Does the MV live up to the 2012 trailer?

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

The teaser promised the big budget Hollywood Godzilla film I've waited my whole life for. G14 didn't even come remotely close to giving me that. After G14's failure and somewhat enjoying Skull Island I personally didn't mind KotM taking a more quippy blockbuster approach. I didn't necessarily like the movie but the overall approach wasn't really the problem. Still need to watch it again but I just haven't been able to convince myself to sit through it yet.

[BlankAccount]

Nope.

I like the Monsterverse but I'm not in love with it. My feelings about it range all over the place. I loved K:SI, liked G:KOTM and found G2014 boring (and before one of you assholes says it, The Return of Godzilla is one of my favorite films, you know one of the "boring" ones, so shove the "you're only here for monster fights" up your ass). A huge problem I see is they weren't really sure where they wanted go originally even with G2014 let alone after, then when they got the rights to Kong it feels like they knew exactly where they wanted to go (Godzilla vs Kong) but not sure how to get there and just kind of rushed-stumbled to it when they remembered it was planned for 2020 and Godzilla still didn't get a sequel for several years with an approaching deadline. There's things I would change that's for sure.

[Jaqua92]

Interesting responses so far. The conclusion I've come to is that although I'm happy to be getting Godzilla content especially here in the western part of the world, something just isn't right about its delivery and execution. Shin Godzilla definitely did it right imo where Godzilla is reintroduced in a modern real world style concept and it wasn't centralized around some random family who carried the story.

I remember my reaction after first viewing 2014 having a sense of void to what I had anticipated. Then I saw Shin Godzilla and was highly impressed at the overall execution. Prior to the release of the 2014 film I was very much engaged in these forums participating in all the speculation on what's to come. KOTM has totally steered me away from any further interest.

See, I disagree with Shin being done right.

The whole thing I just found so uncomfortable to watch. Shin Godzilla looked like a toy, and the government reacting to it is not really a groundbreaking trope.

Personally, the monsterverse reignited my Godzilla love. Which was dormant for many a year. No, it isn't the dark apocalyptic series we thought we would get.

I don't WANT a nuclear Holocaust Godzilla. Godzilla to me, is a hero. Represents nature's good intent for the planet. I feel the monsterverse gives me as a fan, the campiness of some of the toho films, the heroics of the toho films and the heroics of modern day Hollywood film, and it's plastered together by high budget.

The monsterverse is a superficial, at time cheesy, shallow story about classic toho monsters and a classic protagonist character who is nature's weapon to preserve the planet. And it looks real.

That's what the monsterverse is to me, and what it seems to be. So as a result, for me and what I take from Godzilla, the MV set the standard and Toho will NEVER produce a Godzilla film that makes me feel happier as a Godzilla fan.

The monsterverse is realistic looking Godzilla cheese with a feel good attitude. And I love it.

KotM was the most fun I have had watching a movie in theaters in almost a decade. It was just fun. I feel The Dark Night changed viewing expectations of film. I saw that movie with my GF and my best friend, who didn't care for big G. And they LOVED it.

[tenup]

^@Jaqua92. It's not at all my intention to taint the positive experience others had with the MV films. Even I find some positives in the series. But overall let's face facts as these films progress their box office performance has dwindled showing that audience are losing interest since the initial 2014 entry.

The MCU formula doesn't seem to be working for this "Monsterverse". Now people have bashed Shin Godzilla with what I perceive as baseless arguments and this is a film that was highly received in its native country. Say what you want about Shin Godzilla, to me what made the film great was that nothing is taken away from Godzilla. In the Monsterverse films Godzilla barely gets showcased without having another monster on screen. This takes away the impact of Godzilla imo because it becomes ordinary. When Shin Godzilla is on screen (no matter how toy like the monster appears) its extraordinary and contrast well within its story.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Not really no, aside from some bits in KotM that got to me personally.

I remember thinking to myself that Shin Godzilla, if unintentionally, suited the famous comic con trailer better than 2014 ever did and I'll confess my initial reaction to 2014 and its seemingly promised portrayal of Godzilla compared to what we got in the actual movie left me feeling cheated. But at the end of the day I understand why an American Godzilla movie will never have that "Sacred Beast of the Apocalypse" (as Tanaka put it) vibe. To most Americans Godzilla is known as a good guy or an anti-hero, with the nuclear connotations as sort of a vague background thing if they're aware of it at all. That and I doubt that it would sit well with American audiences to see Godzilla massacring cities in 1954-esque detail with emphasis on the horror of it and the military being helpless to stop it. Especially in a post 9/11 America. Guarantee it would get backlash or at least be regarded as "too depressing."

