The official Legendary Pictures GODZILLA 3D reboot thread (5.16.14)

[Real Bout Maniac]

Just got back from an early showing of this at my local theater.

Personally, I loved it. It totally redeemed the American side of the franchise from the horrendous '98 version, and it really makes me hope the film does well enough that we'll get a sequel or two down the road.

That said, I can see why some are complaining that Godzilla himself isn't in the film enough. You really don't see him do much until the very end of the film, but there are enough glimpses of him (and quite a bit of MUTO action) to make up for that fact. Plus, I think it works well in that it really builds up anticipation for when he really does cut loose at the film's finale.

I'm probably going to check it out again this weekend as I loved seeing Godzilla on the big screen again (last time was what, Godzilla 2000 IIRC). Plus, my wife mentioned that there was a hidden Easter egg nod to Mothra that she caught. I missed it myself, so I want to try to catch that as well as anything else I might have missed the first time around.

 

[Taiso]

Just saw this on IMAX in 3D.

Lots of mighty peaks and abysmal valleys. It is an uneven film.

On the good side, Godzilla is right as rain. It feels as though the filmmakers understand the entity and do a good enough job with him. His design is great, many of the signature events of a Godzilla film are represented here and the roar is as good a version as I've ever heard. He looks and sounds awesome. The MUTO monsters are very well designed as well. The visual effects for the buildup sequences are very well storyboarded. The sense of scale when the kaiju are on the screen is perfect. The application of EMP pulses is perfectly utilized and the motivations for the kaiju to fight are very well thought out-they have good, believable reasons for mixing it up.

On the bad side, the movie is very slow for most of it and there are a bunch of subplots that do nothing to make the humans interesting or engaging except for Cranston, who is really great in the movie and is criminally wasted. He really should have been the human lead in the film. The young hero is bland and has no compelling arc or motivation. The kaiju fights take too long to get to and then they are obscured far too often by buildings, smoke, debris and night time lighting. The Honolulu sequence is a missed opportunity for a good kaiju battle that establishes the pecking order. The action beats with the humans are lame and do nothing to ramp up the tension.

The movie has the same problem as the first Transformers. It spends too much time on the humans and their attempts to thwart the effects based stars and stop them from coming to blows. The audience knows that their efforts will largely fail and we will still get the fights we all paid money to see. I understand the need to portray the humans as being more than observers because that's not our style. But all of the planning and effort by the humans needs to be truncated down. They need to not be afforded so much time to come up with plans and schemes to stop what we, as an audience, already know can't be stopped. Just do some rudimentary hemming and hawing about the new threats, try something, watch it fail and then let the action begin.

2.5 out of 4. If you are the type of person that gets invested in characters that do nothing but stare at the camera and inane and ultimately uninteresting human action beats and subplots, then you will be engaged for the majority of the film. If you prefer tighter pacing, better plotting and a stronger focus on the title attractions, you may find yourself bored for a lot of it.

 

[Pretty Amy]

Just got back from an early showing of this at my local theater.
That said, I can see why some are complaining that Godzilla himself isn't in the film enough. You really don't see him do much until the very end of the film, but there are enough glimpses of him (and quite a bit of MUTO action) to make up for that fact. Plus, I think it works well in that it really builds up anticipation for when he really does cut loose at the film's finale.

This. I loved the slow build up to revealing Godzilla and eventually the real fights at the end.

 

[Normdog]

I loved the slow build up to revealing Godzilla and eventually the real fights at the end.

That final battle

 

[Moon Jump]

It seems like a lot of people haven't seen a Godzilla film before. You've got to wade through the shit with the humans before you get to the Big G. Hell whenever I had access to a VHS of one of the movies I'd pretty much skip all of the story and get right into the monsters. It was the same thing with Power Rangers. I could care less about the humans and them running around in the costumes but when it got to the last few minutes when they broke out the giant robot costume then things got busy.

I'm still planning on seeing it next week when the hype dies down so I know from word of mouth that the buildup's going to be super slow and the actors either have no charisma or are totally phoning it in. So it'll just make it more sweet when Godzilla finally does show up and starts kicking some ass.

