Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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Garzon
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Garzon »

To this day, I have conflicting thoughts on this movie. On one hand, I love the amount of energy it has. There’s not really ever a dull moment in the film and the fact that it’s such a love letter to the silliness of the Showa era was a really fun idea. It’s great to see so many monsters that hadn’t been seen since the Showa era in one film. I know some would’ve preferred that the 50th anniversary Godzilla film be more inline with the original movie, but we already had GMK for that.

On the other hand, the film is pretty sloppy, with mostly forgettable characters, nonsensical pacing and editing and scenes that shamelessly rip off movies like The Matrix and Independence Day. Also, that subplot with Minilla felt really out of place until the very end, and the film didn’t even bother to explain why Minilla just suddenly grew to giant size.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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I have a love hate relationship with this movie. I too thought it was great when it first came out, I was young at the time, but now I realize how bad of a movie it is. But, I still think it has its charm. No its not a good movie, but I'd argue it is an enjoyable one, with the showa homages, the over the top fight scenes, the cheesy matrix slowmo fights, and the character of Gordon is so ridiculous in a 90's action hero kind of way, I love it. Now, I don't think the movie turned out the way it was intended, there's a really good youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riPIoI1rtTo video explaining what the movie was supposed to be, and while it doesn't really rise to what it could have been, there are some really good parts in solo. I really like how the Xillians are introduced initially, the ones dressed classically, not every 2000's punk rock band suits. I think the plot of the youth ruining the more patient and calculated plan of the elders in a coup like activity to be an interesting concept, that hopefully is explored better in another film. Overall, is the film ridiculous, yes, is it stupid, yes, is it what most people think godzilla films are like, yes, but I can't really get angry at it, as I find it so charming.
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ReiwaGodzilla
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by ReiwaGodzilla »

This movie should've had more monsters, Kiryu and new Heisei monsters redesigns would've been pretty great (although they didn't do a good work with most Showa monsters redesign)
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Terasawa
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Terasawa »

More monsters? They were barely interested in featuring more than half of the ones they used.
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Garzon
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Garzon »

Terasawa wrote:More monsters? They were barely interested in featuring more than half of the ones they used.
Now that I think about it, I think a big problem with the movie is that it was too short. It probably would’ve benefitted from being a good 10-15 minutes longer.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by HedorahIsBestGirl »

Garzon wrote:
Terasawa wrote:More monsters? They were barely interested in featuring more than half of the ones they used.
Now that I think about it, I think a big problem with the movie is that it was too short. It probably would’ve benefitted from being a good 10-15 minutes longer.
How about 10-15 minutes shorter with less monsters and more screentime for those kept in? Cut Minilla, whose role in the movie was unnecessary and terrible. Cut King Caesar, who looked awful and just added more unneeded comic relief. Cut Hedorah, who was completely disrespected in his twenty seconds of screentime. Cut Kumonga, who really didn't add anything except the silliest kaiju fight in the whole movie. Beef up the roles played by Anguirus, Rodan and Mothra. And while we're cutting shit out, how about at least half of the stupid action scenes that rip off better movies like The Matrix and Independence Day? This is a movie that needed alot more script editing before the shooting began, and some more time in the editing room once everything was shot. Unfortunately, since Toho was so adamant to release a film on Godzilla's 50th anniversary, that wasn't possible.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Gigantis »

King Caesar didn't need to be cut, he needed a better role and design! Also replace Monster X with the real King Ghidorah.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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tyrantgoji wrote:King Caesar didn't need to be cut, he needed a better role and design! Also replace Monster X with the real King Ghidorah.
No, Monster X's cool design is one of the best parts of the movie! An outlandish kaiju brawler who looks like a throwback to the 70s. If anything, Keizer Ghidorah should have been cut and X should've just stayed X. Although I wish they had bothered to give him a proper name...
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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HedorahIsBestGirl wrote:
tyrantgoji wrote:King Caesar didn't need to be cut, he needed a better role and design! Also replace Monster X with the real King Ghidorah.
No, Monster X's cool design is one of the best parts of the movie! An outlandish kaiju brawler who looks like a throwback to the 70s. If anything, Keizer Ghidorah should have been cut and X should've just stayed X.Although I wish they had bothered to give him a proper name...
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Tohosaurus »

Monster X would've been cool as an indepedent monster, but then also paired with Keizer (or King) Ghidorah AND Gigan for a trio of monsters that to battle the Earth monsters. Would've given the monsters more opportunity for battles than having Godzilla breeze past most of them.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by MinorBone Good »

