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

[Reaper G]

I saw it last night, my first drive-in movie since the original "Star Wars". I wish I could say I loved it as much as so many fellow fans, but it was a strong effort that resepcted the Toho classics while putting Edwards' own spin on the character.

Some thoughts:
1. Bryan Cranston must hate birthdays even more than I do. First he learned he had cancer, now this.
2. The Las Vegas Strip resorts are out of order. The Treasure Island is not across from Caesar's Palace.
3. For all the scientists and military experts, the smartest person in the movie was the school bus driver.
4. Goji's full reveal is as great as any.
5. This must have been the weakest atomic breath in any movie.
5. Best. Kaiju death. Ever.

[RaymondBurr]

[O.Supreme]

Saw it on Friday Afternoon, but just posting my thoughts now after giving it a day or so to go over in my mind. I really was pleased with this film. Unlike 16 years ago, I went into this film expecting nothing, and came out thoroughly satisfied. Was it perfect? No, but neither was Transformers, or The Avengers, two other films I really, really like. My first thought was -"Wow a film with opening credits, thats different". Considering it seems most films abandoned this about 5 years ago or so. Also I didn't realize how much watching "Monsters" would help me appreciate the Directors approach until I saw this Godzilla film. My friend who saw it with me (not a true Godzilla fan, but was way more hyped than I was) -at the end he said it was very boring until the monsters started showing up. While I can admit I have had feelings like this about some of Toho's films, this was not the case with this film. I found my self engaged for the entire film. The human drama was well portrayed. Also I appreciated how Edwards played it "safe". Perhaps if only at the urging of executives, but still well done. While destruction on this level would not discriminate, it would kill everyone -smal children & pets included -Any who seemed to be put in harms way onscreen got away. Like I said, not "realistic", but this is Godzilla after all, and as a parent I'm ok with that . Another thought that took me a bit to think about (and also thanks to having seen the movie Despicable Me) -was the quesiton "What about New York? We all saw the previews of the Statue of Liberty torn apart" -well, I haven't been to Las Vegas since I was a small kid, and mush has been added. So when the female MUTO was rampaging it, and they showed the mock Eiffel Tower being destroyed, I seemed to recall that Vegas also has a mock Statue of Liberty, perhaps this is what was actually destroyed, and will be seen in the directors cut later? -Just a random thought I had to explain the lack of New York. Next -initially Ithought the Muto's looked so alien, like they didn't match well with anything in Toho's monster universe, but once Godzilla started battling them, all those doubts went away. I recalled some of the monsters from the Animated series of the late 90's, and while those were not created by Toho, I found the Muto's really weren't that out of the "norm" of the Kaiju realm as I thought. Lastly, and this put a large grin on the face of my inner child was 1. That Godzilla survived & 2. He came off as the hero. -oh and that his roar didn't sound as much like Insectosaurus (Monsters vs. Aliens)as I feared it would (based on what was heard in trailers). Finally the ending, I dont know, It was a little jarring and sudden, but I now it was very intentional and left us wanting more, mission accomplished. I guess we'll see if Dad's Moth's become Mothra, or maybe they'll go a completely different direction if a sequel is granted. Also I'll have to see it again simply because I missed Akira Takarada somehow. I kept waiting for him to show up, then saw his name in the credits, so now at least I know where to look for him. Lastly. I've seen all sorts of new polls & opinions as to where to rank this film among the 29 others. I just cant do that. With 1998's Godzilla it was kind of easy to put it at the bottom because most fansd hated it. But this film is solid. I cant really rank it in with the others, at least not now, perhaps in time, but right now it appears to literally be its own animal that I would have an easier time raking among other hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, than other Godzilla films. But hey thats just me. I know Gareth Edwards had the assistance of Dozens if not Hundreds of people to make this project a reality. If I could ever meet him, I'd just like to shake his hand and say "Thank You".

