaneko credit for doing something unprecedented, as well as thematically complex (see the quote from kpa, above), with his film. He took the series in a new direction, and, IMO, largely succeeded... unlike Final Wars, which tried about sixteen "new directions" (including, I would agree, a music video / computer game style), and (also, IMO) failed in almost all of them.

I really wish I could have seen GMK on the big screen. Maybe someday.

[Varan 1958]

When I watched GMK on a 50" (I think that's the size) TV, Godzilla's gut just stood out so much. It was harder to watch the film without acknowledging the gigantic gut than on a laptop, where it doesn't stand out nearly as bad. The reason I like this film is because it definately has more effort put into it from my perspective. The suits seem mostly realistics (apart from some views of Godzilla, Baragon, and Ghidorah), the acting was mainly good, and the plot was put together impressively.

[tymon]

It's a great movie, my sixth favorite in the franchise. I don't think it's overrated anymore, either - the fandom seems to have a balanced perspective on GMK nowadays.

[Goji]

Can anybody vouch for how good the Tokyo Monsters subs are for GMK? I'm thinking about re-burning it eventually with those subs if they're legit. I can't stand watching it with the dreaded dubtitles on the Sony DVD anymore.

[Tamura]

I think Tokyo Monsters' GMK subs are the same as the R3 subs, only synced up to Sony's longer copy with the Tristar logo at the beginning. Does anybody know if the subs are actually well-wrought? It's one thing that they aren't dubtitles, but that doesn't automatically give them a free pass.

[Chris55]

It's a great movie, my sixth favorite in the franchise. I don't think it's overrated anymore, either - the fandom seems to have a balanced perspective on GMK nowadays.

I HATED the music when I first heard it. Too synth-y and cheesy. The "main theme" is alright now to me.

[Gigan X3]

It's a great movie, my sixth favorite in the franchise. I don't think it's overrated anymore, either - the fandom seems to have a balanced perspective on GMK nowadays.

I HATED the music when I first heard it. Too synth-y and cheesy. The "main theme" is alright now to me.

That has always been my favorite part of the movie since then up 'till now.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Kaneko is truly the most talented director in the genre these days. I'd love to see him return.

[CKalayjian]

I think it's one of the most accessible films in the series- there isn't much you need to know beforehand, the SFX and acting are all fairly decent, and there's some cool stuff in there (Like the special missile whose name escapes me).

Personally, I liked the story and the designs for King Ghidorah, Baragon, and Mothra (Although it's kinda hard to make Mothra look bad), and I really liked the soundtrack- Akira Ifukube's compositions and the ones that followed their style all are great, but it's nice to have a change of pace in the soundtrack, though the original theme at the end and older soundtracks through the credits are all quite fitting.

What I really disliked the most was the design for the Godzilla suit. It's... just... Godzilla had a fat belly. ):<
I just couldn't get behind all that. I just kept wondering exactly where he ate so much and just sat around and did nothing to where that happened (Before getting back to reality and blaming it on the costume designers). And the eyes- I was continually wondering who forgot to include pupils and irises, unless it's one of those tiny details that lends itself to the story in some way.

[Goji]

Well, he IS the original Godzilla re-incarnated. The white pupils are there to indicate that he's truly evil. Plus, the film has all of that spiritual stuff going on, so it's not exactly out of context with everything else.

The suit was originally built for the actor to stand hunched over. The "pot belly" was never supposed to be as visible as it was in the film. So Godzilla likes beer, what's the big deal?

[Irys X]

Thats why hes so pissed off. Hes an alchoholic and going through a withdrawl.

[Giga Kaiju]

At first i didnt care about the score of this movie but now i would say that this is one of my favorite Millenium movie Score.
Godzilla suit is intimadating, i enjoyed seen him destroying everything with that Evil look.
i hope Kaneko directs another Godzilla movie in the future.