Godzilla (2014) - - - Part 12

[Asteroid-Man]

My analysis of the film and why I think a lot of people's complaints of the film are ******** and just for the sake of pretentious slamming of another hollywood blockbuster.

Spoiler

Godzilla as a Plot Element and Purpose of Story
If you go into this movie not having seen any trailers and not knowing anything about Godzilla, you wouldn't be complaining about the lack of Godzilla. The story isn't about Godzilla. It's about the MUTOs as a threat to humanity, paralleled with Ford's journey. The symbolism in Ford's journey (not going from Tokyo to San Fran - think deeper. His character journey) is one of family. At the beginning of the film, he has seemingly turned his back on his past and his family. Sure he has a wife and kid, but that's only half of his family.

Had he gone to help his dad sooner they might have actually been able to draw attention to the MUTO sooner. Now the thing that killed both of his parents, one resulting in him turning on his family, and the other awakening his understanding, is coming. Not only is it a threat to everyone and everything, but directly, his own family. His past is coming back to haunt him, partially because he turned his back on it. He even tells his wife to wait for him which almost results in her death. When he gives himself up with the boat, that's the moment of redemption.

Godzilla is there as a means for resolution and is used as such. Ford is the hero of the film and he successfully teams up (as subtle as it was) with Godzilla to bring down the MUTOs and save the city.

As far as the tone, quality and pacing goes, the film was pretty consistent all around - maybe not a masterpiece, but it was consistent.

Areas of Improvement
As for problems in the story - the father's death wasn't handled very well. If they wanted him to act as the catalyst to embark Ford on his journey, he should have promised his dad that he would bring down the MUTOs. So change "Get back to your family" to "Keep your family safe" "I promise. I'll bring down that son of a ***** for all of this". Bam. Direct conflict, pitting your protagonist against your antagonist. No longer circumstantial and rooted in coincidence.

Next, if they really wanted, they could have given Ford a partner or something. Someone he could open up to along the way so that he no longer seems so internal and so that the symbolic moments in his journey are no longer so subtle, and can actually be picked up by the general audience.

Finally, I think the blood on Ford's hands should have also been more directly linked to him. So either, he can't get to his dad on time, or Elle actually dies. Grounds him as a tragic hero with gravitas rather than a "stoic" hero who wins everything.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

seen it last night and loved it but can see the problems people are talking about. and i feel watanabe would have been a far better lead than the standard clean cut good old American solider

but aside from that love it apart from the cock teases with the fights lol


though i am worried if they get a sequel where do they go aside from another classic monster and as much as i wanna see him i dont see king ghidorah fitting into this godzillas world but thats like a batman series that never addresses the joker

 

[TheNextNolan22]

So now I hear Godzilla is on track to have the biggest opening of the year so far. Welcome back Goji!

 

[hitmanyr2k]

See when you go overboard in the hyperbole and abrasiveness, that's kinda when i tune out and become far less interested in what good points you might have had.

You want to bring up how audiences would react (and complain) about Jaws today then (to me) you're basically comparing GZ14 to Jaws as if they were handled the same in all aspects (which we all know they were not). So to me this movie in comparison to Jaws is a soulless POS and yes the lead character as well as the other actors other than Cranston were basically store mannequins when compared to the likes of Shaw, Dreyfuss, and Scheider who carried the film when the shark was off screen. GZ14's characters will be an afterthought in a year. If you don't like it and consider it hyperbole I don't really care. That's what I feel.

 

[DaveMoral]

I don't think that most people go to a Godzilla movie to learn about the frailty of the human condition or the lengths one will go to to return to his family.

Such people should probably avoid Gojira 1954, then. Because that is pretty much exactly what Godzilla was created to be.

They just made a Godzilla movie that had the weighty messaging of the 1954 original AND managed to give us the heroic Godzilla of the later Showa and Heisei eras. And people are complaining...

If my 8 year old son can say to me "this is the greatest movie i've ever seen" and talk about how much he wants to go buy Godzilla toys AND be absolutely thrilled and full of anticipation until Godzilla's first full appearance on screen, and later use of atomic breath.... you ADULTS can deal with it and quit being triple babies.

 

[kguillou]

Thought this was a very well done movie. I really dont see why there are complaints of lack of Godzilla because there is PLENTY of action and destruction in the film to keep you entertained throughout the movie. Yes, the movie cock teases you as bit, which admittedly frustrated me at first but during that last half hour we are treated to an epic battle of destruction that almost makes Man of Steel's Zod battle look tame.

Only thing is, I really don't see how much more you can do with sequels and stuff. I mean, yeah, guess they could add more monsters and stuff but this was a perfectly satisfying standalone epic. I cant see them doing sequels without it being kind of redundant. But, we'll see.

8.5/10

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

Has anyone bought the double feature Blu-Rays of the old Godzilla movies? I wanna get the Mothra/Ghidorah one.

sadly no, they're all region locked blu rays so being in the uk would mean they're worthless to me

 

[Godzilla2000]

Well, I just got back from watching the movie. Here's my very brief non-spoiler assessment.

P.S. As a fanatic of the Monster Hunter game series I got a chuckle from the quote, and paraphrasing, that it looks like we're monster hunters now.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

Such people should probably avoid Gojira 1954, then. Because that is pretty much exactly what Godzilla was created to be.

They just made a Godzilla movie that had the weighty messaging of the 1954 original AND managed to give us the heroic Godzilla of the later Showa and Heisei eras. And people are complaining...

