Historical Significance of the Godzilla Franchise

[Chrispy_G]

There aren't many single film franchises that could say that they have films representing 8 consecutive decades of cinema.
1. 50s
2. 60s
3. 70s
4. 80s
5. 90s
6. 00s
7. 10s
8. 20s

Even properties like Doctor Who, Bond, and Star Trek were birthed in the 60s...Doctor Who and Star Trek are primarily or exclusively TV series, not film series.

There's public domain characters like Dracula and Frankenstein that are always everywhere, but those aren't a singular franchise...and they are literary in origin as opposed to an original film IP.

There's one great article titled "THE HISTORY OF GODZILLA IS THE HISTORY OF SPECIAL EFFECTS" that scratches the surface of this point but still leaves out many facets
https://www.inverse.com/article/22234-s ... es-history

Within a single franchise and the films of a single character, you can literally see the evolution and change of the giant monster genre, the Japanese film industry and cinema as a whole just by following the Godzilla films. The franchise itself and the way it changes over time has a very interesting meta-textual commentary.

You watch a long string of Japanese Godzilla films from the 50s-90s and then you run into Godzilla 1998 and get a big statement on just how drastically an "American Adaptation" of an iconic Japanese property can painfully miss the essence of the character while getting a lot of superficial things right and throwing insane money at the concept. Then 16 years later you get to see the US get much closer to the mark with the 2014 film, and even the Monsterverse itself goes on this unique transformation from a Nolan-esque, Jaws-esque sort of slow burn thriller to a complete Jules Verne-science fantasy monster mash.

The series has never had a full 10 year hiatus between any two entries, although it got very close twice.

I'm not here to say that just holding the Guinness Record for the longest continuously running franchise of all time and having films that represent the time they were made in automatically makes Godzilla the greatest achievement in film history or anything. BUT it is certainly something impressive and unique to consider and it isn't something that any other franchise can retroactively "one up" Godzilla on. It is something Godzilla doesn't exactly get a lot of appreciation or analysis for.

The Marvel Universe...being one big continuity that has grand-fathered in various Spider-Man and Venom films into its continuity...will likely soon surpass the Godzilla franchise as having "the highest number of entries" but it isn't all centered around one character and cannot ever claim to represent 8 different decades and styles of cinema. There is not an insanely dramatic difference in the execution of something like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and Black Widow or Shang Chi in 2021. Heck, 20 years goes by and you have Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Willem Dafoe's Goblin having major roles in two different Spider-Man films.

Compare that to the 20 year difference between The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla Final Wars, or the difference between Godzilla vs Destoroyah and Godzilla 2014

There are very few "one stop shops" of a single franchise that gives you such a huge span of representation of so many different eras of the film industry and so many different styles and tones under a single banner and centered around one single character.

[edgaguirus]

What helps is that Godzilla is a flexible character. The beast started as an allegory for nuclear war and villain, but also has been a superhero, antihero, force of nature, etc. Godzilla can be used to tell several kinds of stories and themes. Add international popularity to that, and you have a character that could go on for years.

[Breakdown]

What helps is that Godzilla is a flexible character. The beast started as an allegory for nuclear war and villain, but also has been a superhero, antihero, force of nature, etc. Godzilla can be used to tell several kinds of stories and themes. Add international popularity to that, and you have a character that could go on for years.

So long as the threat of nuclear apocalypse lingers, Godzilla will never truly die.

[Chrispy_G]

What helps is that Godzilla is a flexible character. The beast started as an allegory for nuclear war and villain, but also has been a superhero, antihero, force of nature, etc. Godzilla can be used to tell several kinds of stories and themes. Add international popularity to that, and you have a character that could go on for years.

So long as the threat of nuclear apocalypse lingers, Godzilla will never truly die.

I think it goes beyond even the specificity of that. I think the general concept of ANY kind of technological advancement plays into a potential Godzilla allegory. Anything humanity does that is an 'advancement' that carries a potential danger can play into that. Godzilla is a great allegory for an un-considered side effect of a new man-made advancement.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Depends who you're talking to. I and others on here have known and advocated for the significance of Godzilla's historical value for years.

