Godzilla VS Kong

Discussions about Movies & TV shows not "Super" related.
Post Reply
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

And now some random arthouse flick:



;-)
Guess, I'll have to pick a side before watching it :hmmm:
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
User avatar
RedMountain
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 582
Joined: 18 years ago

Not getting hyped for this one. Got really excited for the first two and felt both were largely underwhelming. Of all the Godzilla-Verse movies so far I'd have to say Skull Island was far and away the best one, mainly because it focused on Kong instead of the humans, as the first two Godzilla films have unfortunately done.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

Yeah my gripe with the second one was the bad camera work and the fact there was a whole lot of monster fighting going on that we weren't seeing cause we had to watch the dumb family drama nonsense. Same with the antarctic fight. I didn't care about the human eye view of the fight.
User avatar
Femina
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1473
Joined: 14 years ago
Contact:

I've honestly never seen a browner movie than Godzilla King of Monsters.... It should have been named "Pyroclastic Cloud: The Motion Picture"

...and that honestly surprised and dissapointed the crap out of me considering the TRAILER for Godzilla King of Monsters was really selling itself on 'look how beautiful giant monsters are!'

So like........ well I'm not high on these Godzilla films after that it must be said.
heroinehunter
Sargeant 1st Class
Sargeant 1st Class
Posts: 221
Joined: 7 years ago

Godzilla (2014) - was just ok. It did have a great 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' kind of vibe. Loved Bryan Cranston in the movie - thought he was surprisingly great and brought the best 'human' element to the film. But there was hardly any Godzilla, it focused mostly on MUTO to the point where I felt the film should be renamed 'MUTO'. If I remember correctly, they even did a 'writing cheat' - a big battle was about to happen and the human passes out. No battle - harumph.

Skull Island - the best out of the Monster-verse. An entertaining popcorn film.

Godzilla : King of the Monsters - I have to agree I didn't care for the 'family drama' aspect of the story. The fights were a little choppy because of the concerns for humans part. I liked it, but it was just decent.

Godzilla vs Kong - I'm actually looking forward to the film. I hope it ties all the plot lines from previous films up. The fights look entertaining ; one in the ocean with battleships as Kong is being transported from Skull Island, the other in a city at night-time. Seems there might be other creatures involved (some flying beasts in city segment). Already disliking 'small girl is only person who can communicate with big ape'. Predicting : Charles Dance, the antagonist in King of the Monsters, will return in surprise unannounced cameo. King Ghidorah, revived in some mecha/mind control manner by Monarch, will be the final beast Godzilla and Kong will team up to fight (paintings on wall in Skull Island, head still remains at end of King). Other beasts (ex. Rodan) killed by beserk / Orca mind control Godzilla off screen before film opens.

But I'm not sorry that it's the 'end' of this run and they will surely reboot in about 5 years. The monsters are far too large.
User avatar
RedMountain
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 582
Joined: 18 years ago

It may get panned, but Pacific Rim for me has still done the best "modern" giant robots/giant monsters/kaiju in film. The sequel was awful and we won't talk about it, but Del Toro really made the first one a labor of love and the machines and monsters had a real weight to them and the fights had impact and were incredible. I went into Godzilla 2014 expecting something along those lines in Big G fighting the Mutos and instead got a 90% human action film/drama with a sprinkling of awesome moments like the first time Godzilla roars on screen and the later scene with the atomic breath.

King of the Monsters promised more monster vs. monster, but again just focused too much on the human plot for me and the fights were honestly really lackluster. I think the main problem is these monsters aren't designed well for close quarters battles, which worked in Pacific Rim, and it would get super boring if it was just atomic and lightning breath the entire time. The monsters in general were just kind of boring. Not sure how they screwed that up with how good the monster battles were in Skull Island.

I try to suspend my disbelief but the fact that Godzilla and Kong are fighting on a ship is hilariously ridiculous to me. Considering 2014 Godzilla weighed in at 90,000 tons...which is about the same as an aircraft carrier...the ship would sink or capsize very quickly with two of them on it with Kong being believed to be around 25,000 tons for this film, lol. I know it's all good fun and science fiction, but stuff like that bothers me.
Damselbinder

RedMountain wrote:
3 years ago
It may get panned, but Pacific Rim for me has still done the best "modern" giant robots/giant monsters/kaiju in film. The sequel was awful and we won't talk about it, but Del Toro really made the first one a labor of love and the machines and monsters had a real weight to them and the fights had impact and were incredible. I went into Godzilla 2014 expecting something along those lines in Big G fighting the Mutos and instead got a 90% human action film/drama with a sprinkling of awesome moments like the first time Godzilla roars on screen and the later scene with the atomic breath.

