Do Godzilla movies need to be metaphorical?

[Thatguy4683]

This is a question that’s been ask around sometimes, and I want to know what do you think about the question?

For me, No, Godzilla movies don’t need to be metaphorical to be a good movies. Look at Hesiei and Monsterverse era, their movies aren’t metaphorical yet everyone likes them.

[Jermobooka]

Saying everyone likes them is a big generalization...the better way to put it would be “the vast, huge, enormous majority of the G-Fandom loves the MonsterVerse and the Heisei era”

And yeah, i agree that Goji films, like all other movies, don’t need to be metaphorical or have deep, near indecipherable meanings and/or messages to be good

[_JNavs_]

The Monsterverse is metaphorical lol

[Spuro]

The Monsterverse is metaphorical lol

Well, some of the movies, anyway. Credit where it's due... KotM sure as hell tried to make its monsters metaphorical. That's more than I can say for GvK.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I'd rather a film do little but do it well than do a lot and halfass everything. It doesn't matter what you do with your story as long as it's done the best it can. I don't care if a film tries to do something interesting if they do a shitty job of it. That why I think KSI stands a good margin higher than the rest of the MonsterVerse. Its not trying to be anything more than an exciting action adventure and mostly delivers. Then you get something like G14 that tries to be a story driven character film and fails miserably at it. So no its not the contents of the story but how well it's told.

[cloverfan98]

I certainly think it helps a movie have more lasting impact but its not necessary. One of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time is Godzilla 2000 but I'm not sure that one has any deep metaphorical meaning.

[Spuro]

I certainly think it helps a movie have more lasting impact but its not necessary. One of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time is Godzilla 2000 but I'm not sure that one has any deep metaphorical meaning.

Godzilla is inside each one of us.

[Thatguy4683]

I certainly think it helps a movie have more lasting impact but its not necessary. One of my favorite Godzilla movies of all time is Godzilla 2000 but I'm not sure that one has any deep metaphorical meaning.

Godzilla is inside each one of us.

That deep, man

[Lesko]

They don't need to be metaphorical and plenty of good Godzilla films haven't but the majority of them seem to be which makes sense with Godzilla's debut being a giant metaphor. Also while the Heisei series isn't metaphorical in general the first few films certainly are. RoG brings back the nuclear metaphor with Biollante bringing in the bio weapon metaphors and of course GvKG having political metaphors.

[edgaguirus]

It can make for a more interesting story and spur discussion, but it's not necessary. There are plenty of Godzilla films that are entertainment and are good. Sometimes it's nice to just sit back and enjoy a film.

[UltramanGoji]

I think a good majority of the people in this thread are misunderstanding the word "metaphorical".

A lot of Godzilla movies have running themes focusing on certain issues such as capitalism, environmental justice, and the Japanese government, but I would be very hard pressed to call many of them "metaphorical" i.e. engaging in the use of metaphors. The obvious candidates are the original, ROG, and Shin though you can also make the case for GMK and King Kong vs. Godzilla if you want. Of course, identifying metaphorical aspects of films is entirely subjective but these five are the ones I can identify being wholly or partially metaphorical in nature. Outside of KSI (which isn't a "Godzilla movie" as the thread title states), I would not say the MonsterVerse films have any sort of metaphorical aspects to them, though some are very strongly entrenched in certain "themes" (G14 is obstensibly a focus on worldwide disasters and their responses, KOTM discusses human interaction with nature). GVK is especially a film that doesn't have any sort of metaphorical aspect to it at all and I even struggle to identify a recurring theme throughout it.

But that brings me to the actual thread question: Do Godzilla movies need to be metaphorical? Again, I don't think "metaphorical" is the word you mean to use. From what I gather, you're talking more about the strong thematic commentaries present throughout almost all Godzilla films in some form or fashion, like the ones I described for the MonsterVerse. In that case, no I don't think Godzilla films need to have strong recurring thematic elements but the best and better entries in the franchise absolutely benefit from it and it shouldn't be looked down upon as if it's a negative.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

I think a good majority of the people in this thread are misunderstanding the word "metaphorical".

