Jose Chase2 said:I don't quite grasp why everyone is trashing this movie, considering they clearly missed how Emmerich is actually poking fun at Americans in general—specifically our military and that whole "if you don't do what we say, we'll crush you like a bug" mentality. I honestly thought people might view this differently given the current anti-American sentiment, but apparently, most people are just conformists who prefer following the crowd.
My opinion is determined simply by watching the film and deciding whether I like it or not. In this instance, I found the movie amusing. However, I am genuinely curious about what you're basing this idea that Godzilla is an anti-American satire. I really need to see that logic laid out.😁
steelcanyon92 said:So you actually enjoyed Independence Day? 😕 😕
In that case, I'd better not mention my plans to record "Wild West" when it airs on ABC, given that the movie is absolute ZAKKON! Apparently, one must have a penchant for films featuring thirty-meter-tall steam-powered spiders.
gogy said:Initially, the concept of an extra-large monster bothered me. Given the laws of gravity, an animal of those proportions would struggle to even exist. Just how much muscle mass would it need to prevent being crushed by its own weight? And because of that, it wouldn't be fast; it would basically move like a sloth.
Tsk, tsk, tsk! We aren't going to start spitting on forty years of Japanese filmmaking tradition regarding giant monsters just yet!😁 Beside, it's one of those premises you simply *have* to accept if you want to enjoy the movie at all—just like you have to believe in the possibility of an alien invasion for Independence Day, or believe in ghosts for "The Sixth Sense." I have no interest in watching a movie about a scientifically plausible 200-meter monster, because I know such a creature would be pathetic. I want to see Godzilla! Breathing fire, running, jumping, and leveling skyscrapers.
Suspension of disbelief is, at least in my opinion, the most vital thing to achieve with these films. With this "Godzilla," the monster is designed in a way that allows me to actually buy into the story of how such a beast could exist: the opening sequence is appropriately high-energy, and we don't even see the monster until after thirty minutes or more of screen time (since the damn thing is so massive it won't fit in a single 😁) so I can't just shout, "Ugh, terrible special effects!" The tension builds slowly... or it doesn't.
For me, getting immersed in Godzilla is difficult because the *ordinary people* in the film act incredibly stupidly: from the US military to Mayor Ebert, down to the ex-girlfriend of Broderick's character, who was supposed to be likable but honestly just gets on my nerves because she seems totally brainless. Like, honey, if you're already stealing TOP SECRET! US military tapes for your little contribution, at least try to make sure some slimy colleague doesn't hijack them from you. And the behavior of the characters or the military wouldn't be nearly as bad if the entire film didn't strive for that "IT COULD REALLY HAPPEN!" tone.
American specialists who are portrayed as complete idiots.
No, that's a realistic portrayal of Americans from the perspective of the French. I don't know what it is about those two nations, but Americans seem to absolutely love hating the French. And it isn't just because of the attacks on Iraq, which this film illustrates quite vividly.😬
Lisa Flores74 said:Geez, how can you write so much about just one movie like Godzilla? I watched the beginning... it's your typical boring American flick... you know the start and you know the end... there's really no point in even bothering with it.
Just as you don't bother with my posts, it seems. 🙂
In Any case, the film was alright. And therein lies the rub. It was "okay." It was "good." Good grief! A high-budget Ronald Emmerich film about a giant monster destroying New York City shouldn't just be "okay." It should be FAKKEN *PERFECT* AND *WUHUU*!!!11. It should feel like when I was a kid watching Independence Day in the theater, walking out and yelling, "Tooooooo! Let's go watch that again!" This movie was just... meh. That's how it felt the first time I saw it. I listed some of the reasons why above. But, even though God knows Independence Day wasn't any smarter than this, somehow it hit better: Will Smith is cooler, the aliens are more impressive than Godzilla, the jokes are better... The only truly cool thing about "godzilla" is that Jean Reno is in it. Along with a few scenes featuring Godzilla, especially before he actually shows up. Later on, it becomes... meh. Average. Fine.
The worst part is that the film isn't even bad enough to be good like "Zardoz" or "The Swarm." It is simply... meh.
Kevin Allen10 said:The entire movie is basically one big error, 😁 especially if you care about logic. Tribbles follow their own rules, 👍 but hey, it's Star Trek—anything goes and who cares if the physics make sense?
A giant Tribble attacking New York City? Now that would be a movie! Though we’d have to keep the rain away, otherwise the fur gets soaked, it starts smelling terrible, and the poor thing just dies from the sheer weight of the water it absorbed... Actually, that might be a brilliant way to take it down. Imagine a radiation-resistant giant Tribble invading Manhattan, only to be tossed into Hudson Bay at the climax; the fur soaks up the water and the whole thing sinks like a stone to the bottom of the bay. I realize that might be a bit over the top, but hey, I haven't heard anyone complaining about Friedrich Barbarossa!
