Talkback: Godzilla Final Wars (2004)

[Terasawa]

It’s shallow and weird, but it’s fun, even if it’s not your cup of tea. There’s stuff to enjoy there.

There are a few things I like here, but I respectfully disagree that it's at all a fun experience.

[Omegamorph]

GFW was made by a guy who claimed he liked Godzilla when he didn't REALLY like Godzilla. He spent most of the films budget on pointless location shooting, thereby forcing the effects crew to build all the monsters on the same small budget as Tokyo SOS (which they hated). He bathed the movie in color filters and filled it with mutants, motorcycles and martial arts to appeal to the international crowd.

Agreed, and paradoxically, GxM/TSOS have the very best Millennium fx alongside GMK. Mothra may very well be the best she's ever looked!

[Legion1979]

Yup, especially on Tokyo SOS. GxMG got dinged quite a bit when it was new for how stiff Godzilla was during most of the movie, and there are some awkward Kiryu effects. But the effects crew took what they learned, applied it to Tokyo SOS and really turned out some great stuff.

I first saw SOS with nothing but Godzilla fans in a packed theater at G-Fest in 2004. It was a surprise showing. To the opening title sequence to the end credits I fell in love with the movie. Are there things wrong with the film? Yeah, but there are so many standout effects and musical moments that I love it anyway. It's easily my favorite Millennium film.

[Omegamorph]

Yup, especially on Tokyo SOS. GxMG got dinged quite a bit when it was new for how stiff Godzilla was during most of the movie, and there are some awkward Kiryu effects. But the effects crew took what they learned, applied it to Tokyo SOS and really turned out some great stuff.

I first saw SOS with nothing but Godzilla fans in a packed theater at G-Fest in 2004. It was a surprise showing. To the opening title sequence to the end credits I fell in love with the movie. Are there things wrong with the film? Yeah, but there are so many standout effects and musical moments that I love it anyway. It's easily my favorite Millennium film.

Agreed, I love the shot of Kiryu deployed from above and flying at high speed towards the cityscape. Great use of CG there

[Legion1979]

The main title of SOS, with the classic Showa Godzilla and Mothra names, as well as the kanji for Kiryu, suddenly turning into the modern title design for all three monsters, while "Tokyo SOS" is tapped out to the sound of an actual SOS, is unbelievable. The theater went nuts when this happened.

[Omegamorph]

Yeah I'm definitely due for a rewatch for that double feature. They're the ones I remember the least (even less than GFW, paradoxically...)

[LSD Jellyfish]

-snip-

You know, I never thought of all the relations between the past and present in GFW, and I think you do a fantastic job at pointing that out. However, there's an inherent irony, in the filming failing pretty badly. Even if this was what Kitamura and the other people involved thought this was what the franchise needed, that clearly didn't work out for them. Legendary and Shin both returned the franchise to more grounded disasters, with less of an emphasis on action. While Godzilla vs. Kong is action packed and hectic, it knew not to focus too much action on the human characters, and still knew that a semblance of an emotional core to a Godzilla film is important.

Like I could forgive rushing the other monster scenes if the final one was better. But it's barely the monsters and more watching the humans and aliens fight. Yes there is ALWAYS going to be more human scenes to Godzilla but when Ozaki gets three fights in a row while Godzilla is barely seen overcoming Monster X that's when I know he cares less about Godzilla and more on his humans.

I agree with this. Monster X, despite it's connections to Ghidorah, is one of the most unique Godzilla monsters. For the few scenes it was in, it took advantage of how flexibile the suit was, being a monster that could do midair kicks, and jump around with ease. In contrast to bulky heavyweights like King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Biollante, etc... Monster X was a mimble creature. Monster X well represented and took advantage of the style of the film it was in. But then it transforms...

For a film that wanted to be fast and quick, the slow moving and bulky Keizer Ghidorah is a poor choice.

Likewise, the finale sets up what should be a fun brawl and deflates it. Gigan and Monster X vs. Godzilla and Mothra. It brings to mind the tag team fights of the late showa era, and is a fun combination, but it's quickly broken apart and seperated.

[daveblackeye15]

Yeah exactly the two-two promise is over so quickly.

A same JettyJags passionate post cannot make me suddenly love Final Wars because...I really really really want to love it but I can't.
I do want to re-watch SOS again now though.

[Voyager]

It always irked me how Gigan was a total joke in this movie.

[edgaguirus]

What about Kamacura, Ebirah, and Hedorah? They didn't get any respect either.

[JAGzilla]

It always irked me how Gigan was a total joke in this movie.

