GODZILLA: MINUS ONE

[Over9K]

Yeah I'd imagine well get a full trailer by the end of next month. Glad there's still a lot of mystery regarding the actual plot.

I've noted the motif of the female character, facing off against Goji. Will this character be central? I certainly like the image here... 

[Dynomikegojira]

Hmm is that a legit poster? I'm honestly expecting a family drama with Godzilla in it. Maybe a former WW2 soldier is the main character that's my best guess.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

It does look like the person is dressed way to modern from what we've been hearing.

[Dynomikegojira]

Yeah I think it's a fan poster

[Dynomikegojira]

New teaser and full trailer Monday

https://youtu.be/x7ythIm0834?si=Nvo4kPn5PXwOv0MZ

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Cool. I saw some breakdowns on Youtube, maybe he will fight the U.S. military as well?

[Dynomikegojira]

Most likely since Japan was occupied by the US military at the time.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

You have to watch pretty far into it but the Japanese battleship Nagato might be used against Godzilla.  Not that I expect it will help much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9WRha_fuFY

So U.S. forces and what's left of the Japanese navy maybe?

[Dynomikegojira]

New Trailer dropped yeah this Godzilla is pissed.

https://youtu.be/r7DqccP1Q_4?si=pXMO0RNhy9IfW-XE

[Newt]

I consider myself a casual Godzilla fan. I think the original is a genuinely moving piece of cinema. The 60s and 70s movies are entirely different and utterly ridiculous, with their own cheesy charm. I was excited for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version, but it was a huge disappointment, and I haven't bothered to watch any of the ones made since; the impression I get from the trailers is that they are all (whether Legendary, Shin, or Toho) silly movies that take themselves very seriously, a combination I find unappealing.

This movie looks like it might be very good. The tone hews more to the original. It feels like it's actually about something, not just a spectacle.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

New Trailer dropped yeah this Godzilla is pissed.

https://youtu.be/r7DqccP1Q_4?si=pXMO0RNhy9IfW-XE

Yeah they pretty much state it..lol and his look there at the end I'd say "enraged" is an app term.  I'm more curious now though, " he will never forgive us?" is that aimed at Japan? I wouldn't think the U.S.? Maybe humanity as a whole?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I consider myself a casual Godzilla fan. I think the original is a genuinely moving piece of cinema. The 60s and 70s movies are entirely different and utterly ridiculous, with their own cheesy charm. I was excited for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version, but it was a huge disappointment, and I haven't bothered to watch any of the ones made since; the impression I get from the trailers is that they are all (whether Legendary, Shin, or Toho) silly movies that take themselves very seriously, a combination I find unappealing.

This movie looks like it might be very good. The tone hews more to the original. It feels like it's actually about something, not just a spectacle.

They all have merits really except maybe Godzilla's Revenge.. lol  It's like a long running band, they have something for any mood your in.

[Mellow Stego]

New Trailer dropped yeah this Godzilla is pissed.

https://youtu.be/r7DqccP1Q_4?si=pXMO0RNhy9IfW-XE

Yeah they pretty much state it..lol and his look there at the end I'd say "enraged" is an app term.  I'm more curious now though, " he will never forgive us?" is that aimed at Japan? I wouldn't think the U.S.? Maybe humanity as a whole?

It might mean Godzilla is punishing Japan for their part in WW2? Wouldn't be the first time Godzilla was used like that.

[Over9K]

I consider myself a casual Godzilla fan. I think the original is a genuinely moving piece of cinema. The 60s and 70s movies are entirely different and utterly ridiculous, with their own cheesy charm. I was excited for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version, but it was a huge disappointment, and I haven't bothered to watch any of the ones made since; the impression I get from the trailers is that they are all (whether Legendary, Shin, or Toho) silly movies that take themselves very seriously, a combination I find unappealing.

This movie looks like it might be very good. The tone hews more to the original. It feels like it's actually about something, not just a spectacle.

Shin Godzilla is not silly. It is a serious metaphorical allegory, just as the original film was, only this time Godzilla does not represent the horror of the atomic bomb being used on Japan, it is the horror trifecta of Earthquake/Tsunami/Government Fecklessness that Japan suffered in the Fukushima Disaster of 2011.

Everything else, yes, silly. Shin Godzilla is a film maker, making a statement about his nation and how he felt about a terrible time for that nation.

[Flaffy]

I consider myself a casual Godzilla fan. I think the original is a genuinely moving piece of cinema. The 60s and 70s movies are entirely different and utterly ridiculous, with their own cheesy charm. I was excited for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version, but it was a huge disappointment, and I haven't bothered to watch any of the ones made since; the impression I get from the trailers is that they are all (whether Legendary, Shin, or Toho) silly movies that take themselves very seriously, a combination I find unappealing.

This movie looks like it might be very good. The tone hews more to the original. It feels like it's actually about something, not just a spectacle.

Completely disagree on your take regarding Shin Godzilla. Give it a chance, it's not a Monsterverse slap-stick goof fest.