 

[T.A.P.]

I thought Breaking Bad was the human lead.

 

[Normdog]

I thought Breaking Bad was the human lead.

Spoiler:

Just for a little while, then Kick-Ass takes over

 

[T.A.P.]

Spoiler:

Just for a little while, then Kick-Ass takes over

Lame.

 

[Taiso]

It seems like a lot of people haven't seen a Godzilla film before. You've got to wade through the shit with the humans before you get to the Big G.

Why?

Why do these movies have to be this way?

Why do Godzilla movies have to have a bunch of shit to wade through?

Why can't they make a Godzilla movie where the build up is actually interesting?

Sticking to a formula of bad or mediocre is not acceptable just because 'it's always been this way.' If anything, a new Godzilla movie should try NOT to repeat the mistakes that have kept the other films from being truly great.

I am not trying to start a fight with anyone that is a Godzilla fan, believe me. But bad is bad, mediocre is mediocre and the last reason I want to hear for its existence is 'because it's always been that way.' A film shouldn't aim to bore or disappoint prior to the third act.

 

[NeoSneth]

Why can't they make a Godzilla movie where the build up is actually interesting?

Sticking to a formula of bad or mediocre is not acceptable just because 'it's always been this way.' If anything, a new Godzilla movie should try NOT to repeat the mistakes that have kept the other films from being truly great.

I am not trying to start a fight with anyone that is a Godzilla fan, believe me. But bad is bad, mediocre is mediocre and the last reason I want to hear for its existence is 'because it's always been that way.' A film shouldn't aim to bore or disappoint prior to the third act.

It's called character building. If this movie was all about Godzilla, it would be short and boring. They have to try and make you care about something other than Godzilla, and this movie did that fairly well.
King Kong is a perfect example.

You ever play a Godzilla videogame? They are fun for awhile, but using his special moves loses appeal after a while. The movie would be the same.

No one is saying Godzilla is an top tier movie. It's dumb sci fi, and we love it.

Some other people have also pointed out that it's more of a Disaster movie, than a monster movie.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL41F58B6D5A7B23CD

 

[Taiso]

It's called character building. If this movie was all about Godzilla, it would be short and boring. They have to try and make you care about something other than Godzilla, and this movie did that fairly well.

The character arcs in this movie are mostly lame and boring. The movie did nothing to build them and make them interesting. Did they do a good job of building ANY of the characters except for Cranston? Are any of their arcs truly interesting or compelling?

They aren't. They're lame characters whose actions aren't interesting.

I think it's funny that you think I don't understand effective character building.

King Kong is a perfect example.

I don't even get this comparison. In the Peter Jackson King Kong, the important characters are interesting people. This is a bad example.

You ever play a Godzilla videogame? They are fun for awhile, but using his special moves loses appeal after a while. The movie would be the same.

This is also a terrible comparison. Video games are not movies and can't even be judged by remotely the same set of standards.

No one is saying Godzilla is an top tier movie. It's dumb sci fi, and we love it.

Dumb is fine. I like dumb. I enjoyed Pacific Rim. I like super hero movies.

But Godzilla isn't fun for most of it. Most of the movie is fucking boring.

Some other people have also pointed out that it's more of a Disaster movie, than a monster movie.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL41F58B6D5A7B23CD

Spinning this particular Godzilla movie as a disaster movie is a lame attempt to legitimize the boredom.

Godzilla movies don't have to have boring build up. It can have GOOD build up that doesn't have to show the monsters. It's called developing characters and plots that are interesting. This movie doesn't do that.

 

[2D_mastur]

Is this movie worth seeing in IMAX or even 3D? Does the movie take advantage of the 3D at all? I'm taking my nephew to see this today and I'm trying to avoid the big-ass lines, if possible. There is only one IMAX theater in my city and it's always jammed packed when movies like this come out.

Give me honest answers, puh-lease.

 

[NeoSneth]

.

You dont like it. We get it.
No one is going to defend Godzilla for award winning story and cinematography.

If you don't get it, you dont get it.

