Legendary Pictures' Godzilla
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Fuck yeah!
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
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- Lulcy
Watched it last night, feeling good to be back on the theater, even if in less than ideal situation. Thankfully no one was an asshole and followed the protocols.
Not sure if being closed for so long made them forget how to tweak the sound system but my showing was a tad too loud that at various points my ears were feeling a bit of pain.
As for the movie itself, it's a pretty entertaining one, the kind of fun movie one needs if you're still carrying the isolation trauma of 2020.
Monsterverse ranking:
Not sure if being closed for so long made them forget how to tweak the sound system but my showing was a tad too loud that at various points my ears were feeling a bit of pain.
As for the movie itself, it's a pretty entertaining one, the kind of fun movie one needs if you're still carrying the isolation trauma of 2020.
Monsterverse ranking:
- King of The Monsters
- GvK
- Skull Island
- Godzilla'14
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Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
Performance in China.
Interested to see how it performs in USA where it has theaters vs HBO release.
Interested to see how it performs in USA where it has theaters vs HBO release.
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
KONGRATS.
(no USA numbers)
Godzilla vs Kong becomes the biggest opening week for Hollywood in a post-Covid era, with an international gross of $122M, beacting Tenet ($53M) and Wonder Woman 1984 ($38.5M). The movie is set to target +$300M. In like-for-like markets, and at today exchange rates, GvK is tracking ahead of King of The Monsters by 11% and roughly on par with Kong: Skull Island opening.
(no USA numbers)
Godzilla vs Kong becomes the biggest opening week for Hollywood in a post-Covid era, with an international gross of $122M, beacting Tenet ($53M) and Wonder Woman 1984 ($38.5M). The movie is set to target +$300M. In like-for-like markets, and at today exchange rates, GvK is tracking ahead of King of The Monsters by 11% and roughly on par with Kong: Skull Island opening.
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
- AKA
- X
Caught it on HBOMax, and quite enjoyed it! The only broad criticism that I have is that of it felt like the dialogue was written for certain characters and not for the actors who played those characters. Some of the lines fit perfectly to how they believably talk, and other parts feel more like constructed dialogue which felt like it was largely individual-specific, and not really around someone's capabilities as an actor or not.
X
I dig the design of the Hollow Earth area. There're some VERY clear homages to designs here and there, like the facility in Hong Kong that houses Mechagodzilla when he comes bursting out to the surface is very reminiscent of NERV HQ from Evangelion, and the design of the throne room area for Kong, and even the specific pose that he takes up when opening the doors is very Dark Souls-inspired. It's a SUPER pretty film when it takes the time to slow down a little bit, and I wish it'd've had a little extra time to linger on other sections and let things feel like they were growing a bit more naturally (like how the hollow-Earth expert suddenly is able to pilot a HEAV).
I really liked the Nozuki/Warbats (the giant Cobra-like kaiju), and wish that they'd've had a more prominent presence in their home territory than just getting killed. Overall, the conflict played out about how I'd expected to see it. Apex Cybernetics was a little on-the-nose, and it wasn't entirely clear how they had that massive subterranean transport system or what they were doing with all of the skull crawler embryos, and some other little teases that are odd in a film that otherwise seems to wrap things up for the current MonsterVerse stuff (given that there's no aftercredit). It's a really awesome setting for them to have helped to establish something that's a slightly more fictionalized version of Earth – which I think is honestly important. With the way that the world is, it's nice to have something that helps to create a bit of a layer of separation between those fictional settings and the real-world. I think that investing in a more fictionalized version of the world is something that'll be beneficial to a lot of films, moving forward post-2020-pandemic, and the Hollow Earth is a really good way to define that, while also having a sort of Monster Island-like setting if they ever wanted to just follow some things taking place there.
