Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

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GXMG is...

Great
94
31%
Good
126
42%
Okay
55
18%
Poor
22
7%
Awful
5
2%
 
Total votes: 302

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Spuro
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Spuro »

Legion1979 wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 5:50 pm Absolutely gem of the Millennium series? Absolutely. No argument there. Love this one.

Ten out of ten? Just like the 93 film? Don't think I'd go that far.
You're right, it's far better than the 93 film. :P

I'm only teasing, although I DO vastly prefer this one to the 93 film (the 74 film as well, for that matter; although GxMG isn't going to beat ToMG anytime soon). I absolutely love the human drama this movie has to offer. It really elevates the film above most of the other Mechagodzilla films for me.
Last edited by Spuro on Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Rando Yaguchi »

Also has one of the best child actors in the series. Sara steals the show.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Maritonic »

Rando Yaguchi wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:31 am Also has one of the best child actors in the series. Sara steals the show.
Know what, I'd never really thought about this, but I'd definitely agree. I'm pretty critical of GAM, but the acting isn't one of those points.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Voyager »

I love this movie so much! Secondly only to GMK in the era, for sure.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Rando Yaguchi »

eabaker wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:33 pm I also don't dig its aesthetic nearly as much as I like the looks of both G2K and GMK.
While I think GAM has more consistency in its SFX, I do agree that the overall aesthetic of the film isn't as striking as G2K or GMK. Especially the former, I don't think G2K gets enough credit for its look.

And then there's SOS, which has excellent FX but a really dull, lifeless aesthetic.

And then there's Megaguirus and Final Wars, which we don't talk about.
Last edited by Rando Yaguchi on Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

Agreed about the acting, and I'll say the music is excellent. Oshima does well with the bombastic kaiju tracks and the more elegant human themes. "Reconcile" is one of my all-time favourites.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by LegendZilla »

Anyone opposed to referring to this film being referred to as Tokyo SOS part one?

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

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LegendZilla wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 3:18 pm Anyone opposed to referring to this film being referred to as Tokyo SOS part one?
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by edgaguirus »

Oshima's scores are good, and our main 3 characters have a nice dynamic. They work well off each other.

TSoS pt 1....I mean GAM isn't the best of the millennium, but it's an interesting entry.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Gailah 1966 »

Watched it yesterday for it`s 20th anniversary. I still like the moive. The G-design is pretty cool and the special effects do thier magic - still.
I was really impressed by that incredible soundtrack. This is still blasting the dust out of the speakers.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by LegendZilla »

Oshima should be brought back one day.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Chrispy_G »

Godzillla vs Megaguirus was basically a test run for Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla

The latter is basically the more cinematic upgrade of the former.

Same Director, same writer, same composer, same director of photography.

Female protagonist for both, opening prologue where their superior dies in a Godzilla attack, which haunts them. Main plot that involves them pairing with a scientist whose affection goes a little unrequited.

A montage/flashback sequence detailing the timeline of this specific continuity.

A Godzilla-centric G-force style military organization/team...a buck wild and impractical science-cannon that is meant to kill Godzilla with one shot.

An attempt at using the science-cannon that goes awry in the middle of the film.

An extended final fight in the 3rd act with a successful firing of the science-cannon which Godzilla manages to survive.

Megaguirus is literally like the low budget trial run for Against. Against feels like it has a bigger budget, a more refined script, flashier visuals and a beefed up score. Heck the main themes for Godzilla in each are basically a match, with Against just being the "bigger and better" one.

Against is also the leaner, meaner, more refined movie. 88 minutes vs the more sluggish 105 minute Megaguirus.

I've always noticed the similarities but damn....one is almost quite literally a spruced up remake of the other.

Honestly...out of G2K, Megaguirus and GMK....Megaguirus is the one I would least expect to be picked to get a repeat attempt.
Last edited by Chrispy_G on Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by LegendZilla »

Chrispy_G wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:25 pm Godzillla vs Megaguirus was basically a test run for Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla

The latter is basically the more cinematic upgrade of the former.

Same Director, same writer, same composer, same director of photography.

Female protagonist for both, opening prologue where their superior dies in a Godzilla attack, which haunts them. Main plot that involves them pairing with a scientist whose affection goes a little unrequited.

A montage/flashback sequence detailing the timeline of this specific continuity.

A Godzilla-centric G-force style military organization/team...a buck wild and impractical science-cannon that is meant to kill Godzilla with one shot.

An attempt at using the science-cannon that goes awry in the middle of the film.

An extended final fight in the 3rd act with a successful firing of the science-cannon which Godzilla manages to survive.

