Thread 213804070

I've watched a total of three (3) Toho Godzilla films: Minus One, Shin, and the original 1954 movie in that exact order. These three all are less of a giant monster movie ala Kong and more of a political/social commentary using Godzilla as a symbol for mass destruction, and I have to be honest, it's hard to go back and appreciate the original movie that started it all after watching these interpretations of the concept spawned over 60+ years later.
I understand it's unfair to compare the two modern films to the original, but I have to admit out of the three, the original one is my least favorite. It's not a matter of it being in black and white, either, because I watched Minus One just in black and white and still loved the movie. Am I alone in feeling this way?

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>>213804070 (OP)
should have watched the original first
minus one was okay but very much made with an american audience in mind
shin is true japanese kino

>>213804479
>minus one was okay but very much made with an american audience in mind
I'm glad that I only watched it in B/W. If I manage to watch all the Toho films in release order, I'll revisit it in color since I haven't watched it since it was in theaters

54 actually manages a desperate atmosphere better than the newer ones, the acting is also more in sync with its time, whereas current Japanese acting is very poor compared to what we have access to elsewhere. Low quality sound also has a tendency to exaggerate the unpleasantness of screams and make the roars scarier and harder to place.

>>213804070 (OP)
it's the same thing with almost every long standing franchise, people cling to the originals, i feel like people go purely from memory and haven't actually rewatched

>>213804070 (OP)
>These three all are less of a giant monster movie ala Kong and more of a political/social commentary
That's the entire heisei era too, in case that's working for you.

>>213804699
But there are longstanding franchises where the original story aged well. I've watched the original Gundam in its entirely twice, and it still holds up. Much better than some of the modern entries in the series despite being a lot less flashy (in fact, it probably has the worst battles in the entire franchise).

>>213804798
I saw the trailer for The Return of Godzilla and I'm very much looking forward to watching that to see how it compares with Reiwa (even though Shin is technically Heisei...)

>>213804845
it's not that the originals are bad, just not the most entertaining anymore imo

>>213804885
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel. I wouldn't say that 1954 is bad at all, but that it just gets outshone by its little brothers and by a longshot

>>213804845
>Shin is technically Heisei
So's the entire millennium era. With Godzilla specifically Toho forgoes the era description of their other franchises. Return is a showa film if you want to split hairs.

>>213805057
You got me to check out the trailer for Godzilla 2000 and this Hiroshi motherfucker is everywhere

>>213805137
Wait til you get to kiryu 1 and start swearing up and down that one of the tech weenies in that is the tech weenie guy on the boat crew from minus one.

>>213804070 (OP)
Its probably because you're detached from the moral of the original. The nuclear threat back in the day was real. The dangers of radiation and what might be unleashed on the world genuinely terrified people. You're likely young. You grew up in a world where that doubt, that fear isn't what it was. So the original doesn't have the same impact

>>213804845
>even though Shin is technically Heisei...

No it isn't, Heisei is a continuity not a time period in the Godzilla-verse. All the Heisei era sequels are direct continuations with references to the previous movies.

>>213805815
>All the Heisei era sequels are direct continuations with references to the previous movies.
What movies get referenced? I'm not trying to be a cunt, I'm genuinely curious if there's more than the big one and the small one I'm thinking of.

>>213806240
Oh, nevermind, you probably meant the previous movies within the heisei series.

>>213804070 (OP)
Putting aside all discussion of effects works and acting, the crux of all three films is their commentary. Shin Godzilla is rebukes Japan's bureaucracy and calls for patriotism in the next generation. Minus One rebukes WW2 Japan treatment of its own populace and Japan's self-destructive ideologies. Godzilla is essentially a rebuking of America developing an ultimate weapon and immediately using it on their fellow man, with tremendous weight being placed on Serizawa finally being moved to use his ultimate weapon only once, for the defense of his homeland. You probably just got more out of Shin and Minus One's commentary.

>>213804798
The only Heisei movies with anything to say are 84 and Biollante, the rest are as empty and commercial as Toho's Godzilla has ever been.

>>213806412
The mothra one is about enviromentalism and the one with king ghidorah has a criticism of japan expansionism and rhe fear there was about them taking over the world and ruining it

>>213806458
The Mothra one is as insipid as Captain Planet and King Ghidorah is an insane show of xenophobia.

>>213806412
They're all warnings about various technologies. Biollante's warning is no deeper than SpaceGodzilla's.