Godzilla (1998) or Godzilla (2014)

[Angilasman]

really?

I thought the original movie was that Godzilla was an ancient creature that had lived when Earth was a lot more radioactive and fed off of radiation??

The change: in the '54 version the atomic bomb stirred this ancient survivor to the surface world and made him radioactive, in this new version he's already radioactive and nuclear bombs are the things that have roused him to the surface world.

I approve of this change. It keeps all the important stuff and leaves the door open for an easy way to introduce other classic kaiju, who can also be explained as survivors from the radioactive ecosystem.

[Lois]

Godzilla 2014.
Godzilla in this film looked more like the character in the Japanese Godzilla movies that I often watch.
Did like Godzilla 1998, but, the creature in the film didn't really resemble Godzilla very much.

[Vibranium]

The change: in the '54 version the atomic bomb stirred this ancient survivor to the surface world and made him radioactive, in this new version he's already radioactive and nuclear bombs are the things that have roused him to the surface world.

I approve of this change. It keeps all the important stuff and leaves the door open for an easy way to introduce other classic kaiju, who can also be explained as survivors from the radioactive ecosystem.

I dug it

I liked how everyone kind of realized that Godzilla is not something you stop, you just hope you aren't in his way

[wjowski]

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

[lancerman]

The change: in the '54 version the atomic bomb stirred this ancient survivor to the surface world and made him radioactive, in this new version he's already radioactive and nuclear bombs are the things that have roused him to the surface world.

I approve of this change. It keeps all the important stuff and leaves the door open for an easy way to introduce other classic kaiju, who can also be explained as survivors from the radioactive ecosystem.

TBF they never really delved into Godzilla's origin that much. Just that he seemed to have connections to the other Muto and that Godzilla existed in 1954, was attacked, presumed dead.

[Sighphi]

The change: in the '54 version the atomic bomb stirred this ancient survivor to the surface world and made him radioactive, in this new version he's already radioactive and nuclear bombs are the things that have roused him to the surface world.

Actually according to the movie Godzilla was detected by a sub and the bombs were used to attempt to kill him.
Which destroys the idea that nuclear stuff is because there is no ties at all.

[Cyke]

First, the thread was asking between G98 and G2014. It wasnt asking about G98 vs all other G movies.

But *you're* the one that split them into two different categories: a Godzilla-only film and a Vs. film. So I'm responding according to your specifications in kind. There are other Godzilla-only movies out there, and they're all heads above G98.

Second, both movies have callbacks for some unknown reason. The beginning when Serizawa is coming into the digging site is a straight up ripoff of Alan Grant in the helicopter coming into JP looking at this raptor claw wondering about something then the next shot has the girl scientist looking intently at him.

Every monster movie has some sort of scene of exposition, discovery, and shock. Mimic had it. The Blob has it. Every version of the Thing has it. Jurassic Park doesn't have that market cornered (in fact, Spielberg made that scene as an homage to 50s B-flicks, like how he envisioned Indiana Jones as a throwback to 40s pulp serials). What it *did* pioneer was the imagery of agile, quick-footed bipedal scaley animals chasing people around dark corridors. Besides, it's no secret that G98 tried to copy Jurassic Park -- Roland Emmerich has said so during development, and even its marketing campaign was a direct reference to Jurassic Park as an answer to the Lost World. Additionally, most every film review published -- at the time and then looking back to 1998 when this new movie came out -- intentionally compares it to Jurassic Park.

Third, at least in that movie Godzilla bother to attack back instead of doing nothing while getting shot at and ignoring everyone else.

Because it's faithful to the idea that Godzilla was a protector god of the planet, something that was founded in the 60s and continued on until Toho's moratorium. Also, he wasn't doing nothing -- he was either too busy attacking the MUTOs (enemy fire bothers him so little that he can afford to ignore it), or he was saving humans from their own weapons. He's so far above humans that he doesn't quite care as much, but will go out of his way to save humans the way one will rescue a few harmless ants. He wasn't getting hurt, he wasn't really getting tickled, so why bother?

Sorry but this new movie didnt get Godzilla right either and on top of that it was sold to be a movie that it was not for some unknown reasons.

Wait, earlier you had to be reminded that Godzilla was a force of nature AND a mostly indifferent/misunderstood protector of the planet and has played both roles for decades, but you're the arbiter of what makes a proper Godzilla movie? I can't claim such a title, but those two basic facts are at the core of the mythos, and anyone who doesn't know that isn't really in a position to decide what makes a proper Godzilla movie. The filmmakers intentionally took cues from batches of Godzilla movies in each era, from the first two to some of the latest. That's much more of an effort than G98 ever did, who made Godzilla into a swift, agile, giant T-Rex that hides. In other words, nothing that any Toho Godzilla has *ever* displayed.