That being said, I think that the respect for the destruction being caused has been really lost since the Godzilla 2014 film. There isn't as much of a human focus around what the scope of a disaster of that scale is like, like we don't get a sense for how the world itself is managing after Godzilla KotM, since that was a MASSIVE event. While it is like some more of the vs. era films I feel like the humans are very heavily in the realm of conveniences through which we discover the events of the plot and less so any realized individual who has a stake or impact in what's taking place. Especially when you have a fictionalized world with super technology, I think that showing how that's actually being used to assist with humanitarian and other relief efforts would have been a super effective hook in getting a lens into this random entity and what it is that they actually do.
The framework of the fights between all of them were really well done, and they did well to showcase the strengths and weaknesses of all of the various match-ups. They also managed to convey the intentions of the Kong & Godzilla really well overall, especially how Godzilla is primarily making sure that there isn't anyone who's gonna try and come up against him moreso than necessarily outright killing any rivals – which he will still do. The way that they manage to learn about each other and communicate works really well, like Godzilla charging the axe, but also refusing to back down until Kong shows that he's not going to turn and try and come after Godzilla after annihilating Mechagodzilla. There is a definite loss when it comes to the sense of scale, which ALL has to do with speed and is one of the things that is really tough to get directors to hold back on for these things. Both Pacific Rim & Godzilla 2014 REALLY nailed what absolutely enormous creatures fighting would be like in terms of the speed and scale at which they move. The biggest part of that is just compare the bulk and weight that is conveyed when they hit a building in Godzilla 2014 vs what it's like in the Hong Kong fight which is like an all-out full-speed brawl. Even KotM had enormous weight conveyed when Godzilla & Ghidorah were facing off against each other. I assume that this is largely an issue that came with scaling Kong up from how he moved in Skull Island, while also not making him feel like he's totally losing his edge in agility.
When it came to the reveal of Mechagodzilla, I was hoping that with a suddenly villainous Serizawa character, the information about Ghidorah being telepathic, and all of the setup around Mechagodzilla, that we'd've gotten a bit more development on those parts so that Mechagodzilla's transition from a remote-piloted machine to a more autonomous being would've given a chance to make it into more of a character of its own. Godzilla Vs. Kong's version of Mechagodzilla is closer to the Heisei series' Super Mechagodzilla since it's built from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah, but as a cyborg it's a lot more like the Mechagodzilla "Kiryu" especially since there's a psychic connection involved. If anything, I think that the film would have been much better served if it was literally built around Ghidorah's skull, and Serizawa was in it like an actual mecha. Then when the power source gets set up, and he goes totally comatose, you'd have a better sense of the fusion between Human and Ghidorah coming after Godzilla which would make it more clearly the rival opposite to both Kong & Godzilla rolled into a single package.
Still though – despite the nitpicks and things around that, I really REALLY liked it and it feels like it really hits a note where we could get individual Toho Kaiju films in the "Hollow Earth" setting now that wouldn't all have to be one-upping the last thing. It'd be cool to be able to see what Rodan is up to, or get a film about Mothra that doesn't necessarily mean that Godzilla has to show up. I also really like the idea of Godzilla being the king above, and Kong being the king below, and it'd be neat to see them interacting again in the future with the Hollow Earth area as more of a safe haven for the Kaiju to retreat to where by-and-large humanity can't follow them save for a small number of highly funded research teams, like what the setting of Monster Island used to accomplish.
I really liked the Nozuki/Warbats (the giant Cobra-like kaiju), and wish that they'd've had a more prominent presence in their home territory than just getting killed. Overall, the conflict played out about how I'd expected to see it. Apex Cybernetics was a little on-the-nose, and it wasn't entirely clear how they had that massive subterranean transport system or what they were doing with all of the skull crawler embryos, and some other little teases that are odd in a film that otherwise seems to wrap things up for the current MonsterVerse stuff (given that there's no aftercredit). It's a really awesome setting for them to have helped to establish something that's a slightly more fictionalized version of Earth – which I think is honestly important. With the way that the world is, it's nice to have something that helps to create a bit of a layer of separation between those fictional settings and the real-world. I think that investing in a more fictionalized version of the world is something that'll be beneficial to a lot of films, moving forward post-2020-pandemic, and the Hollow Earth is a really good way to define that, while also having a sort of Monster Island-like setting if they ever wanted to just follow some things taking place there.
