#5) Godzilla (2014):
2014 was the first time that audiences got to experience a purely American
Godzilla movie which was true to the title character. G2014 is set up like a
horror movie but unfolds like an action movie. It is not without its perceived
shortcomings but, in my opinion, lots of the perceived shortcomings were some
of the most powerful elements of this movie.
The most notable of these would be the limited screen time G
is allotted. A good number of fans complained that he was only on screen for
about 10 minutes. Honestly, had it not been pointed out, I would never have
noticed. G2014 is so well laid out that if you sit back and allow the plot to
unfold, there is enough monster action to keep your pallet wet. Gareth Edwards,
the director, made it clear that he wanted less Godzilla so that his presence
when he appeared would be overwhelming. I think this was an excellent strategy
that played out well overall. Before moving on to the negatives, I heard a lot
of positive talk concerning the M.U.T.O.s. One of the best things a Godzilla movie
can do is introduce a new monster. The M.U.T.O.s were a nice addition.
Having said all of this, the film team over did their effort
to limit Godzilla’s screen time. The most annoying element of this movie is how
a battle sequence would be ready to commence, only to cut out to another scene.
In a few of the battles, you only get to experience it in vague snippets. My
true #1 complaint about this movie, though, is how poorly the final battle
sequence appears on DVD. I remember seeing it at the theater and it was
awe-inspiring. When you watch it on DVD, you have to adjust the brightness and
the sharpness just to see the final battle. And I don’t mean a little; A LOT!
The most amazing scenes in this movie were when Godzilla
unleashed his atomic blast. During both scenes where he did this, I felt like a
kid again.
#4) Return of Godzilla:
AKA: Godzilla 1985. This was the first attempt to erase Godzilla’s past all the
way through until the first movie and create a sequel to the original story. A
lot of fans hated this installment, but I feel like it is one of the most
brilliant GFilms. It restored the horror element of the original Gojira as well as the themes of
atomic/nuclear doom by including the Cold War in the storyline.
There is no rival monster in this movie, but Godzilla’s
presence is enough to make you shudder and the Super X (the original Super X)
is one of the most formidable weapons ever to face Godzilla.
Fans did not appreciate the original score to this movie. It
abandoned all of the work Ifukube did in composing the score for the original
series to go a new direction. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why fans
were opposed to the new direction in the soundtrack. The soundtrack captures
the menace Godzilla represents to humanity perfectly. The music and the action
mesh up perfectly. The Super X theme is heroic. The theme for when Godzilla is
dropped into Mt. Mihara is heart wrenching. The soundtrack to G85 is probably
the most solid of the entire series.
Many fans also disliked the political element that came
along with the inclusion of Cold War themes. I personally appreciated how well
they took current events and molded their movie around them.
On that note, I must make a confession. I actually like the
Americanized Godzilla 1985 more than the Japanese original The Return of Godzilla. There are
several elements that were different that I felt really enhanced G85. For one,
in the Japanese version a Russian Sailor tries to prevent the launch of a
nuclear missile. In the American version, the Russian Sailor intentionally
launches a nuclear missile.
The scenes that really enhanced the movie in G85, though,
were those that included Raymond Burr who reprised his role as Steven Martin (a
reporter who appeared in the Americanized version of Gojira titled, Godzilla King
of the Monsters). Burr was an excellent actor who added a whole new
dimension to the eeriness of this film that made it possible for Americans to
fully grip the horror of Godzilla.
THE highlight from the Americanized version, however, is
Burr’s monologue at the end of the movie with the backdrop of the erupting Mt.
Mihara which had just swallowed up Godzilla. It will almost bring a tear to
your eye.
#3) Gojira: Yes,
the original masterpiece is #3 on my list. It could be easily argued that this
is the best film in the franchise. I’m not going to exhaust myself giving all
of the details. See it yourself, both versions (Godzilla King of the Monsters), and you’ll know why.
The musical score is downright creepy. The black and white
filmography adds an element of horror that we struggle to capture in full color
movies. The special effects were top notch for their day and have stood the
test of time, for the most part. Godzilla’s first onscreen appearance is
menacing as he peeks over the peak of a mountain to a bunch of villagers who
were expecting to slay the beast until they saw his immense size.
Dr. Serizawa is an icon of Japanese film culture as he
sacrificed himself to rid the world of two horrible threats. The love triangle
that takes place and ends in tragedy adds yet another layer to the movie that
cannot go unappreciated. Politics swirl around the existence of the prehistoric
beast Godzilla as it is debated about what he is, how he came to be, whether he
should be studied, or if he should be destroyed.
