TALKBACK #23: Godzilla 2000

[jellydonut25]

[Pkmatrix]

[mr.negativity]

[klen7]

^ i had never heard most of that. very interesting.

[Hybrid Gojira]

That's a really cool article. I never knew about the pitched Godzilla script..it would be awesome to find out more.

[MekaGojira3k]

That's really interesting. I didn't know there was yet another potential Godzilla film idea.

[jellydonut25]

Curious. It sounds like something that could have been either gleefully silly like a 70s film, or resoundingly stupid, like most late 90s action schlock.

[Pkmatrix]

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this Godzilla Reborn project! Is there any more information about it floating around?

[ILL GREEN]

Interesting read. Glad it wasn't gonna be a Godzilla 3D.

[Dr Kain]

After the disappointment that was Sony’s American made Godzilla movie, Toho decided to bring Godzilla out an extremely short lived hibernation and put him back across the screen. This time though, they made drastic changes to his costume as they prepared Godzilla for the next millennium.

“Godzilla 2000 Millennium” is a strange movie in the way it was executed. For starters, it is completely a standalone movie with no idea on what came before and what will come after. All we know is that Godzilla has been around for some time and that the military still continues to try to find ways to defeat him. There is nothing information as to whether it is the same monster from 1954, or even if Godzilla had attacked Japan then. It is just assumed he did. There is also no way to know what happens after this movie either due to there being nothing that follows it from a story point of view. Nevertheless, we are treated to a unique movie in the franchise with no history to build upon and no future. This is something that can be tricky to do at times, but Toho must have been on their A game here because they made it work.

What we do get is a good cast of characters set in a world with no established rules or history, and the actors do a great job with them. The father/daughter dynamic between Shinoda and Io is well done and you do care about them even if they don’t have the greatest amount of development when compared to other characters throughout the franchise’s history. They work for a group called the Godzilla Prediction Network and they essentially act like storm chasers as they are trying to study Godzilla along with determine where he is going to show up next. On the other side of the spectrum though, we get two other characters, Katagiri and Miyasaka, who work for the Crisis Control Intelligence, and their job is to destroy Godzilla. It is also revealed throughout the movie that they used to work with Shinoda, bringing another interesting dynamic to the movie’s characters. Unfortunately, the final character of the movie, Yuki, is just your average run of the mill reporter stereotype characters this series has been known to have. She is not unlikable, but she is just a bland character over all.

The movie’s plot revolves the CCI finding a UFO in the ocean and it comes to life as they bring it to the surface. It attacks Japan, takes the form of a new monster using Godzilla’s DNA, and a battle commences. From a story telling point, it is standard fair for a Godzilla movie, but having a UFO without any actual aliens showing up to make some giant lie as to why they are trying to help humanity is a nice change from the norm. In fact, everything that is done with the UFO plot is done extremely well and the usage of Godzilla’s DNA does give off a “Godzilla vs. Biollante” feel without it ripping off that movie at all. I think this movie’s biggest issue is its pacing takes a nose dive around the fifty-five minute mark (the part when the UFO lands over the City Tower) and nothing really happens for the next ten to fifteen minutes. Outside of this, the movie’s story is interesting because its characters keep it interesting.

As previous mentioned, the costume design for Godzilla has had massive alterations, with his spines not being large, pointy, and purple. The new design is one of the best things about the movie as it brings new life into the monster and helps it stand out among his brethren of the past. There is also so much detail put into Godzilla’s face and the animatronics used for his facial movements are incredible. Watching his eyes alter when light is put into them is amazing to watch. Not to mention his atomic blast is a nice orange color, something we only saw him do in the Heisei movies when he was extremely powered up or about to meltdown. The UFO’s design is simplistic, but effective. Finally, there is Orga, who is a mix between Godzilla and the UFO, as the top portion of his body looks like an organic UFO while his body itself is derived from the Godzilla DNA the UFO obtained. He is big, massive, and a great threat to Godzilla’s well-being.

The effects for the most part are done incredibly as well. The miniatures used here are extremely detailed, which might be due to Toho shrinking Godzilla back down to the 50 meter range, as it means the miniatures do not have to look as small compared to the monster’s size. The tanks look realistic as well. However, the most stand out portion of the movie are the backgrounds and camera work. There are so many beautiful looking backgrounds in this movie. Two of my personal favorites include the red background when the UFO is sitting on top of the tower and the other is the orange and black smoky one from Godzilla’s attack early in the movie. As for the camera here, there are a lot of great angle shots used here. My favorite scene in the movie is at the beginning when Shinoda is driving his truck past Godzilla and Godzilla gets farther away in the distance as the car speeds across the land. A lot of care was put into this movie, making it a great start to an interesting era of Godzilla movies. Unfortunately, being that the movie is from 1999 and on a small budget, the CGI is lackluster and shows its age. It could be worse, but it can be distracting to the viewer at times, especially if one were to watch this movie for the very first time today.

