Posted on 06/25/2004 3:11:11 PM PDT by Long Cut
Watching G:TSOS in the theaters was a dream come true. I adored GxMG, and I thought that that film's only real weakness was the occasional bad FX shot and a lacking Godzilla performance. With that in mind, I had been dying to see its sequel.
So now that I have, how did it hold up?
Pretty damn well.
The story acts as a direct sequel to both GxMG and the original Mothra, as the Shobijin appear to tell humanity that they must return Kiryu's bones to the ocean as his spirit does not wish to fight any longer, but merely to rest. They promise that if they do so that Mothra will defend humanity from Godzilla.
The government, pointing out that Mothra destroyed their cities once before, decides that the giant insect deity isn't trustworthy, and declines.
Meanwhile a very angry Godzilla begins to stir…
The effects in this movie are incredible. I make no exaggeration when I say that Godzilla's breath has never looked better. Not only is it a darker shade of blue then in the previous film, but it is also more…. Opaque would be the word, I guess, then it has ever been before. More solid and impressive looking. The first time the big guy fired his ray the crowd went nuts and applause and whistles filled the theater.
There are also a couple "WOW!" moments in the film. I won't spoil too much, but Godzilla's tail sweep/breath attack combo completely owned.
The Godzilla suit looks pretty much identical to its previous incarnation, but the suit acting is much, much better (I can only assume due to better direction). The portrayal of Godzilla is wonderful, and world's better then the one in GxMG. Godzilla is pure villain here, a big angry monster spoiling for a fight after the events of the last film. There's also a welcome return to the Godzilla performance from Godzilla X Megaguirus as the Big G pulls of some very cunning combat tactics during the various fights.
Kiryu, although slightly redesigned, is still basically the same dog, but with a few new tricks.
Mothra, however, is INCREDIBLE. The best version of this beloved kaiju ever captured on the screen. So beautiful that, if you're a Mothra fan, you might actually find yourself tearing up a bit as the sheer spectacle of her flies across the screen.
…..Uh, not that I did anything like that of course. Heh.
Moving on….
The story was fast moving, and not really all that intricate, but it was mostly satisfying. Right now I wish that there had been a little more character development for our new leads (I didn't understand the motivations of the female pilot until the very end of the film), and I wish that a few more characters from the last film had returned to finish up their story arcs. Akane's cameo was very unsatisfying and I wish that it could have wrapped up her story better.
However, both Kiryu and one other character that returns very, very briefly from the first film (the pilot who's brother was in the jeep that Akane hit…. Who's name utterly alludes me at this point) do at least get resolutions, and you get to see their character arcs come to a satisfying conclusion.
A big gripe of mine had nothing to do with the film itself, but with the subtitles which, despite the fact that you can very clearly hear the characters repeatedly saying "Kiryu" throughout the film, totally refuse to call him anything other the "Mechagodzilla" or "MechaG." I suppose I'm being nitpicky here, but I thought that was a bad call. The more personal and unique moniker of "Kiryu" would have been much more appropriate for the story that this movie was trying to tell.
The editing of the fights could have used a little tightening up, as I remember at least one instance where Godzilla is attacked, then is suddenly sliding along the ground. While this doesn't happen repeatedly throughout the film, when it does occur it's very distracting, and leaves the viewer wondering what they missed.
The acting was also solid throughout, with one bad line reading being the only instance of a below average performance in the whole film.
Overall, the film was, as a whole, triumphant. Godzilla is at his best, the action was fast and fun (if a wee bit sloppily edited at times), the effects were never anything less then incredibly solid, the story was interesting and, with the notable exception of some characterizations, well developed….. In the end, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. manages to improve on GxMG in almost every way, and like I said, I really enjoyed that film.
Final Rating: **** out of *****
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GAAAAGHHHH!!! I'm SOOO jealous!!
Once again, MonsterZero has 'em!!!
Looks like the "crystallized" back spines are gone, and the old ones are back.
I must admit, though, that I'm a big fan of the Heisei suits. They had a look of unstoppable force and power, and most had a n animalistic (as opposed to anthropomorphic) look that really reinforced the creature's nature.
A close second is the GMK suit, which I feel is the most evil-looking Godzilla ever.
For me, the Heisei always LOOKED like a huge, towering monster. The Millennium suit sometimes looked, well, like a normal-sized guy in a suit. That's one of the flaws of too much surface fine detailing, IMHO.
Neither of the pics above show the new suit's back to advantage, but I'm willing to guess that they reduced the size of the spines a bit.
I have this thread bookmarked.
It's where I go when the stress of idiots gets to me.
I imagine I'm Godzilla and I squash their idiot brains out. LOL
You maintain a thread which has helped me with many serious adult concerns in the past. I'm happy that I can now return the favor in this manner.
Your biggest deal would be getting him fitted for a uniform and cover.
Besides, I THINK that the Japanese consider him a Japanese citizen.
What's NOT American about 'Ol Godzy? He's BIG, LOUD, takes threats and enemies and stomps them underfoot, and he's nuclear-powered. He doesn't back down or run away from a fight, and to top it off, he loves his kids.
Besides, I bet he'd make more money here. The budgets for his films in Japan are about HALF of what a leading actor makes just for himself per movie here.
Hell, just think if he decided to go into pro sports. What a linebacker he'd make!
You made me laugh for the 1st time in weeks!
Thanks!
Long watch tonight.
Could you please ping your 'zilla list that the first Godzilla (Yes, with Raymond Burr) will air on AMC on the 4th?
A good site I use to get local listings is http://www.zap2it.com/index
More airings on SciFi Channel:
July 6 - 3:00 AM - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (74)
July 7 - 3:00 AM - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (93)
July 27 - 3:00AM - GMK
July 28 - 3:00AM - Destroy All Monsters
August 14 - 1:00AM - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (74)
August 14 - 3:00AM - Godzilla vs. Megalon
August 21 - 9:00AM - Rebirth of Mothra
August 21 - 11:00AM - Godzilla vs Gigan
August 21 - 3:00AM - Godzilla vs. Hedorah
August 29 - 3:00AM - Rebirth of Mothra II
August 31 - 3:00AM - Rebirth of Mothra III
'Zilla Movies on TV info above, for July and August!
STOMP HERE to see the pics. MonsterZero requests that we NOT hotlink to their pics, and I comply.
"Monster X" is the new archenemy for Godzilla in "GFW". Look closely at the head...VERY reminiscent of the ALIENs Queen. ATRAGON also looks pretty cool, too.
Want on or off the PINGZILLA list? Bump or FReepmail me!
"Slender arms and legs"? Arms yep, but them legs are just chunky!
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