Next Godzilla to be the last for a decade ? (1 Viewer)

[Kirk Gunn]

While I think we've heard the story before, Godzilla's money-train seems to have come to an end (again)...

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/....ap/index.html



Got to admit that I missed "Destroy all Monsters"...

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I haven't seen all the Godzilla movies produced by Toho in the last few years; but I would have to say that the two that I was able to purchase on DVD, Godzilla 2000, and GMK:All Monsters Attack!, were both very entertaining. (The latter movie even had a reference to the 1998 "Americanized" Godzilla movie.)

Of course, I'm use to (and expect) "cheesy" effects when it comes to Godzilla movies, and I can certainly understand that today's movie goers would expect more. The problem is, as the 1998 Godzilla movie proved, a 100% CGI rendered Godzilla roots him too closely to the "real world". And in that kind of environment, a lot of the "campiness" of the series is lost. Since that's a large part of the charm of the series for many of the hard core fans, it sort of renders the whole exercise moot. (That's why Godzilla fans refer to the 1998 movie as the "GINO" (Godzilla In Name Only) movie.)

What's probably needed is for somebody like Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids) to take over the series. He's already proven that he can utilize modern CGI and still make it look "cheesy". Somebody needs to e-mail his resume' to Toho, quick!

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Godzilla reimagined through a series of international directorial visions would make for some interesting new angles on a very tired character. Of course, Toho would never go for it.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I always thought having Godzilla go on a world tour would be great fun. Have Toho supervise, rather than just letting Columbia/Tri-Star go at it again, but why not let Ringo Lam take out Hong Kong, Christophe Gans level Paris, Sam Raimi crush Los Angeles and Seattle, Phillip Noyce destroy Sydney, etc.?

I've got some hope for the upcoming one, since the director of the rather nifty Versus is in charge, but I didn't realize the franchise was in trouble. The latest to make its way over here, Godzilla/Mothra/King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All Out Attack, was pretty darn great; I hope it hasn't fallen off since then.

 

[Dan Ealey]

Having been a G-Fan for over 30 years, and having seen Toho reinvent and redefine *who* Godzilla is, and what he means to the Japanese people, I must agree that its time for the Big G to go to ground for awhile.

Remember that Godzilla is much more than a cultural icon in Japan. He represents a nation that has been the recipient of the only 2 atomic attacks upon one nation by another, and every film (if you've seen the original, subtitled in English) refers in one way or another to the consequences of those attacks and their effects upon the earth.

Toho had a 5 year respite between the Heisei series' Godzilla versus Destroyah and G2000, and used that time to try, once again, to define a Godzilla that had cultural and environmental relevance to a population that is moving beyond the memory of WWII. I, for one, thought some of the post-Heisei films were lacking something...that the unstoppable force of nature that Godzilla was has been lost somehow. And he had Heart. You really felt it when Godzilla looks down upon the lifeless body of Junior in GvsD and then goes for the final showdown with Destroyah, *knowing* he was dying, but too angry to care. Meanwhile the Government was trying desperately to prevent another nuclear catastrophe.

I haven't seen that type, or intensity of emotion come from Toho since 1995.

So, I think its time to let Godzilla rest for awhile. In ten years, Japan will be a very different place than it is now - time for Toho to use wisely to reinvent its lasting reminder of nuclear holocaust into a Godzilla who will be a better ambassador for Japan, and yet also, somehow, be the kind of box office draw Toho needs to continue the series.

 

[Brook K]

Joseph, G2000 pokes fun at the '98 movie as well in the scene where Godzilla absorbs 20-30 "super missles" without a scratch.

Well said Dan.

 

[Ian_H]

Which hopefully we now can see the uncut/undubbed version. Rialto Pictures is releasing the original version to theaters and I hope it comes to my town. I also hope we finally get it on DVD.
Here si a link:http://www.rialtopictures.com/godzilla.html


--Ian

 

[Sean*O]

Too bad. I thought the American G-film sucked because of a few reasons. Firstly was because IMHO that Godzilla was the worst looking re-imagining of the G-saur I have ever seen.

Secondly, the deeper meaning of Godzilla was lost. They made him into a mortal creature, rather than an embodiment of the unappeasable rage that can exist within humanity, and the consequence of aggression.

I know they attempted to break it down like that, but they did not succeed, because Godzilla was turned into just another living breathing nuisance that could be dispatched through conventional means.

Godzilla is the symbol of the greater enemy, or the unbeatable adversary. It is supposed to represent that there is always someone, or something bigger and badder out there, and that the cycle of aggression will never end as long as you try to one-up it.

It means that constantly fighting each other will only result in the the destruction of every one of us, and it would have, and should have been just as appropriate to have Godzilla destroy New York city as having him destroy Tokyo (meaning that Godzilla is more than just a direct metaphor for the Atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan).

Unfortunately, immature direction, and/or following a Hollywood formula ended any chance the American version had of following the example set by the original.

All philosophy aside, I am a fan of the Toho Godzilla films, and it would be a shame to see them go out of production for 10 years. Maybe a little break would be good though just to go out and find the right team of people to make some new films.