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Post by The Curmudgeon on Jul 13, 2008 22:49:38 GMT 2
Throughout the years, there's been many different takes on Godzilla. And they all show the king of the monsters in a different light.
The original movie, the 1984 remake and a few other movies (like the Mothra ones) have him as this creature of rage and destruction, aiming to destroy Tokyo.
The later, 70s movies, have him as some kind of superhero figure, with some films showing him as some cute, goofy have-a-go hero, punching his fists before he fights (in the.. unmistakable.. Godzilla vs Megalon).
And more recent films have his character shrouded in a bad guy doing good kind of way. Like, he'll save the world but everyone is still afraid of him because he's still a towering beast.
So what's YOUR favourite? To be honest, when I first watched the movies, I HATED when Godzilla was a bad guy. I actually liked him as the heroic figure saving the world from evil monsters. And part of me still thinks like that, but we could never go back to the campy 70s movies, so I would have to root for option 3. Bad guy does good.
How about you?
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Post by Benjamin Haines on Jul 14, 2008 9:16:57 GMT 2
I agree. Having Godzilla as an antihero allows for the best of both worlds. When Godzilla's playing that role, he can tear through cities and destroy anything in his path and then turn right around and defend humanity from some other unstoppable monster - all because that's just what he feels like doing. Godzilla maintains his badass persona while simultaneously fulfilling both villainous and heroic roles. Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla 2000, and Godzilla: Final Wars showcase Godzilla in this light the best.
That's not to discredit Godzilla in any other role, though. To this day I still remember the first time I watched Godzilla vs. Gigan one afternoon at the age of nine. When Gigan and King Ghidorah were wreaking destruction on Tokyo, seeing Godzilla and Anguirus swim up to challenge them could not have been cooler. The sense of heroism those two protagonist monsters had was palpable in that flick, with Godzilla as the superhero defender who genuinely seemed like he was there to save the day and Anguirus as his headstrong sidekick with a die-hard fighting spirit. Being nine years old and watching Godzilla and Anguirus swim off into the sunset, with Godzilla turning around and giving one last farewell roar of triumph as the movie's theme trumpeted - I was mesmerized. Superhero Godzilla will always hold a fond and nostalgic place in my heart.
Godzilla also works just as well in the role of the rampaging, antagonistic force. Watching him lumber a swath of destruction through everything in his path and taking on any and every challenger that tries to stop him in films like Mothra vs. Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Biollante is nothing short of awe-inspiring. And as the 1954 original and GMK have shown, the Big G can play this role and even go the extra mile and carry some strong symbolism and relevant social commentary in the process. Whether a villain, hero, or antihero, with or without symbolism, Godzilla works in any role you put him in. I think that's one of the main reasons why the character has endured so well for so long: His versatility.
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Post by trashcanman on Jul 14, 2008 12:04:32 GMT 2
"History shows again and again
How nature points up the folly of men"- BOC
I truly love the Hulk-like antihero Godzilla, but the head-and-shoulders best films of all are the original and GMK so I'm voting "evil" even though that word is not appropriate. Godzilla is the living embodiment of vengeance and consequence. In the original and others he is the consequence of our destruction of nature and harnessing of it's greatest force for the sole purpose of incinerating each other. In GMK he was representing the souls of the dead soldiers of the Pacific Theater of WWII, which came about entirely because of Japan's imperialistic ambitions. Hence the revenge. That is Godzilla at his best. Superhero Godzilla is great for the kids or for some good old-fashioned nostalgic fun, but for me his most powerful role is as a giant fire-breathing metaphor.
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Jul 14, 2008 23:02:22 GMT 2
You're right, "evil" is the wrong word, but.. well, you know what I mean.
Don't get me wrong, Benjamin - I love the superhero side of Godzilla too. In fact, weirdly, I would list Godzilla vs Megalon as one of my favourite Godzilla films, because it's just so out and out ridiculous. Crap in the very best kind of way. Watchable, enjoyable nonsense that, to younger audiences, would probably have been the best thing ever. Godzilla standing back to back with a silver superhero trapped in fire? Fucking AWESOME.
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