Overall, this movie is a great addition to the Godzilla franchise and one of the best movies of the Millennium films. It has some pacing issues, bad CGI, but the top notch monster costumes, camera work, miniatures, a good musical score, and its characters make this movie stand out. In the end, I give “Godzilla 2000 Millennium” a nice 7/10.

[jellydonut25]

Kain, I'll have to read the full review later when I have some time, but based on your score, this looks like another movie where we are in at least a fair amount of agreement!

[davezilla]

Rewatching G2000 tonight and man do I still love this flick. I can't help it. When Godzilla 2000 was released in the theaters I was beyond overjoyed. I was lucky (or crazy) enough to see this in the theater not once, not twice...but 17 times! LOL There was just something so magical seeing a Toho G flick on the screen after suffering thru GINO. I remember the sound mix in the theater was simply amazing and them commenting it was like an audio journey. I loved it.

I loved the new Godzilla suit and still one of my top 3 designs. It was amazing. I remember not being too crazy with them changing his breath from blue to orange but I got over it. Watching it again I still love the way it sounds when he powers up. Orga I actually didn't hate even though people kept saying he looked like the Rancor from Return of the Jedi. LIke other reviewers I love Godzilla battling the UFO as well.

The relationships between the characters were well handled. I even the dubbing. So many silly lines that to me don't take away from the film but embrace the camp value of some Godzilla flicks.

Overall this is still a 9 out of 10 for me. It holds a special place in my heart and I'll always be a fan!

[DannyBeane]

[Hybrid Gojira]

I always found this movie to be utterly disappointing. It tries too hard to recreate the car chase scene from GINO and I think Orga is rather uninteresting, plus the fight scene is just boring. By the time Godzilla starts blowing everything up it's too late to save the film.

[Jorzilla]

I disagree that this fight is boring. I think it's one of the most engaging fights in the entire franchise (this does not apply to the Japanese version).

[MekaGojira3k]

The fight isn't terribly boring, but I don't think it's one of the most engaging either. I think it's alright. I think a lot of what hinders it is Orga's hands being too static.

[jellydonut25]

I love this movie....it's such a fun film, and far and away feels like the most Showa-ish of all the non-Showa films. It's just got such a fun, 50s/60s monster movie vibe to it. Unlike any other Millenium film (cept maybe GFW), no time is wasted on a Godzilla origin or explaining who/what Godzilla is, and the characters are memorable people. Their relationships seem pretty genuine, and the little love story that pops up is one of the least forced I can think of since...1985? I mean, Emi and Terasawa in GvsKG seem to have a genuine desire to boink each other, but that's gross...

anyway, it's a really fun movie, I like Katagiri as the villain, and the American version is hands-down, flat-out the superior cut of the film. It's a more brisk, fun ride, with fewer dated references, better humor, better music, and it leaves out nothing of importance. This is one of a small handful of these films where I don't even care about the Japanese cut at all, USA all the way.

U.S.A!
U!S!A!
U!S!A!
U!S!A!

[MekaGojira3k]

The U.S. cut also seems to highlight the relationship between Katagiri, Miyasaka, and Shinoda a lot better than the Japanese cut...but that may just be me.

[Hybrid Gojira]

[Jorzilla]

[jellydonut25]

I never thought it was a nuclear pules at the end...

this is the second time I've seen that sentiment RECENTLY. I've always just thought it was Godzilla blasting his beam inside Orga.

[Jorzilla]

His entire body glows orange unlike the other instances.

[jellydonut25]

[Hybrid Gojira]

@Jor:

*shrug*

Nothing's really changed for me.

:blank stare:

[GFan]

ORGANIZER G-1!!!

Just finished watching the Japanese version of G2k for the first time in a long while (I REALLY need a better copy than the non-anamorphic R3, but I don't see that coming anytime soon from Sony...) I forgot how well this one stacks up against the 90's and following Millenium series films. The miniatures are fantastic! And the ending is just perfect-Godzilla-awesome. As much as I love GMK, this feels like a better-made film, not quite Gamera trilogy, but damn good whichever version you watch. I REALLY wish Toho had kept this films continuity going for a few films, a loose Showa-feel if you will, I would have liked to see them do more with the characters in the film too.

I revisited the US version a year or so ago, and remember being a little annoyed by some of the added sound FX (don't get me wrong, some are an improvement). The editing and additional music cues are great, but the dub is too goofy for me. It's a bit like GODZILLA 1985 in that each version has its pros and cons, IMO anyway.