Kaiju Nexus wrote:I don't understand why you are continually referencing "Godzilla homages" in this movie that have nothing to do with Godzilla. Gorath and Atragon were never Godzilla movies. This was Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, not "Toho's special effects series' anniversary film".
Ok... how's this? In addition to references to other Showa era Toho flicks, GFW pays plenty of homage to other films like
Monster Zero, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Mecha Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Gigan, etc. That better? And yes, there's just as many elements from those films as there are
Matrix and
X-Men (if not more).
Kaiju Nexus wrote:Once again, you miss the point. "All Godzilla movies should be celebrating the glory of Godzilla"? Any Godzilla movie can be an experiment in film making and storytelling. This was not ANY Godzilla movie. This was a celebration of Godzilla. That's what an anniversary is. A celebration of something.
I don't receive gifts on my parents' anniversary. It's a celebration for THEM.
jelly said it best:
jellydonut25 wrote:The problem is, I think it was the fans and Toho who built up GFW to be "let's celebrate the glory of puppies" when kitamura just really wanted to make a film featuring puppies...
Nobody should hold a dopey gimmick like "50th Anniversary" in such a higher standard than the rest of the series. Who ever said GFW was going to be a "celebration of all things Godzilla?" Kitamura didn't. Shogo Tomiyama didn't. You are taking your own personal idea of what an "anniversary film" SHOULD be and trying to pass it off like its what Toho promised. I didn't have those expectations or that pre-conceived notion of an "anniversary film" and I was able to enjoy it as dumb, nonsensical, fairly forgettable b-movie fluff, just like 75% of the rest of the series. All it ever was for Toho was a last ditch effort to try and make money off the failing Godzilla brand. That's the only reason they made this movie and its the only reason they put so many monsters in it. It was ALL about money as it usually is for Toho... all one had to do was read between the lines a little to see that. Maybe its just my overly cynical nature, but I never had super high expectations for it.
By saying "This wasn't just ANY Godzilla movie," you're implying that this movie should have been more than "just a Godzilla movie"- and you're probably right... but the thing is, that's what you wanted from it, not what was promised. Look at the history of the series...
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla had "40th Anniversary" stuff in front of its trailers... where was all the "HEY THIS ISN'T A CELEBRATION" backlash back then?
Destroyah was the "grand finale" and there were earlier earlier "event" films like
King Kong vs. Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters - but none of them really went above the status of "just a Godzilla movie." These films should be judged by themselves as films, not by what Toho's corny marketing execs cook up. Why expect greatness from a series that has been consistently disappointing since 1992? And this is where I'm actually in agreeance with you when I said "all Godzilla movies should celebrate Godzilla"- what I meant was ALL THIS TIME Toho should have continued to be AMBITIOUS with the series the same way they were in the 60s... when was the last Godzilla movie with any REAL ambition and drive to make something original and excellent?
Biollante and
GMK, MAYBE... and with GMK, it seemed like Kaneko was the ONLY person there who gave a sh*t. I realize how big of a part expectations have in this kinda thing, but you also have to look at things realistically and put the series in perspective. In the context of Toho's (mis)treatment of Godzilla in the last 20 years, GFW's failure as a film and at the box office makes perfect sense.
There's just so much wrong with Final Wars that to single it out for not living up to its "50th Anniversary" ad campaign just seems goofy to me. Again, if one is going to complain about Final Wars, why not complain about a sh*tty script, stupid subplots, subpar pacing, etc... you know, things that actually MATTER? Those are the things that make GFW a poor film, not its dumb marketing gimmick.