TALKBACK #8: Son of Godzilla

[jellydonut25]

[Gman2887]

[eabaker]

I am, likewise, generally of the opinion that there is such a thing as too much clarity about these matters. While certainly there are forms of science fiction storytelling that benefit from explicit examination of the nature of what's going on (for instance, one of the major points of Alien is to examine the various stages of the creature's lifestyle, and Splice is very much about the nature of the creature's creation), the mythic quality of a lot of monsters really depends on their remaining a little abstract. And the more science you put into your SF, the more opportunity you create for people to find problems with that science; trying too hard to make it "realistic" can undermine your goals, and utterly decimate the suspension of disbelief.

[lhb412]

[Benjamin Haines]

[Gman2887]

Just got done rewatching this one. Talk about another film that's unfairly maligned by a vocal group of fans. I think this is, for the most part, just as good as the rest of the 1960s. There's a lot of complaints about the Godzilla suit, and although I won't defend it as a favorite of my own, I become more fond of it with each viewing. There's a certain charm about the short snout, stocky stature and uneven spines. I don't really see the "parental look" that fans speak of though. He's no handsome creature in this movie, nor do I think he looks very fatherly, but that's okay. He's a monster after all.

I also like how Godzilla is still considered a threat. While there's no arguing that his transformation into a hero started with Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, this and Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster clearly display an anti-hero of sorts. He's not a villain to root against, but he's not exactly making things easy on the characters either.

Points to Akira Kubo who might be one of the more versatile actors in the series. After playing a frumpy little nerd in Monster Zero he takes on the amusingly determined Goro in this and a commanding leader in the follow up. He's not as fun to watch as Takarada in the previous film, but I enjoy him a lot.

Saeko is an interesting character for this movie; her involvement in the story is convenient at best and frustrating at worst. She tends to give the characters pertinent information pretty late in the game. Tropical fever? Lets wait and tell everyone until they're snug in their cots and Dr. Kusumi is mulling over it. Waiting inside the cave for Kumunga to leave the entrance? Lets notify everyone of the other exit when someone asks. Thanks, babe.

The tropical fever subplot came on quick and mostly served as a catalyst for Goro and Saeko running into Godzilla training Minya. I suppose it did help discourage Kusumi to attempt another go at his experiment, but there's a lot of disconnect in that section of the movie. It's fairly bumpy. (Speaking of Dr. Kusumi, when did he read Saeko's father's notes? He asks Saeko about Kumunga and then, less than a minute after, is an expert on the monster's weakness. That's some quick studying!)

Joking aside, I think the movie works for the most part. The characters are constantly connected to the monsters-- the cat-and-mouse game they play with Kumunga, Kamakirus and Godzilla really keeps the threat of giant monsters believable. I like the weather experiment story-arc and how it was tied with Kamakirus's size and putting Godzilla into hibernation. I also thought the special effects were amongst the very best in the entire series. Arikawa had to be making Tsuburaya proud in this one. I loved how many shots there were of characters and monsters in the same frame. I don't want to say the special effects in the Showa series took a nose dive after this movie, but they certainly didn't improve. I feel like this was the last Showa movie with truly great, innovative visual and miniature work.

It's not quite a top tier Godzilla movie, but it's real damn close.

[jellydonut25]

^I'd argue that Destroy All Monsters had some pretty innovative moments, but otherwise agree with you.

[Gman2887]

[eabaker]

I think Arikawa's background as a DP really shows in the quality of the compositions in both SoG and DAM. In both of those movies, it's obvious that there's a really well trained visual stylist pulling all the strings (well, not the literal strings, of which there were MANY).

[KingKaiju]

Outside of Minya and the goofy Godzilla suit, I enjoyed this movie. Personally, I've never been a fan of Godzilla having a kid. I understand why people like to go that route, and I really liked it as a kid. But as I've gotten older, I'm not the biggest fan of it. Personally, I'd enjoy the movie a lot more now, had it just been about a bunch of scientists on an island doing nuclear tests and running into trouble with giant mutant bugs and Godzilla. But again, I get why they would bring in a kid for the big G, definitely worked on me as a kid, and it definitely lightened up the mood with the movie. Not my favorite movie in the entry, but it's definitely one that I don't hate or dislike. I just have other movies that I'd prefer to watch over this one.

[eabaker]

^For me, it was the other way around; as a kid, I didn't like the idea of Godzilla having a son. I thought it was stupid, and didn't feel like it belonged in a Godzilla movie. Now, I can step back and appreciate it as the series exploring a new direction. I wouldn't have wanted Minya to be a permanent part of the series or anything, but as something to try out for a few movies, for fun and variety, I'm all for it. And without the Godzilla/Minya relationship, you'd lose the nice element of Godzilla needing to learn to relate with a friend as the scientists need to learn to relate to one another better.

[Russzilla]

I often wondered in what direction the Godzilla series would've gone if not for the, I guess, kiddie movement that started in Japan and started to be prominently featured in Gamera movies, TV shows, etc.

[eabaker]

[jellydonut25]

[Russzilla]

^Good points by the both of you. So in hindsight, the direction they went in was the right move. And yes, after I guess GvsKG '91, the Heisei series went stale. Fast!

[Hybrid Gojira]

So...just watched this again for the first time in a long time.

It's a fun movie. Fukuda and Sato keep Godzilla light-hearted and upbeat. I actually feel like SeaMonster offers better characters, but this movie works well and does a good job having the monsters interact with the characters. Kumonga is a great creation. I like Kamacuras. The story is interesting enough to keep your attention despite being a film aimed at children.

The Minya prop is atrocious and the Godzilla suit is the worst in the series, but I can overlook those things for everything else that is good about the movie.

[Dr Kain]

This movie will never be anywhere near being a favorite Godzilla movie of mine, but it is definitely an enjoyable one. I feel the music fits the mood and the movie accomplishes exactly what it was trying to do. I hate the Godzilla suit, and I'm not a fan of the happy Godzilla, but I can understand why he is portrayed that way here. Most of all, getting to watch a battle in a snow storm is pretty awesome and one of the highlights for me because that is something that was never repeated.

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

The Cinematography is top notch in this movie, and manages to pull off great things with the sets. Beautiful widescreen shots are done here, especially within the monster scenes.

I still say this is the best ending cue in the series.

[XvGojira]

Son of Godzilla was a childhood staple of mine, but god is the suit ugly as sin.

[DannyBeane]

[XvGojira]

[jellydonut25]

I've been watching a LOT of the 40-ish minutes or so of kaiju action in this movie lately (my two-year old specifically requests "Baby Godzilla" from time to time).

It's sorta got me thinking, the scene at the red water, where Godzilla is teaching Minya to act like...well, Godzilla. In the "real world" this would be a terrifying concept. Godzilla, whether hero or villain, represents the capability of MASS destruction, and his lifespan is unknown. Think about adding ANOTHER one of those things into the world.

I'd like to maybe one day see the Son of Godzilla concept revisited, but with the notion that it's a terrifying prospect, and the plot sort of hinges around one group of people wanting to destroy the monster before it gets too big to destroy and the other group arguing that you can't kill something for things it has yet to do. It'd be a cool twist on the idea.

[lhb412]

[Geno]

I've rewatched the movie yesterday. It's definitely held up well. The story was pretty fun and the monster scenes are some of my favorite to come from the Showa series. The Godzilla and Minya suits aren't the best ones around but I don't give a damn. They got the job done and the characterization is among the best in the series.

[lhb412]

I never noticed that the research station's pantry was stocked with Bireley's before! It's all over the first part of the film.

Does that brand still exist in modern Japan?