Are You Happy Legendary/Gareth? (Or My Godzilla Prediction Was Right)

TALISMAN - Wow! That's a great deal of information you provided! Very interesting to read, for certain. As for the "nap" aspect: I don't believe Godzilla simply decided to catch a little beauty sleep after dealing with the MUTOs. His nuclear reserves were low after having utilized his atomic breath, and he'd been soundly thrashed by a pair of exceptionally strong, vicious and otherwise unpleasant monsters that utilized EMP blasts to play air-hockey with his insides! I suspect any one of us would likely lose consciousness after such an ordeal - were we lucky enought to survive it, of course! As an aside, did you find it distasteful when Godzilla collapsed from exhaustion and injury? I've asked several people, and I believe your opinion would be honest and well-presented. :)

I honestly agree with g-man here.

The reason why there isn't much Godzilla in Godzilla is because they're obviously setting up for sequels. I think you can expect some really epic monster action in the sequel.

@Godzillasaurus rex

No, Edwards said this would could be a stand alone film, and prior to the release there was no indication of a sequel. To say he made a highly controversial decision on the ground of following it with a sequel that wasn't even guaranteed to happen is false. This Godzilla was done the way he wanted regardless of whether there was a sequel or not, as for monster action in the sequel what chance is that? A lot of people seem to be under the impression that not a lot of Godzilla in the first means more in the second, which has no grounds really. Godzilla could still come in to clean up scenes, granted from the overall highly negative responses I've seen from his cut aways on this film I doubt there will be many in the next.

GODZILLASAURUS REX ›

How do you have a sequel with other monsters (more monsters even supposedly) and show more Godzilla?

I really can't understand Legendary if that was their goal. How long has it been since we all have been "teased" lets say about Godzilla? 5 years? From the news about the movie, to the comic cons to all the word on the net etc.

To further tease or use this movie as almost a "teaser" for the next movie seems almost ludicrous if Legendary decided on such a approach.

I think the teasing is fine up till the 50th minute, but, being a blockbuster and how this was adverstised I think after that point, the teasing has to end.

I am unclear how Godzilla can now work in the sequel? If they put more of him, less time will be spent on the other monsters. Can he use his atomic breath more? It seemed that was quite limited in this movie.

It also seems that we might be waiting a long time for the next movie which futher teases us.

Edward's is going to work on a Star Wars standalone. 

I think this set up movie should have showed much more of Godzilla in terms of quality. Less swimming, less cutaways etc.

The time was right for Godzilla to really show up. They kinda missed that wave. Waiting a long time for the sequel, I don't know what the mood will be like at that time.

SOMETHING REAL ›

I did find it distasteful for Godzilla to collapse and sleep like that. He seemed mirror Ford at that point. Recall that scene when Ford was lying in the mud and he looked dead? Then suddenly opened his eyes? It reminded me of that.

I think Edwards should have made Godzilla more Godzilla or resilient. Godzilla in the past has had awesome enemies of all kinds, long battles where he finally overomes them.

Remember Godzilla 2000? He goes on a rampage after destroying the alien creature.

Godzilla vs Gigan, Godzilla was bleeding from the head as Gigan and Ghidoarh went at him, Gigan drawing blood as Godzilla lie there taking everything that Gigan had to offer.

Godzilla eventually gets up and bangs his hands on his chest as is ready to fight. He flips Ghidorah around ( I know some of Gigan stuff is stock footage) but it demonstrates Godzilla's fighting spirit well, and they swim away not sleep.

anguirus in raids again, that was one heck of a battle and long one. Vicious. People underestimate the strength of anguirus.

Also Godzilla has full reign on his atomic breath. He uses it when he wants, not so sparringly like in this movie.

Then I also thought it was not a good thing to have Godzilla literally jump the Muto from behind. It made the victory less sweet even though the atomic breath build up was well done.

@SOMETHING REAL

How do we know that Godzilla was exhausted from using his atomic breath.  Gareth Edwards and the script-writer did not explain this version of Godzilla enough, which leads to all of this speculation.  Personally, I was confused and a little embarrassed by his collapse (my daughter-in-law, viewing her first Godzilla movie, said she expected a more bad-ass Godzilla).  I was even more confused seeing Godzilla lying there motionless and no one is snapping pictures or in awe of him or anything.  it was a horrendously directed scene.

After seeing the greatest set of trailers ever, I predicted Godzilla could bring in $800 million to $1 billion dollars.  That number might sound rather high to many of you, but not really.  If the ridiculous "Iron Man 3" ot Transformer 2 could pull in $1 billion, then a great Godzilla movie could do the same.  People were pumped for Godzilla.  And I really believe that if the movie had been done right we wouldn't have it under-performing in its second weekend.