King of the Monsters promised more monster vs. monster, but again just focused too much on the human plot for me and the fights were honestly really lackluster. I think the main problem is these monsters aren't designed well for close quarters battles, which worked in Pacific Rim, and it would get super boring if it was just atomic and lightning breath the entire time. The monsters in general were just kind of boring. Not sure how they screwed that up with how good the monster battles were in Skull Island.

I try to suspend my disbelief but the fact that Godzilla and Kong are fighting on a ship is hilariously ridiculous to me. Considering 2014 Godzilla weighed in at 90,000 tons...which is about the same as an aircraft carrier...the ship would sink or capsize very quickly with two of them on it with Kong being believed to be around 25,000 tons for this film, lol. I know it's all good fun and science fiction, but stuff like that bothers me.
Pacific Rim is awesome.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

Yeah I liked PR #1 even though some plot points were horribly contrived. #2 was horrible.
Dogfish
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: 10 years ago

Am hoping Kong can fix these Godzilla movies because as people have pointed out, Skull Island is way better.

Thing with the Godzilla movies is that it's Hollywood trying to make Japanese monster movies, whereas Kong is a proper Hollywood monster movie, like the original King Kong, or The Land That Time Forgot, or even Jurassic Park. Hollywood has a great history of producing fun, rough and tumble monster movies, but you give them Godzilla and suddenly they're trying too hard and taking it seriously. Godzilla isn't serious.

I mean there's a lot of physical comedy in classic Godzilla. It's a dude in a mascot costume fighting other dudes in mascot costumes, it's not Shakespeare. It's supposed to be funny.

Even King of the Monsters is barely funny ever. The only thing that is even slightly funny is the idea that we're supposed to give a shit about a dysfunctional family trying to patch things up when it's made abundantly clear during the movie that dozens of the world's major cities have been almost levelled by emerging titans.

Skull Island though? It's funny. It's not afraid to laugh at itself and the characters. They don't treat the ape like he's peak Marlon Brando.

And from the looks of it, the new movie is leaning into that. I mean they've given the monke an axe. It's time to get silly.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

One thing Skull Island did was NOT short change the audience on monster fighting. You got to see the whole fight for the most part and not some humans running on the ground being shocked while there's some monster fighting going on in the background.
heroinehunter
Sargeant 1st Class
Sargeant 1st Class
Posts: 221
Joined: 7 years ago

MechaGodzilla seems to be one of the 'Big Bads' that Kong and the real, non-mind control Godzilla face off against in the end. There's a new trailer out (from Japan I believe or another international cut trailer) where there is a very brief shot of Godzilla eyes glowing bright blue as he fires his atomic breath. It's during the city nightime sequence that seems to be the final climatic battle.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

They also show M-Godzilla' jaw as people run into the underground shelter
Dogfish
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: 10 years ago

Probably something to do with the severed King Ghidora head left over from the last movie.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:


No real spoilers in this.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

Just saw it. Like the revue I posted said, its like a good action 80s movie. Nothing fancy or anything and there is a lot of satisfying monster fighting.
User avatar
RedMountain
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 582
Joined: 18 years ago

One of these days a Godzilla movie will actually feature Godzilla as the star. This film seemed to be more 80% about continuing Kong's story, so they could have just done a Skull Island II before this movie. First two films all focused on silly human drama, and while this one finally did more with monster fights, still a letdown that Godzilla can't even get top billing in his own films, lol.
User avatar
DrDominator9
Emissary
Emissary
Posts: 2454
Joined: 13 years ago
Location: On the Border of the Neutral Zone

RedMountain wrote:
3 years ago
. First two films all focused on silly human drama, and while this one finally did more with monster fights, still a letdown that Godzilla can't even get top billing in his own films, lol.
Technically, he does get top billing, RM. It's not Kong vs Godzilla after all.