That being said, I think that the respect for the destruction being caused has been really lost since the Godzilla 2014 film. There isn't as much of a human focus around what the scope of a disaster of that scale is like, like we don't get a sense for how the world itself is managing after Godzilla KotM, since that was a MASSIVE event. While it is like some more of the vs. era films I feel like the humans are very heavily in the realm of conveniences through which we discover the events of the plot and less so any realized individual who has a stake or impact in what's taking place. Especially when you have a fictionalized world with super technology, I think that showing how that's actually being used to assist with humanitarian and other relief efforts would have been a super effective hook in getting a lens into this random entity and what it is that they actually do.
The framework of the fights between all of them were really well done, and they did well to showcase the strengths and weaknesses of all of the various match-ups. They also managed to convey the intentions of the Kong & Godzilla really well overall, especially how Godzilla is primarily making sure that there isn't anyone who's gonna try and come up against him moreso than necessarily outright killing any rivals – which he will still do. The way that they manage to learn about each other and communicate works really well, like Godzilla charging the axe, but also refusing to back down until Kong shows that he's not going to turn and try and come after Godzilla after annihilating Mechagodzilla. There is a definite loss when it comes to the sense of scale, which ALL has to do with speed and is one of the things that is really tough to get directors to hold back on for these things. Both Pacific Rim & Godzilla 2014 REALLY nailed what absolutely enormous creatures fighting would be like in terms of the speed and scale at which they move. The biggest part of that is just compare the bulk and weight that is conveyed when they hit a building in Godzilla 2014 vs what it's like in the Hong Kong fight which is like an all-out full-speed brawl. Even KotM had enormous weight conveyed when Godzilla & Ghidorah were facing off against each other. I assume that this is largely an issue that came with scaling Kong up from how he moved in Skull Island, while also not making him feel like he's totally losing his edge in agility.
When it came to the reveal of Mechagodzilla, I was hoping that with a suddenly villainous Serizawa character, the information about Ghidorah being telepathic, and all of the setup around Mechagodzilla, that we'd've gotten a bit more development on those parts so that Mechagodzilla's transition from a remote-piloted machine to a more autonomous being would've given a chance to make it into more of a character of its own. Godzilla Vs. Kong's version of Mechagodzilla is closer to the Heisei series' Super Mechagodzilla since it's built from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah, but as a cyborg it's a lot more like the Mechagodzilla "Kiryu" especially since there's a psychic connection involved. If anything, I think that the film would have been much better served if it was literally built around Ghidorah's skull, and Serizawa was in it like an actual mecha. Then when the power source gets set up, and he goes totally comatose, you'd have a better sense of the fusion between Human and Ghidorah coming after Godzilla which would make it more clearly the rival opposite to both Kong & Godzilla rolled into a single package.
Still though – despite the nitpicks and things around that, I really REALLY liked it and it feels like it really hits a note where we could get individual Toho Kaiju films in the "Hollow Earth" setting now that wouldn't all have to be one-upping the last thing. It'd be cool to be able to see what Rodan is up to, or get a film about Mothra that doesn't necessarily mean that Godzilla has to show up. I also really like the idea of Godzilla being the king above, and Kong being the king below, and it'd be neat to see them interacting again in the future with the Hollow Earth area as more of a safe haven for the Kaiju to retreat to where by-and-large humanity can't follow them save for a small number of highly funded research teams, like what the setting of Monster Island used to accomplish.
X
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Counter-point: That's exactly why 2014 is a better film than if Joe had survived.