[BlueKrono]

I consider myself a casual Godzilla fan. I think the original is a genuinely moving piece of cinema. The 60s and 70s movies are entirely different and utterly ridiculous, with their own cheesy charm. I was excited for the 1998 Matthew Broderick version, but it was a huge disappointment, and I haven't bothered to watch any of the ones made since; the impression I get from the trailers is that they are all (whether Legendary, Shin, or Toho) silly movies that take themselves very seriously, a combination I find unappealing.

This movie looks like it might be very good. The tone hews more to the original. It feels like it's actually about something, not just a spectacle.

I never hear anything but negativity about the 1998 American film, but I'd like to put in a good word for it.  I loved its attempt to posit a realistic origin for Godzilla, I thought the special effects were amazing, and I didn't find the acting as grating as most seem to. As a wide-eyed fifth grader, I was spellbound. I've never liked it less with rewatching either.

[Newt]

@Over9K  @Flaffy - I will give Shin a chance. Honestly, all I've seen of it were screenshots and creature designs, which didn't appeal to me, but that's not enough to judge a film on.

@BlueKrono - I think I would have liked Godzilla 1998 better if it hadn't called itself Godzilla (similar to how I feel about John Carter). If you are going to tackle a beloved franchise, you had better bring your A game. I haven't seen it since it was in theaters, but my recollection of my feelings at the time is: (A) the movie tried too hard to demystify Godzilla - like when his "atomic breath" was represented by him breathing *really hard* on a car with leaking gas that just happened to ignite. This sort of euhemerist approach makes me think the filmmakers felt they were too good for the source material. Godzilla is a giant fire-breathing monster, if you don't like it don't make a movie about it. (B) The whole bit with the hatchlings felt like it was trying to replicate Jurassic Park's raptor sequences. (C) The creature design was deeply unattractive. (D) Blaming Godzilla's origin on French, rather than American, nuclear testing seemed like a cowardly move. (E) Jean Reno was wasted.

[BlueKrono]

@Over9K @Flaffy - I will give Shin a chance. Honestly, all I've seen of it were screenshots and creature designs, which didn't appeal to me, but that's not enough to judge a film on.

@BlueKrono - I think I would have liked Godzilla 1998 better if it hadn't called itself Godzilla (similar to how I feel about John Carter). If you are going to tackle a beloved franchise, you had better bring your A game. I haven't seen it since it was in theaters, but my recollection of my feelings at the time is: (A) the movie tried too hard to demystify Godzilla - like when his "atomic breath" was represented by him breathing *really hard* on a car with leaking gas that just happened to ignite. This sort of euhemerist approach makes me think the filmmakers felt they were too good for the source material. Godzilla is a giant fire-breathing monster, if you don't like it don't make a movie about it. (B) The whole bit with the hatchlings felt like it was trying to replicate Jurassic Park's raptor sequences. (C) The creature design was deeply unattractive. (D) Blaming Godzilla's origin on French, rather than American, nuclear testing seemed like a cowardly move. (E) Jean Reno was wasted.

Agree and disagree. On the first point, I liked that there was a rational way of explaining the fire-breathing (I also liked Reign of Fire's take on this). B) Definitely agree. They were totally riffing off of Jurassic Park with those baby Zillas. C) Agree to disagree. I spent many an hour as a kid poring over the details on my Godzilla folders and trying to draw this cool-looking "dinosaur". D) America is certainly responsible for more nuclear testing, but France is not without guilt. They detonated at least 175 nuclear weapons in the Pacific in the three decades preceding 1996. This allowed them to bring in the French actors, one of the most endearing pieces of the movie and the source of some of its most successful humor (granted, this is a low bar). E) Wholeheartedly agree. Reno was the star of the show here. This movie turned me onto his other work.

[Dinoxels]

silly movies that take themselves very seriously

Godzilla 2014 and Shin Godzilla take themselves extremely seriously and are not silly. The latter of which is a political thriller.

[stargatedalek]

Shin is definitely my favorite, having grown up on tapes of the very original first few movies. It hearkens back to the original in ways no others have managed to before, and in ways that I'm skeptical Minus One could manage to achieve while making it a period piece. Taking the original tone and applying it to the modern Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was meaningful to a modern audience in ways I genuinely don't think a period piece can be.

I disagree that 2014 was good though. 2014 is a movie that takes itself entirely seriously, to the point it has not a single moment of levity or pleasantness. Watching it feels like watching a generic depressing disaster movie, and it's protagonist is an unlikable unfeeling prick of a soldier (no shade to the performance, he played what he was told to). Despite this serious tone it does essentially nothing with it other than the occasional "oh no everything broken, so sad ):" moment, and it treats the villain monsters very horribly, not just narratively but in terms of what gets done to them being blindly called on with no moments of reflection or acknowledging the unfortunate necessity of any of it.

2014 tries to be serious, but in trying so hard to be serious I find it looses pretty well all of the charm giant monster movies can hold, while also not using that serious tone for any real introspection or interesting topics.

If you liked the 60's and 70's era movies though, I can recommend skipping right to the latter two Legendary Godzilla films. They're fun, goofy monster movies with a very similar charm. I think most of the hate on them comes from people expecting them to have continued the tone 2014 used. Kong Skull Island is very good as well, best of the Legendary ones I'd say, it's striking a nice balance between serious themes and fun giant monster moments.