:giggle:
Follow this link to descriptions of my stories and easy links to them:

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=32025
Dogfish
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: 10 years ago

I thought it was great. I love this version of Kong, have since Skull Island. They've created this expressive, smart, dynamic monster and he's amazing to watch.
Spoiler
The bit in GvK where Kong sits bolt upright Tyson Fury style, then pops his shoulder back in before going to fight MechaGodzilla is just brilliant. You can't do that with the lizard, he doesn't have that much character, ultimately because it's a big lizard not a giant primate. There's also that moment with the fight on the aircraft carrier, where Kong finally gets to punch Godzilla in the face, and it might be the most satisfying punch in the last few years of cinema.
The thing with monster fights is it's like wrestling. You've got to sell it. It's very, very difficult to sell anything with Godzilla. Is he hurt? Is he angry? Who fucking knows he's an iguana. Kong has his credentials established in Skull Island as a defender of humanity, he's a good dude. His expressions and emotions are readable and sympathetic. Makes him much more watchable. If they want to keep making these movies they need to find some way to bring Godzilla up to Kong's level in that regard.
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Forget the story. This is giant monster slugfest goodness all the way.
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
Maskripper
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1091
Joined: 7 years ago
Contact:

Watched it, yeah that was a fun popcorn movie.
Really nicccccce to have Rebecca Hall (loved her in "The Town") and Latina hottie Eiza Gonzalez (loved her in the "From Dusk till Dawn" TV show) in it!
Would have loved to have seen this in the cinema, as this movie is just made for it.....but well, things are like they are right now.
The monster fights were pretty spectacular nonetheless.

P.S.: The idea that this corporation has a mega highspeed tunnel from Pensacola, Florida to Hong Kong (nearly 14000 kilometers!!!!!!!!!!!!!) is soooooo insanely crazy, that it is funny again. :giggle:
But well, it's a monster movie, better not to think about such things.
Vist my blog and its Youtube channel:
http://www.maskripper.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaskripperOrg

Masked women in action! Superheroines, burglars, villainesses are waiting for you...
User avatar
Femina
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1473
Joined: 14 years ago
Contact:

This movie was shit. I haven't seen a movie this bad since Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.

This movie was slightly better than that, but as I equate Revenge of the Fallen's failure to the Writer's Strike of the era essentially making a movie without a script, I expect this movie is one that Covid shenanigans similarly gutted... but it was nevertheless a film that has absolutely no substance at all. I don't recommend it, I don't recommend wasting two hours of your limited life force on this earth exposing yourself to it. If you enjoy movies that leave you pondering one plot hole per scene and sniggering at it, then maybe its for you, but all others should stay away.

Even if you just want giant monsters duking it out, there are better ways they might have given it to you, I don't recommend further funding projects in THIS series if this is all the drivel they're willing to put up for you.
Last edited by Femina 4 months ago, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4598
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

I agree the plot was junk. The whole scooby doo thing was a waste. Its the equivalent of two kids smashing each other with toys - but I liked it. It was just fun, my favorite monsters, no in your face moralizing, the boat scene was so cool.
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

I like to compare this movie to watching a WWE match. You know everything is scripted, yet you're just there to enjoy the characters (fake) bashing each other.
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
RedMountain
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 582
Joined: 18 years ago

I think these movies try to take themselves too seriously. That's what made the first Pacific Rim so good to me, it knew what it was, a homage to the monster vs. mech genre and it gave us fans of that genre exactly what we wanted without any silly side plots(until the 2nd movie which we don't talk about...). You want giant monsters and robots? Here you go...them just punching each other for an hour and a half with stunning visuals. I still remember some critics complaining they didn't spend enough time on the human plots and thought it was funny...then it would have just been another Godzilla film.
User avatar
sugarcoater
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1189
Joined: 15 years ago

Good point about the movies taking themselves too seriously. I mentioned this as a side note in another thread, but how is it so difficult to pay someone to write up a halfway decent script? There was not a single redeeming value to any of the characters' plot lines because the characters were so one-dimensional. This is to be expected, but then how about not spending so much time on the characters in the first place? Or focus on fewer of the humans and create a more interesting storyline behind them. I find it hard to believe Hollywood has so few writers. For a movie that cost $160 million to make, why not invest an extra $200,000 to create a semi-compelling storyline?
From one person's perspective, the movie was a handful of visually impressive scenes with a lot of wasted time in between. At some point, there won't be anything fresh and worth paying for in watching 20 minutes of a giant monkey fighting a giant dinosaur (or whatever new giant animals they add to the movie franchise).
Ignore any virtue-signaling; it's clearly just you.

Ignore any activism; it clearly doesn't exist.

Be very careful!
Don't be indoctrinated!
Ignore your common sense!