Here with knowledge of original ideas for this film. Comes from THE BIG BOOK OF JAPANESE GIANT MONSTER MOVIES: THE LOST FILMS, page 249.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Orginally the film had a few additional monsters in the form of Mechagodzilla, Mothra larva, the Odako (giant octopus), and at director Ryhuei Kitamura's request, Gorosaurus. According to online rumors (and an inference by Shogo Tomiyama in an interview with G-Fan magazine), the draft of this script written by Tomiyama and Wataru Mimura was set in the Heisei continuity and the Godzilla in this story was to be the fully-grown Godzilla Junior last seen in Godzilla vs. Destroyah. The opening utilized the concept of General Aso (with Commander Hyodo) piloting the Gohten from Godzilla vs. Barubaroi. All of this was thrown out when Kitamaura and his writer, Isao Kiriyama, came on board. The only thing that remained from tha concept was the 100-meter monster scale.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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MinorBone Good wrote:Here with knowledge of original ideas for this film. Comes from THE BIG BOOK OF JAPANESE GIANT MONSTER MOVIES: THE LOST FILMS, page 249.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Orginally the film had a few additional monsters in the form of Mechagodzilla, Mothra larva, the Odako (giant octopus), and at director Ryhuei Kitamura's request, Gorosaurus. According to online rumors (and an inference by Shogo Tomiyama in an interview with G-Fan magazine), the draft of this script written by Tomiyama and Wataru Mimura was set in the Heisei continuity and the Godzilla in this story was to be the fully-grown Godzilla Junior last seen in Godzilla vs. Destroyah. The opening utilized the concept of General Aso (with Commander Hyodo) piloting the Gohten from Godzilla vs. Barubaroi. All of this was thrown out when Kitamaura and his writer, Isao Kiriyama, came on board. The only thing that remained from tha concept was the 100-meter monster scale.
So that is where the Godzilla Jr and Heisei rumors come from. Thing is this description contradicts many of the interviews that are online. Any idea what issue of G-Fan the interview appeared in? I want to track it down.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by MinorBone Good »

szmigiel wrote:So that is where the Godzilla Jr and Heisei rumors come from. Thing is this description contradicts many of the interviews that are online. Any idea what issue of G-Fan the interview appeared in? I want to track it down.
Sorry to say, but it doesn't say which issue. After a quick search, G-Fan #55 showed up first, which was released in 2002.
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Terasawa
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

Post by Terasawa »

That's really bad research if the author simply notes "online rumors" and an uncited issue of G-Fan without the relevant quote from said issue.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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It's a better Kaiju Mash Up than Destroy All Monsters was, least this one didn't bore me to tears when the monsters were not on screen. And for better or worse Gordon and the Xilien Leader are some of the more memorable non-Kaiju characters. But beyond that, and especially looking at it as the finale film of the original Godzilla series it leaves...a lot to be desired. The Matrix-fu makes it even more dated and a lot of plot elements (Gigan's build up/Mothra Dagger, Minilla's subplot, Mothra's role etc.) were half baked ideas that were poorly executed. I felt the ending was satisfying enough, but the execution to get there was a bit lacking.

This is my fav Godzilla of the Millennium Series, even if a lot of his cool factor comes at the expense of other Kaiju who I felt deserved a bit more. Either cut down the human action pieces to give the Kaiju fights more time or cut a couple of Kaiju to do the same either option would have been better than the one minute squash fests every fight minus the finale.

Monster X was cool, though as far as design and presence goes Keizer Ghidorah is one of the least memorable IMO. Desghidorah was the better designed four-legged Ghidorah and Grand/MonsterVerse Ghidorah do a better job giving off the terror aspect of the King of Terror even if this one is OP.

All in all, a dumb popcorn film that works enough fro that but is a big disappointment especially with its status as the last Original Series Godzilla film.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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I disagree on Keizer ghidorah. He’s memorable all right, memorable as being what I’d consider the worst designed kaiju in Godzilla history. Such a shame monster x morphs into that stupid pantomime horse with those tiny ass wings, weirder and more obscure than some ultra men Kaiju (non of which are the trying to be a ghidorah varient) but again, it’s ridiculous in a ridiculous film so it oddly enough fits.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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Jetty_Jags wrote:I disagree on Keizer ghidorah. He’s memorable all right, memorable as being what I’d consider the worst designed kaiju in Godzilla history. Such a shame monster x morphs into that stupid pantomime horse with those tiny ass wings, weirder and more obscure than some ultra men Kaiju (non of which are the trying to be a ghidorah varient) but again,it’s ridiculous in a ridiculous film so it oddly enough fits.
You know, probably the best description of Keizer Ghidorah I've ever heard of.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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MinorBone Good wrote:Sorry to say, but it doesn't say which issue. After a quick search, G-Fan #55 showed up first, which was released in 2002.
I checked through my old collections of G-Fan which I stopped getting at #75 winter winter 2006, no interview so it would have to be from a 2007 or later. It couldn't be from 2002 since that is before the film was written.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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This is horribly irrelevant, and I hate to derail the conversation, but I just remembered that when I re-watched this movie a few months ago I noticed my favorite movie detail of all time. On the Gotengo they have a screen that can be seen in a few shots with all the names of the crew and their jobs, and there is a gunner whose name is apparently Johnny Johnny. Do what you will with this information.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

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Jetty_Jags wrote:This is horribly irrelevant, and I hate to derail the conversation, but I just remembered that when I re-watched this movie a few months ago I noticed my favorite movie detail of all time. On the Gotengo they have a screen that can be seen in a few shots with all the names of the crew and their jobs, and there is a gunner whose name is apparently Johnny Johnny. Do what you will with this information.
KWC/KWCE writers, next time you use the Gotengo for a match you better give a shout out to Johnny Johnny. I need this XD
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