Worst Showa film besides Godzilla's Revenge and Megalon?

[Ookondru99]

Damn I didn't realize how many people disliked Sea Monster. It's my favorite of the series, but I understand why some people don't like it. I usually look at a goji movie not just on the fights, but on the plot and setting as well. In those regards, I feel sea monster is one of the best in the series, but hey to each is own.

[he-ba]

Why must we hate on GRA because it was a slightly inferior sequel to the original? It has many great points that are still extremely valid today. In fact, many times are things in the original lost in later sequels. Godzilla vs. Gigan does not have Godzilla being a terrible force of nature, but it does have Godzilla fighting another monster and using the classic concept of an oil reserve as a great scene. And I also loved how the story sped up and slowed down very rapidly, with the human parts being quite short compared to other movies.

[Ookondru99]

I too like GRA, but one of my complaints with it was that anguirus got killed off roughly halfway through. This made the final act somewhat boring, although I do like the snowy location in the final act (Snowy settings are relatively rare in the godzilla series). I don't compare it to the original, but killing off the other monster earlier made the rest of the film feel anticlimatic. I think the Monster vs Monster formula was better refined in later entries, but on the good side of things; I really like angy's look in this film. '55 goji is the closest IMO to '54 goji, so we got to see somewhat what the original godzilla would fight like. US edit is horrendous, but the japanese version is kinda dark/ eerie (though not as much as the original). And I don't know if I like the sped up monster fights, I go back and forth from liking it to hating it.

[ILL GREEN]

I actually don't hate Raids Again. It was the beginning of kaiju battles and the suit is creepy looking which I like. Plus it canonizes with King Kong vs Godzilla because he was buried in ice.

[Kaiser]

Why must we hate on GRA because it was a slightly inferior sequel to the original? It has many great points that are still extremely valid today.

Because it's an incredibly dull movie that's tonally inconsistent and shows very noticeably it's nature as a rushed sequel with a plot that doesn't quite fit together and special effects that are a series low-point. The few times it makes commentary on nuclear testing (which it only does like twice to be honest) , it does so in a way that feels like they're just checking off the boxes on their list of things to do to make it feel like the original. Saying GRA is a slightly inferior sequel to Gojira is like saying the ocean is a little wet. It's like comparing mystery meat day at the cafeteria to a filet mignon diner at a five star restaurant. If you like it, that's perfectly fine, but putting it anywhere near the same ballpark as the original film does it a massive disservice.

[three]

Why must we hate on GRA because it was a slightly inferior sequel to the original? It has many great points that are still extremely valid today.

Because it's an incredibly dull movie that's tonally inconsistent and shows very noticeably it's nature as a rushed sequel with a plot that doesn't quite fit together and special effects that are a series low-point. The few times it makes commentary on nuclear testing (which it only does like twice to be honest) , it does so in a way that feels like they're just checking off the boxes on their list of things to do to make it feel like the original. Saying GRA is a slightly inferior sequel to Gojira is like saying the ocean is a little wet. It's like comparing mystery meat day at the cafeteria to a filet mignon diner at a five star restaurant. If you like it, that's perfectly fine, but putting it anywhere near the same ballpark as the original film does it a massive disservice.

i really dislike this fan requirement for each Godzilla film to meet a standard number of nuclear commentaries to be considered decent. yes, it was a sequel meant to cash in on the success of Gojira. it delivers us an entertaining story and presents us with an "everyman" character, who's entire inner circle (and outer circle, for that matter) can't escape the fact that monsters are a part of life.

the commentary is it can be any one of us, not just the japanese who face this struggle, and not just military men or scientists. in real time lives are affected, people die, and Godzilla makes his return. it might not be Goijra, but it's decent. the relatively harsh way you're grading it here is not gelling with me.

[Kaiser]

The problem I have is that the message is half-assed. Better not to have context at all, if you're going to do nothing with it. And a kaiju movie doesn't need to beat me over the head with allegory and metaphor for me to like it, I love GTTHM and the original Mechagodzilla despite neither being anything other than entertainment. A film should first and foremost be entertaining.

And that's where GRA fails most miserably: it's a boring film. Dull in addition to being badly made, with a lazy attempt at social commentary.

[he-ba]

I found the SFX (besides, of course, the sped up fights (which look fine if you don't catch strange movements that look completely unnatural (we all look for them sometimes)))
to be fine, in fact maybe better than the original. The final stand is extremely awesome, and the jets don't look fake at all.

Also, who was the gir in Kobayashi's wallet? The two lead girls look very similar, so I can't tell who it was.

[three]

Well were never going to agree that it's entertaining, but I think you're missing out on a fun story. A film doesn't need a message or theme to be enjoyable, and perhaps that's why movies like GRA appeal to me.

[Kaiser]

SFX wise, the Godzilla and Anguirus suits look hideous (puppet Godzilla is especially bad on the eyes), the miniature work is nowhere near as detailed as the original movie, Godzilla looks like he's being buried by ice cubes from the ice machine in the finale and the speed-up motion never really gelled with me.

And guys, I said in my previous post that a movie doesn't need a message to be entertaining or even good. I just think the message in GRA is half-baked and distracting like Godzilla vs. Mothra's to the point where you should either just take it out of the movie or develop it a little more because it's just distracting in it's half-finished state.

[Ookondru99]

I thought the Angy suit was pretty good in GRA. In fact, that's may favorite incarnation of the character.

[three]

You can always ignore it or find your own. What message are you finding half - baked in the movie, anyway?

[he-ba]

I thought the Angy suit was pretty good in GRA. In fact, that's may favorite incarnation of the character.

I love the Angy suit! And his roar is a lot more haunting than his later incarnations, which sometimes make him sound injured without being so.

[Undertaker Goji]

I actually liked Godzilla vs. Megalon.

But my vote would probably go to either Godzilla's Revenge or Terror of Mechagodzilla. Godzilla's Revenge is just a very kiddy movie in retrospect, even more so than the other Showa films. That said, it's not necessarily a terrible movie, just not one of the better Showa ones. As for Terror of Mechagodzilla, sure it introduced Titanosaurs, which is probably one of my favorite Godzilla enemies, but it lacked action.

[Goji]

Why do so many of you keep forgetting that REVENGE was made for kids? It's the one Godzilla film that was specifically made for children.

[three]

EDIT: nevermind.

[Goji]

I'm not saying that gives it a free pass, (it's still not that great, and a bottom-tier Showa entry) but comments like "It was just so kiddy" are funny because that was the entire point; It was made for the kiddies.

[three]

I'm not saying that gives it a free pass, (it's still not that great, and a bottom-tier Showa entry) but comments like "It was just so kiddy" are funny because that was the entire point; It was made for the kiddies.

nah, i'm not sure why, but i always confuse SoG with Revenge. Revenge is the film with Gabbera, so my post was totally irrelevant and off base.

[Kubo]

GRA is probably the most underwhelming movies in the franchise. I couldn't get into it, with of without the dubbing. It's not unwatchable, but it's one of the last G-flicks I'd pick to watch on a given day. I don't think Megalon or Revenge have nearly the same issue, mostly because they at least pack in action.

[Jory]

Sea Monster was the hardest for me to get through. Couldn't wait for it to end. Revenge and Megalon are more laughably ridiculous and terrible, but I can at least sit through them without reading the sticker on the back of the remote control for a distraction.

I picked up the Blu-ray of Sea Monster when it came out and I'll revisit it in the future, though.