Megaguirus is literally like the low budget trial run for Against. Against feels like it has a bigger budget, a more refined script, flashier visuals and a beefed up score. Heck the main themes for Godzilla in each are basically a match, with Against just being the "bigger and better" one.

Against is also the leaner, meaner, more refined movie. 88 minutes vs the more sluggish 105 minute Megaguirus.

I've always noticed the similarities but damn....one is almost quite literally a spruced up remake of the other.

Honestly...out of G2K, Megaguirus and GMK....Megaguirus is the one I would least expect to be picked to get a repeat attempt.
Why did they feel the need to re-do the same film over so soon after?

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Chrispy_G »

LegendZilla wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 6:16 pm Why did they feel the need to re-do the same film over so soon after?
I'm not a mega-expert on the behind-the-scenes stuff. I did hear or read once that the Millennium series was started off with the notion of going with 3 different takes/styles of Godzilla movie, and that the one that was best/most successful would be the one they would continue off of to potentially turn into a new series.

IF that is in fact the truth...Godzilla 2000, Megaguirus, and GMK were in theory those "3 different takes"

We know that GMK was the most successful entry in Japan. I'm not sure if the team behind that one wanted/was interested in continuing it, or if there was any creative difficulties between them and Toho...but just going off of overall ticket sale and the 'feel' of the reception, you think GMK would be the one they would continue from.

Godzilla 2000 while not the biggest hit, was at least exported overseas to North American theaters and Toho used Sony's version of the film as their official international version of the film for foreign markets. You would think that if there was a "runner up" option for a continuation that G2K would be an easy pick. I personally would have loved to see a trilogy unfold with those characters and that style of Godzilla presentation. I also would have killed for "Godzilla Reborn", the proposed US Sequel to G2K, to have gotten made.

Megaguirus feels like the one that would have been the LEAST likely option to be continued off of. There are some things worth considering. Takao Okawara and Shusuke Kaneko, the Directors of G2K and GMK, both had a pretty long tenure with Godzilla and Kaiju films. G2K was Okawara's 4th film. GMK was Kaneko's 4th Kaiju film after the Gamera Trilogy.

So maybe there was an interest in going with a little bit of a fresher perspective and Masaaki Tezuka filled that role? I thought I remember reading once that he was perceived as a bit of a "company man" and that might have helped.

Still....even AFTER all of that decision-making process to decide that the Megaguirus take was the one to build a franchise off of, it is incredibly peculiar to me that instead of making a SEQUEL....they would essentially opt for a remake or reimagining.

As if the notion was "okay we liked that take, now replicate it with more money, a more famous villain, a refined script and a tighter run time."

It is interesting, and just another one of those unique scenarios that feels like you would only find it in the Godzilla franchise.
Last edited by Chrispy_G on Mon Jul 11, 2022 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by LegendZilla »

^Imagine if they re-did other lesser entries in the franchise the same way?

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Terasawa »

Chrispy_G wrote: Mon Jul 11, 2022 10:11 pm So maybe there was an interest in going with a little bit of a fresher perspective and Masaaki Tezuka filled that role? I thought I remember reading once that he was perceived as a bit of a "company man" and that might have helped.
Yep, I think this is it more than anything else. In 2002, Takao Okawara was retired, Shusuke Kaneko was an independent director, and Masaaki Tezuka was under contract to Toho. Of those three directors, Tezuka was the very easy choice for that reason.

"I'm not a mega-expert on the behind-the-scenes stuff. I did hear or read once that the Millennium series was started off with the notion of going with 3 different takes/styles of Godzilla movie, and that the one that was best/most successful would be the one they would continue off of to potentially turn into a new series."

I'm pretty sure you're right about that, and I think it's mentioned in the translated notes on the press conference announcing Godzilla 2000 in some early 1999 issue of G-Fan. I don't have any way of checking any of the possible issues, though.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by eabaker »

Yes, that "picking one of the three" thing was what Toho said at the time, but that could well have been pure ballyhoo to try to drive up interest in "which way will they go?"
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by Legion1979 »

eabaker wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 8:15 am Yes, that "picking one of the three" thing was what Toho said at the time, but that could well have been pure ballyhoo to try to drive up interest in "which way will they go?"
Yup, that's my hunch. I never take anything studios say at face value. No one representing any big studio is ever going to give you the real story behind any decision.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by darkcancer »

Looks like we're getting a theatrical release of Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla in the US for Godzilla Day (November 3rd). Japanese with English subtitles and only showing for 1 day.
https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/godzilla ... first-time

Tickets go on sale October 7th and there will supposedly be a little “never before seen featurette direct from Japan.”
Last edited by darkcancer on Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

Post by edgaguirus »

I heard about that on my phone. Sounds like fun.
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