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

@ 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.

He isn't losing out on anything, he did the best he could do and did a magnificent job at that, people will see it due to marketing and interest, to be frank, the movie could have done much worse and it could have been only a disinterest factor, blaming the director or the production team for less numbers than you would like to see is ridiculous. Not enough focus on Godzilla? Which movie is this? The Godzilla 2014 I saw at my local IMAX was centered around Godzilla from the get go. 

You may like an older version or an older, more camp style of film making, but that doesn't make it better, just your preference. 

You didn't like the movie so it isn't a good movie. Sound logic there.

And X-men and Marvel comics characters have actually been around since the 60's, it may not be as popular a franchise as Godzilla on an international level but in the U.S. it's easily greater, and it holds enough weight to where I don't think it's a stretch to say a 60-70 year old man could possibly be a huge fan of X-men, fantastic 4, the hulk, spider man, or any other of the older Marvel characters, off topic I know, just saying though.