Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

by **PyrasTerran** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 5:53 pm

2 new reviews I found. One is from cinefantastique or something of the sort, and the second is from Star Hunter/Huntie.

By Jeff Bond

For the past 15 years the filmmakers behind Toho's Godzilla movies have been trying to bring a mythic, majestic dimension to the venerable man-in-suit monster, climaxing in Shusi [sic] Kaneko's Godzilla GMK (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, All Monsters Attack), which repositioned Big G as a white-eyed incarnation of Japanese war dead. In the giant monster's ostensible swan song, Godzilla Final Wars, director Ryuhei Kitamura dispenses with all that and embraces Godzilla's essential lunacy. In doing, so he's delivered on his own intent to make a Godzilla film in the style of the "Showa" era of the 1970's, a period which is, ironically enough, reviled by that small but vocal demographic of moviegoes that take Godzilla seriously. kitamura's film intent on creating a vibe of hurtling craziness from itsopening "40 years earlier" sequence of Godzilla in the middle of a pitched battle with the super-submarine Atragon. If you don't remember the 1963 Toho feature Atragon (which didn't feature Godzilla), you'll miss out on half the fun of Godzilla Final Wars, which is rife with with elements (and monsters) from earlier Toho productions, referencing everything from Gorath to Monster Zero. But Kitamura isn't satisfied with a salute to Japanese movie history; he also manages to fold in highlights from the past few decades of American scifi films. His human heroes are a conflicted group of super-strong mutants (a la The X-Men) who engage their leather-clad alien enemies in countless Matrix-y kung fu battles (although since the Wachowskis stole their wire-fu fights from Asian action films, it's only appropriate that Japan steal them back). While the invading "Xiliens" seem to have stepped directly out of 1968's [sic] Monster Zero (wraparound sunglasses and costumes included), Kitamura borrows liberally from Independence Day and even Return of the Jedi (in a penetrate-the-mothership CG dogfight climax) in unraveling the alien invaders plot. You don't go to a Godzilla film for good acting, but Final Wars includes two entertaining turns by the actors playing the alien enemies-Yul Brynner-like Masato Ibu has an enjoyable lizard-like quality as the Xilien leader, while Kazuki [sic] Kitamura contributes an outrageous bad-guy camp performance as an ambitious second-in-command. It falls to an American to do the worst thespic work-Ultimate Fighting champion Don Frye evidently has a huge following in Japan, but as an actor he makes Russ Tamblyn's sleepy work in War of the Gargantuas look like something from Laurence Olivier's reel. Final Wars' biggest disappointment for Godzilla fans is the lack of substantial screen time for its star. The Big G is deep-sixed before the film's credit sequence while other monsters invade the planet in a tribute to 1970's [sic] Destroy All Monsters. Those sequences are wicked fun (although the prelude to Rodan's razing of NYC, a pimp-cop face-off right out of Superfly, could set race relations back 30 years), but the plight of heroic mutants kung-fuing each other and their enemies fills up space until well over an hor into the picture, until Godzilla returns and begins picking off the monster guest star roster (which includes a recreation of the infamous Tristar CG Godzilla) one by one. Whenever giant monsters are on screen in Final Wars the movie is giddily entertaining, but headache-inducing editing and non-stop kung fu get equal billing with the titular star and the end result sometimes feels less like a 50th anniversary salute to Godzilla than it does a one-year-anniversary salute to the Matrix trilogy. Throw in the inexplicable (but funny) addition of Godzilla's lumpy, human-sized "son" Minilla from Son of Godzilla and you have a movie that will leave rabid G-fans with a sense of their star's (and their own) ridiculousness grinning from ear to ear and anyone who sees mythic resonance in the King of the Monsters feeling insulted. Well, mythic fans-you got what you wanted in every G-film since Godzilla vs. Biollante, meta-zilla fans hungry for a kinetic Godzilla goof can now add Final Wars to such '70's romps as Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Gigan, and Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster. 2 1/2 Stars

and for the second..

GFW is a masterpiece of entertainment, as in it never trys to be anymore than such.

There are momments in the film were I can picture Kitamura comming out of the screen and slapping conservative fanboys across the face in a mocking manner, and I friggin love it. Kitamura has the most balls and ambitition that ive seen for this series thus far. He didnt give a "OH GODZILLA! WHAT TERRIBLE LANGUAGE!" whether the fanboys would be pissed or not, he made this film to entertain not just them, but everybody. And that he did, and then some.

From lightning fast intense fight cheoreogrophy and slick cinematography, to it's shockingly effective and different music score and title intro, to it's almost self aware tongue-in-cheek additude and sense of humour. GFW is one huge insane tribute package of veteran actors from the series, to references to Toho's greatest pictures. Even references to hollywood movies to name afew.