THISMEINTEIL-I see there are some people giving you a hard time here. But I totally agree with you. When someone asks me if they should see this film, I feel like I have to give a disclaimer. I wish that were not the case, but I have to give my honest opinion. I get the feeling that some of you commenters here equate my and others opinions to not being a fan, or that we are just being" negative" for some unkown, perhaps sinister reason. Not that it should matter, but it kind of disturbs me. It's like, "How dare you critisize this movie, it's Godzilla! It's CGI! You must love it!" I've been watching Godzilla for around 35 years. I watched them on TV in the 70s. I bought bootlegs of the Heisei series before they were released in America. I've been collecting merchandise since before some of you were born. I'm a fan. But as a fan, I'm not going to sit here and tell myself that this film, as a whole, was anything other than just okay. And not one of you is going to convince me otherwise. 

I decided I will most likely not see this film again in the theater. I think I'll just save my money and maybe go see Maleficent. If that makes me a crappy fan, then fine. Maybe when someone makes something more than a mediocre movie, I'll be a better fan.

Although I will buy the blue ray when it comes out. Maybe someone will have the good sense to add a little more Godzilla into it. And I'm happy there will be a sequal, because again, maybe someone will have the good sense to put a little more Godzilla into it.

As for Edwards vision...If I want to be teased, I'll put a bowl of cool ranch Doritos in front of my face, eat one, and then try like hell not to eat anymore. That pretty much sums up my G14 experience.

I personally liked but didn't love the movie. But with that said, I'm glad it is doing well and I am excited about sequels. The 98 movie making more money in the box office does not equal to it being a better movie and in fact, the fact it was such a horrendous take on Godzilla is probably something that turned off a lot of fans from giving this new American version a chance. Overall, i'm pleased with the result and glad the interest is back and will most likely be back for a long time

We all should be happy about one thing. People want to see Godzilla.

A wide audience wants to see Godzilla, not a dumbed down packaged version. The studios think they have to sell Godzilla a certain way, make him more palitable for the wider audiences.

The truth is in the pudding. Those box office numbers on that first weekend, that is the proof. People went in there to see Godzilla do his thing.

People came to see Godzilla because the trailers showed him. Its when you see him in the trailer you start to wonder why are they hiding him in the movie??

I am not sure why Godzilla has captivated people's imaginations for so long. I think there are a few things that have added to it.

To me Godzilla has always represented somethign that could put the armies of the world at his mercy. You know WAR is big business, and it affects so many people. Hiroshima is a direct result of WAR

WAR and Godzilla is not something that can be separated. When you see Godzilla fight the military as in the old Toho movies, that deeply resonanates I feel.

That majestic side of him was missing here. Its a powerful send home message when you see him stand toe to toe with the best the army has to offer.

That is the Godzilla people remember. Of course we also have to include his ICONIC ROAR. 

Its a roar unlike any other monster in the history of filmaking. Its a roar that somehow fit with Godzilla and only Godzilla. There is something there.

I think that Legendary misjudged the wider audience beyond the hardcore fans. Remember, Edwards said "i made this film for everyone" he was speaking on if it was for the fans etc.

What they don't understand is that many in the wider audience want what the hardcore fans wanted.

When a movie company and director realize this, then and only then will you truly get Godzilla minus the empty feeling at the end.

OP, I'm sorry you're getting so much hate from a lot of the community here. I too was disappointed with the movie,  and I haven't mentioned that until now because I didn't want to deal with all of the "you're not a true fan!" backlash.

He has a right to his opinions and to feel the way he does. This doesn't make him any less of a Godzilla fan.

@ RatedRex

I don't know if they NEED another actor, per se.  However, the producers need to have a long meeting with Gareth, if he does truly come back, and discuss that these teases CAN NOT be some kind of calling card (apparently he did the same thing in Monsters, but people thought it was only because of the low budget.)  If he does want to keep doing it, then they are just going to have to show him the door and bring on another director who is also passionate about Godzilla.

@ Al

@Duratok, @Talisman, @Ratedrex, @ThePike

Well it's nice to see that there are a few people on this community who too were disappointed with the movie. The likes of us seem to get a lot of hate. So far I've seen people here look at me like I'm some sort of alien for not enjoying the movie the way they did -.-

@Durpo04 and Tailsman

Thanks for the correction.

Edwards will indeed be working on a Star Wars standalone.

I'm honestly hoping for a new director that may actually show Godzilla for a bit.

But hey, like you said, it's good that people want to see Godzilla beat up monsters.

@ Talisman

Yea, that quote pretty much sums up the situation.  "Thanks to strong marketing, moviegoers rushed out last weekend; unfortunately, the movie they saw wasn't exactly what was advertised."

