The Spirituality of Godzilla: King of the Monsters | In Depth Review
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- In this video we take a deep dive into Godzilla: King of the Monsters, exploring its story and the religious/environmental themes it touches upon. Is the film smarter than it’s often give credit for?
Chapters:
Intro 0:00
The Titans 1:50
Ghidorah the Three-Headed Devil 4:10
Faith in Godzilla 6:27
Angels & Demons 8:29
The Russell Family 10:00
Science vs. Spirituality 13:59
Little Touches 15:49
Conclusion 17:41
Tracks used:
Divider - Chris Zabriskie
Gregorian Chant - Kevin Macleod
Gamela - E's Jammy Jams
Ammil - The Tides
Dream Escape - The Tides
#Godzilla #KingoftheMonsters #Monsterverse
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Yes, I am aware that Kiriko Tsujimori rode Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. Seems I had forgotten haha. Point still stands.
Considering she's wearing a suit, an argument could be made that this movie has the first PHYSICAL contact with Godzilla.
@@maleficking6556 She was also pretty dead-set on Ahab-ing Godzilla
To be fair, this was the first time anyone ever touched Godzilla in a way that made sense.
Serizawa was willingly sacrificing himself and knew Godzilla's natural radiation and the radiation in his home definitely wouldn't kill him any faster than the bomb, so he took his opportunity to say goodbye.
Tsujimori just hitches a ride on the EXTREMELY RADIOACTIVE giant monster and is somehow totally fine and hasn't contracted super cancer as a result.
One thing to mention about Ghidorah being frozen in Antarctica. It has more ties with Dante's Inferno, where the Devil himself lies in the deepest layer of hell and he is frozen over. On top of which, the greatest sin the Devil ever committed was betraying God; thus making him the traitor of traitors.
Still an excellent analysis!
Kiriko touched him with gloves on. Serizawa touched him with his bare hand.
So technically speaking, he got closer.
KotM isn't perfect. But it's a movie that made by someone who truly loves this franchise. And I love and respect it for that.
@JapaneseGiant Lizard1234 To be honest, I still considered anime trilogy are good. Not perfect but not bad either. Controversial opinion, I know. But that trilogy, like KotM, I love and respect thought and ideas that they put to them. I know it's not for everyone. But it's intersting idea to try. I mean, Godzilla as cosmic horror is one of the best idea you can have. And keyword is 'cosmic horror'. They're not action packed. They focused more on moody tone and grim atmosphere. And that's totally fine. I think it's good that director can show their unique style and idea whether you like it or not.
Me, personally, I love them. I even think they got too much hate. I know directors of those movies though one of them never watched Godzilla, I don't think he hates Godzilla either. (There are two of them, and one who watched Godzilla approves idea of one who never watched Godzilla). He pretty respectful to Godzilla mythos (portray him, Mothra and King Ghidorah as gods). It just different. And this is from a person who watch Godzilla for 20 years.
Anyway, it depends on people. I just think anime trilogy got too much shit more than they deserve. It's kinda like Godzilla vs Hedorah.
There is little wrong with it that an extended Blueray edit with slower pacing wouldn't fix.
Problem is it feel like a video game so when you just sit and try to paid attenion to it.. you just lost interest after few min.. just like video game.. it take me like 3 times to try to understand the what hell is going on... and i watch a lot of moive..in the end all i care is the monster fight.. and don't care at human at all... bring walter white back.. this only one i care..
@@thanyawaeohongsa691 More or less agree about the anime trilogy. I don't hate it, but I don't really care too much for it.
It's biggest problem isn't the tone or the pacing or the ideas or even the story and characters (though both _are_ severally lacing), it's that it presents an array of really interesting ideas but doesn't actually do anything with them or explore them at all. In the end, I was more board with the thing most of the time. It may be low on my "like" list, but I certainly don't hate it.