Everything is entirely normal and ignore the radical changes to culture.
heroinehunter
Sargeant 1st Class
Sargeant 1st Class
Posts: 221
Joined: 7 years ago

Saw it yesterday.

The plot line is flimsy. The human characters are not interesting at all and can be easily overlooked. For ex. Doctor Serizawa's son - didn't realize he was involved in the story for awhile because it really didn't matter. Same with the Millie Bobbie Brown character - not really necessary and wonder why she's involved only to have a connection to the previous story. And you know you're scrapping the bottom of the acting talent pool when you have a great voice actor do a live performance and you say, "That's the reason why you just perform in a booth, mate. Damn that's bad acting." Humans are just there to move things along. I agree that Hollywood can spend a little more money on talented writers for a better story and character development.

But the film itself is fun. The brawls are greatly entertaining. The 'boat fight' was really cool (yes, you have to suspend your disbelief a little). The Tokyo night battle between Godzilla and Kong was the highlight for me. That in itself was worth the price of admission. I recommend it for those that are itching to get 'back to the movies' after such a long time. It's worth it since there really isn't an 'event' film until late June.

- call me 'the guy that advised Tarkin to evacuate before the Death Star blew up."
User avatar
Femina
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1473
Joined: 14 years ago
Contact:

FFS NO! It's not WWE. That's crap! Godzilla fans today don't GET it. Godzilla as a franchise is a series that takes its roots from a countries collective horror of mass nuclear devastation and fallout, that got popular with the kids and BECAME a nonsense WWE monster brawl series. THAT'S WRONG! That isn't what these movies should be, it isn't what they should be trying to do. If THIS drivel is the best we are allowed to have as excuse to watch two monsters fight it out over NOTHING then we don't need it. We don't give Star Wars a break when two characters spend 15 minutes fighting until the spectacle outweighs the stakes, we don't give 'Action movie B' a break when we don't care about what the characters are fighting for. Godzilla gets no special treatment from me just because the two things fighting for no reason are giant monsters.

It's not about how seriously or not it takes itself, the problem is that it just wont pick a lane. Shin Godzilla is a Japanese monster film that takes itself VERY seriously and is considered one of, if not THE best Godzilla movie out there today. The problem these films suffer is that their written as an excuse to smash two monsters together like action figures and and NOT written like MOVIES. Rate it R. Make it a fucking horror film. Stop trying to make me identify with King Kong as he kills hundreds of people the film doesn't even BOTHER to pretend exist in a building he uses JUST to relocate his shoulder. These are giant monsters, as the ANTS we can't co-exist with them, they aren't superheroes. They are literal walking disasters and tragedy machines.

Godzilla as a 'WWE' brawlfest is the reason these movies fucking suck.
Last edited by Femina 3 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Damselbinder

Femina wrote:
3 years ago
FFS NO! It's not WWE. That's crap! Godzilla fans today don't GET it. Godzilla as a franchise is a series that takes its roots from a countries collective horror of mass nuclear devastation and fallout, that got popular with the kids and BECAME a nonsense WWE monster brawl series. THAT'S WRONG! That isn't what these movies should be, it isn't what they should be trying to do. If THIS drivel is the best we are allowed to have as excuse to watch two monsters fight it out over NOTHING then we don't need it. We don't give Star Wars a break when two characters spend 15 minutes fighting until the spectacle outweighs the stakes, we don't give 'Action movie B' a break when we don't care about what the characters are fighting for. Godzilla gets no special treatment from me just because the two things fighting for no reason are giant monsters.

It's not about how seriously or not it takes itself. Shin Godzilla is a Japanese monster film that takes itself VERY seriously and is considered one of, if not THE best Godzilla movie out there today. The problem these films suffer is that their written as an excuse to smash two monsters together like action figures and and NOT written like MOVIES. Rate it R. Make it a fucking horror film. Stop trying to make me identify with King Kong as he kills hundreds of people the film doesn't even BOTHER to pretend exist in a building he uses JUST to relocate his shoulder. These are giant monsters, as the ANTS we can't co-exist with them, they aren't superheroes. They are literal walking disasters and tragedy machines.

Godzilla as a 'WWE' brawlfest is the reason these movies fucking suck.
There is much here in what you say.

However, Godzilla's been about monsters fighting since 'Raids Again'

That was the second movie.
User avatar
ReadheadGOD
Neophyte
Neophyte
Posts: 5
Joined: 2 years ago

Cool movie, but I hoped it would be more fantastic
Image
Post Reply