Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Robert Hood's "Undead Backbrain" blog

G2KMaster's blog
Welcome to M o n s t e r l a n d F o r u m s! We are a growing, casual and friendly online community of movie fans who like to talk about giant monsters, horror and sci-fi in cinema, on television and on DVD. There are forums for sports, casual chat and video games as well. For those of you who like making art, writing stories and creating videos, our community includes a forum for these submissions as well. Check out our main index page and other board forums! Anyone is welcome to join our community!


M o n s t e r l a n d F o r u m s was created on January 29, 2006 for the purpose of giving fans of giant monster films and other sci-fi/horror movies a friendly online meeting place to discuss all of their favorite films and other things of interest.

-Lee "Packmule" Merritt
Site founder






Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Godzilla Final Wars(2004); Discuss the film here.
Topic Started: Feb 8 2006, 11:36 AM (3,184 Views)
Queen Bee
Member Avatar
Monsterland Associate
[ * ]
I rather liked the new GFW movie, mainly since it had been quite some time since I had seen one. You know, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I did see part of the new Charlies Angels, and there isn't any way GFW could even come close to the lameness of that flick. Another very dissappointing one, Starsky and Hutch- what a wash out. If you had been around for the original series, it was more of a action/drama series, not a lame comedy(if you can even call it a comedy). The new one didn't even reflect any of the action or suspense of the original. Remakes of old movies or series are making me a bit ill as of late. If the series or movie was a success in it's original form, why would they tamper with the plots??!! dead
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Overall I think GFW is a fun movie. From a critical standpoint I can see why this film has been assailed, even blasted by hardcore fans. The fact that I am not a film critic by trade takes a lot of pressure off tongue-1 me trying to analyze this film under a microscope. The good: 1. The Godzilla suit-lean and mean, though his eyes are a little hard to see 2. Godzilla's demeanor and role in this film: G's demeanor is dark and malevolent, his berserker grudge against the Gotengo used to help mankind fight the other menacing monsters 3. Gigan-the rendering of the cyborg monster is, IMO, very good-that said what Gigan boasts in appearance is mostly offset by the monster's bumbling habit of jacking himself up-recall how he chops off his head with his own flying, bladed weapons, and also gets his head blasted off by Godzilla(their first encounter) 4. Captain Gordon(played by Don Frye)-the burly, gruff, no-nonsense and straight ahead Gotengo Captain has a definite presence, and some great one liners as well-----The bad: 1. Wireworks effects, used ad nauseam for the "Ebirah vs the mutants" battle scene 2. The kaiju battles-mostly looked rushed 3. King Seesar-IMO resembled an overgrown, upright walking bobcat 4. Minilla-good-hearted, albeit still annoying, and in need of Taggart's Driving School 5. Kaiser Ghidorah-looked too much like Death Ghidorah from ROM(1996)

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
KaijuFanatic
Member Avatar
DVD Fanatic
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I just watched this film, again and I'm rather fond of this film. Sure, it uses a lot of bits of more popular films of the day which may or may not work for some fans, but overall, the film as a whole is enjoyable for me. I think a mistake often used in trying to add a new fan base to a franchise is to update it and make it resemble the popular films of the day....in this case, The Matrix and it's sequels come to mind. I'm not a fan of the Matrix films, but did find the fast pace of this film to my liking. Do I think it's the best of the Godzilla films? No. Do I think that it 'ended' the series on a positive note? Yes. I agree with the feeling that a Godzilla film being released every two to three years is a good idea....the anticipation builds and it gives the filmmakers a bit more time to put some serious thought in what they give the public and fans. On one hand, I hate the thought of waiting for a new Godzilla film, but if the wait offers fans a better film, then how can I argue?
Hers, Mine & Our DVDs
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
KaijuFanatic
Mar 25 2006, 06:04 PM
On one hand, I hate the thought of waiting for a new Godzilla film, but if the wait offers fans a better film, then how can I argue?