Who Dougherty? My ass
When you mentioned Antarctica being like Hell and Ghidorah being like Satan/the Devil, I couldn’t help but think of Dante’s Inferno with how Satan is trapped in the Ninth Circle of Hell. The Ninth and deepest Circle is a frozen wasteland and Satan in that version has three heads
Also if I remembered correctly, in Dante's inferno the ninth circle of hell is the circle of treachery and betrayal, and Emma in a sense betrayed her kind in favor of a word ruled by Titans
Alan Jonah is another biblical reference. The name of Jonah is the one who builds the Ark to save the animals of the world that God will flood the earth.
But this Jonah, kills humans, has a group of people who follow him to restore balance and is very comfortable with a "God" destroying the world and flooding it.
@@lonewolfgamingplus379 Noah is the one that built the Ark. Jonah is the one that got swallowed by big feesh
@@lonewolfgamingplus379 you are getting your names mixed up. Noah was the one who made the ark. Jonah was the one that was told by God to go and save this one place or it will be destroyed. Jonah refused, believing it wasn't worth saving, and fled. He was then eaten up by a sea monster (most modern depictions are of a whale, but some evidence seems to say it would've been a large shark perhaps). After being puked up by the creature, he washes ashore at the city he was meant to save, he quickly tells them that they will be destroyed, and then he sits upon a hill and watches to see it be destroyed, because he sees them as beyond redemption. but it never does get destroyed as the people inside changed their ways.
Noah is the one who made the ark, Jonah is the guy who got eaten by the fish
I never lost faith in KotM. I loved it and have defended it relentlessly. It is a film made by a G-fan for G-fans. The fact that Dougherty loves the series as much as the fans do is a testament that franchises are in good hands when the right people are in charge.
Same
I’m a non-Godzilla fan who is steadily being converted by this movie
Me too. KOTM 2019 is one of my fav Godzilla movies. When I first watched it, I thought it was...okay. Then I watched it a few more times to soak it all in. I ended up loving it!
@@jwbaccaro I know it's your opinion but I've never really liked the film. I'm sorry but if you have to watch the film 3 times before you start to like it then the film was never great to begin with. GvK follows this same identity of mindless monster action. There's no depth.
@@bk7064 I had to listen to Metallica's epic thrash album "Master of Puppets" before it grew on me. Didn't like it much at first. Now it's my favorite. Sometimes great art work takes a bit of time to be absorbed. Perception, perception.
Godzilla isn’t just about destroying cities and fighting monsters anymore, if he is on screen, he represents something that we humans are doing something wrong in the real world that’s affecting our planet. And for that, all hail the king.
Godzilla has always been that, he just shifted from a nuclear message, to a more environmental one.
I think he's Earth's Greatest Hero. Without him, the world would crumble and fall apart.
The restorer of balance.
Hail the king
Mark Russel probably represents Atheism while his wife, Emma represents Faith.
I loved this movie. I loved the villain. I loved the monsters. I loved the music. I loved the direction. I loved the themes. I loved, loved, loved this movie. No irony; no shame; just apppreciation.
Same here. Saw it the night it came at the deluxe level of my local theater with a burger in one hand and beer in the other. Could not have been happier with the experience. My wife enjoyed it and she usually doesn't care for Godzilla. I understand other fans frustrations but I got exactly what I was hoping for.
Me too 👍
Godzilla-God
Mothra-Seraphim
Ghidorah-The Devil
Rodan-Samael
agree, i feel like this is what fan's needed just a movie about monster duking it out. I feel like it has the least human involvment in year's and would love even less human involvment. i watch godzilla to see godzilla not human's just talking and looking at godzilla 65%-85% of the movie. this felt more like 60%(human side of thing's)-40%(monsters side of thing's)
It’s basically a huge Royal rumble but with monsters instead of wrestlers.
-Critical Drinker
the movie has legitimate criticisms but gets a lot of unfair hate. Its ageing a lot better tho
Give it some time then they will say how great it actually was
Imo it's ageing kinda worse, but that's in my opinion. I like 2014 way better than KoTM
Stinky Nate Really why?
I seriously though this movie way way better than 2014 and I love that movie so much.
