Canon-Strike XIII: Godzilla

[Dogg Thang]

This is my favourite Godzilla film by far. Godzilla is a total badass and is the threat of the movie and he looks incredible with his white eyes. Best looking Godzilla design, in my opinion, with only meltdown Godzilla coming close. There is one shot I love where he is stomping around destroying everything but passes by a hospital. Just when you think it’s safe, his tail swings and takes it out. And I think this might be the only Godzilla movie where King Ghidorah is a hero rather than a villain. The movie pays tribute to a lot of prior Godzilla stuff while totally reinterpreting it. I love it.

Baragon is a little rubbish in it, though.

[QualityChimp]

[briareos_kerensky]

GMK is one of the best. It's a rare occasion in which human and monsters are well balanced and their storylines well written, though the CG sucks, even for early 2000s.
The final battle between the titular monsters is awesome, and the whole movie is always fun to watch.

[Neon Ignition]

Movie 27 - Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Amazingly, yet again, another film released the very next year and dismissed all the previous films before it to present itself as a direct sequel to the 1954 original giving fans the sixth timeline in the franchise (take that Michael Myers!). 45 years after the attack by Godzilla, scientists fail to fend off an attack from another similar creature and so Mechagodzilla is constructed which is piloted by two pilots (hello Pacific Rim!). When the memories from one pilot overpower Mechagodzilla and cause it to destroy a city and the pilot must overcome her demons for the final battle. The film would go on to be well received in reviews.




Are you for or Against this entry?

[QualityChimp]

I have seen this one!

I can't even remember buying this, but I think I got it off eBay or possibly a memorabilia show.

Watched it once and thought it was OK, but prefer my Mechagodzillas controlled by gorilla-faced aliens, hellbent on conquering Earth.
I can't remember much about it, so I've dug it out for a rewatch and I'll tell you what I think.

Just looking through the Godzilla Wiki whilst responding to this thread surprised me just how many times they've rebooted the series and said "no, there are no other films after the original, this is the sequel..."

[CMcK]

Movie 11 - Godzilla vs Hedorah
It would be two years until the next film released and this time the enemy monster was created by pollution. Hedorah is initially easily defeated but is able to absorb pollution to become stronger as it evolves and this is used to attempt to dial up the dramatic stakes from prior films with Godzilla being severely injured and almost defeated. Responses to the film were mixed.




An improvement on the previous film or does it do your hedorah in?

Mmmm this is another kiddie lead effort and while not as bad as it predecessor it's still pretty weak. The pollution message was probably very on point for Japan at the time as it was a manufacturing powerhouse but in the rush to expand they didn't think of the longer term consequences.

[QualityChimp]

Mmmm this is another kiddie lead effort and while not as bad as it predecessor it's still pretty weak. The pollution message was probably very on point for Japan at the time as it was a manufacturing powerhouse but in the rush to expand they didn't think of the longer term consequences.

Love those opening titles where we get this funky Bond-like credits but with sad scenes of pollution.

[Neon Ignition]

I'm somewhat puzzled by the effort Toho went to reboot the canon so often. We're into the early 2000's now and they're still making direct sequels to the original film from 50 years prior. From one side of things most of the potential audience wouldn't even be familiar with the original enough to care and from the other, they throw everything out officially but then seem to immediately repurpose all of the elements the sequels used and that the original didn't. I can understand not wanting an endless storyline but it's amazing how far they go to avoid just making a straight out and out reboot.

[QualityChimp]

If they've rebooted a few times already, maybe fans are more ready to accept it's not the same timeline.

We seem more resistant to reboots in the West, but is it more accepted in Japan?

[Dogg Thang]

I feel it has allowed them to tell much more interesting stories. And they are often very unclear just how much of a reboot they are. Several do feature flashbacks to footage from other movies that, in terms of story, seem abandoned. So they might not all be clear sequels but not total reboots either. I have no issue with it. If anything, I feel like the Legendary movies are at a point where they should be taking the same approach. I don’t see the value in following the existing material.

[QualityChimp]

It feels like Western audiences seem to love a cinematic universe where it's all linked up, but dislike reboots.

[Neon Ignition]

I'm very curious how they'll approach any further Legendary entries, after the last one it feels like there's not much left for it beyond more of the same now that they went all out visually and have headed down the summer blockbuster route compared to its more measured, thoughtful start

[briareos_kerensky]

Movie 27 - Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

Kiryuu is a cool design, but the movie doesn't quite match up with it.
The problem I have with the movie is that it focuses a bit too much on the humans, nad while all characters are cool on the surface, they don't have much depth, not to mention that the continuity with previous movies is not all that well explained and feels very loose.

[Neon Ignition]

Movie 28 - Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S
Another year later and another film was ready to go. This time though the film is actually a direct sequel to the previous years film. Following the events of Against, Mechagodzilla is undergoing repairs however Godzilla is already attacking again. When scientists conclude that Godzilla is drawn to Mechagodzilla because the skeleton of the original 1954 Godzilla was used in its construction they send the remains to the sea and Mothra steps in to defend Japan. The film was once again fairly well received but it would go on to be the only sequel within the Millennium Era.




Good fun or left you crying out SOS?

[QualityChimp]

I tried watching Biollante last night, but the quality was pretty bad.
I got up the finale fight, but it's at night and could barely see what was happening.
I found a different stream that was looooads better, so watched the first battle (which was cool with all dem tentacles), but I fell asleep before the end, dammit.

Will try again, because I was quite enjoying it!

Not seen S.O.S. but I'm trying to tick a few more off.