Godzilla 2014.

I think that was discussed earlier... the relatively small amount of actual on-screen Godzilla time is nothing new. Many of the films in the original Japanese series had fairly limited monster scenes as well. You can't go into a Godzilla movie expecting the big guy to be on-screen the entire time.

 

You don't think Cranston overacted like a mad man? And what was up with that wig? What was the budget for that thing, 27 cents???

 

I think we will get all of the Godzilla we want in parts 2 & 3, and hopefully several more monsters to boot.

I am hoping the first one was the Batman Begins of the series, and we are about to get a Dark Knight.

That will require a great foil. The answer is King Ghidora.

 

The new “Godzilla” sort of reminds me of how I reacted to movies like “The Dark Knight Rises” or “Star Trek Into Darkness.” They are cool franchises, and they have some pretty talented people working on the films, a decent premise, so it’s hard to totally F the whole thing up, but you end up wanting to like it more than you actually do. All of these films I would say on the whole I enjoy, and I can’t rate them as bad films. But they almost end up being more frustrating than simple all-out trainwrecks, because they have potential that never gets there. Again, just my own feeling on all of this.

It’s very true, many of the old Godzilla films have long waits before G hits the screen, and he doesn’t always get a ton of screen time. I think some of the complaints about the 2014 film do miss this point. At the same time, the 2014 film does go to some extremes. Most notably, they devote seemingly (if not literally) more time to *another* monster. They also not only take a long time to show Godzilla, and then don’t give him a ton of screen time, they also go out of their way to almost screw with the viewer by showing bits of epic Godzilla-Muto battles in the background, like playing out on a TV behind a character talking. So it’s like you know they actually did go to the trouble to fully animate scenes of these battles taking place, but you don’t get to see them much. And finally, the darkness. There are full subsets of the “too dark” debates; some having to do specifically with the BD presentation of the film. Overall, I don’t mind the darkness. But there are some key “monster” shots that are so dark as to go beyond keeping a mysterious veil on things, and are just frustrating.

I film with 45 minutes of Godzilla battles would be overkill, however cool that sounds on paper. I think the film would have escaped vast amounts of criticism with even 5-7 minutes of additional, relatively clear Godzilla footage.

As for the cast, they remind me of the cast of the newest Apes film. Mostly bland and forgettable, with one well-known actor seeming to kind of phone it in (Cranston and Oldman), but no horrendous performances. Yes, Watanabe is comically there to mostly stare worryingly and say “Gojira.” The Lennon kid is one of the more bland “lead” characters of recent times. And I *really* don’t care about him or his family reuniting, perhaps partially because he doesn’t seem to care much about them.

But I still think the film is enjoyable enough, although it certainly helps if you’re predisposed to dig Godzilla in general. Still, nothing tops that flying kick from “Godzilla vs. Megalon” that they showed on MST3K!

 

I found no need for them and any dose is too much...

 

That is 4 more minutes than Hannibal Lector in Silence Of The Lambs, at least.

 

That's it! Think positive!

 

Nah - I think "Godzilla vs. The Riddler" would be better...

 

A buddy of mine (who is also a film buff like me) just saw it for the first time and said he wasn't terribly impressed.... I was surprised because we very rarely disagree about movies and our tastes tend to be quite similar.


Anyway, I still thought Godzilla was awesome and am looking forward to picking up the DVD and watching it again.

 

I agree with your friend's opinion...

 

I thought it was a fun, modern update of a typical 1950s monster movie. That includes the flaws; the annoyingly expositional script and variable acting just made it seem even MORE like a 1950s movie. I had no issues with the amount of monster in the film, it follows the same basic template that the 60s Godzilla films used. Introduce the villain monster first, then show a tease of Godzilla about the halfway point, then have them finally come together for the big fight at the end. I think most of the people complaining about the movie have never actually seen any of the older Godzilla films.

 

That wouldn't surprise me.

 

I watched this on blu ray last night...I had seen it in the theatre on its original release. I felt it actually played better the second time...I didn't have the feeling of "when the heck are we going to see Godzilla" and felt that the positioning of Godzilla as the balance of nature was more effective than I remember. The pacing of the final battle sequence in San Francisco remains the highlight of the film and seemed easier to follow watching at home. Still, there is no getting over how unnecessary the Brody family is once Bryan Cranston is off screen. I would move my original rating of a "B" to a solid B+ overall.....

The film and sound are outstanding on Blu ray...

One disappointing thing: the extras do not include the various trailers that were released promoting the movie...frankly, those were really fantastic and I would have loved a collection of them!

 

I don't care for many of the recurring movie franchises. Still haven't sat through a complete Transformers movie. Also never read comic books and don't care for superhero movies. That said I thoroughly enjoyed both Pacific Rim and Godzilla. I have a much easier time checking my brain if the superpowers rest with some creature.

I think the current Star Trek series is a disaster. Moving the entire crew down to kids right out of school is downright silly.

I do love the new Batman movies, the first ones were silly, but the new ones are dark and really well done. Really helps that Batman is driven by his own vulnerabilities and aided by technology rather than an insect (arachnid, actually) bite!

 

Can I just jump in this thread 33 pages in without reading anything?

This film was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't expect to like this movie. When I was leaving with it at the video rental store (yes, there are still some around here), I jokingly told the kid that rang me up "I don't even know why I'm bothering with this, I know this is gonna suck". It didn't suck at all, I stayed pretty glued to the set while it was on. I'll buy the blu-ray. All these years later, we finally got a Godzilla remake done right.

 

Watched it yesterday for the first time, underwhelming is the first thought that pops into my head. Too many night scenes where everything is obscured/dark, I was hoping for a little more clarity and day scenes featuring the big guy doing what he does best.

 

I think the "unnecessary" status of those characters is partly due to the casting choices. As I mentioned earlier, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has the screen presence and charisma of a lampshade, and should never be placed in the "leading man" role.... and Elizabeth Olsen is someone who, frankly, I don't give a flying crap about unless she's getting naked.

 

I agree on all counts...too much smoke and mirrors...it was a strain watching Godzy...and the bugs bugged me...way too much screen time.

 

Dissapointing , those
bat thingies were a joke

 

Yeah he over acted but it made up for the lack of screen time Godzilla had and that wig had a life of its own....I think it's the monster in the next flick.

 

Hedorah!

 

I watched this a few days ago and don't understand the positive reviews online. Is Ken Watanabe capable of only one facial expression? Godzilla was on screen for how many minutes? The movie was a total bore and did they have to change Godzilla's origin?

 

We just viewed the Blu Ray and still like it. I really like that they modeled the original movies.

 

I loved this particular scene on the official trailer before watching the movie which dissappointed me:

 

Agreed. It was like a mid-60s Showa series film updated with state-of-the-art FX. Might seem slow to the 10 second attention span generation, but great fun for those of us that grew up watching these movies on after-school TV.