The reality is, I can go over all of the pros of this movie
without telling you the whole movie. And, again, the Americanized version with
Raymond Burr is really good too. See them both.
#2) Shin Godzilla:
I was fortunate enough that I was able to see Shin Godzilla at a movie theater. By far, this is the boldest of
the Japanese Godzilla films. All of the others piggy backed off of the success
of the original Gojira. Shin Godzilla, is Toho’s first attempt
to scrap any history of their character Godzilla
and give him a fresh new origin. Boy o boy did it work.
The first time you see this movie, you will not know what to
expect and I almost feel bad revealing that this movie does not include any
previous Godzilla storyline. As I sat in the theater, I was trying to figure out
if they knew anything about Godzilla or if they viewed him as the first of his
kind.
This is the first of any of the Godzilla movies where his
real name is actually Godzilla (which supposedly means God Incarnate) and that Gojira
is the Japanese pronunciation (which is backwards from the original
series).
This is probably the most terrifying Godzilla of the entire
series. I will warn you, despite the fact that in his first appearance he is
not fully evolved, it is one of the creepiest scenes involving Godzilla. As the
first form of Godzilla strolls into the city, the theme Persecution of the Masses plays in the background.
Persecution of the
Masses is probably the best Godzilla song to date. The rest of the
soundtrack is composed of classic Ifukube songs from the original movie (aside from Who Will Know, from the epic first atomic breath scene). All in
all, the soundtrack is darn near perfect.
After Godzilla has fully evolved, he doesn’t appear as
creepy as he did earlier in the movie. Thus, you let your guard down and say,
“Good, the horror movie is over now.” Oh no, the horror movie is escalated when
Godzilla unleashes his atomic blast for the first time. You watch helplessly as
this unstoppable beast exposes the helplessness of those he is persecuting.
Shin Godzilla should
be released to Blue Ray and DVD soon. There is much more that I can say about
this movie, but you must see it for yourself. Warning: Godzilla does not have a
lot of screen time in this movie.
#1) Terror of
Mechagodzilla: I am not kidding when I say that Terror of Mechagodzilla (particularly the original Japanese
version) is the perfect Godzilla movie. After the first Godzilla vs
Mechagodzilla, Toho made some improvements, particularly with the music. The
soundtrack is epic and opens the movie with a sampling of its score.
The opening sequence gives background concerning what
happened in GvMG and does it in a manner that makes the opening sequence more
enjoyable than wathching GvMG at all.
TMGhas an incredible cast of characters featuring interesting
human roles that go unrivaled in any of the other Godzilla movies (maybe with
the exception of Godzilla ’98). You
have scientists, aliens, military personnel, Interpol agents, and you feel like
you get to know them all sufficiently in the short span in which this movie
takes place.
Aside from Mothra vs
Godzilla, this movie features the first scenario where Godzilla must
single handedly take on two monsters at once. And the two monsters that he must
face are Mechagodzilla and a brand new monster known as Titanosaurus.
Now, there are some elements of this movie that are
definitely cheesy. The special effects aren’t perfect and Titanosaurus has the
ability to create extraordinary winds using a fan-shaped fin on the back of his
tail. The winds are so extraordinary that they are able to knock Godzilla off
of his feet. Such a feat is ridiculous. This movie also makes use of a
trademark super kick that launches opponents miles away (maybe not miles) and
defies the laws of physics. I am probably missing a few other cheesy elements,
but with this movie, the cheese fits well.
Godzilla is more like a super hero in this movie, which
allows for cheesy moments, but the bad guys are definitely sinister. In the
original Japanese movie, elements of the original Gojira are captured in the mood as MG and Titanosaurus stomp
through Tokyo, trampling people as they go.
The intention of TMG was to send Godzilla off into the
sunset. It was supposed to be the last Godzilla movie (which it wasn’t) and his
creators wanted to end the series on a positive note. The American version ends
on a totally uplifting note, with Godzilla triumphantly wading into the sunset.
The Japanese version, on the other hand, reveals some elements that , although
you are happy for Godzilla, you see the cost of victory from the human
standpoint.
This is THE Godzilla movie that I must sit at attention to every time I watch it. It has always been a favorite of mine and I have recently concluded that despite the incredible technological improvements coupled with expert storytelling, this movie possesses every element in a G movie that a GFan wants to see. Mayhem, heroics, tragedy, and triumph.
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