Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

Legion1979 wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:42 pm Heads up. Fathom Events will be presenting Tokyo SOS on March 22nd.

https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/godz ... vent-72543
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Gailah 1966 »

Cool. Watching some of the most impressive toku-style destruction scenes on the big screen must be an unforgettable experience! I enjoy this movie, too.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by edgaguirus »

Sounds like fun.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by darkcancer »

I have a felling Toho will do this for Final Wars next year for its 20th and Godzilla's 70th anniversaries.

Unfortunately for me, just like Godzilla x MechaGodzilla, the days this is screening I am on vacation and will miss it :(
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Angilasman »

I wonder if this is a trial run for giving the new Toho Godzilla movie a simultaneous US release later this year?

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by UltramanGoji »

Angilasman wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:07 pm I wonder if this is a trial run for giving the new Toho Godzilla movie a simultaneous US release later this year?
That was my first thought too. If this was another "Godzilla Day" celebration it'd be in theaters in November, but clearly that day is now open for something else. Would love to see a simultaneous release happen for the new movie, if only for the opportunity to show it at the theater I work at.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Greyshot151 »

And I was able to catch the Fathom event!

Haven't watched the movie in a while and watching Godzilla against Mechagodzilla in preparation (which didn't hold up nearly as well) didn't give me great hopes. But damn, my fears were easily overblown.

The pace was excellent. Visuals were top notch. Human characters were used for exactly as long as they were needed and while maybe minutes 5-20 are a little slow, the opening sequence with Mothra and everything past the naval battle with Godzilla has a fantastic pace. I HAD to look up the director because I totally forgot/could not believe the same guy made this and Godzilla against Mechagodzilla. Once Godzilla arrives until he plunges into the sea, there is always a new bit of tension or new piece of action thrown the audience's way. And while Akane is missed, Chujo wasn't bad in the lead role or any of the supporting cast.

I think there are easily better Godzilla movies like Godzilla vs. Biollante or GMK, but honestly, this movie does so many things right. If it possessed a better story, specifically how the Shobijin are used, and maybe a more intimidating Godzilla (Since this is basically a siege movie with Godzilla as the opposing force) / more fearsome design for Godzilla (Even though I love design), this could've been a great Godzilla film instead of the very good one that it is.

Hope others got to see it. Glad I was able to.
Last edited by Greyshot151 on Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by CrimsonBloodX »

I went to the Fathom event last night with my childhood friend, who is also a Godzilla fan. We had a great time. To see this movie that I first watched when I was a young child, and to watch it on the big screen for the first time was really fascinating. Also, unlike Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, which had the international version released in theaters last year, the Tokyo S.O.S showing had the Japanese version with Japanese subtitles and credits. I know that's not a big deal, but after watching just the international whole life, watching the actual original Japanese version in a theater like how Japanese audiences first saw the movie back in 2003 was really cool. I also noticed that the English subtitles were different than the English subtitles on the Sony DVD and Blu-ray, just like with the Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla showing last November.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by StardustGenius »

Something I really like about the Kiryu movies is that they are solid efforts on the tokusatsu side. I can only imagine how they'd look like on a big screen. Also something I didn't notice until rewatching was that Gao Red's actor is also Chujo!

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by shadowgigan »

Really sad I missed both recent showings. Hope everyone had fun. It must've been awesome to see these films on the big screen!

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

This was a joy to watch in the theater, a religious experience I must say :lol: I saw Godzilla, in a theater full of G-Fans. This is the 5th Godzilla film overall I've seen in a theater, and the 3rd Toho one. What a treat man, I've already written about my thoughts on the film itself elsewhere but I genuinely find Tokyo SOS to be a satisfying watch in a non-guilty pleasure way. I can watch it grinning like an idiot, all the human characters feel competent, the fanservice feels welcomed and not sloppy (oh man the Mothra references in this with Chujo's introduction and Mothra's first appearance in MvG 64 are wonderful), and Oshima's score is top-notch. Yes there is missed potential with the themes they were playing with, but what we got felt in line with an episode of Ultraman where everything feels well-made and the action is the goal, not being one of the more message focused episodes.

For me, the last moments of Tokyo SOS feels like a decent sendoff for Godzilla's 50th, and Final Wars is the dumb after party.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by DrBreakfastMachine »

I'm thankful I was able to catch both the Kiryu films in theaters.

They both hold up tremendously well IMO. As far as raw spectacle goes, I'd argue they're the pinnacle of traditional tokusatsu techniques. The Heisei Gamera films are excellent but I've always felt they bit off a little more than they could chew with their use of CGI, especially 3. The Kiryu saga has great practical effects and solid use of CGI to supplement them, especially TSOS.

And god do Oshima's scores feel right. Best Godzilla composer next to Ifukube.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Angilasman »

I think Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is probably a better film... but it's also fairly boring looking, especially in the human scenes! Also, the previous film's showing had an irritating stuttering effect. This film is a lot more visually interesting (one of the last great showcases for traditional tokusatsu in a kaiju movie) and there was no distracting image anomalies. As a result, I ended up enjoying this one a whole lot more! I really enjoyed it.

I actually saw the US premier of this movie as a teen at G-Fest 2004, so it was actually quite nostalgic!

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by DrBreakfastMachine »

I don't find either film boring, but yes, the projection quality was much better this time. It looked like an actual DCP instead of a satellite feed.

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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by CyberZilla »

Getting to see this in theaters was amazing! Still one of my favorites. I have to say, the pacing for this movie is actually really nice— it never really drags at any point for me. Even the slower beginning keeps itself moving at a nice pace without dragging its heels. No matter what, I can come back to this movie and enjoy it without ever feeling bored, and that’s one of its best strengths.