Just asking.
Just speaking for myself, but having rewatch both films nearly back to back 2014 definitely left a better impression on me consistently. Maybe not as much action as KOTM, but better directed and paced. And while the humans at worst where kinda dull in 2014, I have that than rather be constantly irritated at the inane decisions the characters in KOTM do.
But I recognized that it's just my own perspective, and I can see why a fan would enjoyed KOTM more for being such a crazy big fanservice flick even if it left me feeling mixed about the whole experience personally.
We gotta give it time to see how it will age
My god, has it really been more than a year since the film came out? Almost felt like a different world back then.
@@vairenhockstetter7845 good to see you interested in other monsters, 682.
It was like the first true coming of the Titans, Godzilla 2014 only set the stage and Kong was its own thing but KOTM was like a groundbreaker the way Avengers started but the scale was already straight up Infinity War
It pretty much was a different world.
Godzilla: God
Mothra: Seraphim
Ghidorah: Devil
Rodan: Samael
I never got why people would not like this movie. I took some friends and my girlfriend, who was not a fan to see it. By the end she loved the movie. And I loved it too.
From Day One, I always thought Godzilla KOTM had a deep meaning. In it's biblical references and lovecraftian storytelling aspects had me at awe. I have a connection with the film. As I do with the franchise.
Plus "Goodbye Old Friend" scene symbolizes the goodbye to Haruo Nakajima.. as the fandom represents Serizawa and Godzilla as Nakajima..
But the most interesting thing about the UN scene, when Dr. Graham, "Like the Lion and the Mouse", then the UN Senator says "Or the Scorpion and the Frog"
I'm probably reading too much into it but I think about the use of the Oxygen Destroyer in Isla De Mara which hit Godzilla and Ghidorah in the ocean.
Which the original story is about a Scorpion who asks a Frog to carry him across the lake, as they come to agreement for both their best interests and how the Frog is naive, the Scorpion stabs the Frog poisoning him and killing him. As the Frog asks "Why ?", in reply the Scorpion says "It's in my nature" as they both drown.
Brings us back to Godzilla KOTM, the scene where Godzilla is fighting Ghidorah, so naive about humanity, as he shows no interest in caring about them in no regard of knowing how could they possibly destroy him, he carries them anyway, as humanity acts as the Scorpion, we poison him with the Oxygen Destroyer as he carries us a path to a possible victory against Ghidorah in which it's our nature to destroy anything that seems too dangerous, too big and gigantic for us to handle.
Now, I know that I'm gasping at straws here but it's an attempt at using a famous fable to connect a diverse Godzilla film which seems like the Batman v Superman of the franchise.
That same fable was referenced in Kong Skull Island, and the theme of going against our natural inclinations to destroy what we don't understand so we can coexist with nature has been there since 2014 it's only becoming more prevalent with each movie.
So I think you're right on the money.
Actually I gotta disagree with you on the lovecraftian side since in lovecraftian spiritual storytelling the universe doesn't care about Humanity and humanity is inconsequential to the Grand scheme of things but in Godzilla king of the monsters Humanity plays a pivotal role we fight alongside the will of the world against a demon from the heavens. I find it ironic though that we fight alongside a dragon against another, a sea dragon against a star dragon.
@@jjam424 Like what the legendary Ishiro Honda says "Monsters are tragic beings, they are too tall, too big, too strong, they aren't evil by choice, but that's their tragedy"
The Fable makes the theme of coexistence more clearly. Which human nature is like a poison of a Scorpion. We poison our every chance to be better and coexistence with nature. To bring the religious angle, we poison our chance to coexist with God and believe in the evils in Ghidorah (Devil).
