The Godzilla: Final Wars Poll

[latinothor]

Thank you for your vote!

[eabaker]

Hmmm... No option for "terrible movie but with a kind of train wreck fascination, and I can at least appreciate that after two incredibly bland entries Toho did return to letting the Millennium-era filmmakers take the series in new directions"?

[BlacktimusPrime]

I chose love it, but I think that "love it, great movie" and "love it, very entertaining" should have been separate instead of merged to better reflect why some people like it so much.

[Mechagigan]

Hmmm... No option for "terrible movie but with a kind of train wreck fascination, and I can at least appreciate that after two incredibly bland entries Toho did return to letting the Millennium-era filmmakers take the series in new directions"?

My thoughts. I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call it terrible, as it has a good amount of watchability and never falls into the boring or generally poorly written slumps of the last two films, but it fits into the 'imperfect but interesting' category really well.

I chose "Like it. Decent Movie, has its flaws but still watchable", simply because it's one of the six or so I keep on a regular rotation for now-and-then rewatches. It's not amazing - I've gone on about why in the main thread a few times already - but it's eye candy, and hell, that's at least some fun in and of itself.

[Zarm]

I went with 'love it', although honestly, my ranking would ideally be somewhere in-between 'decent' and 'fantastic', with the caveat that it is definitely flawed and probably terrible but great fun despite that.

I like it the way non-Godzilla-fans like showa movies, basically.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

Chose, "Like it, decent movie, still has its flaws but still watchable." I have a nostalgia for this movie, I really like the ending between Godzilla and the humans. I'll never forget the feeling of the future of Godzilla being completely unknown, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

[Pkmatrix]

I chose Dislike. I'm really not fond of this movie as released, it's nigh-unwatchable unaltered for me. It's probably the one movie in the franchise that has, honestly, just soured more and more as time has gone on. Which is a shame because I used to actually really like this one but, alas, it's aged like spoiled milk IMO.

[eabaker]

I ended up going with "dislike," too. A few years ago I would have gone with "hate it, unwatchable," but I have to acknowledge that watching it while drunk and shouting at the screen still counts as watching it...

[szmigiel]

For me it is pretty much just the opposite, when I first viewed it I was rather indifferent. Didn't hate it but It wasn't an immediate favorite. However with each viewing I started liking it more and more. The issues I had with it took a backseat to everything I started to enjoy. Now it among my favorites and is, along with GMK, pretty much the only Millennium film I watch.

[Lain Of The Wired]

I'm more of the opposite, the first few times I watched it, I was like wow, this is kinda cool... But as time went on~

[latinothor]

I liked this movie since I first watched the movie. Having a chance to see old monsters, nice redesigns, paying homage to popular movies at the time, and the BIG surprise of Ghidorah at the end was amazing. At the time I was also a big fan of the Japanese MMA organization called Pride, where Don Fry was a favorite. Needless to say, it was great seeing him in a Godzilla film.

Godzilla: Final Wars is filled with extensive homage to what came before. I love the vast number of hidden eggs and nods, not only to the Godzilla movies, but Kaiju movies in general. Everytime I watched the film, I would find something new, subtly hidden. Which reminds me of the graphic novel Watchmen.

For example, it is the general concensus that Godzilla didn't kill Anguirus, Rodan and King Caesar in the battle at Mount Fuji, because they are his friends. But also, Godzilla didn't really lay a finger on them, bit instead Godzilla uses them, against themselves. Also, right before engaging in battle, Godzilla and Anguirus have a "talk". Also, Anguirus and Rodan are the only Kaijus (Besides the Boss Kaiju at the end) who actually manage to hit Godzilla.

The main antagonist, played by Kazuki Kitamura, did such incredible work creating the villain. This is the type of acting that I consider an actor when they play a character. They don't play a character, they create the character (e.j Scarface by al Pacino, The Joker by Heath Ledger, Don Corlione by Marlon Brandon and his placing cotton balls into his mouth). Speaking of the Joker, the Xillian commander reminds me of the Heath Ledger's Joker, just as nuts, but with unlimited power.

