The Return of Godzilla or Godzilla vs Biollante?

[GojiDog]

Godzilla Vs. Biollante for me.

TROG is really good in places and is a nice honest attempt to try and recreate the sense of dread of the original film in the then current political landscape. It was sincere in that regard and in some ways succeeds.

However, Godzilla Vs. Biollante is just way more memorable to me. Special effects wise, it is probably my favorite entry in the series as Godzilla has, to me, never looked better and Biollante is a true spectacle to witness. The battles between Godzilla and Super X2 also represent some of the best Monster Vs. Military weapon scenes the franchise has ever produced.

And they also worked so much into this story that it almost feels like the movie should collapse under the weight of it. Genetic mutations, psychics, fictional countries, espionage, assassins, terrorists, and wacky sci-fi weapons to boot. But strangely, it all kind of fits and stays exciting and interesting all the way through.

G84 brought Godzilla back, but GVB, to me, defined what the Heisei series would be about. The continuity picked up right where the last film left off, the tone was on the more serious side, but it also established that just about anything was on the table as far as ideas go.

[Spuro]

So I watched these two back to back recently and... to my surprise I might have to change my answer to ROG as the better movie.

Going into Biollante I had forgotten how bad its Engrish lines were. Some of the conversations in the first act are completely unintelligible and I think they could easily confuse a new viewer who doesn't have the benefit of prior knowledge about the movie. As bad as Shin's Engrish was, at least they presented us with subtitles so we could understand what they were saying.

Bad English actors are also far more prominent in GvB. The American Ambassador in ROG, as bad as he is, only appears in one scene. Most of GvB's antagonist are English speakers, however, which subjects the viewer to far more bad English acting than the franchise is usually known for, and to the uninitiated viewer it makes GvB come across as little more than a cheesy B Movie. It really is that painful.

The main characters are also superior in ROG. While they're not exactly groundbreaking they're at least clearly indentified and are placed in the thick of the action, in peril by both Godzilla and the impending Russian nuclear missile. It raises the stakes in a way that GvB can't compete against. GvB's main protagonists are completely overshadowed by the much more flavorful side characters, and they don't contribute much to the film as a whole. They're also never in peril unless engaged in a shootout with the Saradian Agent, so the stakes of Godzilla and Biollante's attacks never feel very threatening.

GvB has a lot of unique ideas, some strong themes and excellent special effects, but it didn't hold up nearly as well as I had expected. I can't help but wonder now if the praise it's acclaimed over the years is almost exclusively because of its special effects. It's still a good movie, but ROG, GMK, LPG and the last four Gamera movies are all much better than it, I think.

[eabaker]

GvB has a lot of unique ideas, some strong themes and excellent special effects, but it didn't hold up nearly as well as I had expected. I can't help but wonder now if the praise it's acclaimed over the years is almost exclusively because of its special effects.

I think, in addition to the special effects, the praise can also be attributed to the ideas and themes you mentioned in your previous sentence, as well as to the host of engaging supporting players you mentioned earlier. In fact, I'm reluctant to even call them supporting players; although Kirishima is functionally the movie's protagonist, it's very much an ensemble story, and characters like Shiragami, Kuroki, Miki and Gondo are a key aspect of its appeal.

[Spuro]

GvB has a lot of unique ideas, some strong themes and excellent special effects, but it didn't hold up nearly as well as I had expected. I can't help but wonder now if the praise it's acclaimed over the years is almost exclusively because of its special effects.

I think, in addition to the special effects, the praise can also be attributed to the ideas and themes you mentioned in your previous sentence, as well as to the host of engaging supporting players you mentioned earlier. In fact, I'm reluctant to even call them supporting players; although Kirishima is functionally the movie's protagonist, it's very much an ensemble story, and characters like Shiragami, Kuroki, Miki and Gondo are a key aspect of its appeal.

I can understand that, yeah. Despite my gripes with Biollante's two leads, Shirigami and Gondo are both more far interesting than anyone in ROG (except maybe the Prime Minister.) Miki... is interesting on virtue of her psychic powers, but I don't think it was until GvMG2 that her character really began to grow into its shoes.

The dangers of genetic engineering and the ideas of factions waging espionage against each other for a new potential super weapon is probably GvB's greatest narrative strength. But as great as those themes are, I also really like the Cold War angle in ROG and it's hard for me to choose one over the other.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

The dangers of genetic engineering and the ideas of factions waging espionage against each other for a new potential super weapon is probably GvB's greatest narrative strength. But as great as those themes are, I also really like the Cold War angle in ROG and it's hard for me to choose one over the other.

I've always felt like Biollante's biotech espionage plot is rather half-baked. On paper it's awesome, but in the film we just get a few scenes of the world's most stereotypical ugly Americans and an assassin working for the world's most stereotypical fake Middle Eastern country shooting at each other. Beyond the film's first act, the insertion of the rival foreign corporations into the plot often feels forced. Frankly, I've always thought BioMajor blowing up Mt. Mihara to unleash Godzilla is pretty stupid. And the fact that, as you mentioned, the Engrish dialogue is beyond horrible, doesn't help. It makes what's supposed to be an intelligent and serious film feel like a bad parody.

[Voyager]

I've just never liked RoG. So I went Biollante.

[onerichman]

Godzilla vs Biollante

[Chrispy_G]

They both have strengths and weaknesses....but I go in favor of Biollante.

As far as the Blu Ray presentation though....Return of Godzilla. I understand the constraints and limitations that resulted in the Biollante Dub track sounding so mediocre....but ROG has a much better sounding dub.

If they both had fresh restorations and fresh Dubs done....Biollante's advantages would shine brighter.

[tbeasley]

I like both a great deal with maybe a slight preference to ROG. I like the score more and it doesn't have as much horrendous English speaking.

[Spuro]

I like both a great deal with maybe a slight preference to ROG. I like the score more and it doesn't have as much horrendous English speaking.

Sunov a beech.

IZ ZAT SARADIAN AGENT AGEEEN!




On the bright side, Godzilla vs Biollante is a good source of memes.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Gotta go with TRoG. Love that apocalyptic dread and political conflict. And the effects are incredible, especially Godzilla rampage in the city towards the end and his battle with Super X. Some of the best miniature work in the entire series, in my opinion.

[CrimsonBloodX]

The Return of Godzilla. It's my most favorite Heisei film and one of my top favorite Godzilla films.

[Arbok]

I love both films, but gotta go with Godzilla vs. Biollante.

Love the pacing, love the way Godzilla is portrayed and love the use of Biollante. It's got faults, but to date it's my favorite Godzilla film and, thanks to a heavy dose of nostalgia, my favorite movie of all time.

That said, I also love The Return of Godzilla as well. In fact, if someone gave me the option of only being able to own two Godzilla movies, it would be those two.

[BlankAccount]

I love both films, but gotta go with Godzilla vs. Biollante.

Love the pacing, love the way Godzilla is portrayed and love the use of Biollante. It's got faults, but to date it's my favorite Godzilla film and, thanks to a heavy dose of nostalgia, my favorite movie of all time.

That said, I also love The Return of Godzilla as well. In fact, if someone gave me the option of only being able to own two Godzilla movies, it would be those two.

Biollante is my birth film.

[MekaGojira3k]

I think both are great but I'm gonna lean toward Godzilla vs. Biollante simply because the human component is more engaging. It's very close otherwise.

[eabaker]

I think both are great but I'm gonna lean toward Godzilla vs. Biollante simply because the human component is more engaging. It's very close otherwise.

It's taken me weeks to bring myself around to voting, but I finally pulled the trigger on Biollante, for exactly this reason.