Well, i mean, i wouldn't compare it to BVS in terms of being panned upon initial release and then time being kind to it instead of bullying it. I'd honestly compare it to 2001: A Space Odyssey. If you go back to 1968, people were mixed about it, it wasn't until it won Best VIsual Effects at the Oscars where it started getting reapprasial, now its called one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made and even greatest films in general. KOTM on the other hand got Saturn Award nods, but not the Academy. Hell, even if it did gets its attention, America would still find a way to neglect the kaiju genre even more despite the film being a fan favourtie for fellow G-fans. Hell, even this fandom had and still has in-fighting about this film and GVK. I mean, come on, how can one film that didn't meet our expectations all of a sudden have unfair and unjust hate against the MV as a whole from two sides (Toho-only people and Anime Trilogy beardnecks, and no im NEVER gonna stop calling them that because they're just complete idiots for thinking that 3 films that completely disrespected everything the franchise stood for is good), fans just leaving for no reason, bullying other fans of just LIKING that film or the MV, even going as far as to spread misinformation and hate about GVK to the point where I sometimes think its somewhat of an organized conspiracy against it and the spoiler thread in Toho Kingdom before Sayaka got the ban hammer was the cult all along (And i still am suspiciious of JNavs_ who was quoted in an article the day Sayaka got banned and blamed Dman1954 for why he got banned even though Dman himself told me that he doesnt even have a TK account nor is he welcomed there and he doesnt look like he works for WB or Legendary). Speaking of BVS, i have not seen it yet and im watching it tommorow, but im kind of skeptical because Ben Affleck is..........how do i put it lightly?.........not a good choice for Batman.....don't get me wrong hes got the bod and facial structure for Bruce Wanye,but when hes Batman......the suit and logo is ugly as hell and he cannot do the voice right (I heard a porton in a scene of Justice League and its.....its F**ING CRINGE-INDUCING!!!!!).
EDIT: Seen the film the day after i posted this reply and its not that bad if you view the Ultimate Edition. Still don't like Ben Affleck's take on the voice though.
That Haruo Nakajima part it got me :’(
I just noticed King Gidorah is like how Dante Alligieri describes Satan in "Inferno": a giant monster with wings and three heads traped in a frozen wasteland
The monster that is Copyright makes us all sad Godzuki.
"Closest thing to hell to humans"
The DMV would like a word
Amen to that.
😂🤔🤔😒
A rose by any other name
DMV? Do you mean the DMZ?
Naw, Pripyat is Hell...
This was THE BEST analysis of Godzilla King of the Monsters hands down. You were able to catch and perfectly explain the soul of this movie. I genuinely love when people realize that Godzilla movies are much more than giant monsters fighting each others, and this video definitely helps to spread this message. My only regret is that I discovered this review so late. Great job.
I heard rumors of a director’s cut with extended fight scenes, deleted scenes, cleaner weather effects, etc.
Watch this movie be praised in the future just like how "The Thing (1982)" was. The Thing was hated when it came out and reviewed bombed but now people say it's one of the scariest and well written movies ever! I feel like Godzilla: KOTM will be somewhat the same way.
The original 1954 Gojira was also hated by critics and said to be a dumb monster movie, and look at it now.....I think the moral here is that first impressions aren't everything.
The Thing was not hated when it came out. Mixed sure but not hated the way people hate KOTM. No one with logic will align The Thing alongside KOTM. People said back in 1982 that The Thing was scary and well written. No one will say that of KOTM for a 1000 years.
I don’t think any amount of time will make tolerable the cuts to family drama every 2 minutes during epic monster fights
@@mrjones29 KOTM > The Thing though
@@professionalfurret7225 no
It makes me think about what the extended version is like. Slower pace, more room to breathe, I hope someday they might consider releasing it.
Brighter scenes, extended battles. Maybe some scenes from the novel. #ReleasetheDoughertycut
I would like to see more scenes of Rodan’s rampage.
I always thought it was an interesting twist how the first two films treated the monsters like cryptids but KOTM shifted it to treat them as straight-up ancient gods.
And besides, at its deepest core KOTM is really just a heartfelt letter to the franchise, made by someone with genuine passion and affection for the series' history. That little tribute to Haruo Nakajima at the end credits gets me every time. :,)
Godzilla King of the Monsters feels like a religious film.
A religious film with a huge, radioactive heart.
