Talkback: Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

[edgaguirus]

The battle music goes along well with the fast and viscious attack style used by Megaguirus.

[Giga Kaiju]

Pretty much what I already said G2vd, but still appreciated to see the info.

Godzilla and Megaguirus themes are very memorable from the movie (the first getting reused in later movies), very fitting and cool to hear overall.

Megaguirus itself got fitting moments with the music, showing that she can be a formidable foe if not tread lightly showing how much trouble it took Godzilla to handle the giant dragonfly.

Dat matador-esque music.

[YongaryMan]

Hey Gang...I watched this movie last night.
I loved this movie. Godzilla is great and so is Megaguirus.
I enjoyed the action scenes and soundtrack.
I enjoyed the female lead and her back story why she hates Godzilla.
I liked the male lead as well...a likeable tech geek.
The pacing is good althrough the movie and it stays emtertaining from the opening credits to the end credits.
With all this being said I only have one question.
Why does everyone consider this one of the lesser Godzilla movies? I mean really people!! Please explain.

[F4ZaTE_X]

Hey Gang...I watched this movie last night.
I loved this movie. Godzilla is great and so is Megaguirus.
I enjoyed the action scenes and soundtrack.
I enjoyed the female lead and her back story why she hates Godzilla.
I liked the male lead as well...a likeable tech geek.
The pacing is good althrough the movie and it stays emtertaining from the opening credits to the end credits.
With all this being said I only have one question.
Why does everyone consider this one of the lesser Godzilla movies? I mean really people!! Please explain.

I found the movie pretty boring except for the battle at the end

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Let me put it this way, in all the time I've been a fan I don't think I have ever truly disliked a Godzilla film until Godzilla x Megaguirus. I even thought Revenge and Megalon were entertaining for what they were.

[edgaguirus]

Why does everyone consider this one of the lesser Godzilla movies? I mean really people!! Please explain.

I don't know. I enjoy this movie. When I watch it, however, it feels more like a made for tv movie than a feature film. I still like it, though.

[F4ZaTE_X]

Let me put it this way, in all the time I've been a fan I don't think I have ever truly disliked a Godzilla film until Godzilla x Megaguirus. I even thought Revenge and Megalon were entertaining for what they were.

Is it bad that the only Showa movies I even remotely like are Godzilla, Godzilla Raids Again, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, and Terror of MechaGodzilla?

There's almost a full 10 years of movies I don't like

[Lain Of The Wired]

Why does everyone consider this one of the lesser Godzilla movies? I mean really people!! Please explain.

I don't know. I enjoy this movie. When I watch it, however, it feels more like a made for tv movie than a feature film. I still like it, though.

It really does!
It feels like the fights from the later Ultraman shows

Spacegodzilla, Mechagodzilla 2, Destroyah, and Megaguirus, those are my 4 most hated G flicks, I'm fine with every other movie

The Meganula redesign was cool though, so I'll give it that

[Rodan]

Why does everyone consider this one of the lesser Godzilla movies? I mean really people!! Please explain.

It's fun, but it's very shlocky. There are also weird narrative choices that I still find distracting, like no one ever owning up to the fact that their super weapon brought Megaguirus to the present and the entire subplot with the child who finds the Megaguirus egg going nowhere.

It's probably my favorite of the three films Tezuka directed, even though x Mechagodzilla is technically better in almost every way. I don't think any of them are particularly good though.

EDIT -- Woops. Realized I went through a lot of this last page. That was a while ago.

[eabaker]

It's probably my favorite of the three films Tezuka directed, even though x Mechagodzilla is technically better in almost every way. I don't think any of them are particularly good though.

I'm right there with you. Although X Mechagodzilla technically has the better structured, more focused script, it feels generic and lifeless to me, and it doesn't really offer any standout moments. Megaguirus is terribly messy, but the few moments in which it works are fun and memorable (even if, taken as a group, they don't really feel like they belong to the same movie).

Really, if nothing else, the scene with Tsujimori riding Godzilla is absolutely delightful when seen on the big screen.

[GalacticPetey]

Really, if nothing else, the scene with Tsujimori riding Godzilla is absolutely delightful when seen on the big screen.

I agree. I saw the film at G-Fest a few years ago. I'm really indifferent towards the film but it managed to be more enjoyable in a theater setting. Then again G-Fest crowds are usually high energy anyway, cheering whenever a monster appears on screen for the first time.

[eabaker]

Really, if nothing else, the scene with Tsujimori riding Godzilla is absolutely delightful when seen on the big screen.

I agree. I saw the film at G-Fest a few years ago. I'm really indifferent towards the film but it managed to be more enjoyable in a theater setting. Then again G-Fest crowds are usually high energy anyway, cheering whenever a monster appears on screen for the first time.

I was going to say, "Maybe we saw it at the same G-Fest," but then I looked at your profile, and I realized that you were about 2 years old when I saw it screened.

[godzillalives88]

It's probably my favorite of the three films Tezuka directed, even though x Mechagodzilla is technically better in almost every way. I don't think any of them are particularly good though.