He really was. He came in with this new design that was so badass and so cool and so edgy... and then turned out to be a useless chump made of wet toilet paper...

I mean, it kind of works, though. No kid with that level of edge is half as tough as he thinks he is. Getting his ass kicked in his first real fight is only appropriate.

[daveblackeye15]

What about Kamacura, Ebirah, and Hedorah? They didn't get any respect either.

Oh please on Kamacura! They were a bunch of mooks in Son of Godzilla! That's one fight that totally justified the short time along with Zilla.

[eabaker]

It’s shallow and weird, but it’s fun, even if it’s not your cup of tea. There’s stuff to enjoy there.

There are a few things I like here, but I respectfully disagree that it's at all a fun experience.

Yeah, "fun" is pretty damned subjective. Personally, I find the pace and tone of the movie incredibly monotonous and aggravating, and the look of it extremely grating. There are aspects of the movie I find interesting in the abstract (and I think Jetty Jags did a great job of identifying its thematic strengths), but the experience of actually sitting through it is anything but fun for me.

[Legion1979]

Yup. There are things I do like. I love Daisukue Yano's Godzilla theme, the prologue is great (until Emerson's ungodly circus music starts), Gigan is a cool redesign and there are tiny moments here and there that are fun.

But, as has been said, the entire thing is an obnoxious slog. I'll bet if I were 10 I would have adored this movie. But as a 26 year old in 2005? Yeah, no thank you.

[godjacob]

We live in a world where more people here give a greater benefit of the doubt to Attack All Monsters than this. This is easily the most overhated film in the entire series.

[Legion1979]

We live in a world where more people here give a greater benefit of the doubt to Attack All Monsters than this.

We could probably explain why you can't even begin to compare these two movies. We could probably also go into the reasons why some people defend/criticize them the way they do. How one is this cheap, simple little kids film with origins people don't understand while the other was this incredibly expensive, insanely hyped event movie to end all event movies...

...but I doubt it would really matter.

[godjacob]

We live in a world where more people here give a greater benefit of the doubt to Attack All Monsters than this.

We could probably explain why you can't even begin to compare these two movies. We could probably also go into the reasons why some people defend/criticize them the way they do. How one is this cheap, simple little kids film with origins people don't understand while the other was this incredibly expensive, insanely hyped event movie to end all event movies...

...but I doubt it would really matter.

My point was more people here are willing to give generous reads to Attack All Monsters, dive deep into its themes, circumstances of production and every aspect of it to evaluate it where as people are more quick to just say this film sucks without any of those similar deep dives applied to it.

[miguelnuva]

AMA is the worst film debatably of the Golden era of Godzilla that when you realize what it is you forgive it. FW is debatable the worst film of debatable worst era of Godzilla.

Final Wars was also made in a time where it is easier to see the filming process from beginning to end and have constant updates where AMA is a mystery that fans have to go back and experince and discover the time frame ect.

Yes AMA is going to he defended more just as in 20 years I'm sure Final Wars will be a gem to some compared to what ever the Monsterverse and Reiwa will do going forward.

Final Wars is going to get a lot more love going forward just because it's the last of the suitmation films and the end of era for Godzilla films as a whole.

[daveblackeye15]

Heh heh fat kid call Gamera 'loser' and throw to fire.

[Terasawa]

We live in a world where more people here give a greater benefit of the doubt to Attack All Monsters than this.

We could probably explain why you can't even begin to compare these two movies. We could probably also go into the reasons why some people defend/criticize them the way they do. How one is this cheap, simple little kids film with origins people don't understand while the other was this incredibly expensive, insanely hyped event movie to end all event movies...

...but I doubt it would really matter.

My point was more people here are willing to give generous reads to Attack All Monsters, dive deep into its themes, circumstances of production and every aspect of it to evaluate it where as people are more quick to just say this film sucks without any of those similar deep dives applied to it.

But so what?

Yesterday, I offered a rebuttal to your assessment of AMA as "garbage" only because I thought my differing opinion could add to the discussion. I have never similarly gone to bat for GFW because I don't like the movie and don't think it merits the same critical analysis as AMA. (Your mileage may vary.) You and others are more than welcome to do so (and just two days ago in this very thread, someone wrote a lengthy defense of this film - a post which got a good amount of positive feedback), but I'm not sure why you're expecting the few people who are even remotely passionate about AMA (or any film, really) to be as passionate for this (or, likewise, any other).

"We live in a world where more people here give a greater benefit of the doubt to Attack All Monsters than this" really kinda feels like you're trying to vilify the users here who like a movie that you decidedly do not.