Uhh, I can’t say I have any clue since I missed that specific part of the movie. All I know is this: when those military helicopters give Godzilla chase, she can barely keep up, and then she just casually swats them out of the sky later on. Fast forward forty-five minutes, and Godzilla can't even catch a single pathetic New York City taxi.
Jeziga, Godzilla clearly needs to spend a little more time running and swimming and a little less time snacking on fish. I bet that’s exactly what Emmerich told her during filming, and her response was probably, "Oh, please! It's all white meat! Zero cholesterol! Look at me, I'm in peak condition," "I don't even have a gut!"
Anyway, I didn't watch the whole thing, so I might be off base here, but... am I really the only one who thinks this movie should be titled "US Army: Total Destruction"? Honestly, given her size, Godzilla moves through Manhattan with the grace of a ballerina! She barely scrapes a building with her tail, but oh boy! It’s nothing a little bit of noise and some duct tape couldn't fix! But the second the military shows up to restore order, skyscrapers start collapsing left and right like: "I was guided by a 200-meter tall monster fueled by missiles and I just leveled the Chrysler Building. Whoopsy!"
And what was with the soldiers firing *small arms* at Godzilla? I mean, man, take a good look at the bullet you're trying to fire from your M-16! Now look at that monster screaming atop the Empire State Building! Are you starting to notice the incredible stupidity of what you're doing? Hmm?
I will say, I liked the helicopters! There are so many helicopters! And they fly! In squadrons! Across the sky! And occasionally circling overturned ships! While firing rockets that demolish buildings in Manhattan! Wheeeee! They don't actually do anything, though; they just exist so the military looks *really* busy, as if they actually know what they're doing and to prove all that tax money isn't being thrown down the drain. For that same reason, every soldier immediately starts yelling the moment a civilian gets too close:
"And then I was talking to Jenny, and I told her if she takes my chocolate donuts instead of my pastries again... Quick, the press is coming!" "WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE OPERATION KING KONG EVAC PLAN?!" "TEN-FOUR COMMANDER, ROGER THAT, A.S.A.P. ZERO OMEGA DELTA!"
By Boz, the smartest line in the entire film comes from Mayor Ebert: "You guys destroyed more of the city than the monster did."
And finally, the Frenchmen! Of course, it's the Frenchmen! Who else would be responsible for creating Godzilla, right? I mean, first they invent the atomic bomb, then they drop it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then they build the hydrogen bomb, and then they kick off the Cold War... God, I hate those Frenchmen! It's a good thing we have the US Army to protect us from them! Sure, they might not be able to hit a monster the size of a skyscraper, but at least they don't have nukes in their arsenal, right? The French would probably nuke New York City in a heartbeat!
------- *By the way, from what I gather, Emmerich was furious with Roger Ebert because he trashed the film, so he demanded a similar actor and gave him the role of a bumbling, dim-witted mayor. HAW HAW! Talk about witty humor! You can tell Aralica watched "Godzilla" too, no matter how much he stays quiet about it.
As for that Mayor Ebert character, he displays the average intelligence of a country bumpkin. A giant radioactive dragon-iguana that breathes fire and poops out pregnant babies while picking its teeth with the WTC tower, and this guy is worried about whether he made a mistake ordering the evacuation.
I am genuinely curious about this film. I’ve only caught a couple of Quentin Tarantino movies—there was a three-film marathon on PBS last summer. I think I would really enjoy Hana-bi, and that one comedy of his where a guy tries to get rich and impress a girl by bouncing through different movie genre parodies was actually quite hilarious. Hell, it was cheap humor, but I liked it.
I noticed there was a preview screening at AMC, but I’m not entirely sure if it has officially hit theaters yet. If it has, I’ll be heading straight there to see it.
casualotter21 said:Let’s just say that in their downtime, the Greeks loved jumping around like they were born without a care in the world.
Hmm, I see. Does that logic extend to the Greek women as well? If so, perhaps I can find the strength to endure the grueling experience of watching hundreds of thousands of naked guys brawling in the mud and filth.
....
Good grief. The gay community is going to absolutely adore this movie. For heaven's sake, throw in some naked women, will you?
Kevin King52 said:With a budget like that, they surely didn't skimp on the experts; they probably consulted plenty of archaeologists and historians for guidance. Well... or maybe it's just typical Hollywood. In this case, it really comes down to first impressions. And mine suggest we're getting yet another Xena and Hercules. (though I'd love to be proven wrong)🙂
Look, as much as it might seem caricatured at first glance, I actually *want* to see Xena and Hercules in Troy. Not literally, obviously, but I want all that nonsense—the curses, the demigods, the lightning bolts, the centaurs, the monsters, and gods who meddle in the affairs of mortals just to mess with them, plus an Achilles who can single-handedly take down fifty billion soldiers just because he's *that* good. I want all of it.