One thing I personally love about the franchise is that if you marathon them, you see Japan's history pretty much unfold before your eyes. You see Post WW2 reconstruction Japan in G54, GRA, the beginnings of the new Japanese economy from KKVG to Godzilla vs. Gigan. And a full on Japan as an economic and industrial superpower until the bubble crash. You see different clothing styles, attitudes, and mentalities towards various issues. No doubt films like Shin Godzilla also play a vital role in Japan's history as well. I maintain that nearly every Godzilla entry doubles as a nice period piece. You can watch Godzilla vs. Hedorah and see how it directly correlates to Japan's problem with industrial pollution.

You can also see the decline, and rebounds of Japanese film-making itself.

Marvel comparisons are obvious, in terms of film output, but that ignores that it's still a relatively new franchise that's only existed for about 15ish years. Unlike a lot of other franchises, Godzilla has also had multiple different "foreign" interpretations, and new updates. As you state, 1998 and the Monsterverse have interesting Americanisms.

But yeah Crispy, you're preaching to the choir on this one. Of course Godzilla is historically very significant. It's part of the reason why people who deride the films as schlock irk me so much.

[darthzilla99]

There aren't many single film franchises that could say that they have films representing 8 consecutive decades of cinema.
1. 50s
2. 60s
3. 70s
4. 80s
5. 90s
6. 00s
7. 10s
8. 20s

Even properties like Doctor Who, Bond, and Star Trek were birthed in the 60s...Doctor Who and Star Trek are primarily or exclusively TV series, not film series.

There's public domain characters like Dracula and Frankenstein that are always everywhere, but those aren't a singular franchise...and they are literary in origin as opposed to an original film IP.

There's one great article titled "THE HISTORY OF GODZILLA IS THE HISTORY OF SPECIAL EFFECTS" that scratches the surface of this point but still leaves out many facets
https://www.inverse.com/article/22234-s ... es-history

Within a single franchise and the films of a single character, you can literally see the evolution and change of the giant monster genre, the Japanese film industry and cinema as a whole just by following the Godzilla films. The franchise itself and the way it changes over time has a very interesting meta-textual commentary.

You watch a long string of Japanese Godzilla films from the 50s-90s and then you run into Godzilla 1998 and get a big statement on just how drastically an "American Adaptation" of an iconic Japanese property can painfully miss the essence of the character while getting a lot of superficial things right and throwing insane money at the concept. Then 16 years later you get to see the US get much closer to the mark with the 2014 film, and even the Monsterverse itself goes on this unique transformation from a Nolan-esque, Jaws-esque sort of slow burn thriller to a complete Jules Verne-science fantasy monster mash.

The series has never had a full 10 year hiatus between any two entries, although it got very close twice.

I'm not here to say that just holding the Guinness Record for the longest continuously running franchise of all time and having films that represent the time they were made in automatically makes Godzilla the greatest achievement in film history or anything. BUT it is certainly something impressive and unique to consider and it isn't something that any other franchise can retroactively "one up" Godzilla on. It is something Godzilla doesn't exactly get a lot of appreciation or analysis for.

The Marvel Universe...being one big continuity that has grand-fathered in various Spider-Man and Venom films into its continuity...will likely soon surpass the Godzilla franchise as having "the highest number of entries" but it isn't all centered around one character and cannot ever claim to represent 8 different decades and styles of cinema. There is not an insanely dramatic difference in the execution of something like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and Black Widow or Shang Chi in 2021. Heck, 20 years goes by and you have Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Willem Dafoe's Goblin having major roles in two different Spider-Man films.

Compare that to the 20 year difference between The Return of Godzilla and Godzilla Final Wars, or the difference between Godzilla vs Destoroyah and Godzilla 2014

There are very few "one stop shops" of a single franchise that gives you such a huge span of representation of so many different eras of the film industry and so many different styles and tones under a single banner and centered around one single character.

In the case of James Bond, there was a 1957 America TV miniseries adaptation of Casino Royale. Mind you it was not that impactful, and Bond was a CIA agent in that series.

