My Rant to Godzilla 2014 ranters

Gman-Well, as a superfan from one camp, that is indeed my complaint. The other camp, the ones falling all over themselves over this film are who I am referring to. They would have taken anything in their desperation. And they did. If this site doesn't make that completely obvious to you, then I don't kow what will. As for the casual viewers, I call BS on you. I did not speak to one person who had a criticism other than the lack of Godzilla. Not one thing about any of the human characters, even Cranston. Nothing. Nada.

I aslo call BS on your entire second paragraph. It's nt style as much as money/budget. Budget dictates the style and Toho has no desire to pump huge amounts of money into their Godzilla movies. Cheap movies for the fans, for small profits, less risk. And who gives a flying crap if it would still be "flawed." You said it yourself, perhaps moroe fun. That's right MORE FUN. THE WHOLE F-ing point of going to see a Godzilla movie. Would be better than the LESS FUN you get in the 2 hrs. of G14.

But on your last paragragh, I agree. With or without western effects, G14 is a middle of the road Godzilla movie. And that's why it's so sad. It could have been at least top 3, if not the best ever.The potential is right there being dangled in front of us. But all in all, it's problems with story and character would be forgivable to Superfans and the general public alike if they got more of what they paid for, which was supposed to be a pissed off, bad-ass, city stomping, there for more than 10 minutes Godzilla, like we got in Gvs.D.

To be fair Gman2887, at lot of your character comparisons are right at base, but the difference between someone like Yukari and Elle is while it's true Yukari just flew around in a helicopter the last act, she at least did things before that, Elle didn't ever do anything in G14 but serve as a destination point. The others are fairly spot on but I don't really compare Joe to Emiko simply because Joe was made for that plot and to further the story, Emiko was just there to ellaborate on the destruction of the oxygen destroyer and let's be honest the women died 3 years after GvsD and while I don't know exactly what her health was during the making of the film I doubt it was that great as compared to Cranston's thus allowing him to do more and have a more active role storywise.

The Pike,
I'm not entirely sure what you're calling "BS" on as that insinuates certain mis-facts. I assure you that's not the case. One of the largest complaints from early reviews was that Bryan Cranston was a stronger character/actor than Aaron Taylor Johnson and it was a mistake to write hime out. And while reviews also lamented the lack of Godzilla, there are plenty that praised it for not beating audiences over the head with action. (ala, Transformers) In the four occasions I've seen the movie, each time with a different crowd, (none whom were massive fans) I never heard a fuss about the lack of Godzilla. I did hear plenty of groans at Cranston's early departure however.

As for the western style vs. eastern style, I don't think you have a very strong handle on the use of tokusatsu as an artform. The fact is the Japanese film industry is 1/4th the size of Hollywood alone. That doesn't include independent film companies and distributors. Godzilla: Final Wars had a budget of $20 million. It was the most expensive film made in Japan at the time. So to say Toho has no desire to pump huge amounts of money into their Godzilla films is off base, especially since the Millennium entries consisted of the more expensive films in Japan.

Next you seem to think that the look of the Godzilla films is something indeliberate; the flaws of having a lack of budget. Also not true. Tsuburaya knew he couldn't beat Hollywood at their own game back in the early 1960s, so he embraced a very surreal style-- fantasticism over realism. It's an idea that stretched from Japanese kabuki theater: an on-stage object could represent a real creature or character without looking realistic. (Japanese cinema has always embraced traits of classical theatre as opposed to the western ideas of making things realistic for the screen. This is no different.) This idea was only embraced further after Tsuburaya's death in 1970 and since then toku directors make a point to continue pushing the style of colorful miniatures/suitmation with contemporary variations. It's worked for Eastern audiences, seeing as Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) was the highest grossing Japanese film of that year and Godzilla vs. Destroyah was number 2 for 1995. (Maybe number 1. I might've mixed the two films up.) These are accomplishments that go beyond fanbase attendees and assured, at least for a few more years, that the style was still successful.

