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The Much Hyped "End" of Godzilla
There really are only a small number of famous Japanese names that anyone knows outside of this country. There are a small handful of baseball players, Yoko Ono and of course Godzilla. I don't really care much about baseball, and nobody cares about Yoko Ono (other than the still lingering hatred of Beatles fans), but ever since I was little I've always liked Godzilla. I have lived in Japan for over a year and a half and never written once about Godzilla on here before (I think) so I guess it's high time. Growing up in Toronto I would often watch those really crappy Godzilla movies made in the 60's and 70's on Buffalo 29 on Sunday afternoons when nothing else was on TV but fishing shows and church services. They always seemed to play the especially bad ones, like the one where Godzilla teams up with that dumb ultraman looking guy that grows for some reason. Still, they made Japan look way cooler in my eyes than any other country in Asia. Why no other country seems to want or be able to make movies about giant monsters blowing stuff up is still a mystery to me. Well tomorrow the latest (and supposed last) Godzilla movie is coming out. Of course it won't be the last, but it will probably be the last one to come out while I'm still living in Japan anyway. From what I've seen of the reviews (albeit mostly done by the easily excitable nerds at Ain't It Cool News), this one is supposed to be really good. It has the biggest budget for a non-American Godzilla movie ever (9 million bucks!), and was directed by acclaimed Japanese movie director, Ryuhei Kitamura. Supposedly for the first time ever, the humans in the story aren't horribly boring and there is lots of action from start to finish. The big selling feature is that Godzilla destroys just about all his previous foes in one movie, with the crappy American Godzilla thrown in for good measure too. Anyway, if you're not already sick of reading about Godzilla in these fan-boy ramblings, here's a great article that tells the whole 50 year story of the Godzilla franchise. I didn't go see last year's Godzilla movie when it came out but I'm sold on the hype this time. Hopefully I can get someone to go see "Final Wars" with me, but if not I'm sure I won't be the only otaku in the theatre by his lonesome.
8 comments
By the way, did anyone see that Paris Hilton South Park yet? It was pretty funny! A worthy subject, Jamie! But come on, you didn't give the first three movies credit. The 1954 debut was absolutely classic (with some really hot 1950s actresses, too), the second one had those awesome psychic midget twin sisters who would sing high pitched voodoo songs to Mozilla, and the third one had those psychedelic disco scenes with the "kaise" ("give them back") song. After that it was all crap, with Godzilla's ethics on childrearing and junk like that. I'm a huge Ryuhei Kitamura fan personally. Versus is probably my favorite low-budget action film and I love Azumi so I've been pretty hyped about the combination of Kitamura + Godzilla.Also the human super flying mobile thingy is designed by Yoji Shinkawa of Metal Gear Solid design fame and the intro credits to the film are done by Kyle Cooper who does the intro credits for all of the MGS games.
Kitamura even showed up the other day to celebrate the MGS3 pre-release with creator Hideo Kojima, Shinkawa, and Kitamura even brought Godzilla with him to the event + party.
It's kinda funny though because the Japanese Godzilla fans are hating this film. The early Japanese reviews are terrible and they are really pissed that Kitamura took this huge budget for the ultimate Godzilla film and used it to make a ton of human action scenes featuring everything from sword fighting to kung-fu. They also don't like that he made the rubber suits lighter allowing Godzilla and crew to do kung-fu action.
I'll be seeing it at the theater at Jusco between Kizukuri and Goshogawara tomorrow.
Luke, I've only seen the original Godzilla once and still haven't seen the first 2 sequels. I grew up on the crap movies, so to me they are what Godzilla is all about. David, while I like Godzilla I don't think I'll drive across the ken and join you tomorrow. Thanks for the added insights into the new flick. I had no idea what the Japanese Godzilla otaku reaction was to the movie. I guess they would be happy to see the same old board room full of government officials talking for 3/4 of the movie about what to do about Godzilla, and tracking his movements. A little kung-fu might be just what the francise needs. Hell, it's been working fine for Power Rangers the last 30 years, why not Godzilla?
My personal fave as a child was the Jet-Jaguar one, probably because it was shown the most by far on the good ol' channel 29. I don't even remember who the bad guy was in it, but loved the ripoff ultra-man, with every little movement he made making some electronic sound, and liked seeing those j-dudes building him... as if anyone who wanted could just build a cool robot! Also liked the awesome floating bicycle that the kid peddled on in the ending, and Actually, the whiny little kid annoyed me a lot, so maybe I don't like the movie afterall. oh yeah and I also saw the Southpark episode, yeah the boys finally made a good episode since their return! I have watched the new Godzilla film, and lo, it was enjoyable. Had to love how Godzilla was forced to fight so quickly, because they spent so much time on the humans... Though manly-stache man rocked.So that Paris Hilton South Park episode was also good, as it was quite funny.
I just saw it and have to agree with you Brad. That mustache guy was pretty cool... as was baby Godzilla. The humans were just as annoying as ever, but this time they just ripped-off scenes from the Matrix, Xmen and Star Wars. I was longing for the days old old dudes in lab coats slowly tracking Godzilla`s movements and the ineffective attacks of the JSDF. The music was especially bad, with the closing credits sounding like someone just threw the tune together on an old synthsizer they found in their basement. Still, the monster fighting was good... it just needed more of the good stuff. 
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