But otherwise, Godzilla did have theater movies in the 50s while the first Bond movie was in the 60s.

[Chrispy_G]

In the case of James Bond, there was a 1957 America TV miniseries adaptation of Casino Royale. Mind you it was not that impactful, and Bond was a CIA agent in that series.

But otherwise, Godzilla did have theater movies in the 50s while the first Bond movie was in the 60s.

Yes, Bond would be comparable, and between theatrical shorts, movie serials, and television...I believe Superman and Batman would be up there. Although not consistently as film productions, they've still had cinematic representations of many decades.

I remember the Dr Manhattan meme saying "It is 1989, and I'm watching a darker and gritty Batman...it's 2005 and I'm watching a darker and gritty Batman...it's 2016 and I'm watching a darker and gritty Batman....it's 2022 and I'm watching a darker and gritty Batman"

The only difference is those are all characters with literary origins. Even considering that though, there are very few cultural icons with such an impression over such a lengthy period of time.

It is an elite group, for sure.

[edgaguirus]

It's an amazing thing how some characters can grab our attention and continue to do so for years afterwards. Godzilla is only one of the giant radioactive dinosaurs that came to life on screen during the 50s, but the king of the monsters has lived on while the others have been forgotten or remain regarded mainly by enthusiasts of the genre.

[Chrispy_G]

Depends who you're talking to. I and others on here have known and advocated for the significance of Godzilla's historical value for years.

One thing I personally love about the franchise is that if you marathon them, you see Japan's history pretty much unfold before your eyes. You see Post WW2 reconstruction Japan in G54, GRA, the beginnings of the new Japanese economy from KKVG to Godzilla vs. Gigan. And a full on Japan as an economic and industrial superpower until the bubble crash. You see different clothing styles, attitudes, and mentalities towards various issues. No doubt films like Shin Godzilla also play a vital role in Japan's history as well. I maintain that nearly every Godzilla entry doubles as a nice period piece. You can watch Godzilla vs. Hedorah and see how it directly correlates to Japan's problem with industrial pollution.

You can also see the decline, and rebounds of Japanese film-making itself.

Some of the "meta" or "real world" changes that you are able to observe from the films in the franchise are some of the most entertaining.

In 1962 the film is called "King Kong vs Godzilla"....King Kong gets top billing and is portrayed as more of the hero of the film with Godzilla pitched more as the villain, he also is perceived more as the victor of the battle.

60 years later and Godzilla gets top billing, pretty much dominates and wins both encounters in the film, and is portrayed more as a misunderstood hero than a villain.

I also love the reversal of "Put Kong into a Japanese Godzilla movie" to "Godzilla being featured in a US film that is much more focused on Kong"

[Legion1979]

You know...it IS possible to that the title is "Godzilla vs Kong" to differentiate it from the original film, and not because Godzilla is somehow more important.

And regardless of how you look at Godzilla in 2021, Kong is still the main character, the true hero and the underdog.

[LSD Jellyfish]

You know...it IS possible to that the title is "Godzilla vs Kong" to differentiate it from the original film, and not because Godzilla is somehow more important.

And regardless of how you look at Godzilla in 2021, Kong is still the main character, the true hero and the underdog.

Yeah, I’m confused by the takeaway that somehow Godzilla is more popular or that the film reflects much more than that.

[Chrispy_G]

You know...it IS possible to that the title is "Godzilla vs Kong" to differentiate it from the original film, and not because Godzilla is somehow more important.

And regardless of how you look at Godzilla in 2021, Kong is still the main character, the true hero and the underdog.

Yeah, I’m confused by the takeaway that somehow Godzilla is more popular or that the film reflects much more than that.

Kong was definitely the more central focus of the film, I'm just saying that I appreciate the inversion. Japanese film with King Kong's name displayed more prominently and essentially transposing Kong into a Japanese production where Kong won vs US film with Godzilla's name displayed first and it is essentially Godzilla being featured prominently in what is a more Kong focused film but with Godzilla dominating the battles.

I wasn't intending to turn it into a p!ssing match between the two.

