10 YEARS OF GMK

[armandv]

It's hard to believe, but November 3 will mark ten years since GMK premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival.


See:

[Legion]

Don't...really...see how it's hard to believe. The movie didn't rock my world to the extent that I'm shocked 10 years have gone by already. I'm more surprised that it's already been 20 years since Godzilla vs King Ghidora.

[armandv]

[Barnzilla]

Time starts to spiral out of control after 40. I went to Japan to see it in December and that ten years was gone in a flash.

[Giganfan]

I remember when Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah was called, the "NEW Godzilla movie" in my house-hold, having already seen every other G-flick that I was aware of at the time. I was 5-6 years old in '92...geez, even I'm floored by where that time went!

Having seen GMK as a young adult in '04, I can't say the film left such a strong impression on me as Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. However, I just watched it the other night on "Movieplex", and I'd like to share a few thoughts. The thing I was most readily aware of is that the story has so much more "meat on the bone" than I remembered. I think because the Godzilla series had become so ridiculously formulaic over the past two decades, each movie had become more like a feature-length episode than it's own individual work of fiction. GMK, I feel is Shusuke Kaneko's version of what a "standard Godzilla episode" was at the time, with all the familiar "beats". He wasn't allowed to make the movie the way he wanted, so he compromised - I think the old saying is "one for the studio, one for himself".

The characters in GMK regard Godzilla was such surprise and terror, that it was almost comical to me at first, and in truth, some of the scenes of people fleeing and screaming wildly were played for tongue-in-cheek laughs. One of the main thrusts of the story is that "today's generation" regards Godzilla, as well as history in general, with indifference. Kaneko's commentary on the irreverance of today's youth fell on deaf ears with me, at first, because I had been so used to seeing a new Godzilla movie for the past few years, it was kind of hard to imagine that the people in this story hadn't seen or heard of the monster in 50+ years. Had there been a nine-ten year hiatus between GMK and the movie that preceeded it, I think it would have had a much stronger impact.

Don't get me wrong though. I still think Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is a very well-done Godzilla movie. Ultimately, it's not perfect, but I think there is a quality to it that most of the other films in the series (atleast within the last twelve anyway) can only dream of. Kaneko is a very good filmmaker. The only real regret is that we never got to see what he really wanted to do with it.

[MekaGojira3k]

[briizilla]

[armandv]

[rockstarbd82]

[jamaal7]

GMK remains my favorite film of the entire series after Gojira.

Everything about the film: the story, the title, the designs, the strong human characters evoke the best of the Showa Series films. GMK has that characteristic realism we experience in the outstanding Gamera trilogy of Shusuke Kaneko. You feel, naturally, without having to think about it, that the events unfolding in front of you are actually happening. It is also the most Japanese of the recent films, drawing as it does on Shinto mythology. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why it resonated so well with audiences in Japan. There is an authenticity, a genuineness that runs throughout GMK. It has 'soul.' There is no cynical attempt to pander to certain demographics or the need to blatantly rip off Hollywood films, as we saw in some of the Heisei entries.

In short, Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack embodies, to a great degree, and with much success, what is great about the Godzilla series: it is moving, visually stunning, well written and thoroughly entertaining.

GMK is great companion to have in the winter of anticipation of what new Godzilla films will come.

[planetxleader]

[armandv]

[william newell]

[planetxleader]

[jamaal7]

[MekaGojira3k]

[armandv]

[planetxleader]

[jamaal7]

[jellydonut25]

[Gman2887]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Gman2887]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]