 

[Taiso]

Is this movie worth seeing in IMAX or even 3D? Does the movie take advantage of the 3D at all? I'm taking my nephew to see this today and I'm trying to avoid the big-ass lines, if possible. There is only one IMAX theater in my city and it's always jammed packed when movies like this come out.

Give me honest answers, puh-lease.

Honest answer: no

The movie was converted to 3D after the fact and it's mostly distracting.

There are scenes of people running in front of the action all the time, and the 3D element of it frustrates and distracts. Also, the POV scenes, like when characters are looking through binoculars or goggles, are distracting because they limit the view and the shadow effects in the middle and to the sides are irritating. It also suffers too much from the 'dark screen' symptom that many afterconverted 3D movies suffer.

There have only been two movies that I have ever seen in 3D where the 3D added to the experience or were effectively used.

Avatar
Gravity

After seeing Godzilla in 3D, that list remains at those two movies. The ideal solution would be an IMAX version that ISN'T 3D, but I don't know if such an option exists.

That is my honest answer.

You dont like it. We get it.
No one is going to defend Godzilla for award winning story and cinematography.

If you don't get it, you dont get it.

I don't get what?

Bad character development? Uninteresting human elements? Wasted actor talent?

Godzilla movies don't get to be 'just good enough to please Godzilla nerds.' They can be put under the same scrutiny as any other escapist cinema, and can succeed or fail by the same standards.

 

[Pretty Amy]

Agreed that IMAX 3D had questionable visuals. The only thing it really added was the better and louder sound system.

 

[Taiso]

Is it substantiated anywhere that visual elements in the foreground were added specifically for 3D? Like people running around in front of the action and stuff? That all seemed very 'shoved in after the fact' and was distracting.

 

[cdamm]

Dumb is fine. I like dumb. I enjoyed Pacific Rim. I like super hero movies.
...

But Godzilla isn't fun for most of it. Most of the movie is fucking boring.
...
Spinning this particular Godzilla movie as a disaster movie is a lame attempt to legitimize the boredom.
...
Godzilla movies don't have to have boring build up. It can have GOOD build up that doesn't have to show the monsters. It's called developing characters and plots that are interesting. This movie doesn't do that.

i just saw the flick last night. these are all of my arguing points as well.

#teamtaiso

 

[Steve]

THE KING IS MOTHERFUCKING BACK!

I've seen it twice now. Thursday 7 PM early screening, and last night.

Both showings were PACKED. Not a single seat open in the house. Thursday night's crowd gave the movie a total of 5 roaring ovations, and the movie got a huge clap as the credits rolled. Amazingly, 90% of the audience stayed til the end, talking excitedly about the final fight (which is AMAZING animalistic brutality) and the start of a Godzilla American franchise.

I was probably too hyped though, as I liked it a lot but I did feel slightly underwhelmed. Then I saw it last night again... and this time I truly LOVED it. It has a really strong 1st and final act. The 2nd act is the weakest, but last night I liked the 2nd act a lot more on 2nd viewing. It takes you through the journey of Aaron Taylor Johnson's character, who has received some flak for his wooden acting. On 2nd viewing, I think he's just fine. Nothing to write home about, and yes, Cranston is much much better... so ATJ had a hard act to follow. But, storywise and everything, it made a lot more sense on 2nd viewing why the screenwriter did what he did with the script.

The CGI is amazing and Godzilla's build up is PERFECT. The final fight was glorious. Absolutely amazing. BEST OF ALL, VIRTUALLY NO SHAKING CAMERA! Truly a stunning feat in today's action genre of shaking camera galore. For this alone, I give it a hearty two thumbs up.

It raked in 38.5M last night, and nearly 50 million from Thursday night and Friday in the US alone.

Overseas it made 43M the past two days. Worldwide, Godzilla has made a monster killing at roughly 91 million in just a day and a quarter. Wow. Sequel is coming. The king is back.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE. 9 out of 10 rating for me!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottme...-office-godzilla-stomps-38-5m-could-top-100m/

 

[cdamm]

TAmazingly, 90% of the audience stayed til the end, talking excitedly about the final fight (which is AMAZING animalistic brutality) and the start of a Godzilla American franchise.

a 10% walkout rate is something to be happy about?