Now obviously all the credit to things great in this movie cannot go to Kitamura alone. Spfx man Asada and suit maker Wakassa did a remarkibly servicible job, literally having to do ten times the amount of work in the same rushed production that is standard practice at Toho.co.ltd. Luckily, the increased budget was pushed to it's limit, and the result is a Godzilla film that literally feels "bigger" and more epic than ever before. City's literally lay in ruin all across the globe. Examples of Godzilla standing in a completely desolated Tokyo is a stark reminder that this isnt your average Godzilla film.

SPFX are not perfect however, but the same can be said for any Godzilla film. Afew poor matte shots here and there, some so-so cgi, nothing to severe. There is an issue with scale for the kaiju, but what some fans don't realise is that this was intentional. Kitamura stated that the goal was to make the spfx look "good" not "real". Safe to say they suceeded, as the visuals in GFW are VERY cool indeed. Nothing in the film is truly groan inducing SPFX wise, very polished and slickly done.

The Kaiju are a treat to behold. As everytime they are on screen, they are never doing anything less than exciteing and memorable. From Anguirus's spikey ball of doom to Rodan's insanely well done attack on New york, it's just a blast to watch. Speaking of Rodan, flying Kaiju in this film were extreamly well done, as I detected virtually no cases of "hovering" to be found, good stuff.

The new lighter material used to make the kaiju suits really bare fruit in this movie, espeically on the big G himself. The result is we are givin the most animalistic and fluid Godzilla ever done in the series. I can't say enough good things about Godzilla himself in this movie. He, like the film itself, is a combination of ideas over the 50 years of history. This Godzilla is smart, fast, has momments of a sense of humour, even is a father figure.

Most importantly though, is that this Godzilla is a badass through and through, which to me is always the most important elament a good Godzilla portrayal should have. The Godzilla in this film is truly a force to be reckoned with, "the most destructive weapon on earth". A truly great a memorable Godzilla that we won't soon forget. Kitamura's Godzilla is easyly one of the best things to come out of GFW. Goji gets the ultimate respect as a character to be feared in this film, a great tribute to 50 years.

Suit actor Kigiwata deserves an award for how hard he busted his ass working on this film, for both his portrayal as Godzilla and as the choreographer of the kaiju fights, (which are no less than amazing) the man went above and beyond. If I wore a hat id be tipping it to him right now.

Kitamura as the Xillain commander and Don Frye as Douglas Gordon stole the show here, espeically Don. The Godzilla series has never had a human character as no nonsense and badass as this. Add this to all the snappy one liners that come out of his mouth, and you got yourself a human character right up there with Glen of MonsterZero fame.

The story is very easy to follow and linear (but the same can be said for most Godzilla films) , but at the same time not overly simple. There's alot of clever references topast entires scatterd throughout and are quite fun to find while watching.

Now, while Kitamura definitely has style, I fully admit he lacks substance. However that's not really an issue in this movie, as it is nothing more than a fun tribute action picture. However there are some examples of Kitamura being dervitive of certain hollywood films during some key story momments in the movie. Now, how "bad" this is is really up to your own personal opinion. It didn't bother me much at all since as a fan, I have dealt with this in films like Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (terminator) Mothra 92 (Indiana Jones) or Destroyah (bliatant alien rip offs), or even GxMG which rips off other japanese movies and anime.

The deciding difference in GFW is though, that said scenes are actualy well executed and never boring, nor embarassing. Hardly original, but more respectible then what happened in the heisei series. It's not enough to ruin the movie for me, as GFW has enough new style, execution and energy displayed for things like that to bring it down. Ive never been in the camp of fans that foolishly think "every idea from Japan is a flawless masterpiece , while everything to ever come out of hollywood is complete crap". Don't get me wrong, 90% of stuff that actually interests me comes from Japan. From anime, to Ultraman. But if you think there's nothing good to offer from the american film industry, you've got your head to far up a rubber kaiju arse, period.

So if some fans are gonna spend there time losing sleep at night over how Godzilla "sold out" with this movie, that's there loss. More extreamly fun movie for me to enjoy. It may of been odd timing to do such a drastic stlye change on the 50th aniversary, but it's irelavent as it's a departure that the series has been needing for some time. I feel Kitamura acheived everything he could of possibly done with a Godzilla movie. And when the series returns, I want more radical departures to be done. Not in the same vien as GFW mind you. Another film just like that would ruin the feeling of uniqueness GFW gives.

At the end of the day, criticly GFW isint the best Godzilla film, but it is the first Godzilla film in the past 20 years to truly capture th old school energy of the 60s films. GFW is no GMK, but as an entertainment film, it's first class.

9 out of 10.

If either of these reviews are old news here, I apologize. However, they nonetheless give us something to discuss, IMO.

by **Hajime Kudo** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 9:34 pm

by **KaijuDave** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:50 pm

by **anguirus23** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:52 pm

by **Robert Saint John** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:33 am

Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

GFW Reviews Thread & Discussion (Spoilers)

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