Toho Kingdom

Basically agree with all of Teresawa's criticisms, and they're all reasons that this is a low-rung Godzilla movie for me.

That said, all three of Tezuka's G flicks are probably best described as perfunctory, and this one at least offers a little more fun than the other two, which just take themselves so damned seriously.

eabaker wrote:Basically agree with all of Teresawa's criticisms, and they're all reasons that this is a low-rung Godzilla movie for me.

That said, all three of Tezuka's G flicks are probably best described as perfunctory, and this one at least offers a little more fun than the other two, which just take themselves so damned seriously.

I’ll give you that. I think Tezuka and co. set out to make a late Showa style film with GXM, but it didn’t work. (Kudo reminds me of Gengo from Gigan but I think the actor is trying too damn hard to be charismatic.)

I do like Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla for the performances of the two leads. Shin Takuma is very entertaining, he’d come a long way from the brooding character he played in G85. But otherwise Tezuka’s Mechagodzilla movies are so stale. I haven’t watched either in years and probably won’t try again for several more at least.

Terasawa wrote:Shin Takuma is very entertaining, he’d come a long way from the brooding character he played in G85.

Oh my God, I'd never realized that was the same actor!

Now I'm going have to give Against Mechagodzilla a re-watch soon.

To be fair, that one has grown on me with repeat viewings (sporadic repeat viewings; I've probably only watched it four or five times over the years), whereas Megaguirus has lost some of its (always faint) luster.

eabaker wrote:

Terasawa wrote:Shin Takuma is very entertaining, he’d come a long way from the brooding character he played in G85.

Oh my God, I'd never realized that was the same actor!

Now I'm going have to give Against Mechagodzilla a re-watch soon.

Whoa. Mind blown. I'm going to have to rewatch 84 and Against Mechagodzilla again.

I find Against Mechagodzilla to be a fairly delightful move, actually. My second-favorite of the Millenium era after G2K. I don't know if I see it as 'so dang seriously' so much as 'so dang earnest'. It's playing with almost comic-book cliches, but it's playing them straight, and mixing some great visuals and great concepts into the mix. To me, it takes the plotline we already got in vs. Megaguirus and gives it to actual charismatic actors.

I wish I could articulate exactly what grabs me about this movie better, but I think I'd need a re-watch to nail down the points. For me, it's just firing on all cylinders, and in my top 5.

Zarm wrote:To me, it takes the plotline we already got in vs. Megaguirus and gives it to actual charismatic actors.

Yep, I give the filmmakers credit this time for getting the female lead right. Casting Yumiko Shaku helped, but it’s also clear the Akane character is a better part.

Takuma is great too, as I said in my last post. And there’s a cameo by Takehiro Murata, who was fantastic in G2K (channeling his inner Takashi Shimura). All it’s missing is Shiro Sano; with him they could have had all the really good performers from the Millennium series under one roof!

For me this movie is more enjoyable then G2K, GXMG, and T:SOS. I agree it has way to many plot holes, plenty of silly scenes, and leaves plenty unanswered question. The whole alternate history with Japan moving it's capital, isn't important and doesn't really play into the plot in any major way. However the two things that save it for me. I like the characters in it more then the characters in the other 3 films. The other is I like the battle between Godzilla and Megaguirus. It was such a refreshing change from Godzilla facing down a bigger more powerful kaiju. This time it was the creatures speed and the ability to suck energy out of Godzilla robbing him of his most powerful weapon.

I think my biggest issue with this film is that it feels like two movies that got spliced together.

It can't decide if it wants to be Godzilla Vs. The Bugs or a Godzilla stand alone film where the military tries to beat him with a Black Hole gun.

The problem with trying to do both is that the Anti-Godzilla unit never really seems to take the threat of Megaguiras all that seriously. They entire focus seems to be on Godzilla, and it never feels like Megaguiras supplants Godzilla as the greater threat that he needs to stop or that they formulate any plans to stop the swarm in addition to Godzilla. If anything Megaguiras feels perfunctory, like the filmmakers were thinking "Oh well, he's gotta fight somethin'!".

This problem could have gotten an easy fix. If Kiriko had been treated as an Ahab type that was obsessed with stopping Godzilla. This leads to developing The Dimension Tide, which then leads to Megaguiras and the swarm coming through to cause havoc. If they had made Megaguiras more of a threat and given Kiriko a moment of clarity like "Good God, what have I done? In my quest for revenge, I've unleased this evil swarm on the Earth", but the story never really goes in that direction. Like I said, it almost feels like they ignore the swarm and keep their focus entirely on Godzilla, so the story would be almost exactly the same whether Megaguiras was there or not.

Because of this, Godzilla's monster co-star feels like an interruption to the movie, rather than something developed to serve the story.

eabaker wrote: I don't really get the animosity some fans have towards this entry. It's no masterpiece, but I find it silly, light-weight fun.

I think you hit the nail square on the head. The film is fun. It does not take itself too seriously. It has a bit of throwback swagger to it.

The scene with Major Kiriko riding Godzilla in the ocean is wondrous and one of my most favorite scenes in the entire franchise.

The score is also noteworthy.

