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Post by obliv326 on Jun 16, 2006 16:45:09 GMT -5
hey mike
so, ive been sort of rewatching the millenium godzillas, and i am sort of curious...in one of the movies, i think its giant monsters all outattack, king ghidora is, GASP, a good guy. what do you think about this? or perhaps, we should also bring in g-fan, as hes the real expert here, right?
personally, i think its a travesty...portraying godzilla as a good guy may not be what the fans like, but ghidora has always been tghe more evil of two evils...i dont like him being a guardian of the earth...
and if mothra is always a good guy, why do people find godzilla in that same role to be unpleasant?
anyway, what are your thoughts, mike? and g-fan?
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Post by Michael West on Jun 16, 2006 21:12:34 GMT -5
I know that when GMK ( Godzilla/Mothra/King Ghidora: Giant Monsters All-out Attack) was first released, there was a lot of outcry from the fan community, upset that Ghidora was a good guy. But then again, Baragon was never a good guy either. Of the three "Guardian Monsters," only Mothra was a good guy. To be honest, it didn't bother me. What bothered me more, until I saw the movie, was Godzilla being brought back by the angry ghosts of those Japanese who died in WWII. He's a dinosaur, mutated by the A-bomb. Why monkey with 50 years of history?  That said, this director directed the three 90s Gamera films--my favorite Japanese monster films EVER!--and I could see he was going for a darker, more Fantasy style take on the characters, and I was willing to accept his new vision--one that existed outside the normal Godzilla universe.  Perhaps G-Fan will have a different take, but GMK is my favorite of the Millenium films. The special effects are the best of the series (especially the fight between Godzilla and Baragon), and the characters are real human beings with real problems outside of giant monsters. Plus, the acting by all involved is wonderful. ;D |
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G-Fan
Callisto
Perhaps there's a little Godzilla in all of us.
Posts: 59
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Post by G-Fan on Jun 16, 2006 21:30:43 GMT -5
I think that is a good question obliv326. I think that the makers thought of not having aliens control him  , because In the old movies King Ghidora was always controlled to attack the city by the aliens. So that is why I think, I still can't believe I'm saying this, King Ghidora was good. |
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Post by obliv326 on Jun 17, 2006 5:39:30 GMT -5
interesting points, both of you.
on mikes point, i have seen the first of those gamera films, and ws fairly impressed. i have casually thought about seeking out the others. i assume that boh you and g-fan recommend the entire series? i really liked hw they justified the existence of gamera, possibly one of the most theoretically ridiculous characters in the history of film. taking a scientific approach to gamera is, well, lets call it brave! the guy who can come up with a logical, reasonable explanation for the existence of a 300 ft tall turtle that flies by shooting fire from its legholes and spinning like a lathe...the mere physics questions alone stagger the mind, and this films fans are the kind to ask them...then check the math!...well, the man willing to dive into that mess has my respect, and attention, and i would be willing to check out his wares!
so, just for the record...mike, you and g-fan both highly recommend the gamera series?
also, have you both seen the millenium mothra series? if so, how do you feel about those?
i think, of the millenial godzillas, i like final wars the best...just for the fact that they threw every monster imaginable in there. i couldnt believe it when i saw the american godzilla on screen! even better was the way they dealt with him...the way they dealt w/him in the whole series, actually...
my opinion has always been that in monster movies, the less we have to deal with some stupid human plot the better. i would even like to see one that is completely fighting monsters, with no characters or dialogue, other vthat people running away screaming...again, i think the worst example of the human element was the american godzilla. i mean, it was almost as if they were saying "i know this movie is called godzilla, but what people really want when they come to the movies is a romantic comedy, no matter what the film they go to see. so, we'll spend as little time on those silly monsters as we can, and get the audience back to the love story. it'll be more of a titanic, but with monsters instead of an iceberg! see! we'll make millions!"
urgh....
anyway, final wars does as good a job as any in that area. i still think there is too much emphasis on the people, but at least it relatex to the monster plot more than a lot of the others. i did like 'all out attack' as well...
i suppose, also, you're right about baragon having never been good either. i suppose this whole debate is one of the reasons the alien mind control plot was so common to these films. i mean, when godzilla was portrayed in the showa(sp?) series as sort of the big pet of one of several little bowl cut japanese boys partial to white shorts, most people wuld see that as the low point in tge series, being little more than long form saturday morning cartoons. thus, an alien invasion gives you the chance to root for him as the 'lesser of two evils'...still a destructive threat to the very survival of mankindm but preferable to the m ore malevolent monsters.