*edit*

just wanted to add my thoughts about the boxoffice figures since many others seem to be voicing their thoughts. At this point Godzilla is obviously the #1 film, and it already had the #1 opening day of the year and *may" have the #1 weekend thus far (latest figures show surpassing 100M already). However as to the question -will this film ultimately be one of the biggest of the year, i have no idea, there is so much competition. As I have stated, in years past where there might be 2 or 3 "BIG" summer movies, this summer, there is literally one almost every week. Here are the biggest releases comgin up, each of which I'm sure will be #1 for its respective weekend, btu I have no idea how they will ultimately fare:

5-23 X-Men Days Of Future Past
5-30 Maleficent
6-6 Edge of Tomorrow
6-13 How to Train Your Dragon 2
6-20 (No big movies coming out this week -shocking!)
6-27 Transformers- Age of Extinction
7-4 (No big movie for the national holiday odd...)
7-11 Dawn of the Planet of The Apes
7-18 Jupter Ascending
7-25 Hercules
8-1 Guardians of the Galaxy
8-8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
8-15 The Expenables 3

So in a 3 month period, you basically will have a new #1 movie every week with the exception of 6-20 & 7-4. How this all will ultimately shake out, i have no idea. I bleieve Godzilla could beat out several of them, provided it dosen't get buried by some of the bigger ones earlier on.

[MekaGojira3k]

[Hybrid Gojira]

Godzilla's sitting at 196 million worldwide and 93 million domestically according to box office mojo. It still has a way to go before breaking even but that's pretty awesome.

I'll get to the Ryfle review later. I found it incredibly off base.

[jellydonut25]

[DannyBeane]

I respect Steve Ryfle's opinion but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Godzilla has always been an allegory for nuclear weapons but since then, he's danced, had serious conversations with Mothra and Rodan, flown, slid an unreasonable distance on his tail, had another conversation with Anguirus, and team up with a size altering robot to fight a giant napalm spewing, drill beat hand having cockroach and his cybernetic meat hooked space monster ally Gigan. I think its safe to say that Godzilla has become something more than a nuclear nightmare. That's what good characters do. They grow and adapt to stay relevant from generation to generation.

This Godzilla is a superhero protector and I loved that its been so critically well received. I think a lot of people were expecting a dark and cynical film because that's what is in vogue. Every movie had to be overly elaborate. The main characters have to be dark and brooding. The entire world has to be at stake. The films color palette has to be super de-saturated and then tinted blue or green because life is devoid of color. The footage has to be barely watchable because it has to be shaky since in real life you don't have time to stop and soak information in. I'm glad this Godzilla movie departed from the norm and is a fresh of breath air. I believe the popular reception is because the big G still has star power and because people are happy they are getting something different from the standard mold.

[canofhumdingers]

[Xenorama]

since I was invoked, here is my take:

http://xenorama.blogspot.com/2014/05/godzilla-2014.html

[The Great MM]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Gojira-2000]

I just assumed that Godzilla absorbed all the radiation from the nuke, like the MUTO did at Janjira, and that is also ultimately what revived him as well.

[Kailem]

I just assumed that he's Godzilla.

[Cookie]

[Kailem]

The opening weekend take is extremely impressive, more so than anyone could have hoped for. Nearly $200 worldwide already is pretty damn fantastic, and given how often you hear that sequels to these kind of movies are green lit based on their opening weekend take, I wouldn't be surprised if Legendary have already decided that yeah, this is getting a sequel.

*Crosses fingers and hopes that is indeed the case*

[The Great MM]

I see some Godzilla fans can't be pleased no matter what. That's okay. They can go back to watching stuff like Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Tokyo SOS, and Final Wars.

[Gargantuan Gargantua]

I kind of figured Godzilla was pooped at the end and just took a nap.

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

The ultimate in being completely unable to be happy is the disappointment that niche group that had that this movie pegged as a grimdarkancynicalrealism Godzilla, pining for heroic Godzilla, then we get heroic Godzilla and are just baffled and criticizing their route in going that way.

Like many said 4 years ago "No matter what it is, I won't like it."

[planetxleader]

In more positive news, sequel plans are essentially confirmed now:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/godzill ... h-edwards/

Going to see it again this afternoon!

[Henry88]

$196,205,000
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godzilla2012.htm

[Gwangi]

The guy with the biggest sigh of relief is most likely Gareth Edwards. Had this not successful, most likely, he would have been forced back to the Indie route. It looks now however, that he can have is pick of the crop. Would he want to come back and do another monster pic or would he rather focus on something else?

[Hybrid Gojira]

[Henry88]

[Cookie]

If they got the ball rolling, I can see summer 2016. Make up for this taking awhile to go into filming.

[Hybrid Gojira]

I'm under the impression that Edwards has a good idea for the sequel already so 2016 seems realistic to me. The real question is whether or not we get Toho kaiju or not.