(To put it another way: you're talking about being a judge of what makes the "right" Godzilla, but you're sponsoring the anomaly over the one that has traits of all other incarnations of Godzilla; and stranger yet, you're calling the anomaly -- the one out of 50 -- the more accurate one. The anomaly who doesn't lumber around, isn't invulnerable, and doesn't even have atomic breath. The one who lays eggs. And that's just the physical stuff.)

Godzilla getting killed in 98 was as bad this new Godzilla's origins that have nothing to do with nuclear power.

Actually according to the movie Godzilla was detected by a sub and the bombs were used to attempt to kill him.
Which destroys the idea that nuclear stuff is because there is no ties at all.

Actually, Serizawa says that monsters of MUTO and Godzilla size back in ancient times fed off the ambient radiation that blanketed the Earth for millions of years. But once that radiation started to fade away to acceptable levels, the kaiju were thinning out. Additionally, Godzilla didn't need to feed on radiation like the MUTOs because all those attempts to bomb him actually sustained him instead. He woke up because the MUTOs awoke and signaled each other, and he sensed the signal, too, and Serizawa posits that Godzilla is nature's way of curbing those extremes. So not only does it maintain the connection to nuclear stuff, it's also an argument for moderation of nuclear power -- get enough to sustain and ensure survivability, but too much will kill everyone. It's one of the primary modern subtexts of the movie. Nuclear power itself is a monster and can bring about destruction (the tests from the intro and the MUTOs in the present), but if used properly and not hoarded (Godzilla), it can help; just don't get greedy or ignorant about it. If radiation is useful in measured doses (controlled nuclear power; the sun's radiation; Godzilla) but harmful in massive doses (no ozone layer; nuclear bombs; abundance of Kaiju), then it has to be contained some way. Godzilla is nature's answer.

Don't get me wrong, you can like or dislike this movie as much as you want. But to say this incarnation of Godzilla himself is somehow less faithful than GINO rings really false considering the 50 years of Godzilla history that's out there, as opposed to Emmerich who wanted to distance himself as far from the source material as possible -- hell, he admitted that he didn't even like any of the preceding movies, and only signed on because he was promised that he could reshape the entire franchise as much as he wanted (so non-Godzilla Godzilla movies).

[Prime]

We didn't even get to see than much of Godzilla...

[Pharozonk]

We didn't even get to see than much of Godzilla...

That's how most classic Godzilla movies are too.

[Angilasman]

Actually according to the movie Godzilla was detected by a sub and the bombs were used to attempt to kill him.
Which destroys the idea that nuclear stuff is because there is no ties at all.

The nuclear sub attracted him. He'd previously been content hanging out in the deepest crevices of the Earth absorbing natural radiation from the planet's core. H-Bombs were used to try to kill him, but they actually just fed him and he's been sleeping it off for a few decades. Godzilla is established as the alpha predator of the radioactive ecosystem, which includes the Mutos and (presumably) a multitude of other kaiju that feed on radiation. On top of that, the film revolves around nuclear power and nuclear bombs.

If you'd never seen a Godzilla movie before you'd be left with the correct impression that the Godzilla series revolves around nuclear stuff.

[Vibranium]

That's how most classic Godzilla movies are too.

the original Gojira, you don't even see him until 40-45 minutes in IIRC

[Vidocq]

the original Gojira, you don't even see him until 40-45 minutes in IIRC

He first appears in minute 21, before that we follow scientists who investigate the many sightings, when he does appeasr, it becomes a debate as to whether the government should share that information with the public and whether we should kill or study Godzilla. Dr Sarasawa is also there, having created a devastating WMD by accident and wondering if killing Godzilla would be worth the damage that world's governments would do once they get a hold of it.

A lot of post WWII pathos, a lot of character conflict and a lot of moral questions for the viewer.

Not GI Generic looking for his boring plot device of a family, and certainly no blue balling cut away once Godzilla finally shows up.

[Vibranium]

He first appears in minute 21, before that we follow scientists who investigate the many sightings, when he does appeasr, it becomes a debate as to whether the government should share that information with the public and whether we should kill or study Godzilla. Dr Sarasawa is also there, having created a devastating WMD by accident and wondering if killing Godzilla would be worth the damage that world's governments would do once they get a hold of it.

A lot of post WWII pathos, a lot of character conflict and a lot of moral questions for the viewer.

Not GI Generic looking for his boring plot device of a family, and certainly no blue balling cut away once Godzilla finally shows up.

wow...imagery

[Global Honored]

Poll added. My vote goes to the new one. I thought it was a good effort and decent summer popcorn fare. Also, I didn't care much for the Broderick version.