I have to reiterate that seeing this on the big screen in a packed theatre and with a responsive audience really sealed the deal on this being a personal favorite.

MechaMinya wrote:

eabaker wrote: I don't really get the animosity some fans have towards this entry. It's no masterpiece, but I find it silly, light-weight fun.

I think you hit the nail square on the head. The film is fun. It does not take itself too seriously. It has a bit of throwback swagger to it.

The scene with Major Kiriko riding Godzilla in the ocean is wondrous and one of my most favorite scenes in the entire franchise.

Truth be told this scene alone probably constitutes about 50% of what I really like in this movie.

The score is also noteworthy.

I have to reiterate that seeing this on the big screen in a packed theatre and with a responsive audience really sealed the deal on this being a personal favorite.

Although it's not really a personal favorite, I likewise fondly remember seeing this on the big screen. It benefits a lot from an enthusiastic crowd; and, while it's not the most visually impressive G-flick by any means, there are a few moments - like the opening sequence and the aforementioned Godzilla-riding - that give a really nice sense of Godzilla's sheer immensity.

MechaMinya wrote:

eabaker wrote: I don't really get the animosity some fans have towards this entry. It's no masterpiece, but I find it silly, light-weight fun.

I think you hit the nail square on the head. The film is fun. It does not take itself too seriously. It has a bit of throwback swagger to it.

That's exactly why I like this film.

Its a fun movie for sure. It kind of reminded me of the 70s a little bit with how unapologetically silly it was, and I mean that in a good way.

I mean the Dimension Tide is a pretty good litmus test for whether or not you'll get a kick out of this film. If you are on board with a black hole gun, then come on down, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the show. Sure it might be the most scientifically implausible thing in the Godzilla series since lasers that freeze things, but its called Science Fiction for a reason, right?

I think my biggest issue with this film though is Megaguiras itself. It felt like they were just following tradition by giving Godzilla something to fight, and that was all the thought that went into it. I mean this could have easily been a "Godzilla by himself" movie and it wouldn't have changed that much.

Kiriko's desire for vengeance towards Godzilla drives her throughout the movie, so much so, that the Dimension Tide winds up bringing the Meganula swarm into the world. Now normally this would be the point where a character would be like "Oh God! What have I done? I was so consumed with revenge that I didn't think about what might happen if we use a black hole gun!" and then Godzilla would become the lesser of two evils. However, the G-Graspers never really deviate from their plan to stop Godzilla, despite the fact that its their fault a bunch of mutant dragonflies are running amuck. Because of that, the swarm, and Megaguiras feel like an interruption to the main story rather than a great threat for Godzilla. The big fight at the end is great cheesy fun (I especially like Godzilla's gravity defying pro wrestling splash and Megaguiras' general nastiness) but you could cut out all of the mutant insect stuff and still have a movie about stopping Godzilla with black holes.

Also, what was up with the kid? Why was he there?

They are G-Graspers not M-Graspers. Actually this is the same issue Godzilla Vs Destoroyah has, the characters focus is squarely on Godzilla as a threat. At one point they want Destoroyah to take care of Godzilla for them, and don't seem to be to concerned on how they are going to deal with Destoroyah if he does kill Godzilla. In fact the characters have no problem luring Godzilla into the 3rd most populated area on Earth just on the chance that Destoroyah will be able to kill Godzilla. This is Destoroyah's Aggregate form which is less then half Godzilla's size.

GojiDog wrote:Also, what was up with the kid? Why was he there?

He was there due to extremely poor screen writing

I could say he going to see a friend, but I could also say because the script told him to.

So what’s the story behind this…
https://www.tohokingdom.com/concept_art/gxm/gmoon1.html

PitchBlackProgress wrote:So what’s the story behind this…
https://www.tohokingdom.com/concept_art/gxm/gmoon1.html

No idea. Hoping to get an answer to that, though.

PitchBlackProgress wrote:So what’s the story behind this…
https://www.tohokingdom.com/concept_art/gxm/gmoon1.html

I think I heard about that. The G-Graspers were supposed to find the bones on the moon and they would take it as proof that the Dimension Tide worked. No explanation on how it would work with the whole Godzilla tease at the end.

Honestly, I'd kinda like it if they kept it and along with Meganula, started hinting weird transdimensional stuff was happening. Would've made the movie a lot more interesting.

That would've been really cool. The Dimension Tide would be interesting to explore again in a future movie, though maybe as a straight up interdimensional portal gun rather than a black hole gun. It could easily be a spiritual successor to the Oxygen Destroyer, a superweapon more dangerous than the thing it's supposed to kill. Especially if the people using it have no idea what's on the other side of the portal, and they, say, let a more powerful/aggressive doppelganger of Godzilla through? That'd be an ideal way to pull off a Godzilla vs. Godzilla story.

As for the bones on the moon, we just need more Godziller in Space in general. Once the current 'grounded and realistic' phase passes, I hope we get a return to Showa style craziness. To paraphrase Star-Lord, "I want them to make some weird shit!"

I do love the art about the moon bones. I like how they frame the bones and Earth just right so it appears Godzilla is about to eat the planet.