GODZILLA - May 16, 2014 - Official Thread

[Mike Skerritt]

The tone? Obviously we'll see. If it's just a concept trailer, then who knows -- I'm just not sure how a deadly serious, pretentious Godzilla movie is going to go over with most viewers outside the hardcore "kaiju" fans (and we all know how many of them turned out for Pacific Rim).

I can't confirm since this is only based on what I've read online, but evidently the tone of the actual movie footage screened at SDCC this year was more in line with Irwin Allen disaster movies and not as borderline pretentious as the concept reel. If done right that's potentially good news.

[Eric Paddon]

I wish there was a way to be serious without being pretentious. Present the story with a frightening level of realism without some underlying message and please, DON'T give us ludicrous one-dimensional characters that typify so many of these films of the last few decades. The characters of the 98 Godzilla were just as key to the badness of that film as the concept design.

[Monterey Jack]

It's very impressive visually. Not sure I'm looking forward to a pretentious social statement with 9/11-levels of imagery however, if that's the direction it's going.

Isn't that exactly what the original, 1954 Godzilla was, only as a metaphor for the fear of nuclear warfare? Compared to the increasingly kiddified version of the Big G we got in subsequescent films, the original is pretty grim, humorless stuff.

[AndyDursin]

It's very impressive visually. Not sure I'm looking forward to a pretentious social statement with 9/11-levels of imagery however, if that's the direction it's going.

Isn't that exactly what the original, 1954 Godzilla was, only as a metaphor for the fear of nuclear warfare? Compared to the increasingly kiddified version of the Big G we got in subsequescent films, the original is pretty grim, humorless stuff.

Well of course -- but I found that element patently obvious in the 1954 movie also. Not saying this new movie has to be a remake of Godzilla Vs The Sea Monster (though personally I'd rather watch that, or any of the entertaining early '60s Toho sequels, over the '54 movie), but a balance would be nice. And the larger point is that the allegory, if used again, would likely come off as heavy-handed.

Still, after seeing what Legendary and Warner did with MAN OF STEEL, it gives me pause. IMO if this movie is going to go all "Christopher Nolan" over the source material and serve up a grim, humorless paean to global warming, 9/11 or something, it's going to underperform even more than the 1998 film. Just making a film for obsessive fanboys, as we've seen, probably isn't a wise decision.

[Eric Paddon]

Of course my frame of reference is the Americanized version of the 54 original, which cuts out the more pretentious elements the original film had and keeps it more an effectively chilling "documentary" style telling of events. The matter of Godzilla awakened by atomic testing is not left out, but it doesn't overwhelm the proceedings. I'd rather see something done along those lines where during the height of the crisis, the attitude should be "Who the hell cares what caused it, let's figure out how to *deal* with it!"

[AndyDursin]

OFFICIAL trailer is out...I actually think that concept trailer was more effective.

[AndyDursin]

Brand new trailer -- superior to the teaser as it were:

[Eric Paddon]

That opening dialogue in the trailer reminded me too much of the old "This was no boat accident!" line, but then it picked up and really hit the right notes. Looks like its going to be light years ahead of the 1998 disaster.

The notion that the nuclear tests of the 50s were designed to try and kill the beast rather than serve as the unintentional cause of its reawakening is an intriguing revisionist concept.

[jkholm]

At least some of the FX shots look like they are set during the day, unlike PACIFIC RIM which seemed to be set almost entirely at night and in the rain. Or underwater.

[Paul MacLean]

Interesting use of Ligeti's Requiem. Too bad Alexandre Desplat will writing the score.

[AndyDursin]

Good point John -- and Eric, I agree, the revisionist angle on the atomic testing is quite interesting. Already that's something we didn't really get out of the '98 film (though I noticed they've recycled the Godzilla-in-the-harbor bit in that trailer).

My only reservation now seems to be the kid from KICK ASS who looks suitably brooding but vacant. Couldn't Bryan Cranston have carried this film than another bland Hollywood, younger leading man (i.e. Garret Hedlund in TRON LEGACY or Taylor Kitsch in any one of his recent flops, or Sam Worthington, etc. etc.). Obviously we'll see how it plays out.

[AndyDursin]

Interesting use of Ligeti's Requiem. Too bad Alexandre Desplat will writing the score.

It's funny, the Desplat mania seems to have wavered a bit -- at least based on the FSM thread for this film, where you have the same people going on about how great he is, and then an almost equal amount of naysayers saying they're not looking forward to it. That's what the DEATHLY HALLOWS will do to you (lol)

Ironically though I'm not a big Giacchino fan, his end credits bit for CLOVERFIELD seemed to indicate he could write a Godzilla type of score -- but of course this is the one assignment he DOESN'T get!

My guess is -- no matter what happens -- David Arnold's fine GODZILLA score will end up being the one thing (and possibly the only thing) the '98 film has over this picture.

[Paul MacLean]

It's funny, the Desplat mania seems to have wavered a bit -- at least based on the FSM thread for this film, where you have the same people going on about how great he is, and then an almost equal amount of naysayers saying they're not looking forward to it. That's what the DEATHLY HALLOWS will do to you (lol).

He still seems to have a ravenous following. Someone on another message board went so far as to hail Desplat as the equivalent of 70s/80s Williams and Goldsmith. (Can't really go along with that myself.)

A lot of people point to the fact he doesn't write like Hans Zimmer as one reason for their admiration. And while he certainly doesn't use blaring power chords and drum circles, he does does write repetitive cues with simplistic melodies and harmonies -- much as Zimmer has been doing in the past few years.

[Monterey Jack]

I'm a big Desplat fan....yes, he's no 80's John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, but in this day and age, his music is ambrosial compared to the usual crap we get. His Harry Potter scores are the only ones I've disliked to date, and that had more to do with studio interference (even Williams himself was forced to use his own themes as little as possible in his more textural Prisoner Of Azkaban score). He has a real grasp of drama and rhythm and his music really manages to punch through sound effects and dialogue and assert itself within the narrative. Along with Michael Giacchino, he's one of the very few composers writing actual MUSIC in this day and age.

[AndyDursin]

I'm a big Desplat fan....yes, he's no 80's John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, but in this day and age, his music is ambrosial compared to the usual crap we get. His Harry Potter scores are the only ones I've disliked to date, and that had more to do with studio interference (even Williams himself was forced to use his own themes as little as possible in his more textural Prisoner Of Azkaban score). He has a real grasp of drama and rhythm and his music really manages to punch through sound effects and dialogue and assert itself within the narrative. Along with Michael Giacchino, he's one of the very few composers writing actual MUSIC in this day and age.

I just don't hear it. I wish I did, too.