 

[Steve]

a 10% walkout rate is something to be happy about?

You misinterpreted my post.

NO ONE WALKED OUT during the movie.

When the credits began rolling, only 10% of the audience left. Everyone else sat in their seats, excitedly talking about the final fight as the credits rolled.

That's what I meant, and I have NEVER ever seen that from any film, not even Dark Knight Rises or Avengers. It was phenomenal to witness and be a part of.

When my friends and I finally walked out, a shit load of people were grinning ear to ear walking out with us. There was a general palpable buzz about the film, that it delivers where it counted most: THE KING IS BACK. This is no 1998 abomination, let's make that crystal clear. Gareth Edwards is a director with vision and passion for Godzilla, and it's safe to say the franchise is in healthy hands

 

[Taiso]

You misinterpreted my post.

NO ONE WALKED OUT during the movie.

When the credits began rolling, only 10% of the audience left. Everyone else sat in their seats, excitedly talking about the final fight as the credits rolled.

That's what I meant, and I have NEVER ever seen that from any film, not even Dark Knight Rises or Avengers. It was phenomenal to witness and be a part of.

When my friends and I finally walked out, a shit load of people were grinning ear to ear walking out with us. There was a general palpable buzz about the film, that it delivers where it counted most: THE KING IS BACK. This is no 1998 abomination, let's make that crystal clear. Gareth Edwards is a director with vision and passion for Godzilla, and it's safe to say the franchise is in healthy hands

I find the phenomenon of walkouts during Marvel movies bizarre, given that they know there are going to be more scenes. It's kind of a staple of those flicks.

We had a good retention rate for our showing of Godzilla as well. Then again, IMAX tickets aren't cheap. $15 a pop at 7 Bridges, so you would have to REALLY hate the flick to walk out at that price.

As much as I didn't like the pacing of the film and how boring I thought all of the human drama was, I'd agree that Gareth Edwards is the right guy for the job. I think he has the right handle on the kaiju stuff. It's not quite as bombastic and self-celebratory as Pacific Rim, and it regards the kaiju material with a grimness that I really appreciated. When Godzilla was losing the fight, I was really invested. I wanted Godzilla to just get back up and start destroying everything, which meant that it had exactly desired effect-I wanted to see the king establish his dominance. Edwards has demonstrated he knows the psychology of giant monsters in films. Both here and in Monsters, which is equally uneven but is also magic when he gets it right.

I just hope that next time, they get some script doctors to tighten it up so that us 'non G' fans don't have to develop Stockholm syndrome for the boring parts the way all of you G fans have been doing for years.

 

[Ancient Flounder]

Personally, I didn't find any of it boring. A little slow around the middle half of the film, but that's about it. I think the runtime could have been a little longer, but that's just a personal opinion. What didn't help this film was that Pacific Rim came before it and that hit the ground running. A good portion of the audience for this picture most likely went into this expecting the same. This film had more of a build-up like the '54 film had, which I'll admit that not everyone could sit through. There's at least one segment G '14 has that could have been fleshed out more, but it is what is.

I enjoyed the hell out of the film, but I do understand why some folks might not have liked it as much as they thought. And yes, the 3D was fairly weak, but the extra screen size and sound made IMAX worth it.

 

[T.A.P.]

My brother saw it yesterday and complained about the same stuff being mentioned here.

Think I'll pass on it.

 

[Nickrb]

Screenplay was totally vapid and did not make any sense. Bad one-dimensional characters, bad acting, couldn't suspend disbelief.

But what was I expecting? Its a Godzilla movie.

 

[2D_mastur]

The thing about the movie is that the "human parts" took themselves too seriously. Last thing I wanted was a poorly done melodrama shellac coating a monster flick. I knew what to expect walking in, but I didn't think they'd lay it on so thick. The Mutos were lame adversaries, IMO. Very generic looking and uninspired.


Meh.