If my 8 year old son can say to me "this is the greatest movie i've ever seen" and talk about how much he wants to go buy Godzilla toys AND be absolutely thrilled and full of anticipation until Godzilla's first full appearance on screen, and later use of atomic breath.... you ADULTS can deal with it and quit being triple babies.

Heh, this was damn near how my 9 year old cousin felt. He has never experienced a Godzilla movie in theaters before so this is definitely a movie experience he'll never forget.

 

[Boom]

I will admit that after about the third tease of a fight, I was starting to get a little antsy, but I enjoyed the movie. The last twenty minutes were heaven and the theater erupted when Godzilla decided to break out his final move.

I probably would have gone with a different lead, though. Aaron Johnson didn't really do much for me.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

As for the complaints about Godzilla "being a hero" in this one. He doesn't give a **** about humans. Plain and simple. He's an animal hunting a bigger game and that bigger game were the MUTOs. Him being a full-on hero would've been solidified if he turned around, looked back at the humans, roared, and then went back to the ocean.

There's still an off chance he could attack humans in a future sequel. I take Goji's portrayal in this movie as a mix of Gamera in the 90s Gamera trilogy, Godzilla in the original film, later Showa/Heisei films, and Mothra in the original Mothra film.

 

[X Knight]

just got back from seeing it!!

all I can say is.........******* AWESOME!!! SKKKKKRRRROOOOOONNNNKKKK!!!!

 

[Uncanny1]

Only thing is, I really don't see how much more you can do with sequels and stuff. I mean, yeah, guess they could add more monsters and stuff but this was a perfectly satisfying standalone epic. I cant see them doing sequels without it being kind of redundant. But, we'll see.

8.5/10

Aliens could try to take over earth with the aliens monsters King Ghidorah or Gigan. They would run into Godzilla. It would make all the people that want to see Godzilla fight more very happy.

 

[TheNextNolan22]

I have SOOO many ideas of how they can go about future movies. Some involving oxygen and King Ghidorah...

 

[BlackFox]

Just got back from seeing it and I think I shall just say I was dissapointed by it and leave it at that. Seems like some heated debate in this thread and the pros and cons have probably been talked about greatly already anyway so dont want to throw petrol on the fire.

I'm just gutted I didnt like it more, but I hope it makes lots of money so that it gets a sequal. Just hope I like that one more

 

[X Knight]

I'm not sure how the alien angle would fit in this "hyper realistic" world.

although, that being said, the MUTOS themselves did look very alien and creepy.

perhaps their origin is alien in nature and ties back to the alien race responsible for Ghidorah and Gigan.

as much as I want to see Ghidorah, I think Biollante would make a good foe in the next film.

her story would lend itself to the whole "man tries to tamper with/control nature" and Godzilla returns to restore balance.

I could see a botanist/scientist, whose daughter was critically injured/killed during the monster attack in this film. desperate to save her, he manages to retrieve DNA samples of Godzilla which were collected at the scene of the battle. He mixes the Godzilla DNA with the DNA of the rose plant and injects it into his daughter. but the experiment goes awry and she mutates into a monster.......a true freak of nature.

as for Ghidorah, I think they could tie him into the stories and legends we have of dragons. that is, he is the basis of those stories.

at certain points throughout history, the aliens unleash Ghidorah to try to wipeout Earth lifeforms. perhaps, in this history, it wasn't a meteor that killed the dinosaurs but Ghidorah himself.

if Godzilla represents restoring balance, then Ghidorah should represent pure destruction and chaos.

 

[Lighthouse]

Aliens could try to take over earth with the aliens monsters King Ghidorah or Gigan. They would run into Godzilla. It would make all the people that want to see Godzilla fight more very happy.

Or he runs into even more of monsters, which in turn wake up an ancient giant turtle who teams up with Godzilla, and the audience's heads explode.

 

[Super Kal]

got to see it...

i LOVED it. i would love to see it again.

9/10

 

[X Knight]

did my eyes deceive me or did I see the name Mothra written on glass?

 

[TheNextNolan22]

did my eyes deceive me or did I see the name Mothra written on glass?

On a tank inside the Brody house.

 

[X Knight]

On a tank inside the Brody house.

that's what I thought!!

 

[Lighthouse]

It'd have been funnier if the moth's name was Hooper.

 

[craigdbfan]

Really, really liked it. Dare I say loved?

 

[Chris B]

My only real complaint is Godzilla not getting a little more screentime, the cut-aways from the fight scenes (especially the airport one), and the human characters being a bit dull.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed it and hope that we get a sequel. I would love to see Edward's take on some of the other Japanese monsters.

 

[DA_Champion]

I thought it was meant to be somewhat comedic, like an intentional moment that was supposed to frustrate the audience, heck the entire movie made sure to keep big G in the background during most of the film, and kept the focus on mutos vs humans. Truth is, had we got none of those scenes, the film would have been duller than dishwater, it would have served no purpose and when you finally do see him, it would be abrupt and without any build up, it would be pointless, but had you followed him throughout the movie and shown us all those fights, it would have severely lessened the impact of the final fight. Has anyone here ever actually SEEN one of these movies? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Oh who am i kidding, this is the generation that despises anything that isn't outright in service to them and their needs, they hate being teased or challenged, it's all we want it now now now, bigger, louder, more more more. I would have loved to have seen today's audiences react to JAWS as if it were a new movie, i can hear it now. "it's pretty ridiculous you barely get to see the shark until the last couple of minutes, you just spend time with humans!"

The tease in Jaws was a relatively original directing strategy, not something that has been copied 1000x before.