Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

And my talkback threads moves to the Heisei section!

This was an enormous childhood favorite. It was avaliable at every single video rental place in town: the mom n' pops, Blockbusters, Movie Galleries, and even that rental place inside of the Super Wal*Mart. And every time I saw that cool cover I wanted my parents to rent it for me.

It's been probably four or five years since I've watched this film. I now see how truly annoying and uncalled for the inserted American scenes are. Eric Carter and co. may have been uncalled for, but it least there was a bit of fun and whimsy in those scenes. Burr looks uncomfortable, but at leats he delivers that nice ending speech.

There's been much criticism of Godzilla's characterization in this movie. Fans say he walks around looking bored, Steve Ryfle said it seemed like Godzilla was following a city smashing diagram, and Kenpachiro Satsuma said of the suit's weight and restrictiveness that he felt as though the suit was wearing him, not the other way around.

...but still, I like the monster scenes in this movie. Instead of the realistic feel I'm sure Nakano and company were after I think the FX scenes here have a bizarre dream-like feel (especially when the stratospheric nuclear blast changes the color of the sky).

And I do think "Run for you lives. Let's do lunch sometime." Is a great line.

I find the Japanese version to be a little long and the American scenes in '85 wear me out, but to be frank about it

The end credits are the one big advantage that the American version has over the original version. The "Goodbye Now Godzilla" song (sung in Engrish no less) is painfully bad.

Never really could get very excited about the opening credits in either version though. I much prefer the opening titles to Godzilla vs Destroyah and Tokyo SOS.

[quote="Legion"]

The scripting also doesn't make sense. We're told how Godzilla is going to be gotten rid of about a third of the way into the movie and despite Godzilla being treated like a dangerous menace both the character's reactions and the musical score does it's level best to mess with the audience's emotions. Why? Isn't Godzilla the bad guy here?

quote]

Thats what Godzilla is...that's what makes him, him..it's his duality...his role as both the victim and the monster...the same type of moment occurs in the original film when Godzilla is viewed just minding his own business as serene music plays in the background and as he starts to die the music becomes almost tinged with sadness...the same can be said for the original King Kong....

While Godzilla 1985 can hardly be said to be in the same league as these other two films...it's aiming for the same type of moment and in the American version, with Raymond Burr's baritone voice gravely giving Godzilla his last rites I have to say that as a kid I cried more than once at this moment. Godzilla's scream is one of the saddest and most pitiful moments that I have ever witnessed on film...

Something that confuses me was where the hero reporter guy was trying to drill through a lock (to no avail; the bit broke off and at least sliced his arm) so his crew could get the heck out of that building, only later to be able to climb down the fire hose in the stairwell with his girlfriend after the scientist and Kenny got out via dramatic rescue with the military chopper.

What's up with THAT? Even the manga doesn't fill in the missing pieces. They were trapped on, like, the 22nd floor, and later they're on their way out with assistance from the bum!

Sloppy, I tell you!

^They were trying to get to the top of the building so the helicopter could land there. Instead, the helicopter found them at their floor and was able to get the professor, but due to the wind (or something) they said they had to go and told those two to go down to the street for another copter to pick them up - which, going by the fact that they're in a copter to watch Godzilla fall into the volcano, did happen.

I'd say that's it. Thank you sir