Godzilla: Final Wars is my favorite in the franchise alongside the original Gojira, which is a masterpiece.

[GigaBowserG]

For example, it is the general concensus that Godzilla didn't kill Anguirus, Rodan and King Caesar in the battle at Mount Fuji, because they are his friends. But also, Godzilla didn't really lay a finger on them, bit instead Godzilla uses them, against themselves. Also, right before engaging in battle, Godzilla and Anguirus have a "talk". Also, Anguirus and Rodan are the only Kaijus (Besides the Boss Kaiju at the end) who actually manage to hit Godzilla.

It had more to do with Toho not wanting to damage the suits

[Komenja]

I love Final Wars, it's one of my favorites. But I still know it has flaws and I can understand why someone wouldn't like it.

[KaijuCanuck]

I used to hate this movie but now I understand it for what it is - just a sweet, bonkers, tribute to the Showa era. And that is A-okay.

[Billzilla1974]

I believe GFW is the worst of the millennium movies. This is what happens when you take everything wrong with the Showa Era and then put it into one movie.
There are too many monsters to actually have any memorable battles, and the plot is like a poor-man's version of Destroy All Monsters mixed with small snippets of monster zero.
The suits look nice, but there are just too many monsters to actually do anything with them. With the exception of General Gordon, the human characters are for the most part forgettable.
I hate the villain, who looks like an emo/goth and not an alien leader. I'm willing to say even the original Xillians were far more respectable. also the new Xillian has the most annoyingly fake laugh ever.
A four legged Ghidorah, yawn.
an ugly looking Anguirus/King Ceasar ugh.
Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla against MechaGodzilla are far better tributes to the Showa Era, G2K had the humor while GxMG had the theatrical music and proper fight scenes, both have the spirit of the older films.

GFW is like the garbage disposal which kept everything bad from the Showa films while adding some bad 2000s tropes and letting all the good things from the Showa Era wash away.

[eabaker]

GFW is like the garbage disposal which kept everything bad from the Showa films while adding some bad 2000s tropes and letting all the good things from the Showa Era wash away.

To me, the problem is not the Showa elements, it's the movie's total disinterest in them in favor of an inundation of those 2000s tropes. Any association with the Showa era strikes me as entirely superficial.

There's an earnestness to most of the Showa era that helps make it really endearing. GFW, on the other hand, may be among the most... insincere movies I've ever seen.

[Billzilla1974]

GFW is like the garbage disposal which kept everything bad from the Showa films while adding some bad 2000s tropes and letting all the good things from the Showa Era wash away.

To me, the problem is not the Showa elements, it's the movie's total disinterest in them in favor of an inundation of those 2000s tropes. Any association with the Showa era strikes me as entirely superficial.

There's an earnestness to most of the Showa era that helps make it really endearing. GFW, on the other hand, may be among the most... insincere movies I've ever seen.

^^True, I meant to say something like this, but you pretty much said what I wanted to say.^^

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla against MechaGodzilla are far better tributes to the Showa Era, G2K had the humor while GxMG had the theatrical music and proper fight scenes, both have the spirit of the older films.

GFW is like the garbage disposal which kept everything bad from the Showa films while adding some bad 2000s tropes and letting all the good things from the Showa Era wash away.

I would say the final battle in Godzilla vs Megaguirus is also a very good tribute to the Showa Era.

[Lain Of The Wired]

No it's far from being a "very good" tribute...

[Billzilla1974]

I would say the final battle in Godzilla vs Megaguirus is also a very good tribute to the Showa Era.

I can see that, its like a rematch with Mothra, except replace Showa Mothra with a faster, more annoying opponent + the ability to steal Godzilla's energy.
And Godzilla's weird jump.