Godzilla, King of the Monsters on BD 8/27!

[lhb412]

Edwards is dope and his direction of 2014 makes it awesome despite the film's other weaknesses.

[william newell]

[O.Supreme]

[canofhumdingers]

I haven’t listened to the commentary yet, but I have to believe at least some of that is taken out of context and exaggerated, jelly. O.supreme’s account seems much more believable.

I picked this up today and just watched it for the third time. I have to say, I’ve enjoyed it more each time I’ve seen it. It’s aging well for me and is running a close second to Kong: Skull Island (a film I unabashedly LOVE) for my personal fav monsterverse movie. Rodan is still the highlight of the film for me, but I really enjoy just about all of it. I really dig the new version of Mothra’s song.

I don’t mind the use of the Oxygen Destroyer. I think it was cool that they found a way to incorporate it. And it couldn’t just be replaced by any old weapon (even a nuke) because it’s the only human weapon that does real effective harm to Godzilla in this series (and, as we all know, the nuke has the exact opposite effect). Speaking of the nuke, I like it. I don’t find it tone deaf at all. It’s not a “pro nuclear weapon” message. It’s an extreme measure in an absolute desperate situation and is treated as such (as well as can be expected in a summer popcorn monster movie). They use the nuclear energy to heal, feed, and supercharge Godzilla. As has been discussed before, this isn’t the first (or second or third) time that idea has been explored in this franchise. And as with other heroic-Godzilla entries in the series, it’s kinda hard to paint a super grim and horrific picture of nuclear energy when it’s the power source of your main hero. And Serizawa’s sacrifice in the process was reasonably poignant. Heck, the fact that we see he brought his father’s watch from Hiroshima is anything but a “pro” nuclear message. It reminds us of the horror and shows us the severe irony of the events transpiring before us (the world being saved by detonating a terrible weapon to reawaken a terrifying monster).

Anyway, enough rambling out thoughts. Bottom line is I like it and don’t think it’s as tone deaf or insensitive as some do just because it doesn’t take time to meditate on the deeper more serious themes and consequences and such. It’s a fast paced summer popcorn flick that features a heroic nuclear monster. It’s not intended to be the powerful, message driven allegory of the original film. But it’s not blind to, ignorant of, or in direct opposition to those themes and messages either.

Well, except maybe the whole nuclear monsters bringing about new life angle. But we haven’t really seen how that plays out yet. Maybe it turns out it’s not all rainbows and butterflies...?

[jellydonut25]

[Gwangi]

How are you guys finding the time to watch the movie and all of these extra features? I need to have your jobs! I won't have a chance to do all of that untill this long weekend.

[O.Supreme]

[canofhumdingers]

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

[H-Man]

[KaiserGhidorah]

I haven't heard the commentary yet but I for one find this movie to be very entertaining....much better than the 2014 film. It gives us alot more monster action than the last one and a fast pace to boot so no complaints really.

Also since Shin was brought up, I will throw in my two cents......it's interesting and a completely different take on Godzilla so it was refreshing to see them try something new with the character. I enjoyed it for what it was and am interested to see what the same team does with the upcoming Ultraman movie.

[canofhumdingers]

[kiryugoji04]

I am just so tired of arguing about this movie with people who "just don't see it." But I guess too I feel very strongly that the borderline-dangerous messaging needs to be discussed all the same. I mostly do it on Facebook where there isn't a no politics rule, because oh lawd, a historically anti-nuclear franchise being appropriated by the world's preeminent nuclear force in order to create - inadvertently or not - a pro-nuclear narrative is an AWFULLY POLITICAL subject, as is the movie's completely botched attempt at addressing climate change. I'm glad people are finding enjoyment in it but for me this is literally my least favorite Godzilla film. Even as gross as I find the political context of Shin Godzilla to be, at least it's a well-made creature feature.

[lhb412]

^ Huh, this is like me being perturbed that neither of the Avengers films address the fact that Thanos' Malthusian philosophy is total bunk. Most people don't care, but I couldn't get rid of the nagging concern that it injects a dangerous bit of pseudoscience into the popular consciousness.

[kiryugoji04]

[kiryugoji04]

Like even I thought I was being a little hysterical when I first started calling this movie out as potentially dangerous but I have since had to actually debate people in Godzilla discussion groups who honestly point to Chernobyl as a win for the environment and now we find out that the director supports that position as well. That is super not okay.

This movie is the complete antithesis of what the franchise was founded upon. Other movies may have downplayed or ignored the nuclear themes of the original, sure, but never has a Godzilla movie been this wildly pro-nuclear. It's crass and, yes, it is dangerous.

[XvGojira]

This movie conflicts me. On one hand I'm super entertained by it and it is totally the kind of monster slobber knocker movie that I love on a very surface level. The majority of the characters are fine (the two that could have been elevated in this sequel are killed to make room for more generic fair and Chinese pandering) and more entertaining to watch than ATJ in G'14. The monster scenes are dope and one of the few complaints with them is that I want more (especially Mothra and Rodan, but I'd be nice to see a bit more of the new monsters).

But on the other hand the shift from attempting to be grounded in reality in G14 to the over the top comic-bookie "world of Titans" of GKotM is jarring. Monarch seemed like a small agency. They were begging for funding in the 70s and in 2014 they didn't seem like they were big enough to be or have a PMC. Kind of thinking about it, it's the militarization of Monarch that's the biggest issue. In G'14 they just seemed like a group of scientists with the same goals but in GKotM'19 they have a fleet of aircraft, heavily armed G-Team, and a giant flying mobile base that's more like the USS Enterprise (the bridge, the massive hallways that totally wouldn't be in any aircraft, rooms for personnel to stay in) than an actual aircraft.