And while I agree that Godzilla films should be fun, I find a great deal of entertainment with the new film. Fun can still be made with a purpose and Godzilla '14 probably utilized that ideal better than Godzilla vs. Destroyah-- a movie I believe the fanbase largely overrates for the final few minutes.

Durp,
I agree Yukari contributed more than Elle, but to what end? Her set up romance with Ijuin was dropped and she mostly provided him with a heroic moment after the Destroyah attack. As for Emiko, her role was so minute it could've been cut completely. Anyone could've aired caution of the Oxygen Destroyer and if she was going to have nightmares about it (her final scene in the film) it should have come full circle somehow. But her nightmare is fairly meaningless since they never make the Oxygen Destroyer anyway. If her health was of concern she shouldn't have been in the film to begin with.

Well we never actually see what happens with Ijuin and Yukari as Godzilla takes the main stage for the last few minutes with the movie ending with his meltdown, so did the romance take a back seat? Yes, but to be fair no japanese Godzilla movie outside the original and Monster Zero has ever managed a romance well so I can't really fault the movie too much on that front as it apparently isn't in those directors' forte to pull it off.

Well I think it's very clear why Emiko was brought back and that's simply for nostalgia, and connection to the first film. It's the same reason there was a lot of hype around Akira Takarada's supposed scene in the new Godzilla that was cut. People want to see the actors from the original in GvsD even moreso since it's actually connected quite closely with the first film, I also felt since the Oxygen destroyer was such a big part of the movie plotwise, it made more sense for Emiko to come back as she was the only person Serizawa shared the oxygen destroyer with by choice. Thus she knew more than the average person and losing someone close to her was able to say how much it meant for the weapon to never be created again.

Overall I don't think it's fair to compare the two films as one suffered from two many characters, while the other had only one that really did anything. Cranston and to a much lesser degree Aaron Taylor Johnson were the only characters that were ever worth talking about. Some will bring up Serizawa, but I'm not much of a fan for points I've said before of giving him no back story, but seeming to assume we know all about it, and just using his as exposition. Godzilla vs Destroyah, on the other hand had too many characters and each was done less to the point they needed. Ijuin, Yukari, Miki, Kenkichi, maybe Emiko too all seemed to take the front seat for some part of the story whereas in 2014 it went from Cranston to Johnson, with Serizawa in between and no other character really mattered, but it seemed to assume that we still cared about them.

The main problem is that one movie was clearly centered around Godzilla, while the other went for characters and on paper character wise it's pretty even so since the film focusing on Godzilla still managed to put as much depth and made me care about characters as much as one that was supposed to be centered around them I personally would give the point to GvsD.

Durp,

I'd say Terror of MechaGodzilla pulls off a love story with more attention, albeit, more tragedy than the original film or Monster Zero. I'm not asking for a full blown love story, just some resolve like was given in Honda's films. There's no payoff in Okawara's. (With the exception of Godzilla vs. Mothra '92)

And it's interesting you bring up Takarada's cut cameo in comparison with Kochi's. Like Kochi's role, Takarada's was meant for fanservice. Unlike Takrada, however, Kochi's wasn't a cameo. She was introduced as a character in Godzilla vs. Destroyah. It may have been just for fans, but it was poorly realized regardless. They should have given her something smaller than being introduced as the ethical voice against the Oxygen Destroyer if her health was a concern. Meanwhile, Takarada's scene got cut in favor of tightening over fanservice-- Something I respect quite a bit more.

You also make an interesting point about the initial problems with both films' characters-- Omori enjoys stuffing too many in his, while Borenstein didn't know what to do with what little he had. Still, there's a correlation of writers putting characters on paper and being unable to pen an endgame for them. Godzilla vs. Destroyah is hardly the only comparison, but it is the one that popped to mind first.

Everyone has the right to express the way they feel.

Gojira....may I barrow your brain...cause my little head is about to go boom boom with all the information I have to take in.

