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Gojira (1954)
One of the greatest films put to screen
Godzilla. It's a common household name in America, but in Japan, it's the equivalent of cultural icons like Superman and Batman. Godzilla is a franchise more than 60 years in the making, with 29 films to it's credit and a whole world of spin offs, imitators, merchandise, and a massive fan base across the globe. But where did this sensation get it's start? We travel back to 1954, to see this film's big release day in Japan. At the time, nothing like it had ever been attempted in Japan. It struck people to their cores with it's nuclear allegorical storytelling and it's innovative special effects. It was such a hit it was released all across the world with overwhelming box office rates. It kicked off the tokusatsu rage in Japan and the countless imitators and cash ins flooded the market everywhere. The film itself is fantastic. Yes, it is dated, but all people should have an open mind when watching films. Mysterious ship disappearances akin to the Lucky Dragon incident occur, and scientists are sent to investigate an island which has been recently ravaged by a storm for survivors and answers. The natives, tell another story. The great monster known as Gojira destroyed their island. And thus, he appears. Rising over the hill, the great beast roars and sends the locals into a panic. We focus throughout the movie on four characters, Hideto Ogato, Emiko Yamane, Daisuke Serizawa, and Doctor Yamane. The relationship between these people and other people around them steadily grows more dramatic throughout the film as the situation gets more and more grim, making the characters believable and well thought out. The special effects certainly aren't very special today, but in japan, nobody had even tried something of that magnitude, and for a first try, they did a great job. Haruo Nakajima must be given credit for suffering inside the Godzilla suit. Serizawa's story is the most interesting of all to myself personally. He is caught in the love triangle with Hideto and Emiko, and is terrified to reveal a weapon more powerful than a nuclear bomb to stop Godzilla. This film is an absolute must see for all. It's an incredible achievement that stands the test of time and shall be remembered for generations to come.
The Giant Claw (1957)
The perfect definition of "It's so bad it's good"
I watched this movie with a friend on a Sunday evening, expecting to get some laughs after what I had heard about this movie. The DVD was only $4, and I like monster movies, so I thought, why not? The laughs were crazy. I don't think I've ever laughed harder at a non comedy movie. The monster is ridiculous, possibly the worst I've ever seen on screen. A giant turkey vulture with a mo-hawk being operated by clearly visible strings. The science is ludicrous, the bird is extra-terrestrial and it has an anti-matter shield? What were they thinking? The acting is okay though, the performers are genuinely trying, but some of the lines are still cheesy and sometimes hysterical. If you like B movies or monster movies, or just want a good laugh with some friends, go out and buy it for cheap.
Godzilla (1998)
This film should quite simply be renamed
This is such a sad, misunderstood film on all accounts. "Godzilla" 1998 is probably one of the worst adaptations ever. Godzilla himself really isn't present at all in the monster character featured: A radical re- design, a cowardly nature, being a biological parent to raptors, death by military, etc. It's no wonder why Toho, Godzilla's parent studio, completely segregated the character from Godzilla, copyrighted it as Zilla, and made it the subject of joke and ridicule in at least two of their later pictures. This film should not be counted as a Godzilla film, reducing the count to 29 movies in total. While it's a horrible Godzilla film, the movie is a decent popcorn flick to watch occasionally if you butt out Godzilla himself. The characters are really not that great, Nick Tatapolus, Animal, and Philipe are just as caricature in nature as all of the characters in Michael Bay's Transformer series. The acting isn't so hot either, Audrey being the worst easily, not to mention the script is occasionally atrocious and meaningless dialogue is everywhere, especially during the beginning. The CGI effects are also dated and cheesy looking when you compare them to Godzilla (2014). However, the monster sequences are still fun to watch and are still entertaining, even if there are a few rip-offs from Jurassic Park here and there. Overall, this movie is a half decent monster flick, but a terrible re-adaptation/imitation of the Godzilla character. Although it may hold nostalgia for myself and others, it's really not as good as some people might try to point out. If you're looking for a monster movie, this one isn't too bad. If you are looking for a Godzilla movie, please stay away from this. It's probably best forgotten and left to sit in the dollar bin.
Godzilla (2014)
A Godzilla movie that puts brains before brawn.
As a longtime Godzilla fan since five, I've been following the new American reboot of Godzilla ever since it was announced in 2009. I will say that some aspects of this film let me down a little, but overall, I was very satisfied with the film and highly praise director Gareth Edwards for his take on the King of the Monsters. This movie completely surpasses "Godzilla" 1998 in almost every way (which, for all purposes, shouldn't even be called "Godzilla" anymore) and is also quite comparable to the original 1954 Godzilla film that started the franchise, as it faithfully retells Godzilla's origins in modern times while still exercising similar themes felt in the classic films. I thought that the monster scenes were fantastic, and the visual effects that created them were equally beautiful. The characters were a little bland and plain, but were overall okay. This movie isn't your typical action flick where every other scene is boom-flashy-explosions. It makes you think a little more and challenges today's audiences to put down the Transformers DVDs and return to the standards that made monster movies classics. I compare the teasing of the monster action to Jaws and John Carpenter's The Thing, where, you don't get to see the title character all too much, but the presence of them is felt throughout, and when they do appear on screen, it's a sight to behold. I recommend this film for all monster fans, but for the common audience, you should be well aware of what this movie represents and the cultural icon of Godzilla before you decide to go see it, it may impact whether you like it or not.