While I understand some people's contention with the "Titan radiation good for the planet" aspect, the fact it comes in out of nowhere is what gets me. Both this and G'14 kind of go in the opposite direction of Godzilla's typical message on nuclear weapons, but it doesn't surprise me that that point got missed. Batman killed constantly in '89 but people got up in arms about Batfleck doing the same thing (okay, Batfleck never smiled at strapping a bomb to a dude and tossing down a sewer). And the nuclear message has been downplayed or forgotten enough in other films, that this variation doesn't bother me. But I understand why it raise some people's hackles. Much like how people say Shin has right-wing, nationalistic, leanings; I don't have enough knowledge on the subject to personally say it does or not but enough people who do say it does, so I can't and won't contest that point. That doesn't stop me from enjoying the movie (so far anyways). And I wouldn't say that the nuclear message in this is dangerous, that's giving this movie more power than it has. If the movie was a runaway success and there was some sort of radioactive "tide pod challenge" or it is used as an example/reason why we should stockpile more nukes/use them (god forbid), then I'd agree that it's dangerous. As it is, it was a flop and the biggest impact I've seen is a coin toss between Ghidorah's Kevin head meme and shipping Godzilla and Mothra, which is still relegated to mostly this fandom and not the general public.

If the "good radiation" idea was introduced at the beginning of the movie, and there are several places it could have been brought up and explained early on (like it could be on of the points monarch brings up for not killing the titans during the senate) it might have landed better for me. Bringing it up after the only real plot twist the movie has feels like the writers needed a reason for her to turn to the bad guys and this was the first thing off the top of their head. Honestly, I'd almost like it better if Emma went full villain and wished the death of all humanity for waking up the Titans and killing her son. No need for magical "good" radiation, just a woman so heart broken that she went mad and wants the world to suffer the same pain she did (although that sounds juicy enough that I say remove Mark altogether and make Vera the protagonist and let Charles Dance chew the scenery as the scorned parent, or grand parent instead of doing basically nothing). Sure the couple wouldn't make amends, but it means you could have Millie Bobby Brown helping her dad fix the orca instead of being a damsel in distress. That sounds simpler and better than the "good radiation" take, in my opinion.

Also Sam and Dr Stanton could have been one character. Sam felt superfluous. And I enjoyed Stanton's humor because I like Bradley Whitford and I grew up enjoying Private Dr Pepper from G'85, so I see his jokes no worse than that or any image where some one MS-painted "Zilla" after the word God.

Although I have yet to buy the movie. I'm short on both cash and hours at my job so I'm waiting for the inevitable price drop or better hours at work, whichever comes first.

[Benjamin Haines]

[Gwangi]

[jellydonut25]

[lhb412]

You know, even if some underlying themes or the beliefs of those who made it might color your reaction to work of art, ultimately my complaints about Godzilla: King of the Monsters comes down to craft and execution. If the movie had been fantastically entertaining but had some wonky bits in the story I might point those bits out, but they wouldn't comprise the totality of my reaction to it.

Which is to say that my main complaints about the film are that it's overstuffed and underdeveloped; that the execution of the action scenes is murky, choppy, and unsatisfying; and that all the elements that should come together in a story never quite do so in this movie. Compared to that, stupidity about radiation and Godzilla's relationship metaphorically to nuclear weapons, while important in the grand critical scheme of people thinking about Godzilla movies, ultimately has little (or at least less) bearing for me on whether the movie is truly good or not.

[canofhumdingers]

That’s an excellent point, lhb. With some pretty extreme exceptions, I try not to let an artist’s or creator’s personal beliefs, opinions, or politics color my opinion of the product they’ve created. Instead I try to let their work stand on its own and judge it for what it is, not who made it.

As a fairly conservative (well, certainly more conservative than many on this board) person, I realized years ago that I couldn’t allow artists’ personal views to preclude me from enjoying their art. If I refused to do so, I’d probably never be able to watch another movie again.

Now, I fully realize that an artist’s ideas influence their art and that may or may not affect what I think of the product. But (as an extreme example), I think Tom Cruise is a ludicrous nut job. But I’ll still watch some of his movies because they’re entertaining and don’t really promote his opinions I dislike.

Anno might be an extreme fascist for all I know, but even having read some very informative and educational writings about Shin Godzilla I don’t believe it stands the test of being right wing propaganda.

For G:KOTM, I don’t think most of these horrible and frightening ideas about nuclear energy and all that really come through the way some people are complaining about them. The one exception I guess is the “positive” impact of radiation. But that’s mostly limited to the credits and as I mentioned, we haven’t really seen how it plays out. My hope is the next film explores it more and it turns out it’s not so great after all.

[Dr Kain]

Well this is super annoying. First off, I picked it up today:



This movie came out THIS week, right? I ask because NO ONE had it on sale. Not Walmart. Not Target. Not Amazon. Nor Best Buy. Fortunately, I had a $5 reward coupon for BB, but still.

Next up, for some reason ebay is not letting me post the digital copy up for sale, saying I have to sell the entire set. Since when? Plus, they do know it is MY copy and I can do with it however I choose, right?

[The Shadow]

I think Ebay has had rules against directly selling digital copy codes for awhile now. With this being the release week for GKOTM, Ebay may be more active in taking down digital copy code listings.