ThePike@ To be honest I don't think a true gojira fan watches a gojira movie just for the fights. Story is important. I feel like the characters in Gojira vs Destroyah had no purpose in the film what so ever. I mean what were they exacly doing that was important? But G-2014 however has at least SOME characters that actualy have a purpose in the film. You expected too much. What you just went through was pure foolishnes. A child that doesn't get the toy he wanted from the store goes on a braty rampage crying out what his parents did wrong(the movie). And yes, I dare to say...with my mighty atomic roar and powerful screech of full deadly nature..... that you expected too much. You say that we should have all tried to imagine what the film would be like and when it didn't turn out as planned.......go on a rampage and say "I DIDN"T EXPECT ENOUGH! THIS FILM SUCKS!". Gojira vs destroyah wasn't a bad film....but it certainly wasn't as good as G-2014. 

As I said.....there will never be a perfect gojira movie...none of them have or will be so you may as well throw away your "What I expect" notes away. But what we can do is...no matter how amazing.........no matter how poor.... is take it and respect the film for what it is...a gojira film...not a perfect one....but a gojira film. Each film has many diffrent flaws.....and many diffent thumbs ups. But as long as the gojira film doesn't act like a comedy...sound like jurrasic park.....or have a godzilla thats as skinny as a stick...... then its a true gojira film...and a **** good one.

BigBadBen@ Please have your private conversations somewhere else. Thank you 

Durp004@ I was just double checking to make sure if it was my favorite gojira film...which it is...which means I won. Unless your talking about how I had to form a thought even though I stated that it was going to be my favorite film anyways. Which I knew it would. Cause it had the right director. 

SHREEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I am the king of ranters! Here me roar once again my fellow gojiras! SHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@gojira 2014

since you asked nicely then ok, but you should know that i will talk to whoever on whatever thread i desire.

Good to see you again on the forums again, how have you been doing? :)

BigBadBen@ But thats what email is for .....right?  Since you responded nicely....Ive been doing good....just doing my daily ranting as always.....Oh My Godzilla I'm A Hypicrite!

Gojira 2014

Okay I'm going to try to explain why I brought up you saying it would be your favorite before it came out. Quote from you: People need to what a few weeks to form an honest and fair thought. Okay that's fair enough, however the fact you said it would be your favorite shows without a doubt you were fanboying on this movie before you knew almost anything about it. So why is it okay for someone to not wait a few weeks to say they didn't like it, but you are allowed to proclaim it's your favorite before even seeing the movie? Understand what I'm saying? I'm not saying it's not okay for it to be your favorite, but you're calling people out for doing something you yourself did. So why is it okay for someone to not wait a few weeks to say they love the movie, but people who hated it are wrong if they don't seriously analyze and rethink the movie for a few weeks before coming to that conclusion?

Oh I knew plenty about the film my friend.

Some of the criticisms are legit and should be put out there but I strongly disagree with those fans and nonfans completely trashing the film. I stay away from all the haters now because I already know what they are gonna say and I HATE the negativity yet realize I can't get rid of them. Good thing more seem to like the movie to some extent than those that don't. I will agree that the marketing inspired high expectations that weren't met though. I know they were trying hard to get people to think this Godzilla was nothing cheesy but advertising the film what it to be what it isn't wasn't a good idea on their part.

SCREAMINGSTUKAS - I whole-heartedly understand your feelings with regards to the, hmm, overzealous negativity generated by Edwards' Godzilla. Indeed, there are some arguments regarding the film's content that should be strongly considered and ameleorated. However, the complete and utter denegration of the film I've beheld being propogated by some indivduals is simply over the top. Of course, we all have the right to our thoughts and opinions - that's the absolute beauty of being free-thinking beings. However, being utterly negative benefits a man or woman nothing. Equal measure is always a healthier way to go. :)

@gojira 2014,

True that is what emails are for, but from my understanding alot of members and even some of us moderators were having website issues last night, so i was doing my part in helping out with those issues by sending chris picard a text message and letting him know that the server was acting up last night. :)

Also i liked the new godzilla film it is defenitly in my top 10 favorites, glad to know that you liked it as well. :)