Posted on 05/17/2014 7:59:48 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
The new Godzilla is out, and while I'm not the biggest fan I saw it last night and enjoyed it.
Some dissapointing statements were made by the filmmaker about the film being about climate change. Seeing the film, I don't understand how he would make that connection other than to score Hollywood points. That isn't what it is about. The original film was about the destructive power of the atomic bomb, and the beliefs that despite our technological arrogance, nature was still in control. This is the opposite of saying that emitting some carbon dioxide can destroy the Earth. Happily, this film stays with the original theme that nature is in control.
The previous American try at a Godzilla film was a disaster, and like a diehard Denver Bronco fan when the team makes it to the championship, fans were happy someone was making this new one, but worried it would be another disaster. The filmmakers knew this too of course, but made some good choices, and even some risky choices that turned out well. Good choices in that it follows the original faithfully, and risky in that it makes some of the same choices the 1998 film did, but executes them a whole lot better. By that I mean both films had human stories as the primary focus instead of just a monster smashing stuff.
What makes the difference between the 1998 failure and this movie is two events that happened in between, the Fukushima earthquake and meltdown, and the world trade center attacks. Both events have had profound effects on the people affected and by everyone in the countries hit. And where the 1998 film chose a lighthearted, don't take this seriously path, this one treats the monsters and their destruction as real disasters on the scale of 9/11. The humans don't go for comic relief, they are real people making realistic choices to stay alive, just as we have seen in the real disasters.
This film is about Fukushima and 9/11 as much as the original was about the atom bomb. It could not have been made before those events, and looking back, that explains the 1998 film perfectly. 1998 was simply too frivolous a time to make a Godzilla film.
Some classic scary (but not really) movies simply cannot be remade...
1. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
2. King Kong, and
3. Godzilla...
To name just three.
.
“Spoilers: The movie was stupid. I saw it today. The military used only small arms to attack the monsters, no missiles or torpedoes. The monsters were not caused by the radiation of the WW II atomic bombs, but were awakened by them and fed off the radiation. The whole plot and story line, that the earth disturbance could not be detected outside of a limited geographic area by today’s technology defies imagination. The only thing that kept me from walking out was hoping to see Elizabeth Olson in just one more scene.”
Thanks. I won’t even bother to look at other reviews. Most Hollywood movies are stupid today, especially CGIed ones. We’ve walked out of the last two. There’s not going to be a third. I may be done with Hollywood movies forever. Much, much better fare on TV anyway, like Ray Donovan, Justified, Fargo, etc. (”Silver Linings Playbook”, however, is an amazing movie.)
I liked the movie though probably it made no sense once they explained the main story line.
Thought Brian Cranston was the best followed by the Olsen girl.
Biggest error was a supposedly modern mega atomic bomb was set of a few miles outside the city and did no damage whereas it would have devastated maybe a 100 mile wide area.
But I found following the characters interesting and a lot of the movie was filmed in an impressive manner, I mean a moody almost artsy type of film so it was a serious effort. Let’s face it this was a monster movie so for that it was a good one.
I didn’t care for the movie because if everybody had just listen to the Japanese lead scientist from the beginning when he said “let nature takes its course” to let Godzilla solve the problem then there wouldn’t have been so much turmoil. In the end Godzilla came to do what he meant to do all along and the humans were just in his way for some reason trying to solve it themselves
Gee, I sort of liked the one from a few years back with Matthew Broderick - got some poor reviews, but it had some terrific chase scenes and special effects ending with the beast getting entangled in the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge and dispatched by the US Air Force - and the very last scene wakes you up for sure....
I did too! The 1998 movie is a lot of fun. Jean Reno as the “insurance Salesman”/French international agent is a hoot.
“The military used only small arms to attack the monsters, no missiles”
No missiles? I guess you must have been in the bathroom when Godzilla goes through a blockade of 12 missile destroyers at the Golden Gate Bridge and wrecks havoc.
Here ya go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynB5Om6Gbh0
Thanks for the review.
There’s a LOT of hate going on at the IMDB message boards over Godzilla right now, but that’s to be expected.
I’ll still see it, though. I own almost every Godzilla movie made (Except for Godzilla Versus Gigan -giant monsters shouldn’t talk to each other).
There’s a reference to Morthra in a scene but you have to keep your eyes peeled for it.
I call it tunnel vision. What movie?
lol
Mothra
Right - “Where did you find this guy?” “He’s from France” - great stuff....
The original film was about the destructive power of the atomic bomb,
We did some great movies here about that! Come on THEM?? I want to see a remake of THEM!
Great review by the way. Do you post on Rotten Tomatoes?
I just wanted to see the box office returns and noticed that the % dropped from 93% to 70 something%.
You replied to the wrong person. I was quoting someone else. My post said I wasn’t going to see the movie.
I hear ya. Some good news. It was announced there will be a directors cut. Lots of scenes were cut.
Leon the Professional is one of my favorite movies!
Great to hear. I’m not hyped about the movie, but it’s Godzilla!
Question:
How was the score of this movie? I’m really into the music of certain movies (Hans Zimmer, James Horner, etc)
It kinda seemed to me from that scene that Godzilla was helping those people on the bridge by blocking the missiles.
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