Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

[Grievous]

I too thought Kitamura achieved what he wanted: get the Godzilla stuff out of the way as quickly as possible to get back to his high concept Hollywood action movie training project.

I agree with this sooo much my teeth hurt.

You might want to get that checked out...

[Stump Feet]

I tried to rewatch this last night for the first time since 2006. I ended up getting to the Ebirah rampage scene and absolutely couldn’t handle it any longer and turned it off.

I don’t remember it being that unbearable but Jesus Christ…

[DirektorSplennic]

I tried to rewatch this last night for the first time since 2006. I ended up getting to the Ebirah rampage scene and absolutely couldn’t handle it any longer and turned it off.

I don’t remember it being that unbearable but Jesus Christ…

That makes me sad because I thoroughly enjoy the movie every time I watch it. I guess I'm just easy to please.

Also I saw Grievous at the top of this thread, and for a moment I got the heebie jeebies and thought he somehow came back, but then I realized it was an old post.

[Stump Feet]

That’s funny because I thought I remembered enjoying the film decently back in the day around when it first came out but I guess it just didn’t hold up for me, the human narrative started getting on my nerves and the monster scenes I thought were kinda cool just seemed lacking now.

[Godzillian]

This film always comes off as a Godzilla film written by middle schoolers to me

[Stump Feet]

This film always comes off as a Godzilla film written by middle schoolers to me

I think this chalks up my recent viewing perfectly. Really can’t describe it any more accurately than this.

[Unit~NoA]

It's definitely a film by Michael Bay, if he were to ever do one.

[eabaker]

It's definitely a film by Michael Bay, if he were to ever do one.

While there's a similar hyperactive quality to Bay's work and Kitamura's, they're very different filmmakers. Bay tneds to pack his frame with elements of interest, so that wherever you look on screen something is going on, but the compositions are very busy. Kitamura tends to focus more on a single character/object/action in each shot, making for a cleaner visual style, but also a less textured one.

[LSD Jellyfish]

It's definitely a film by Michael Bay, if he were to ever do one.

While there's a similar hyperactive quality to Bay's work and Kitamura's, they're very different filmmakers. Bay tneds to pack his frame with elements of interest, so that wherever you look on screen something is going on, but the compositions are very busy. Kitamura tends to focus more on a single character/object/action in each shot, making for a cleaner visual style, but also a less textured one.

You can also actually tell what`s going on and for better or worse the film is clearly "stylized". There`s a consistent internal logic to it.

[eabaker]

It's definitely a film by Michael Bay, if he were to ever do one.

While there's a similar hyperactive quality to Bay's work and Kitamura's, they're very different filmmakers. Bay tneds to pack his frame with elements of interest, so that wherever you look on screen something is going on, but the compositions are very busy. Kitamura tends to focus more on a single character/object/action in each shot, making for a cleaner visual style, but also a less textured one.

You can also actually tell what`s going on and for better or worse the film is clearly "stylized". There`s a consistent internal logic to it.

For sure. Bay crowds his scenes with so much visual information, it can be really difficult to focus on anything in particular.

[_JNavs_]

Can we just talk about how cool that title is?

"Final Wars"

[Terasawa]

I think it's pretty Engrish-y. It's not grammatically incorrect but "final" feels weird coming before a plural noun, especially since a war is supposed to be such a huge occurrence.

[_JNavs_]

I think it's pretty Engrish-y. It's not grammatically incorrect but "final" feels weird coming before a plural noun, especially since a war is supposed to be such a huge occurrence.

It kinda reminds me of an ancient timey vibe, like something a Greek leader would say "We've reached the climax of our Final Wars". Plus it gave some solidity to where the franchise was going (nowhere for a while after this) with it even being Godzilla's "Final Wars" perse.

[Terasawa]

I guess my point is I'd like the title more if it was "Godzilla: Final War".

[eabaker]

I think it's a cheesy title regardless of grammar.

[LSD Jellyfish]

So I can help out here.

The Japanese title is “ゴジラ: ファイナルウォーズ”

Bold part is important, that’s where the Wars is used as WOZU. (Phonetically sounds like wars). It would’ve been written as “ウォール”, which would be War singular.

Not sure which came first, but this is one of the few Godzilla titles written in katakana. Remember it premiered in California.

I’m going to side with the idea that it’s just English due to Japanese lacking a lot of plural modifiers.

I don’t take issue with the title.

[shadowgigan]

For whatever reason, GFW's soundtrack has grown on me over the years.

[LSD Jellyfish]

For whatever reason, GFW's soundtrack has grown on me over the years.

With the exception of maybe the over the top theme, I agree. I absolutely love the synthetic flair that the films music has at the end with the triumphant sounds.

[Lecontinentperdu]

The ONE japanese Godzilla romp fest that I saw in a movie theater.

Such a great moment of my life.

It screened in a few french cinemas - three hours to get to the nearest of where I live.
And I have almost 15 screens where I live.

An arthouse theater got loco and picked it up. We were ten at most at the screening.

And it was the only Godzijap movie really distributed in France in my adulthood... That sums it up.

Sad.

[shadowgigan]

For whatever reason, GFW's soundtrack has grown on me over the years.

With the exception of maybe the over the top theme, I agree. I absolutely love the synthetic flair that the films music has at the end with the triumphant sounds.

Yes! Ive been listening to it all week, can't get it out of my head.