[edgaguirus]

Moving on, having U.S and other countries making their own takes on Godzilla is a significant sign of Godzilla's hold on our culture. Dracula and Frankenstein have had long lasting effects on human culture and stories, and that has led to multiple countries, studios, and directors making their own visions of the characters. Godzilla is a more recent character but has still had the same draw for film makers.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Moving on, having U.S and other countries making their own takes on Godzilla is a significant sign of Godzilla's hold on our culture. Dracula and Frankenstein have had long lasting effects on human culture and stories, and that has led to multiple countries, studios, and directors making their own visions of the characters. Godzilla is a more recent character but has still had the same draw for film makers.

We’ve had more, from other countries if you consider some of the Godzilla “knock-offs/tributes” like Yonggary, Pulgasari” and to a lesser extent clear homages like Pacific Rim. Imitation and inspiration across multiple nationalities is important.

While I hope Godzilla never loses its Japanese cultural heritage, I think it’s a big indicator that it’s here to stay that it’s been adapted so many times.

[Chrispy_G]

One thing I would like to add...I am a child of the 90s.

So naturally...beyond Godzilla some of the biggest franchises and pop culture properties for me included: Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, Predator, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, X-Men, Halo, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Batman and DC/Marvel as a whole.

Going down that list and considering my personal opinion on all of these properties as they stand now....is almost depressing.

Star Trek and Star Wars are shells of their former selves, mere brand labels.

Alien, Terminator and Predator have been beyond quality and viability for several films(and decades) at this point.

The Jurassic World Trilogy and all of the sequels in general were ultimately a net negative on the legacy of the original. Same goes for The Matrix and its sequels of varying quality.

X-Men, Spider-Man and Marvel are gobbled up by the Disney monolith and exclusively serve those shallow corporate purposes now, just being slowly eroded of all public interest.

Halo's last truly worthwhile game was a decade ago and the TV series was a slap in the face.

Lord of the Rings was significantly damaged by the mediocre Hobbit Trilogy and Rings of Power looks like the opposite of destination TV.

Harry Pottter didn't even finish its 8 film run on THAT high of a note, but this "Wizarding World" Fantastic Beasts prequel series has been even more detrimental to the brand than the Hobbit films were to LOTR.

Everything DC related in the last 10 years that wasn't directed by Zack Snyder has ultimately felt unsatisfying on a creative level. Even The Batman, while good, just doesn't hold a candle to The Dark Knight. I can't pretend that I am hyped for a Trilogy of ultra dark, 3 hour long Batman detective stories.

The glimmers of hope for modern entertainment exist. My Hero Academia, Joker, Sonic, Demon Slayer, Top Gun. There has been some greatness, but it has been few and far between.

Yet Godzilla, approaching a 70 year anniversary, feels more viable and alive than ever.

Toho didn't take Shin Godzilla and churn out half a dozen live action films in as many years. They let it breathe. While Disney was given an inch with "Hey people like Mandalorian" and took a mile by announcing a dozen Disney+ Star Wars shows.

Toho's conservative nature has proven to be a great shield for the property and Legendary seems all too happy to honor and celebrate the simple essence of the character.

Granted, Godzilla has been around long enough to die and revive a few times. If you stopped the clock in 1971, 1976, 1998 or 2005...it would be easy to look at the standing of the franchise as being in a pretty rough spot and to just predict doom and gloom from there.

You could easily argue that Hollywood and entertainment media in general are going through a terrible stretch right now....and that any of these properties could be handed a 5 year hiatus and then a top tier reboot and be right back to their winning ways.

I wouldn't disagree, I am not sure if any of these properties are completely beyond saving(some may be)...but I do think that most of them would need some kind of clean slate reboot and reform, and that Hollywood isn't anywhere close to taking those necessary steps for any of them. Even if the right steps were taken to reinvent these struggling brands, it may be a true statement that their best days are behind them. Star Wars and Marvel will never go back to the almost universal love they had 10 years ago.

By 2024, who knows how much more depleted, milked, and dried up any of those properties might feel.

While Godzilla marches toward what might be a massively successful and affirming 70th anniversary.