Godzilla Final Wars

[JBC]

I cannot believe that a movie this awesome was made in 2004. I love the Japanese. I love how they refuse to abandon the things in life that are cool and have the utmost respect for iconic figures in entertainment.

This movie REFUSES to be bound by any limitations and in that becomes so stupid it DESTROYS everything else that i have seen in the last decade on the awesome meter. Deep stories and good acting be damned, it's about time i had some overkill.

There is even a scene where the real Godzilla trounces the crap out of the American CG 'Godzilla' from 1998. You know, the one from the movie with Puff Daddy on the soundtrack

Do yourself a favor and go rent this. Don't try to take it seriously - just sit back and have fun.

[Edge]

Well, I didn't like the movie. It is nice to see the old monsters all coming back. But it was too weird for my liking. Never have been such a big Godzilla fan, but thanks to my uncle I have watched almost every Godzilla movie. And I personally found some of the older movies much more entertaining. Most interesting for me is when the army strategies and the fancy sci-fi weapons they use against Godzilla like the Super X-2. But Final Wars was too overloaded and hardly made any sense to me, sorry.

Though the scene where the US Godzilla gets beaten is the best in the movie.

I was also missing the classical Godzilla soundtracks...

[ReKleSS]

I still have yet to track this one down, but I liked a few of Kitamura's other movies (Azumi, Versus, Aragami) as well as the older godzilla movies (and Gamera!). I don't see how I could not like Final Wars, unless someone completely screwed up.

[Edge]

I really liked Kitamura's Versus, because it didn't take itself so serious and Aragami was nice too.

But Azumi or Princess Blade was lacking something for me. I found the "coolness" was a bit over the top, It started to get annoying. For me at least, maybe you'll like Final Wars more than me then Reckless.

[Diabollokus]

Funny, I saw azumi the other week, liked it fav bit has to be the guy in white killing the ninja on top of the hill in the corn field then as the girl is holding him he walks across the screen with a big grin. funny at the time.

I found versus a bit dissapointing and low budget, zombies in a forest was novel but not for me.

I loved godzilla when I was a kid I remember in the UK in the early nineties Channel 4 used to show godzilla movies late at night. One Time my sister came home late at night and turned off the video recorder had to wait 10 years to see godzilla vs mechagodzilla part 2 but it was worth it! Godzilla vs destroya any good?

[JBC]

On the other hand i just watched Godzilla vs. Megaguirus and Giant Monsters All-Out Attack... both sucked horribly.

I liked the music in Final Wars! I thought it was really fitting and added a nice level of intensity to the film... i suppose some more traditional themes should have been mixed in though.

[CMoon]

On the other hand i just watched Godzilla vs. Megaguirus and Giant Monsters All-Out Attack... both sucked horribly.

Awwww, I rather liked Megaguirus. I thought this was one of the only films of the new mellinium that wasn't horrible (against Mechagodzilla being the one exception--that might be my favorite of this new lot.) Still haven't seen final wars...

[Dylan1CC]

My brother called me today, he ordered the original Japanese cut of Godzilla 1985. 15 minutes of footage not in the american print so I look forward to seeing it next time I visit him.

Anyways, on Final Wars, as a die hard Godzilla fan I will say it was a fun ride but IMHO they should not have had Kitamura direct it. He added far too many overly hammed up alien/martial arts scenes at the expense of the monster battles which were waaaay too short. But I guess the very fact TOHO hired someone like Kitamura means their aim this go round was more mano-mano/martial arts and less scenes involving monsters?

In its defense, it's a fun, fast paced movie that harkens back to the old 60s Honda films. It was very nice to see old school monsters like Gigan and Angilas (finally) return.

Also, Godzilla's costume in Final Wars is one of his best. Like the sleak 2000 series build neatly combined with the Heisei era design. Speaking of which, who didn't love seeing the Emmerich/Devlin american CGI doppleganger getting trounced (not to mention made fun of in some of the dialogue) by a good old fashioned, hand crafted Godzilla suit?

But if only the kaiju fights had been a few minutes longer a piece and if only the confrontations had been a little darker without so many "Oops! He just pulled a DBZ style deathblow!" moments. Then maybe it would have had a chance of standing up against, and maybe even besting Destroy All Monsters.

edit:

On the other hand i just watched Godzilla vs. Megaguirus and Giant Monsters All-Out Attack... both sucked horribly.

Awwww, I rather liked Megaguirus. I thought this was one of the only films of the new mellinium that wasn't horrible (against Mechagodzilla being the one exception--that might be my favorite of this new lot.) Still haven't seen final wars...

Agreed, I really enjoyed the 2000 series. Especially Megaguirus and G/Mothra Tokyo S.O.S. The pacing of the battles in the 2000 films and sense of old school destruction mixed with "new" special fx were perfectly balanced IMHO.

GMK OTOH was a missed opportunity IMHO. It was wildly unfocused and like Final Wars, it had too many "Oh NOES! Godzilla performed a super quick deathblow for the umpteenth time!" Me and my brother were greatly anticipating GMK since it was directed by Shushuke Kaneko. His 90s Gamera trilogy was amazing. Especially G2 and G vs Irys.

[Dale]

I've always loved the Godzilla films (except for the american remake) but I've yet to see this one. I'm also a huge fan of Versus so I guess I should really go out and see this one.

Little known fact: When they were making the original Godzilla the person who wore the suit lost 10 pounds while filming from sweating and carrying the suit.