Worst Showa film besides Godzilla's Revenge and Megalon?

[he-ba]

^ Yeah I have to agree with you there.

Usually, I start with Godzilla vs. Mothra, Gojira, or MG2. The only thing I have been careful with is GvM cause the beginning can be seen as slow, and I hate it when people describe movies as "slow." MGII is great cause you have a good storyline, great monsters and action, the effects are really good (except for when Godzilla lifts MG by the head and throws him.... that always gets a good laugh out of people), and the score always gets people excited. Gojira is just the best- the characters and plot are the best of the series, the acting is amazing, the score is terrifying, and while the effects aren't that great, I always explain "this is the first time it has ever been done, it's 1954, Japanese film making wasn't as advanced as American, blah blah blah."

[Kaiser]

The original, Mothra vs. Godzilla, and GMK are were I'd start off any fan though, because if they don't enjoy those, the probability of them liking anything else in the series is rather low to say the least.

I dunno about GMK though...it features pretty radical reinterpretations of both Godzilla and King Ghidorah, and the last half hour seriously runs of steam. I don't think it's a film to start anyone on. Maybe down the road...

Ignoring the fact that it's my third favorite movie in the series, it's got a 7.3 on IMDB which is pretty impressive for a genre film and is several points higher than most other Godzilla movies besides the original, so even though I don't really trust IMDB for ratings on Godzilla movies, that rating is a pretty good indicator that it has more mainstream appeal than the vast majority of the series. The radical interpretations aren't going to bother someone who hasn't grown up watching the kaiju being depicted on screen and there are people out there familiar with Shusuke Kaneko's work, so I think it's an excellent place to start. When picking out movies for someone unfamiliar with the series, you've got to take off your fan hat for a moment and think what someone without your background is going to think.

And Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II is a pretty good one to start someone off with as well. It gives you exactly what it says on the title, the fights are the highlight of the movie, and if someone can get through the middle act without losing interest, they're definitely ready for some of the slower Showa films.

[three]

I started off with my gf and MG2, so I agree with Keiser.

[kamilleblu]

The original, Mothra vs. Godzilla, and GMK are were I'd start off any fan though, because if they don't enjoy those, the probability of them liking anything else in the series is rather low to say the least.

Pretty much. Plus, these three films were box office successes and have a pretty decent critical reception.

[Legion1979]

In response to Kaiser, I AM taking my fan hat off, here. I've shown GMK to several non fans and no one really responds to it. One friend asked me if he was SUPPOSED to hate Godzilla by the time the movie ended.

[Kaiser]

Again Legion, I don't understand why you feel your anecdotal evidence is stronger than everyone else's. Pretty much every ranking of the films in the series that I've seen has it at least in the top 10 and often in the top 5. The only other two films than I can say that for are Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla. I've shown it to non-fans and they loved it because its damn entertaining. And I think you are supposed to hate Godzilla in the film, just like you are in the first film up until you realize he's just another victim of the H-Bomb, he's a manifestation of war. If that bothers somebody for the rest of the series, I'd just tell them there are different continuities in which he plays different roles.

I feel the three films I've mentioned work well together because, Godzilla is unapologetically the antagonist in all of them. So there's no dissonance between seeing him as a physical symbol of nuclear fallout and say, seeing him as a superhero in Godzilla vs. Gigan. I'm not telling anyone how they should introduce other people to the franchise, I'm just saying what I would do.

[UltramanGoji]

I wouldn't show GMK to non-fans, not because it's a bad film (which it isn't), but because it's a huge difference from what King Ghidorah's character is.

I don't want to have them be confused when I show them Monster Zero or GTTHM.

[Legion1979]

If I wanted to give someone a good first impression of King Ghidorah, I sure as hell wouldn't let GMK be the first one they see.

[three]

I showed her vs King Ghidorah. From that, we've got the "Godzilla victory dance (the arms up, palms exposed wavy roar and shake Godzilla does right after blowing off KG's Middle head)*. She thought Ghidorah there had an Awesome design, and thinks his Showa version is dated (lame in Her words). So yea. One day ill get her to see Gigan. One day.

But right now, MG, the original. And I explained before WHY I enjoy those old films. That helped.

[LiquidG]

I love how this thread has evolved into a " personal recommendation for new fans " discussion.

[three]

I love how this thread has evolved into a " personal recommendation for new fans " discussion.

But not a bad or venomous one. In fact, it's a model thread at this point. Not exactly on topic but...whatever.

[LiquidG]

I love how this thread has evolved into a " personal recommendation for new fans " discussion.

But not a bad or venomous one. In fact, it's a model thread at this point. Not exactly on topic but...whatever.

Yeah, not really condeming it, just making an observation is all could be a lot worse.

[Fighing On Fuji]

Ebirah. Always hated that one. Badly filmed, lazily put together (script wasn't even changed to accommodate Godzilla taking Kong's place), and featuring one of the most heinously underpowered villains ever to grace a godzilla film.

[Beef Bigshot]

Ebirah. Always hated that one. Badly filmed, lazily put together (script wasn't even changed to accommodate Godzilla taking Kong's place), and featuring one of the most heinously underpowered villains ever to grace a godzilla film.

agreed. The whole film just doesnt sit right with me

[tymon]

How is Sea Monster "badly filmed"? And how is a monster's "power level" relevant to the film's quality?

[Fighing On Fuji]

How is Sea Monster "badly filmed"? And how is a monster's "power level" relevant to the film's quality?

The human scenes are actually shot pretty nicely, even if they have an unusually stagey quality. The kaiju scenes range from acceptable to deplorable in concept and execution. When I said "badly filmed," I was being mindful of the condor and jet sequences. And of course it's important that Ebirah should seem powerful, as he needs to be deemed a threat to Godzilla given the structure of the plot. He wasn't though. He was weak as all hell, even though the movie's plot insisted otherwise.

There are scenarios where a plot with an underpowered villain could work. If Ebirah were elusive, for example, or prone to running away and causing Godzilla some serious annoyance, that would be an interesting angle. Instead, though, he tackles him like Ghidorah or Mothra.

[tymon]

Ebirah only needed to be powerful enough to keep people from leaving the island. That's his role in the narrative, and the film never suggests that he's supposed to be some sort of huge challenge for Godzilla...not sure where you're getting that from.

A few poor shots doesn't make the whole thing badly filmed. If that were the case, then every Godzilla film would fit that description...

The movie is well-shot overall, with nice composition and great lighting, and it does a damn good job at mixing sets with location shots, for the most part.

[edgaguirus]

I thought the character interaction was good, as well. It's not the usual cast of scientists, reporters, or government types, but a bunch of ordinary guys (and girl) that successfully carry the story. Ebirah wasn't a strong monster, but he worked in keeping Godzilla off balance for a short time.

[three]

It doesn't spare the movie from being pretty darn bad, though. Cool story, bad acting, not really engaging. If not the worst, it sits near the bottom, critically, though I am being harsh on it. I actually have fond memories of TSM, but I'm trying to remove myself from the nostalgic roses.

[Pkmatrix]

I disagree on Ebirah, IMO it's one of better Showa films. Much smaller in scale, sure, but the story is solid and the characters memorable. It hardly deserves to be labeled as amongst the "worst".