TALKBACK #2: Godzilla Raids Again

[eabaker]

Sorry, what's a "machete order"?

(I intentionally made that a contraction just in case you used the phrase as a set-up and need to deliver a punchline...)

[Jorzilla]

[klen7]

Interesting chop. I'd throw FW at the end of the reboot list and maybe call it Regeneration. Also I'dcall the Mechagodzilla Remake section the Kiryu Saga

[Jorzilla]

[Bluejira]

Finally got around to watching the Japanese version of this today after having the CM DVD since it was released. Watched to refamiliarize with the grittiest tooth and claw battle in the series. Completely different and better movie than Gigantis. Never realized that the music not just the narration was so annoying in the Americanized version. GRA is quiet where it needs to be. It adds some gravitas to the scenes of the blackout and battle.

[Gman2887]

I generally like putting Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster and Monster Zero together as a "Showa trilogy" of sorts. In my mind they work so well together and pretty much represent the best of the best outside the original film.

[Russzilla]

[lhb412]

... hmmm, I was going to go through the Godzilla films in roughly chronological order in preparation for the new movie, but machete order sounds much more fun (and I really don't want to watch vs. Mothra '92 and Megaguirus).

-Mothra/Ghidorah trilogy
-Mechagodzilla duology
-Island movies
-The three Heisei movies I actually like
-The two Millinium movies I actually like

... this'll be fun!

[jellydonut25]

I've been kicking around the idea of doing reverse order....

[DannyBeane]

So I am sitting here watching GRA which used to be my unabashed favorite Godzilla movie. Other movies have creeped up into the top standing. Specifically Ghidrah, and Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1975) But as I sit here watching this, I am really impressed with the spfx. The miniature work is top notch and the composite shots are probably some of the best you will get during the showa era. I know a lot of people don't like the GRA suit, but I think its very intimidating. It only looks bad when directly viewed from the front. From the side it looks super menacing. The Anguirus suit is also the best of the series. It looks both ferocious and tough.

The fight scene alone is the best kaiju fight ever in my opinion. Both kaiju come off as looking like savage wild animals fighting it out. Its a shame there aren't more kaiju fights like this. Once KK vs G came out the kaiju fights seemed to become a bunch of kung fu choreography which is great for making these creatures seem like sentient beings but it takes away some of animalness. Sometimes I just want to see two creatures go at it. Godzilla actually repeatedly tries to bite Anguirus! After KKvsG Godzilla is all punches and kicks. The only time I can think of Godzilla biting anything after this film was when he fought Ebirah.

The only critique I have of this film is that after Anguirus dies, the pacing tanks. There is a lot of downtime between that fight and the final confrontation with Godzilla.

[ILL GREEN]

I only saw it as Gigantis The Fire Monster and the roars for the monsters were reversed. Anguirus roared like Godzilla and Godzilla roared like Anguirus. That was one of the things I noticed that was different from other Goji entries. I really liked Godzilla's suit, he looked more vicious and he was merciless to Angy. One of the most violent fights I ever saw, I actually hated Godzilla when he slaughtered Anguirus. Really disturbed me as a kid, perhaps the reason why it hardly gets broadcasted on television.

[jellydonut25]

Bleh, this movie...in BOTH cuts...bleh.

The American cut feels a little lighter and more fun, but good LORD that narration..."I picked up my radio" "I waved" "I told you what I was doing while I was doing it" ugh. Also, "Gigantis" and the Anguirus roar for Godzilla really just ruin this for me.

The Japanese cut, however, features none of the unintentional hilarity of the American cut such as the science lesson on the history of the universe, or the horrible dubbed lines.

Other than the monster fights which have an eerie, surreal quality due to their speed and the subtle score, and the climax of the film, I find this one by and large uninteresting.

There are some solid composite shots, though...like when Godzilla and Anguirus are battling and in the foreground stuff is being knocked over and in the background the city's on fire, or when the prisoners get drowned.

[briizilla]

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

Watched this for the second time ever the other night. It's not the strongest film in the series but I still liked a lot of things about it. Particularly the part where they realize that Godzilla is an unstoppable force so their big plan is to just turn all the lights out and hope for him to lose interest and leave. I love that.

[Gojilove]

[MekaGojira3k]

[kiryugoji04]

It's weird because I really enjoyed it when I first got the DVD but I just never got around to it until now. I watch a crap-ton of stuff outside of just Godzilla and my Toho-cravings were usually satiated by one of my perennial favorites whenever they came up.

[MekaGojira3k]

I suppose I was just surprised that you'd only seen it once. I think more of that has to do with my insane tendency to run through all of the Toho films once a year, at least.

[Legion]

Up until last night, my wife had yet to see 6 Godzilla films. That number is down to five now that we've watched this movie. And you know what...she actually liked this one. She seemed to really enjoy the characters and said she enjoyed the Angilas fight. She was actually a bit shocked when he was killed and was also surprised that they killed off Kobayashi.

And for the record, the films she hasn't seen yet are King Kong vs Godzilla, Godzilla 1985, Godzilla 2000, Godzilla X Megagiras and Final Wars.

[MekaGojira3k]

Show Kong last so it ends on a high note.

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

[Shanai]

Rewatching the movie recently during my marathon leading up to the new movie, I was actually really impressed with how well paced the movie was. Godzilla and Anguirus show up and have their first fight scene within ten minutes of the movie, and things proceed quickly through the Osaka battle.

After that though, I was reminded why this movie never rated very highly for me. The fight was awesome, but happening so early, the rest of the movie seems to drag quite a bit, and the conclusion kinda drags on and isn't particularly exciting in comparison to a massive battle through the city.

I think higher of the movie than I used to, and actually have come to really like Godzilla's look in it, but the same main problem is still there.

[MekaGojira3k]