Also, this theater viewing proved to me that “Sayonara, Yoshito” will never not get me emotional.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Loganrules115 »

Arrived late at the theater but having now seen three classic Godzilla movies on the big screen, it feels like I can better appreciate how these films were meant to be viewed. It gives a better sense of scale and mass.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by JAGzilla »

Being back in hype mode and all, I decided to give ol' Tokyo SOS a rewatch via the Blu-ray. I hadn't seen it since 2014, actually the same day I saw G14 in the theater. That was a good day.

Anyway, I'm currently 34 minutes in. This is once again my first time seeing this movie in halfway passable quality and with good sound. Oshima and bass are like spaghetti and meatballs, predictably. This is also my first time watching it subbed, which is so much more tolerable than the dub. Our main mechanic guy is actually a pretty okay main character. I like that we aren't dealing with some hotshot pilot, just a normal dude that likes machines and believes in the cause.

I complain a lot about Heisei/Millennium doing the same tired basic premise almost every year, but it's a fun premise. These movies do a great job of being cool and entertaining even if they aren't the smartest or most original things ever made.

EDIT: Done. That final battle/general action sequence does kinda go on, doesn't it? They really should have edited it down some. Losing about ten minutes would have made it flow a lot more excitingly. Kind of. It's still a very been there done that kind of battle, inferior rehashes of things you've seen before. That common complaint is 100% deserved.

There are cool points, though. Mothra was a constant highlight while she lasted. Godzilla's tail-trip/headshot combo. The brawl around the Diet Building. The drill. Chujo trying to escape from Kiryu as they flew out to sea was fairly original as a Godzilla action scene. The Shobijin were portrayed well throughout, all mystery and wonder, even if the lazy-ass script could have done so much more with them and Mothra. Their initial warnings should have amounted to something.

The Mothra Larvae shouldn't have been in the movie. They're totally irrelevant and slow things down without even contributing any memorable action.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by HedorahIsBestGirl »

JAGzilla wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2023 11:16 am The Mothra Larvae shouldn't have been in the movie. They're totally irrelevant and slow things down without even contributing any memorable action.
After thinking about it for a minute, I agree with this. While the uselessness of the larval twins is never something I've singled out while shitting on this movie, it really does feel like they're just there so that the climax of Mothra vs. Godzilla could be rehashed for the sake of laziness nostalgia. I would have preferred it if the adult Mothra alone had managed to hold Godzilla off long enough for Kiryu to be repaired, sacrificing herself to protect Kiryu rather than her offspring. They could've even ended the film with the larvae hatching, showing that Mothra will go on, without them playing a part in the final battle.

And I agree that the Shobijin were done well but could've been used a lot more than they were. It's a shame because Mothra is probably the best part of Tokyo SOS but it feels like she gets sidelined for most of the movie in favor of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla Part 2. I also would have liked to see Mothra and Kiryu actively cooperating against Godzilla, instead of Kiryu basically just taking over the fight.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

HedorahIsBestGirl wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2023 12:58 pm
JAGzilla wrote: Wed Jul 12, 2023 11:16 am The Mothra Larvae shouldn't have been in the movie. They're totally irrelevant and slow things down without even contributing any memorable action.
After thinking about it for a minute, I agree with this. While the uselessness of the larval twins is never something I've singled out while shitting on this movie, it really does feel like they're just there so that the climax of Mothra vs. Godzilla could be rehashed for the sake of laziness nostalgia. I would have preferred it if the adult Mothra alone had managed to hold Godzilla off long enough for Kiryu to be repaired, sacrificing herself to protect Kiryu rather than her offspring. They could've even ended the film with the larvae hatching, showing that Mothra will go on, without them playing a part in the final battle.

And I agree that the Shobijin were done well but could've been used a lot more than they were. It's a shame because Mothra is probably the best part of Tokyo SOS but it feels like she gets sidelined for most of the movie in favor of Godzilla X Mechagodzilla Part 2. I also would have liked to see Mothra and Kiryu actively cooperating against Godzilla, instead of Kiryu basically just taking over the fight.
I guess they "needed" the larva to wrap Godzilla up so Kiryu could carry him away, but they just could have easily had a nearly destroyed Kiryu go berserk or something, beat Godzilla down, and carry Godzilla out to sea anyways. Kiryu still uses a bunch of cables to wrap around Godzilla anyways, so it's not like they couldn't just have a busted up Kiryu, with cables leaving and exiting its body. That's a neat visual, that would lean into the berserk thing a little better IMO. But yeah, I think the inclusion of the larvae is one of the prime examples of a dead period where TOHO was just reusing plot elements in the least interesting way possible. Tokyo SOS is basically a not so great remake of Mothra vs. Godzilla with Kiryu thrown in and serving as "the egg".

To confess, I do think the film has some merits. I think Mothra looked the best it ever had in Tokyo SOS, combining a very insectoid design, with magic and mysticism. The puppet and just the way it moves and looks is perfect. I think the films highlight isn't it's climax, but when Mothra shows up to confront Godzilla in Tokyo. The visual of the boy arranging desks to summon Mothra is silly, but endearing, and the way we see Mothra swoop over, while the music plays is really chilling and atmosphere. And while short, it's a beautiful fight between Mothra and Godzilla in the sunset. It sort of drags itself out, until Kiryu shows up, but I think that's the highlight of the film. For all the nostalgia pandering, I do think the 2003 Mothra is a very nice and well executed update of the 1964 version, just in a not so great plot.
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Re: Talkback: Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

Post by Legion1979 »

There are also some unbelievably good moments between Godzilla and Kiryu that top anything in the previous film. The bit with Kiryu shooting off his shoulder cannons at Godzilla, the monster destroying the first one and catching the second, which then blows up in his hands, is terrific. I also love when there's a building between both of them and Kiryu fires missiles at Godzilla that curve around the building.

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