I understand the want to have more of his character (especially given the actor) but the loss of a character in his role is a key element in establishing the dangers and elements as being a threat that's been summarily ignored until it costs the life of the person who understands the most about it – and not just a single time. Godzilla films like 2014 are about the fear of survival when the resources you most need to depend on are no longer present, and the ways that those things destroy lives OUTSIDE of just the immediate carnage and destruction. It's not just about the immediate disaster like when his wife died, but it's about the lasting damage that occurred that continued on from that with his family. That's why when it finally reached the point where all of that suffering would have been justified, the person who should have benefitted from that is also lost, and thus never gets to feel relief from all of the pain that they went though. Their ambitions die unrealized.
That's also a central theme to the plot in Shin Godzilla and in both cases, that loss is pivotal in establishing one of many ways in which people's lives get ruined in ways that they never get back. In 2014, you're supposed to be disappointed and feel robbed by Joe's death and think about how much better things would have been had he survived. It's meant to feel like the story got sabotaged – because it did, which IS the story. It's that those sort of losses are not just a catalyzing tragedy that initiates action towards a solution, but that they become the lasting status quo until the necessary action is taken by more than just a single individual. I'd argue that that's one of the most important facets of Godzilla stories in modern context.
X
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- TresDias
My son and I went to see it on Thursday. It was great fun, though KotM still stands as the better movie overall. This one probably has "the best" (i.e. most anime) kaiju battles, but the way KotM built up the tension to its fights and executed them in a heavy-but-not-plodding way worked better for the material in my opinion.
Also, the pacing of KotM offered more room to breathe and take in its developments, process the emotions of its human characters, etc. -- which helped ensure the story of KotM was just better overall, I feel.
It bears mentioning as well that Millie Bobby Brown had more focus in KotM compared to GvK, so that's an inarguable plus for KotM. Still very happy that she came back for this one, though, even if in a slightly more limited role.
I will say I was disappointed that more wasn't done to explore
But it seems like a lot of filmed material was lost in meeting the studio mandate of getting the runtime under two hours. Zhang Ziyi and Jessica Henwick's scenes were removed entirely while Lance Reddick's almost joined them.
Also, the pacing of KotM offered more room to breathe and take in its developments, process the emotions of its human characters, etc. -- which helped ensure the story of KotM was just better overall, I feel.
It bears mentioning as well that Millie Bobby Brown had more focus in KotM compared to GvK, so that's an inarguable plus for KotM. Still very happy that she came back for this one, though, even if in a slightly more limited role.
I will say I was disappointed that more wasn't done to explore
Serizawa's son. You go and make a bad guy of the son of the guy who freakin' loved Godzilla, we need some context for that shit in the movie.
But it seems like a lot of filmed material was lost in meeting the studio mandate of getting the runtime under two hours. Zhang Ziyi and Jessica Henwick's scenes were removed entirely while Lance Reddick's almost joined them.
It seemed like the skullcrawlers were just for testing MechaGodzilla's capabilities.
I think Ghidorah's jawbone was in the head. That functioned as the receiver for Ren Serizawa's mental commands, and later for those from the residual consciousness of Ghidorah.
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- Rishi
I was pleasantly surprised by how much Kong stole the show.
I've never cared so much about this big sweet monke than I do now.
I've never cared so much about this big sweet monke than I do now.
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
US performance week 1
GvK exceeds industry expectations opening on the US with $48.5M, setting a new post-Covid box office record, beating previous record holder Wonder Woman 1984 ($16M).
Total worldwide gross is now at $285M.
GvK exceeds industry expectations opening on the US with $48.5M, setting a new post-Covid box office record, beating previous record holder Wonder Woman 1984 ($16M).
Total worldwide gross is now at $285M.
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
- AKA
- TresDias
Why did I let that entire thing play
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- X
It's like when Guile's Theme goes with everything – there's no natural point to stop watching it, so you just sort of sit back and let it run it its natural conclusion.
X
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy
Legendary's Godzilla to have a live action series for Apple TV Plus, will featuring him and the other Titans of the Monsterverse.