Given the choice of an average G film annually or a superlative one every three years I would unquestionably choose the latter option. I would also dislike the wait, but there are things that can get me through the "down" time between G films: Ultraman movies and TV series on DVD, other Toho genre films-this is new territory for me but I undertand that this studio makes some fairly good horror films, and lastly Gamera films-of course American and British horror films do the trick also, like Saw or Twenty Eight Days Later. Mr Green

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ro-Dan
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
packmule
Mar 23 2006, 06:46 PM
The good: 1. The Godzilla suit-lean and mean, though his eyes are a little hard to see

All of your points in your above post closely mirror mine, Pack. However, I think that the fact you can't really see Godzilla's eyes (as they are obscured by shadow) makes him seem all the more life-like. In the past, a lot of the G-suits had eyes that looked very phony and Muppet-like. G:TSOS and G '85 are two examples that spring to mind immediately. With the GFW suit's eyes partially hidden it perpetuates the illusion that Godzilla is a living, breathing animal.
Posted Image
Follow me on Twitter!
Be my friend on Facebook!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Ro-Dan
Apr 29 2006, 03:19 PM
packmule
Mar 23 2006, 06:46 PM
The good: 1. The Godzilla suit-lean and mean, though his eyes are a little hard to see

All of your points in your above post closely mirror mine, Pack. However, I think that the fact you can't really see Godzilla's eyes (as they are obscured by shadow) makes him seem all the more life-like. In the past, a lot of the G-suits had eyes that looked very phony and Muppet-like. G:TSOS and G '85 are two examples that spring to mind immediately. With the GFW suit's eyes partially hidden it perpetuates the illusion that Godzilla is a living, breathing animal.

I understand what you are saying. Given the choice I also would rather have a Godzilla with squinty(or hard to discern)eyes as opposed to eyes that are similar to past renderings of the Monster King's orbs, some of which are serviceble, others anything but. :rolleyes:

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
bcr1
Member Avatar
Monsterland Associate
[ * ]
xillian leader call zilla the good nothing tuna breath monster
BLACK CYBER RANGER 1
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
bcr1
Apr 11 2007, 10:53 PM
xillian leader call zilla the good nothing tuna breath monster

lol That was a funny thing he said in this movie. Godzilla Final Wars(2004) had some great one liners:

Captain Gordon to his comrades: "Godzilla can take care of the monsters. Me, I wanna kick that Xialien kid's ass."

Captain Gordon to his comrades, after tossing the Xialien carcass on the floor: "Well, at least we'll have souvenirs."

Iwazaki, standing on top of the dead kaiju Ebirah: "Sorry, I'm a vegetarian."

Iwazaki, with his comrades staring down the Xialiens in an early standoff: "Hey! Watch it X-man!"

These, while all good one liners, are still not my favorite. My favorite occurred in Godzilla vs Biollante(1989):

Colonel Gondo to Godzilla, looking at the giant monster from a balcony, Godzilla standing beside the building Gondo is in: "That intravenous stuff'll kill you. Stick to smoking."
lol

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TrentonFella
Member Avatar
Monster Land's Private Ninja
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Godzilla Final Wars...talk about a movie getting shredded by fans lol I thought it was about 5.5/6 on a 10point scale. It's good to watch when there's nothing else to do in my book. There were quite a few decent parts but some really cruddy parts as well. I've said it on MZ before, if this movie wasn't the "last" Godzilla film for a long time it would not have been slammed like it was by the fans.
Posted Image
Just another reason why I'm a fan ;-)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Trentonfella"
 
I've said it on MZ before, if this movie wasn't the "last" Godzilla film for a long time it would not have been slammed like it was by the fans
I agree. Amidst all the speculation over what the last "Godzilla" film should have been, before putting this series on hiatus, I have often thought about what I would have wanted to see in a 50th Anniversary Godzilla film. While several ideas come to mind the one that I would have wanted to see most would be a straight remake of Destroy All Monsters, even retaining the same title for the updated film. Imagine the 1968 film, but with better special effects. Would this have worked Trent? At any rate I think a remake of DAM would have been better than GFW. Just my opinion.