I will say, though, I don't mind that he collapsed.  Or, more accurately, I wouldn't have minded it IF they had actual shown WHY and WHEN he was getting tired.  We really see no fights but the last one, which didn't last for long onscreen.  The one we see on TV is just a few glimpses, but doesn't look very long.  And Godzilla never looked tired until just before he collapsed.  Had they shown that the fights were pretty harsh and dragged on for a little while, THEN it wouldn't have been so bad.  So, I can understand people having a problem with it and poking fun at it. 

Of course, they would have also needed to show the MUTOs tiring out a little, as well.  You can't have the MUTOs having more stanima than Godzilla.

@ Something Real

I do appreciate your more even-keeled demeanor when addressing people.  It's very welcoming.  I will say, though, that I never said anyone's opinions are invalid or wrong.  I only go after those using weak arguments.  If you liked the film more than me, that's fine.  But, don't say that I'm not a true Godzilla fan or that it's blasphamous for a true Godzilla fan to not love the movie.  Or that those who found fault with the movie were only looking for negatives and/or just wanted 2 hours of Godzilla destroying stuff. 

I also see no reason not to voice one's negative opinions, especially on a forum, even if some members wish to "move on."  Then, it is no longer a forum, but instead (and pardon my use of the expression) a "circle jerk."

@ JorgeRMH

When did I say the movie was a flop?  Now, you're just putting words in my mouth.

@ Duratok

Thanks for the support.  It is quite funny having your Godzilla fandom called into question, even when you've been a fan since childhood, just because you didn't LOVE the new film.

@ AggressiveKaiju45

I know how you feel.  It's as if we said the movie was complete crap, with no positive aspects, and have gone out of our way to tell other people to not see this "pile of crap."  Of course, that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Oh well, I suppose there are many more of us than we/they think.

@Thismeinteil , @Talisman , @RatedRex , @Duratok, @ThePike -

I agree with the points you have raised on your dislikes for Godzilla 2014. For me, I love the new appearance of Godzilla and design of the MUTOs, but the major problem I see with this movie (When I say major, it is really a MAJOR problem here) is that it just falls short of anything, or should I say everything at every turn. There is quality outside, but sorely lacking in substance inside, which makes this movie feel hollow. And many audiences left the theatre with mixed feelings after watching Godzilla 2014. They do not know whether to praise or to hate this movie. These are the same issues that confound me too despite being a Godzilla fan. And as much as I want to say I love Godzilla 2014, I cannot bring myself to give Gareth Edwards credit for his direction of this movie.

So what exactly are those issues? 

1. Human cast - They've lined up quite a number of impressive actors/actresses, but the characters they portray are so hastily introduced to us, audiences hardly have time to endear themselves to them, let alone feel for them. It doesn't help when their dialogues are kept short and almost inaudible, and they are reduced to mumbling lines not worthy of remembrance. Is it any surprise the only line we ever remember in Godzilla 2014 is: " Let them Fight" ? In the end, the characters are as good as cameos. - Very quality people, but so much under-utilized.

2. Gareth Edwards' style of direction - Godzilla 2014 is more awe-inspiring and bigger in many ways than Godzilla 1998, but make no mistake. - What is considered epic 16 years ago, may no longer be considered awesome in today's generation. Audiences over the years, have seen more than they have compared to before. Imaginations have been stretched, and the cinematic landscape is a vastly different one today. The mistake here is when a new director attempts to build Godzilla 2014 by emulating what other epic directors did, thinking the same trick might work with audiences. I see influences from Jurassic Park, Jaws, Super 8, World of the Wars, etc. but yet Gareth Edwards lacks the courage or conviction to bring these emulations one step further with his own expansions, and that's where he falls short. And people can see that. The result is a Godzilla that falls short on substance that people have come to expect. Just when you thought that tension builds up, and the scene looks like its about to explode, Gareth Edwards cuts it off, and turns it down. Its okay if you do that once, but 3 to 4 times in the movie? Its a turn off. Again, there's potential for quality here but again it falls short in delivering. 

3. Marketing of Godzilla - This is a major concern. As far as I remember, I haven't quite come across a movie that markets itself using trailers that portray the key character as such, but audiences end up with something else they didn't get to see. I don't favor the idea at all that Legendary/Warner Bros are using trailers that intentionally edit out a number of scenes to lead others into thinking in one direction only to show something else is there in the actual movie e.g. Godzilla is seen alone in trailer scenes, but in the actual movie he is actually fighting a MUTO. If you obscure the character from being viewed, that's one thing, but to erase a character completely from a trailer only to feature it into the actual movie? - Thats misrepresentation. I'm not surprised that audiences felt cheated or misled. Aren't trailers supposed to be actual representations of a movie to begin with? This form of marketing for Godzilla is not only bad, but it could actually be disastrous enough to keep people wary / off the sequel. Put this into another perspective - Imagine you watch a car advertisement: Gorgeous car design with all the nice curves and interior. You make your way down the showroom all excited about your potential purchase, and suddenly you see an ugly rear bumper on the car that wasn't even seen in the TV ad before. Feel cheated now?   

