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[QUOTE=Angilasman;4388107]Shin Godzilla delivered the classic Godzilla destruction (as well as the monster versus military stuff I've always loved) that has been largely absent from the American movies, so I was satiated on that front.
Since these MonsterVerse films have largely just about broke even, and with this one underperforming in the box office I can see the Cinematic Universe closing out next year with its fourth film - which is fine! People are so spoiled by never-ending franchises these days: it's hard as hell to make one movie, and we're getting four! Of course, Godzilla vs. Kong could reverse that financial trajectory. Who knows? Since all the studios are in a permanent state of trying to milk as much as they can from known franchises I suppose anything could happen. Maybe they make a Godzilla streaming show for Warner Brothers streaming service?
But whatever the case we're still going to get tons of new Godzilla films, because Godzilla is an icon of Japanese film and a mascot for Toho Studios, and Toho is the biggest film company in Japan! I feel like these Hollywood films are just a brief excursion, to be enjoyed for sure, but not a permanent arrangement. It's like Godzilla has gone to school abroad for a few years![/QUOTE]
Shin Godzilla is the only one that quality wise probably touches the original Gojira
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[QUOTE=Immortal Weapon;4388131]I'm partial to the millennium era films. Continuity wasn't strong in them but each one was an enjoyable movie and stopped after 6 movies.[/QUOTE]
I have mixed feelings about the millennium era films. I think the individual movies were all good, but I had trouble over the fact that each movie had an entirely different Godzilla (except I think the Mecha Godzilla and the Tokyo SOS ones). Even though they were all Godzilla it was a different Godzilla each time... like swapping Batmen or James Bonds. When you get one version you like, you don't necessarily want to see him changed.
But lack of contunuity aside (aside from those 2 movies), the movies were really fun.
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[QUOTE=XPac;4388143]I have mixed feelings about the millennium era films. I think the individual movies were all good, but I had trouble over the fact that each movie had an entirely different Godzilla (except I think the Mecha Godzilla and the Tokyo SOS ones). Even though they were all Godzilla it was a different Godzilla each time... like swapping Batmen or James Bonds. When you get one version you like, you don't necessarily want to see him changed.
But lack of contunuity aside (aside from those 2 movies), the movies were really fun.[/QUOTE]
Each of the millennium movies were a sequel to the original movie. Which explains why Godzilla was different in each one.
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[QUOTE=XPac;4388124]I sort of liked the Heisei series, because it seemed to have a definative begining, middle, and end. And I wonder if the Legendary movies won't operate under the same premise. Like the Heisei series, there's a definate sense of continuity.[/QUOTE]
The Heisei era is definitely my favorite overall, in part because of how interwoven it was, and that's something I love about the Monsterverse, too. If we don't get more in the series after [I]Godzilla vs Kong[/I], I won't be heartbroken since we'll have gotten four awesome films (hoping on the last one, of course).
It'd just be nice to see more since I have no idea what Toho's plans are.
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Heisei was my favorite era by far. The consistent continuity and quality, save for the Space Godzilla movie which showed they were running out of steam. The Biogoji design is my favorite Godzilla suit and they actually kept that pretty consistent. And the effects mostly hold up well enough.
Showa is often unwatchable because of the cheapness and cheasiness, and most of the Millenium films are too by the numbers for having so many reboots - though GMK is spectacular.
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[QUOTE=sunofdarkchild;4388162]Heisei was my favorite era by far. The consistent continuity and quality, save for the Space Godzilla movie which showed they were running out of steam. The Biogoji design is my favorite Godzilla suit and they actually kept that pretty consistent. And the effects mostly hold up well enough.
Showa is often unwatchable because of the cheapness and cheasiness, and most of the Millenium films are too by the numbers for having so many reboots - though GMK is spectacular.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the design of Godzilla in the Heisei series is my favorite too. It's pretty consistant, and looks cool and edgy without looking too weird or too cheesy. When I imagine Godzilla, he looks like he does in the Heisei series.
It is really hard to rewatch any of the Showa movies as an adult. I'll fastforeward to the monster fights, and that's about it. Loved them as a kid, but they don't age well at all.