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TrentonFella
Member Avatar
Monster Land's Private Ninja
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
packmule
Apr 13 2007, 04:41 AM
While several ideas come to mind the one that I would have wanted to see most would be a straight remake of Destroy All Monsters, even retaining the same title for the updated film. Imagine the 1968 film, but with better special effects. Would this have worked Trent? At any rate I think a remake of DAM would have been better than GFW. Just my opinion.

GFW is DAM in a way...just not half as good lol But even if they did title it a remake of DAM, it would have to be mind blowing...that's the feel I got from the fandom about the "last" Godzilla movie; it had to be the greatest....which is impossible. So any movie would have been doomed from the start.
Posted Image
Just another reason why I'm a fan ;-)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Trentonfella"
 
So any movie would have been doomed from the start
Perhaps, but Ryuhei Kitamura, the director of GFW, IMO "doomed" GFW by blowing the majority of his budget on the location shooting. To me a final "Godzilla" movie that was going to be top notch had to have: 1) a good story 2) good acting and 3) great special effects. Being an "effects" guy I have usually, Trent, managed to enjoy films that suffered in the other two aforementioned categories(story and acting). With GFW we get lots of action, but effects which are, IMO, still uneven. The story seems straight forward enough, though hardly original: we've seen this "aliens vs mankind" plot in films like Destroy All Monsters(the Killaaks), Invasion of The Astro Monsters(the Xians), and even Terror Of Mechagodzilla(the Black Hole Aliens). Just like the 1998 American "Godzilla" movie I always think about "what could have been" regarding GFW. I for one hope Toho keeps Godzilla in hiatus, as long as they feel necessary until they feel confident they can return him to the big screen properly. nod

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TrentonFella
Member Avatar
Monster Land's Private Ninja
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
packmule
Apr 13 2007, 04:16 PM
Perhaps, but Ryuhei Kitamura, the director of GFW, IMO "doomed" GFW by blowing the majority of his budget on the location shooting. To me a final "Godzilla" movie that was going to be top notch had to have: 1) a good story 2) good acting and 3) great special effects. Being an "effects" guy I have usually, Trent, managed to enjoy films that suffered in the other two aforementioned categories(story and acting). With GFW we get lots of action, but effects which are, IMO, still uneven. The story seems straight forward enough, though hardly original: we've seen this "aliens vs mankind" plot in films like Destroy All Monsters(the Killaaks), Invasion of The Astro Monsters(the Xians), and even Terror Of Mechagodzilla(the Black Hole Aliens). Just like the 1998 American "Godzilla" movie I always think about "what could have been" regarding GFW. I for one hope Toho keeps Godzilla in hiatus, as long as they feel necessary until they feel confident they can return him to the big screen properly. nod

Yea spending majority of the budget on location was definitely not a good idea. But that was just 1 of the many problems with GFW, it doesn't have any strong points really...maybe a few neat scenes but that's it. And I agree, when Godzilla returns hopefully they put some real effort and thought into the movie.
Posted Image
Just another reason why I'm a fan ;-)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
packmule
Member Avatar
Site founder - Searching for Cropsy
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"Trentonfella"
 
... when Godzilla returns hopefully they put some real effort and thought into the movie

Thread drift: what would you like to see, Trent, in the next Godzilla movie? Any preferences? eyebrow

Another aspect of Godzilla Final Wars(2004) I didn't like much was the score-seemed too "electronic", for lack of a better word. There were a few sequences where I found the music okay, otherwise I was left wanting to hear something more along the lines of Ifukube.

Posted Image

Packmule's Pen
Latitude Zero(1969)
The Relic(1997)




Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TrentonFella
Member Avatar
Monster Land's Private Ninja
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
packmule
Apr 18 2007, 05:42 AM
Thread drift: what would you like to see, Trent, in the next Godzilla movie? Any preferences? eyebrow


I have no idea at this point...a whole new approach might be in order...better than what was done in GMK and way better than what was done in Godzilla '98. And throw in a fresh new monster...that's a start lol
Posted Image
Just another reason why I'm a fan ;-)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Millennium Godzilla Films, 1999-2004 · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Anti-Spam Bots!






M o n s t e r l a n d


GardenWurks