A lot of Godzilla movies have running themes focusing on certain issues such as capitalism, environmental justice, and the Japanese government, but I would be very hard pressed to call many of them "metaphorical" i.e. engaging in the use of metaphors. The obvious candidates are the original, ROG, and Shin though you can also make the case for GMK and King Kong vs. Godzilla if you want. Of course, identifying metaphorical aspects of films is entirely subjective but these five are the ones I can identify being wholly or partially metaphorical in nature. Outside of KSI (which isn't a "Godzilla movie" as the thread title states), I would not say the MonsterVerse films have any sort of metaphorical aspects to them, though some are very strongly entrenched in certain "themes" (G14 is obstensibly a focus on worldwide disasters and their responses, KOTM discusses human interaction with nature). GVK is especially a film that doesn't have any sort of metaphorical aspect to it at all and I even struggle to identify a recurring theme throughout it.

But that brings me to the actual thread question: Do Godzilla movies need to be metaphorical? Again, I don't think "metaphorical" is the word you mean to use. From what I gather, you're talking more about the strong thematic commentaries present throughout almost all Godzilla films in some form or fashion, like the ones I described for the MonsterVerse. In that case, no I don't think Godzilla films need to have strong recurring thematic elements but the best and better entries in the franchise absolutely benefit from it and it shouldn't be looked down upon as if it's a negative.

THANK YOU. This was driving me insane and I was going to say something until I got busy with other conversations.

I'd also like to rebuff your point and say you DO need themes. Every Godzilla movie has themes, hell, every movie has themes. I think the question of this thread is really "do themes matter for Godzilla" to which I have to say a resounding "Yeah, no shit, sherlock".

[Spuro]

I think a good majority of the people in this thread are misunderstanding the word "metaphorical".

I don’t know if this is directed at me, but in case it is, I’d like to clarify my point. My post was referring to the common reading of how the monsters of the film are metaphors for either climate change (Ghidorah) or different aspects of alternative “clean” energy sources (the Earth monsters).

It’s a shaky reading, due to the weaknesses in KotM’s script, but I thought it was worth bringing up.

[eabaker]

I think a good majority of the people in this thread are misunderstanding the word "metaphorical".

I don’t know if this is directed at me, but in case it is, I’d like to clarify my point. My post was referring to the common reading of how the monsters of the film are metaphors for either climate change (Ghidorah) or different aspects of alternative “clean” energy sources (the Earth monsters).

It’s a shaky reading, due to the weaknesses in KotM’s script, but I thought it was worth bringing up.

Yeah, if you meant literally does every kaiju movie need to be structured around some specific metaphorical intent, I'd say certainly not. As indicated by some others in this thread, themes are important to pretty much any story, but to insist on a metaphor to drive every single movie, that would be a ridiculous limitation to impose of the storytellers.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Very, very mild spoilers for Godzilla SP (don't worry, nothing monster or significantly plot related), but:

Spoiler:

Godzilla SP incorporates some subtle and not so subtle elements of the Coronavirus pandemic. It's not so obvious at first, but it becomes clear when people start wearing masks midway through the show, and you see panic buying and other such stuff. I imagine this was incorporated after the coronavirus pandemic began, but it's a neat thing to do without making the narrative explicitly about corona or detracting from the original intent.

Godzilla films do not need to be "metaphorical", and a lot of people have this weird view of having meaning or incorporating allegories into a narrative as being inherently negative, like a lame high school teacher trying to beat you over the head with symbolism.

[Thatguy4683]

Very, very mild spoilers for Godzilla SP (don't worry, nothing monster or significantly plot related), but:

Spoiler:

Godzilla SP incorporates some subtle and not so subtle elements of the Coronavirus pandemic. It's not so obvious at first, but it becomes clear when people start wearing masks midway through the show, and you see panic buying and other such stuff. I imagine this was incorporated after the coronavirus pandemic began, but it's a neat thing to do without making the narrative explicitly about corona or detracting from the original intent.

Huh, I didn’t noticed that, i’ll look in the background more

Godzilla films do not need to be "metaphorical", and a lot of people have this weird view of having meaning or incorporating allegories into a narrative as being inherently negative, like a lame high school teacher trying to beat you over the head with symbolism.

Totally agree with your Statement

[Thatguy4683]

I'd rather a film do little but do it well than do a lot and halfass everything. It doesn't matter what you do with your story as long as it's done the best it can. I don't care if a film tries to do something interesting if they do a shitty job of it. That why I think KSI stands a good margin higher than the rest of the MonsterVerse. Its not trying to be anything more than an exciting action adventure and mostly delivers. Then you get something like G14 that tries to be a story driven character film and fails miserably at it. So no its not the contents of the story but how well it's told.

The statement you made perfectly described the anime trilogy. they were too focus on the metaphors and symbolism rather than being entertaining.