TALKBACK: Godzilla (2014) - (OBVIOUS SPOILER DISCUSSION)

[jellydonut25]

So, after 433 pages, it's ROUGHLY time to shut down the "Godzilla (2014) Part Three" thread.

It's been going on for a LONG time, and it's about to BLOW UP with people starting to see the film and talking about it. We won't be (and shouldn't be) expecting people to sift back through 433 pages to try to figure out where it was that people started talking about the FILM vs. expectations and predictions, etc...


SO, this is basically Part Four...You've seen the movie, what do you think? Others have seen the movie, what do you think about their thinks? Thinking is think think think think so think about that.

The "Part Three" thread will be locked in the near future...probably this weekend.

[Gorjira54]

[Henry88]

[msweets13]

Hmmm... This might be good. For now, Part III could act as the spoiler free "OMG, I'm so excited to see it!" or "tell me it was good/bad, but don't tell me anything else!" thread and this one for your spoilerific immediate reactions. Just a thought.

[jellydonut25]

That's why Part III will stay open until Friday or so.

[msweets13]

Be sure to post your non-spoilery thoughts in the other thread for those of us unlucky enough not to see it 4 days early.

[MouthForWar]

I just went ahead and made this the talkback thread consistency with the other threads and stuff.

[Dorkzilla]

Welp. Here we go...

[mrbluehair]

Whatever I post I don't really know if it will be spoiler filled because I want everyone to go in as blind as possible.

25 hours 10 minutes....

[Cookie]

Advance screenings ending now.. Wish I could have gotten one.

[jellydonut25]

Ok...so if you want a lengthier but still spoiler free (as spoiler free as I feel I can possibly be in a lengthier format) review:
For starters, I loved it. All those complaints about not enough monster action and too much teasing...I don't really agree with them. There's "not enough monster action" in the same way that Pacific Rim had "not enough monster action" a lot of the early monster action is just shown through some pretty unique ways so that you never feel like you're getting the same shots of battles over and over.

The complaints about the acting are justified, but only at their most notable when one of the weaker performers is paired with Bryan Cranston and Cranston's CRUSHING it and the other person is just kinda...there. And not all of the "notable" human characters are given enough to do, so I wonder if some stuff was left on the cutting room floor (and honestly, probably for the better).

Godzilla is SO COOL in this. He's got some flashes of genuine personality, he's got some cool moves, and they TOTALLY TREAT HIM 100% CORRECTLY. He may not be on-screen every second, but his PRESENCE is always felt. In that way (and perhaps that way alone) it felt rather Gojira-esque. Even when Godzilla's not on-screen, everything is about him and the tension around his (or his enemies') eventual appearance.

Either MUTO for me could stand alongside any of Godzilla's rogues gallery. They are more than welcome additions to the family, and I'd easily put them above some Toho kaiju without a second thought.

If I had to pick ONE and only ONE Godzilla movie this reminds me of the most, it'd probably be Godzilla 2000. The tone feels about right for me to say that, and well, some other stuff too that I don't wanna ruin.

One little not very spoilery detail but y'know MAYBE you'd consider this spoilery but probably not...is that I LOVED how casually they name Godzilla in this. Watanabe is like, "It's Gojira" and then every character presumably mis-hears him and for the rest of the movie is just like "Godzilla" they don't make it a big deal or fumble with it awkwardly AT ALL.

There's not much of a chance it displaces Mothra vs. Godzilla or Gojira atop my list but repeat viewings may well find this in the future of my top 5 Godzilla films. I'm hesitant to give it a rating with it all being so FRESH right now but I'll say a SOLID 4 outta 5...and if it holds up, 4.5.

BTW, the 3D is not worth it....like, AT ALL. Glad this was free, because aside from the opening credits, you won't feel much of that 3D at all.

[DannyBeane]

Its a shame the 3-D isn't worth it because the only place in Chicago (Navy Pier) that's showing it on a real IMAX is only offering IMAX 3-D screenings. I was planning on seeing in 2-D later in the week when I go to a repeat viewing anyways so its not going to be a terrible loss for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm now counting down to Thursday. My bus ticket to Chi-town is tomorrow...

[XvGojira]

Jelly was it IMAX 3D or just regular 3D?

[Destroysall]

If Jelly loved it, then I am sold! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jellydonut25]

[mrbluehair]

Great review Jelly, I will give mine tomorrow night. Also great insight as to the screen time the monsters get because frankly, if you get too much time, you could end up putting in scenes and moves that become more comical and nonsense, like those in the late 60's early 70's films where Godzilla is using too many humanistic moves. I didn't want a campy film, nor a gritty film, and that's where people stumble. Sure it's more dark and serious than most G films, but I think the tone from what I've gathered is more serious than gritty and that's fine.

Also, wall to wall monster battles would be bad too, then you'd have the "Cgi jerkfest and not enough story to carry it" comments. Really it's difficult to fathom a perfect film especially in this day and age.

I'm so glad this is my main haunt on Godzilla stuff....on the other big site, I fully expect people to hang themselves every time another review that doesn't puke rainbows appears. Like I've said, even great films like Empire Strikes Back got mixed reviews back in the day....we just didn't have the ability to see or fret over them and honestly I do not even bother with reviews from self appointed critics. I could start my own critical review site and it would be really only valuable to me.

Hopefully my Jakks Godzilla shows up before I take my oldest boy to the movie tomorrow...that would be great!

[mrbluehair]

[Gojira-2000]

I'd seen someone else mention Godzilla 2000 when talking about this film, and I'd got that vibe myself at least once when seeing and reading more about the film. Which is good, I actually like that film quite a bit. Speaking of which a couple of the concepts pieces for the MUTO reminded me somewhat of a slimmed down Orga, mostly in the hands/claws.

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

Well considering Jelly's taste in Godzilla films is similar to mine, this is nice to hear. I'm going on Thursday with my family!

(o_o ) and then again with my younger cousin who has been wanting to see this ever since I told him they were making it.

(o_o ) And then with my older cousin who basically got me into Godzilla.

(O__O ) and then with the rest of my friends.

Quite a busy weekend it seems.

[DannyBeane]

How are the physics of the CGI? One of the things I loved most about Pacific Rim was they seamed to get the physics right. The Jaegers/Kaiju seemed to have actual mass rather than looking like cartoons flying around like the Michael Bay Transformer movies.

[sachiel]

Tonally according to a lot of the latest reviews that have been popping it up, it seems we may have been mislead by the interviews and trailers. Maybe its not the serious and dark movie we were all initially led to believe we'd be getting. The movie's storytelling tone is more in line with Godzilla 2000 and Gamera Guardian of the Universe? Not sure what to make of that. I would definitely hope its not as awfully paced and as uncomfortably embarrassing as Godzilla 2000.....

[jellydonut25]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

Are the military vs kaiju sequences as elaborate as Toho's, or any of the better ones in the genre?

[jellydonut25]

[Henry88]