I'm right there with you. Although X Mechagodzilla technically has the better structured, more focused script, it feels generic and lifeless to me, and it doesn't really offer any standout moments. Megaguirus is terribly messy, but the few moments in which it works are fun and memorable (even if, taken as a group, they don't really feel like they belong to the same movie).

Really, if nothing else, the scene with Tsujimori riding Godzilla is absolutely delightful when seen on the big screen.

I agree with you both as well. The Kiryu films are more streamlined, but I also feel like they have less of an edge to them. Megaguirus feels like it's swinging wildy in all directions, and I'd argue when it hits (like during the Godzilla surfing scene) it hits harder than either X Mechagodzilla or Tokyo SOS. Its misses also happen to be bigger as well, but I think that ultimately makes for a more interesting film. I also find I rate movie's with original monsters higher the longer the series goes on.

[Rodan]

I'll go as far as to say that if you fixed some of the script problems and gave a little more love (or time or budget or whatever they needed) to the special effects, I could really like this movie. When it's fun, it's very fun. Tsujimori is also, I think, my favorite military character with a grudge against Godzilla, even though that's not my favorite archetype for the series.

[godzillalives88]

I'll go as far as to say that if you fixed some of the script problems and gave a little more love (or time or budget or whatever they needed) to the special effects, I could almost really like this movie. When it's fun, it's very fun. Tsujimori is also, I think, my favorite military character with a grudge against Godzilla, even though that's not my favorite archetype for the series.

Yeah, I've always maintained that if the effects were equal to the Kiryu films, people would generally hold Megaguirus in an equal or higher regard. In fact, the FX work is pretty solid up until Megaguirus appears, and there I think they had the right idea using CGI for her wing movements, they just didn't have the time (or money or whatever) to really nail it.

I will also say that despite Megaguirus's 3rd act effects flaws, Godzilla's defeating her was (prior to G '14) my favorite end to a kaiju battle in the whole series. I really like the build up and brief misdirect right before he beats her. It's definitely a hell yeah moment, despite the fact that the movie doesn't actively call upon you to root for Godzilla.

[GalacticPetey]

Really, if nothing else, the scene with Tsujimori riding Godzilla is absolutely delightful when seen on the big screen.

I agree. I saw the film at G-Fest a few years ago. I'm really indifferent towards the film but it managed to be more enjoyable in a theater setting. Then again G-Fest crowds are usually high energy anyway, cheering whenever a monster appears on screen for the first time.

I was going to say, "Maybe we saw it at the same G-Fest," but then I looked at your profile, and I realized that you were about 2 years old when I saw it screened.

Oh, haha. I saw it back in 2013 when they showed it alongside Spacegodzilla. Not the best year for Godzilla movies at G-Fest. On the plus side, we did get to see Pacifc Rim at midnight at the Pickwick. That was fun.

[Rodan]

I will also say that despite Megaguirus's 3rd act effects flaws, Godzilla's defeating her was (prior to G '14) my favorite end to a kaiju battle in the whole series. I really like the build up and brief misdirect right before he beats her. It's definitely a hell yeah moment, despite the fact that the movie doesn't actively call upon you to root for Godzilla.

That whole fight is incredible, and it's actually what caused me to mention the special effects above, as they're the only thing holding it back.

It's like, '70s Godzilla levels of fun. I really like it.

[godzillalives88]

I will also say that despite Megaguirus's 3rd act effects flaws, Godzilla's defeating her was (prior to G '14) my favorite end to a kaiju battle in the whole series. I really like the build up and brief misdirect right before he beats her. It's definitely a hell yeah moment, despite the fact that the movie doesn't actively call upon you to root for Godzilla.

That whole fight is incredible, and it's actually what caused me to mention the special effects above, as they're the only thing holding it back.

It's like, '70s Godzilla levels of fun. I really like it.

Absolutely! It gets back to the tactical, tooth and claw fighting that I think was really missing from the Heisei series. Having Godzilla fight a swarm of smaller opponents, and then later, a monster that's literally too fast for him to catch are both really cool ideas. That's why even though it falters somewhat in execution, I'm still able to enjoy the film overall.

[Rodan]

Absolutely! It gets back to the tactical, tooth and claw fighting that I think was really missing from the Heisei series. Having Godzilla fight a swarm of smaller opponents, and then later, a monster that's literally too fast for him to catch are both really cool ideas. That's why even though it falters somewhat in execution, I'm still able to enjoy the film overall.

That, and it's just knowingly silly and stagey.

Godzilla cutting off a claw with his dorsal fins, Megaguirus draining his atomic breath with her stinger, that goofy grin she does before deciding to drop part of a building on him, the body slam -- it's full of memorable beats and doesn't take itself seriously at all. I can't quite pinpoint what makes me like this over, say, Final Wars' equally stagey approach to its fights, but I genuinely find it enjoyable and probably the best modern callback to the anything-goes quirkiness of the climaxes in the '70s movies.

[eabaker]

Yeah, I think the silliness of the fighting is what makes me (mostly) okay with the sub-par effects.