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[QUOTE=sunofdarkchild;4388162]Showa is often unwatchable because of the cheapness and cheasiness...[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=XPac;4388175]It is really hard to rewatch any of the Showa movies as an adult. I'll fastforeward to the monster fights, and that's about it. Loved them as a kid, but they don't age well at all.[/QUOTE]
I really have to be in the right state of mind to watch a Showa film, but I can always watch [I]Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster[/I]. Love that one. In fact, [I]Ghirodah [/I]and [I]King Kong vs Godzilla [/I]are the only Showa films* I own: I own the entirety of the Heisei and Millenium series.
*I don't count '54 as a Showa film, but I do own the Criterion Collection bluray.
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[QUOTE=XPac;4388124]Godzilla films especailly need a break every so often. They can become extremely repetititve if they overstay their welcome. They never completely go away, because he's too big of an icon for that to ever happen... but in his case less often is more.
I sort of liked the Heisei series, because it seemed to have a definative begining, middle, and end. And I wonder if the Legendary movies won't operate under the same premise. Like the Heisei series, there's a definate sense of continuity.[/QUOTE]
An interesting thing about Godzilla fans is there seems to be little orthodoxy about which films are preferred. A lot of people like the continuity, and, as you say, beginning middle and end, of the Heisei series. Personally, I'm not overly fond of those and think they sort of blend together and appreciate the Millennium films' greater emphasis on lead characters and utter lack of continuity leading to different takes. In the end, I think the 60s films are the most creative and fun, but some people are turned off by vintage nature and tonal mashup of those (sci-fi/adventure/comedy/musicals!).
Honestly, I wouldn't mind if every Godzilla movie was a reboot with a filmmaker giving their own personal spin on the character building on the pre-existing mythology but beholden to nothing but that single film. That's one of the reasons I I hope they never continue from Shin Godzilla, because I think it works really well as a stand-alone.
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[QUOTE=XPac;4388175]
It is really hard to rewatch any of the Showa movies as an adult. I'll fastforeward to the monster fights, and that's about it. Loved them as a kid, but they don't age well at all.[/QUOTE]
I've had the opposite reaction as I've gotten older. The way those movies blend comedy, sci-fi, romance, musicals, gangster movies, spy movies... it really makes my head spin how eloquently they pull off such strangeness. Generally speaking, in the 60s films I'm just as entertained by the human scenes as I am by the monsters. Maybe the apex of this is an Invasion of Astro Monster and Ebirah, where I honestly might like the human beings a bit more! I love the monsters, but the characters are so fun in those movies! Add to that the groovy visual style and some amazing scores by Ifukube and Sato and I think those films are just aces.
I think a big problem a lot of people have is that they expect these movies to be one thing. 'This movie is an adventure, this movie is science fiction,' and a modern English-speaking audience tends not to be prepared for weird tonal jumps. You see this in a lot of criticism of Korean films.
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[QUOTE=Angilasman;4388462]I I hope they never continue from Shin Godzilla, because I think it works really well as a stand-alone.[/QUOTE]
I can agree with this. The stuff I liked about [I]Shin Godzilla [/I](that being the political intrigue/process) doesn't really lend itself to sequels or serialization. I know extended political dramas ([I]The West Wing[/I], [I]Madame Secretary[/I], etc.) have their fans, but I'm not one of them.
I'm sure we won't hear anything about Toho's plans for the franchise until the Monsterverse wraps up, but I'm still interested to see where they take things.
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I hope we won't get any more Godzilla animes in the meanwhile. The three we got were painfully boring.
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[QUOTE=Immortal Weapon;4388131]I'm partial to the millennium era films. Continuity wasn't strong in them but each one was an enjoyable movie and stopped after 6 movies.[/QUOTE]
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Tokyo SOS are easily 2 of my 5 favorite Godzilla films of all time.
[QUOTE=Immortal Weapon;4388659]I hope we won't get any more Godzilla animes in the meanwhile. The three we got were painfully boring.[/QUOTE]
AGREE 100%!
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So when can we talk about the movie without spoiler tags?
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[QUOTE=BeastieRunner;4389090]
AGREE 100%![/QUOTE]
I hope they do a Godzilla anime thing again! I didn't like the initial one they did, but I respected how radically different it was (whole still drawing heavily from the classic movies). Next time they give some prominent anime maker carte blanche to reinvent Godzilla it may be a classic! I'm all for them trying new things.
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I loved that ORCA communication device. Wonder if it would've worked on Kong?