by Matolen » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:42 pm
I haven't given an official review, yet, but in all its a fairly entertaining, yet flawed film. I agree its often closer to an extended music video/video game than an outright film. The pacing, constant underscore-- which works better in the movie than on its own as a listening experience-- (note to Sony: you would do well to replace some--not all--of the score)
Certain sections are terrific: the attack on the cities culminating in the outrageous Ebirah vs. mutant soldier scene provided great (really unprecedented in a TOHO kaiju film) action and some of the best visuals. The cool cruelty of Kamakiras death worked well. I think the sustained Godzilla/Monster X/Mothra/Gigan exchange leading into Kaiser Ghidorah was niec, despite a few clunkers in the action.
Some moments were frustratingly short, Zilla, Hedorah, etc. I think these parts would be best served by whatever bits are left on the cutting room floor if TOHO lets Kitamura do a longer edit for DVD/Video.
I can't say I was awful involved in the characters, though I liked certain moments, in particular the small smile the captain (?) gave Ozaki before he was overwhelmed by the possessed mutants. I think the film would have been better served by more humane moments like these.
..and God help me the saccharine moment at the end when Minilla mimicked the boy...I liked that. Speaking of Minilla, I am no fan, but I found the subplot tolerable.
Where the film falls apart in places is when basic screenwriting disappears. Daigo and Co.'s sudden re-appearance? Oh reeeally? That plane looked mighty destroyed earlier by Rodan...
I also was hard pressed to figure out how Godzilla marched from the South Pole to Tokyo in the same amount of time (mainly) it took Grandpa, "Kenny" and Minilla to drive from Fuji to the city. And Godzilla did this while stopping to thrash 6 monsters along the way. I can only assume destruction impeded the truck's path and both got there in about 12hours? Yeh, there isn't much to explain that one...
Godzilla was executed quite well I thought, as were most of the monsters. His "supporting player" role is somewhat true, but when you look at, say, Destroy all Monsters, Godzilla doesn't have the same screen time as the astronaut heroes zipping around in the SY-3. He's competing with monsters, aliens and earth forces as well.
As a sci-fi action film with aliens, monsters, etc, its fun entertainment, as popcorn and cotton candy a film as you can get, a real "Summer Film" you might say. As a 50th anniversary film: either it should have been a fleshed and paced out more 2 and-a-half to 3 hour epic, or a leaner, tighter, "less is more" Godzilla/kaiju-centric film.
Matolen
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