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- X
I'm SO glad that Legendary gets to lean in 200% into the "Vs." era of what Godzilla films are like, which allows Toho to focus much more heavily into films that are more Japan-centric with the cultural and thematic elements with Shin Godzilla & Minus One. The fact that we're able to get all of these things all at once in such high quality is just the BEST.
Quite curious what's got Godzilla's energy & dorsal spines going pink when he's contained in that big crystaline thing, and if that might be a particular type of energy he's absorbing or if it might be meant to represent how he heals.
While the classic atomic blue pulls its color from Cherenkov radiation and while overall Godzilla has always stayed with the blue for those thematic purposes, we've also had a darker glowing red as the "overcapacity energy reactor meltdown" color theme for his dorsal spine glow & heat wave attack. Probably what makes this feel a little odd in this trailer is that this range of pink/magenta doesn't correspond to a single wavelength of light – but rather what our eyes show us when we're perceiving both red & blue simultaneously. That's got a really neat potential for Godzilla thematically depending on if that's why they're using this new color for that.
The only other color departure is how Shin Godzilla was the first to use purple for the "mass resignation beam" where that one transitions in and out of just being billowing flames. So as it builds up to be brighter and more intense, it shifts from a really low intensity dark red glow with just billowing flames and ramps up into a concentrated purple beam, so that the wavelengths of light match how the attack is emitting concentrated high-wave radiation which leans towards the cosmic ultraviolet wavelength in the color spectrum.
Related to that, I'm curious what's up with Kong's new accessory and whether or not it'll end up being something like the MHA Full Gauntlet to let him just Detroit Smash into an opponent with reckless abandon, or if it'll end up having some more technological Nintendo Power Glove functionality to lean in on Kong's intelligence since we're apparently up against other apes. Especially since the films is delving into the lost inner world, when it come to the Godzilla films & the unveiling of ancient civilizations like the girl going up the crystaline stairs, it has equal chances of those lost cultures being extremely isolated and technologically primitive culture like the Shobijin or Seatopians as it does being a cover of advanced extraterrestrials like the Xiliens or Nebulans operating a hidden base on/in Earth.
X
Quite curious what's got Godzilla's energy & dorsal spines going pink when he's contained in that big crystaline thing, and if that might be a particular type of energy he's absorbing or if it might be meant to represent how he heals.
While the classic atomic blue pulls its color from Cherenkov radiation and while overall Godzilla has always stayed with the blue for those thematic purposes, we've also had a darker glowing red as the "overcapacity energy reactor meltdown" color theme for his dorsal spine glow & heat wave attack. Probably what makes this feel a little odd in this trailer is that this range of pink/magenta doesn't correspond to a single wavelength of light – but rather what our eyes show us when we're perceiving both red & blue simultaneously. That's got a really neat potential for Godzilla thematically depending on if that's why they're using this new color for that.
The only other color departure is how Shin Godzilla was the first to use purple for the "mass resignation beam" where that one transitions in and out of just being billowing flames. So as it builds up to be brighter and more intense, it shifts from a really low intensity dark red glow with just billowing flames and ramps up into a concentrated purple beam, so that the wavelengths of light match how the attack is emitting concentrated high-wave radiation which leans towards the cosmic ultraviolet wavelength in the color spectrum.
Related to that, I'm curious what's up with Kong's new accessory and whether or not it'll end up being something like the MHA Full Gauntlet to let him just Detroit Smash into an opponent with reckless abandon, or if it'll end up having some more technological Nintendo Power Glove functionality to lean in on Kong's intelligence since we're apparently up against other apes. Especially since the films is delving into the lost inner world, when it come to the Godzilla films & the unveiling of ancient civilizations like the girl going up the crystaline stairs, it has equal chances of those lost cultures being extremely isolated and technologically primitive culture like the Shobijin or Seatopians as it does being a cover of advanced extraterrestrials like the Xiliens or Nebulans operating a hidden base on/in Earth.
X
Lulcielid
Eyes of the Lord
- AKA
- Lulcy