Basically, I want to see *Homer's* Iliad, not some distilled, politically correct version masquerading as being historically accurate! If there was ever a story that was wonderfully over-the-top and practically begging for a massive special effects budget, it would be the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey." It strikes me as odd that when Hollywood finally gets its hands on something truly mega-epic and spectacular, it suddenly decides to pivot toward "historical realism." Give me a break!
I don't know, it'd be something to see, but I am genuinely curious to see which way they decide to gamble.
Kevin King52 said:The greatest Greek hero outside the walls of Troy, clean-shaven and sporting long blonde hair??? 😁
I don't really see the issue here. After all, Achilles was essentially an immortal, Superman-style demigod who had gods constantly hovering over his head, raining down curses and lightning bolts on his enemies—just like they did for all the other Greek and Trojan heroes. Once you consider that, whether his hair color is historically accurate becomes a completely negligible detail.
Betty Gonzalez30 said:There are quite a few historical epics in the works... What are your thoughts on this one, or anything you've heard lately... Word on the street is it's going to be great... (some even think it'll top LOTR)... And the cast certainly isn't amateur hour.😁
Check it out here:
On a side note, a question for the experts: what specific historical sources are actually being used to reconstruct the Trojan War? This goes for Hollywood claiming a movie is "historical," as well as those already complaining that "Troy" will be "historically inaccurate." Hmm?
A few days ago, I finally finished reading Dan Simmons' "Ilium". To be blunt, his take on the Trojan War is exactly the kind of thing I’d love to see adapted for the big screen. 😈
Right after that, I’d love to see Homer's "Iliad" brought to life; honestly, it feels like pure material for a massive Hollywood spectacle. The only issue is that modern PC activists would probably have a collective meltdown if anyone actually tried to depict that epic on screen without sanitizing it first.
On the other hand, if this ends up being marketed as a "historical" version of the Trojan War, I’d really appreciate hearing which "historical" sources they actually pulled their plot points from. As far as I know, the "Iliad" is the only one, but let's face it—it leans much more toward fantasy than a standard historical novel. 😁
Wall Street said:Come on, cowboys, rangers, and all you other little boys (though I'm not sure what he means by "ranger"—is he insulting them or just being vague?)
Why don't you go play with Native Americans back home instead of bothering us with this romanticized medieval nonsense? There isn't even any decent gunplay in this stuff.
TCC, ever since reading Martin's "Game of Thrones," I’ve had this vision of being a knight like Rutger Hauer, decked out in full plate armor wielding a massive two-meter claymore that splits enemies in half with every swing. Cowboys are soft compared to that. *Plus*, you get Michelle Pfeiffer. Honestly, how can you top that?
rapidstag74 said:What exactly are you trying to say? That you actually enjoy disco?
There has only been one other person in history who complained about people enjoying disco music quite this much. He was... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
rapidstag74 said:"The word 'He' should be capitalized at the start of a sentence. How am I supposed to deal with this level of disappointment right now? You don't even know basic grammar yet you have the audacity to post about a movie. I actually thought I might meet you one day and fall in love like some character in an old war epic, but thanks to your lack of grammatical knowledge, that's officially off the table."
History shows us there was only one other person who obsessed over correcting everyone else's grammar. That person was... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adam Wright56 said:Anyway, this movie is essentially a gift for CNN. Once I get a chance to see it again, I really ought to sit him down for a screening just to hear his thoughts. 👍
I watched this film ages ago while traveling through Canada. Later on, I picked up the Ira Levin novel it was based on. I assume most of you are aware that Ira Levin also penned "Rosemary's Baby," right? It was a brilliant concept for a film; Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier were wonderful, and frankly, I’d love to have that main theme added to my MP3 collection, if anyone is offering.
cosmictrucker132 said:Why are you all picking on an average guy on this forum... can't you see he's actually pretty cool... he doesn't know anything about this stuff anyway.😁
I tend to play with my toys quite aggressively. Especially when they act this arrogant. 😁
rapidstag74 said:I don't think they manufacture rolling-eye emojis large enough to adequately express how much your post deserves. So...
Emily Torres2 said:Dear Texan, oh great Texan from Texas,
are you just a casualotter21, a Nick, or just a dumb Nick?😕 Since you’re so desperate to flex those foreign English words, buddy, you should probably learn them—or better yet, just strap on a holster and start shooting at everyone. (Though there seem to be more of you bearded Texas rangers and deputies than actually exist.)
It's TEXAS, not TEXSAS (since the X is pronounced 'eks,' my dear little ranger)🙂
<sigh> This is exactly why I hate posting on this Movie forum. If I had written "Texsas" as a joke, someone would likely be lecturing me on how it's grammatically incorrect; but if I copy-pasted some poorly written headline about Walker just for the hell of it, they'd probably only be capable of accusing me of being illiterate.
You overthink things far too much. You really ought to invest in a new sarcasm detector, because yours is clearly broken.