4. Portrayal of Godzilla - The mistake with this movie according to most people I talked to was because Godzilla just wasn't as awesome as they envisioned of him to be. I had a hard time convincing my friends, who think this new Godzilla looks like a piece of cake when compared to the Kaijus in Pacific Rim. The Kaijus would probably give Godzilla a good beating. Although we can argue that Godzilla is superior to these Kaijus, visual representation is also very important in a movie. To them, the Kaijus in Pacific Rim are more agile and destructive. And it is all the more glaring when you consider that Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim was born out of Legendary Pictures too, and the fact that Godzilla appears less awesome than the Kaijus in an earlier movie like Pacific Rim than it would have otherwise suggested, is somewhat surprising and unacceptable to audiences. 

With Guillermo Del Toro shamelessly putting so much ferocity into his monsters and battle scenes with no title to call on his creations, what exactly is there to limit the potential of a monster especially when it comes with the title of 'King of Monsters'? Why do we want to limit the abilities of Godzilla by pegging him to scientific realism? You simply don't limit awesomeness. Again, this new Godzilla has all the ingredients and qualities to become a an awesome character, but it just falls short of expanding on these qualities. So promising, yet it just missed the opportunities accorded to it. We end up short-changed. 

Conclusion:

I recall many people had high expectations of Godzilla 2014 initially, and even foresaw a $700 - $900 million box-office sales for this movie. But one week after the movie is out, the first-wave of audiences have given their verdict. We end up with a dramatic fall in sales in the 2nd week. And this does not apply to the US box-office alone.

Even as I speak, latest update shows that Godzilla 2014 saw a massive 67 percent decline overseas from last weekend. Its biggest market was the U.K. with $4.3 million. So far, the movie has earned $166.6 million overseas, and will ultimately get past $200 million from its existing territories. It's going to need huge results though, from China and Japan to get anywhere close to $400 million for foreign sales. 

The combined total of US and overseas sales for Godzilla's 11th day debut stands currently at $323.3 million. Comparatively, X-Men Days of Future Past has netted a combined total of over $300 million in just 4 days. 

Perhaps we might need a change of director and style of marketing if Godzilla's sequel hopes to be a success. Otherwise audiences who are non-fans and have watched this movie may end up being the case of "Once Bitten Twice Shy."  

THISMEINTEIL - I see your point of view quite well, my friend. However, to clarify, I was not stating that you believed anyone's opinions were invalid - I was simply using the statement as a countering-point within one of my own assessments. I apologize if the wording was awkward. Additionally, I don't believe I stated that you're not a true Godzilla fine (if I did in some way, that certainly wasn't my intention). Quite the contrary: I know for a very strong fact that you are a very dedicated Godzilla enthusiast! Your exceptionally vocal stand on the new film, and the manner in which you hope it will give rise to a stronger sequal, is exceptional proof of this! :)

@THISMEINTEIL

I don't see the point in comparing Spider-Mans 3rd weekend to Godzillas 2nd weekend. Spider-man dropped nearly 63% it's second weekend with little to no competition, and then dropped another 50% the 3rd weekend.

All in all I know there's some that don't like the film, and that's your opinion, but saying Godzilla losing money will send the studios a message isn't likely. Yes the film had problems (what film doesn't), and I believe the major ones that are reoccuring the most will be looked at and improved in the sequel. Thankfully the problems this film has are things that can be easily improved in the future. Long live the king!

@ Something Real

Oh, no, I wasn't implying you had questioned me as a fan of Godzilla.  I was referring to a few others on here.

@ Tarrellzilla

Yes, Spider-Man 2 did have a 61% drop in its 2nd weekend.  Of course, this is another example of a movie that got a mixed reception.  It opened slightly lower than Godzilla, but it fell less sharply, as well.  For a movie that received a fairly positive reception, we have to look no further than Captain America 2.  It opened only slightly above Godzilla, but had quite a bit smaller of a drop off (57%.)

It really just points to what I was saying.  Many people were interested in Godzilla.  A lot more people than X-Men.  Godzilla has a much longer history than the X-Men.  He also is more widely known.  Hell, my manager was talking to me about how he used to watch the older films when he was younger and has got to be in his 60's/70's.  Doubt he really knows who the X-men are.  That's why Godzilla could have been MUCH bigger than it turned out to be.  You could have appealed to the children/nostalgia in everyone who even knows what Godzilla is and/or has watched even one of his films and enjoyed it.  As is, it is losing out on a lot of repeat viewers and those who stayed away due hearing complaints of not enough focus on Godzilla.  Something that many viewers expressed after watching the film.