so, heres another question, for mike, g-fan, and anyone else who has any clue what we're talkikng about...does godzilla's role in the films ie good guy, bad guy, etc, affect how you feel about him in the film? i, for one, was rooting for him to off ghidora in 'all out attack'. i always will...i guess im just programmed that way, much like the way you are programmed as a kid to like certain baseball teams!
anyway, a lot of questions, and i am genuinely curious to know yours and g-fans thoughts, as well as anyone else who has an op;inion on this particular topic....and forgive my nerdy obsessiveness...i loved godzilla so much as a youngster, but alas, apart from occasional screenings on the old late night horror show thing, there was little in the way of swag for the pre-pubescent godzilla fan. there was a shogun warrior that inexplicably fired off its hand with a spring loaded trigger built into the arm. not only was this completely anathema to the godzilla mythos, but the damn thing would haphazardly fire off in the middle of serious play! after premature misfirings destroyed several hours worth of lincoln logs/legos vesrions of the tokyo skyline several times, i permanently rigged mine w/tape disabling that stupid pointless"weapon"...which was prescient on my part. the spring lock was so badly made that it would break after a couple months anyway, leaving you with a godzilla incapable of not only using, but even HAVING a left hand.
anyway, i wandered into a toystore the other day..good lord!
ah, to be 8 again!
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Post by Michael West on Jun 17, 2006 9:54:38 GMT -5
so, just for the record...mike, you and g-fan both highly recommend the gamera series? I would highly recommend the whole series. Gamera 2 (aka Attack of Legion)was the best overall film, IMHO, but Gamera 3 (aka Revenge of IRIS) is just amazing to look at. There is not as much monster fighting in that one, but what there is of it is the most incredible footage ever created in the history of monster cinema. So, yeah, at least give it a rent. I own the nifty box set. ;D also, have you both seen the millenium mothra series? if so, how do you feel about those? They are great kids movies. I'm not a HUGE Mothra fan (although, I love the Mothra song the Cosmos sings). i think, of the millenial godzillas, i like final wars the best...just for the fact that they threw every monster imaginable in there. i couldnt believe it when i saw the american godzilla on screen! even better was the way they dealt with him...the way they dealt w/him in the whole series, actually... I agree. Final Wars was a lot of fun, particularly the soccer game between Godzilla and King Seezar with Anguillus as the soccer ball.  I know what you mean about wanting more monster mash and less human stuff. Any time you see an American in a Japanese Godzilla movie...it's a baaaad thing.  so, heres another question, for mike, g-fan, and anyone else who has any clue what we're talkikng about...does godzilla's role in the films ie good guy, bad guy, etc, affect how you feel about him in the film? i, for one, was rooting for him to off ghidora in 'all out attack'. i always will...i guess im just programmed that way, much like the way you are programmed as a kid to like certain baseball teams! I've always liked the approach of the 80's-current Godzilla films: presenting him as a force of nature that is neither good, nor evil. He does what he does. If people are in the way, he will step on them. If another monster is in the way, he will fight it off. Tokyo is his turf, after all. anyway, i wandered into a toystore the other day..good lord! ah, to be 8 again! You should see G-Fan's room! I wish that had been MY room growing up. |
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Post by obliv326 on Jun 23, 2006 17:56:45 GMT -5
hey mike
i will check out the gamera series. i think i saw them a few years back, but just sort of peripherally paid attentions. it was back when i had a job that demanded 24-7 attn, and i was a freaking nervous wreck..anyway, i look fwd to seeing those.
and i have seen a version of g-fans room...albeit an early one. and yeah, i wish it could have been my room too...although, if i remember correctly, your room was nothing to sneeze at!
so, mikespawn II...has he inherited your taste for the horrific also, or do his run a little less gory than the old man's?
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Post by Michael West on Jun 26, 2006 19:57:38 GMT -5
so, mikespawn II...has he inherited your taste for the horrific also, or do his run a little less gory than the old man's? Killer Penguin? He has a taste for the horror too, yes. He likes read Goosebumps and will watch Freddy Vs. Jason now and again. (The edit that appears on Sci-Fi. ) |
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Post by obliv326 on Jun 28, 2006 3:13:44 GMT -5
ah, killer penguin! good to know! i was curious about his name in the message world...
goosebumps and freddy and jason, huh? well, thats an excellent start...i think spawn are in my future soon, and i am not certan how much my SO will allow in terms of the horrific exposiure to the n ext generation...my personal goal, howevefr, is to get my kids to do an impression of tall man from phantasm!
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