It comes down to differing cultural perceptions and I'm okay with that. KotM got the hype for me and if the Monsterverse can pull that off even just once for me, then I'm satisfied.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I still don't get the post 9-11 argument. Just look at Cloverfield or any of the number of Roland Emmerich/Michael Bay destruction films to have come out since then. Don't get me wrong mindless CGI spectacle does absolutely nothing for me anymore if it's not backed up with solid characters or an involving emotional core. The MonsterVerse is a near complete and utter misfire for me because I don't care for practically any of the characters.

[Desghidorah]

Not really, but I'm actually glad. A grim, gritty, solo outing with Godzilla as the villain with Hollywood levels of effects budget would be entertaining but more in the same way 1984 was. It be good, as Shin Godzilla showed, but in terms of conscious staying power in my mind it would probably fade. 1984 might be the most meaningful movie of the Heisei saga, but I still much prefer to watch the Vs. films that came out afterwards. I like the human cast well enough (it's just me, but I still fail to see how the MV cast is any worse than a majority of the Toho cast, they're above average for me), I like the effects, monster fights are well done, and we finally got a new King Kong plot with modern effects.

[DirektorSplennic]

Not really, but I'm actually glad. A grim, gritty, solo outing with Godzilla as the villain with Hollywood levels of effects budget would be entertaining but more in the same way 1984 was. It be good, as Shin Godzilla showed, but in terms of conscious staying power in my mind it would probably fade. 1984 might be the most meaningful movie of the Heisei saga, but I still much prefer to watch the Vs. films that came out afterwards. I like the human cast well enough (it's just me, but I still fail to see how the MV cast is any worse than a majority of the Toho cast, they're above average for me), I like the effects, monster fights are well done, and we finally got a new King Kong plot with modern effects.

This 100%. I've got my problems with each one, but I'll watch any of the Monsterverse movies any day. If G14 took the 54 approach, it would've never had the weight of the original and if it was too different it would've been 98 all over again in terms of reaction (well maybe, idk). Save the 54 style movies for Toho.

[Chrispy_G]

The Monsterverse is not a collection of masterpieces, but it deserves a heck of a lot more respect and appreciation than many pretentious fans are willing to give it.

[Terasawa]

The Monsterverse is not a collection of masterpieces, but it deserves a heck of a lot more respect and appreciation than many pretentious fans are willing to give it.

I'd agree if you're talking about the Monsterverse as a whole, chiefly because it renewed interest in the franchise. The films, independently, however, I'm not so sure I can agree. As you said, they are not all masterpieces, so why feign respect for each individually?

[Chrispy_G]

The Monsterverse is not a collection of masterpieces, but it deserves a heck of a lot more respect and appreciation than many pretentious fans are willing to give it.

I'd agree if you're talking about the Monsterverse as a whole, chiefly because it renewed interest in the franchise. The films, independently, however, I'm not so sure I can agree. As you said, they are not all masterpieces, so why feign respect for each individually?

It is a bit of both for me. The Monsterverse collectively has done some good things for the genre/franchise.

I also think a lot of people tend to skew far too harshly on the Monsterverse films, especially in light of the films they give a 'pass' on from the older eras.

I mean, originals aside as they pretty much always have to be considered the best....I'll take Skull Island over the 76 or 2005 Kong ANY day of the week. I'll take King of the Monsters over practically every previous Godzilla film. The monsters, the score, the action, the cinematography...I ADORED that movie. To see so many dedicated fans just give it shrug baffles me.

I feel the same way about Shin Godzilla. That isn't the MV, but for me, it is a masterpiece of a Godzilla film and I don't get the people who hate it or are 'meh' on it. Like, I can't really grasp how the people who are "Godzilla fans" and have that baggage look at KOTM or Shin and say "This is NOT the kind of Godzilla I enjoy"

When dealing with Godzilla fandom, and their wants, needs, and preferences....you're always trying to serve a lot of masters, I know different fans want different things....but the criticism thrown at KOTM often just comes off as overly nit-picky when there is SO MUCH to love about that film....sometimes I get the feeling that no modern movie will ever be ALLOWED to satisfy some fans, that some will, no matter what, be in a 'Well the old stuff was way better and the new stuff sucks' mode.

[Terasawa]

But how are the people who didn't like KotM "pretentious"?

[tenup]

Well to those questioning others who have been dissatisfied with the MV films I have laid down my arguement in the original post and elaborated further with the prior post. Those who defend the MV seem to simply point out the superb visuals and action sequences and to that I ask where is the substance?

The issue is the MV has done nothing that hasn't already been done. Sure its Godzilla with a huge budget done with respect to the source material (and I say that's questionable). Imo It just seems like Legendary chose the wrong path in attempting to build a franchise that also includes a shared universe (a forced one at that) in order to follow the trend of a totally different genre.

To top it off they practically took a 5 year gap to throw together a monster clinic in KOTM where they just threw everything at us and by the time it was over it left me not wanting anymore. I mean how can you have so many monsters in one film including Ghidorah (who was easily overtaken by Godzilla throughout the film) and then want a Godzilla vs Kong? It just doesnt seem like the proper build up.