Tohos better then KOTM beacuse theres not that much monster fights toho is better beacuse 1. the mothra twins sing a song like they always do
2. And no super x 4 to kill monster 0/ghidorah 3. Ghidorah won in the movie it was all mothra
Why i love it honestly
A GOOD one! XD
Ghidorah is basically the Slavic medieval monster named "Zmey Gorynych", especially in this film: literally a three headed dragon who always opposes a "hero". It's an allegory of evil: if a hero cuts one head, three new heads grow instead etc.
YES YES YES!! I've been saying this shit for years
I think this is cause Ghidorah is related to how the first creators named it after a Hydra.
He was designed to have more heads but they decided on three.
The simple theme of King of the Monsters: Don't mess around with nature, or they will mess you up.
a.k.a karma
Right, but people don't really understand what nature is, both within and outside themselves.
Godzilla in a nutshell, really.
@Marc Woolward Uh... Except that wouldn't necessarily "kill" nature. Nature is literally everything in the universe. If we destroy all life ON EARTH, nature would still exist (unless we somehow found a way to destroy the very fabric of reality and existence), and we would NATURALLY just die off. That is why Godzilla is represented as nature itself. It can't die.
Emma Russel had a reason. She’s a misunderstood character. Vera Farminga is one of my favorite actresses and she nailed the role as a grieving mother trying to believe in what is right in the world. In fact, Dr. Russel needs a spin-off show. Make it happen, Legendary.
you know I think the reason I truly love this film compared to the first one is that there is so much more to appreciate than the first and I wish more people could see the surprisingly clever film that is GKOTM.
I believe there is a lot to appreciate in G2014 too, but I agree this movie is underrated.
I loved King of the Monsters. Where I caught a lot of the subtle themes, and thought about the enemy/savior plot, you brought it into a new light for me, one that has me watching it and loving it even more. Thank you for this PoV.
Dr. Serizawa meeting his friend for the last time breaks my heart.
K
It remains the only time I cried at a Godzilla movie. I love that scene so much!
Good point:
The eco-terrorists in this film talk about humanity being the infection and responsible for the imminent global extinction. While they are clearly referring to us being irresponsible with the environment in general, the existence of Titans gives a darker context to some of the man-made disasters like atomic testings (which awakened Godzilla in the first place) and strip mining (which awakened the MUTOs). The most ominous is about humans' effect on global warming, which, just like in real life, has started to melt the polar ice caps. And where is Ghidorah imprisoned?
Antarctica. .
Humanity was already (and inevitably) in the process of unleashing the greatest disaster upon the Earth.
The eco-terrorists just brought the apocalypse ahead of schedule.
Ghidorah is very much a representation of the Rapid Climate Change as consequence of human actions
Neat point.
I really love this analysis. This really is an excellent kaiju channel. I'm 37 and its always nice to see there are people for whom Godzilla has been a constant and important presence. Bravo sir and well done.
KotM is one of my favorite Godzilla movies. I find the monsterverse has a nice balance between the older Godzilla movies and a more modern spin. A good successor to the Japanese movies. I am worried cinsidering rumors about MechaGodzilla being in Godzilla vs Kong though. I still want to see Destroyer(Destroyah) in the monsterverse. I would like more space monsters like Gigan and Orga, but not sure if they would be able to fit in the monsterverse. I would just love to see more modern versions of other Godzilla monsters.
It's no longer a rumour
There are photos of a mecha Godzilla toy along with kong and Godzilla
Plus concept art
@@lordferbus2970 uh-oh. Hopefully it's just a cameo of MechaGodzilla. Unlike with the Japanese movies with the Aliens and Future tech, the Technology of the current monsterverse isn't advanced enough for such a feat imo.
@@DegenWeeb I think it would be secret technically that even monarch didn't have
Kinda like Kiryu
I hope more that GvK is a success so then we get more movies
@@DegenWeeb mechagodzilla will be the main villain the Sayaka leaks and toy listings of mechagodzilla pretty much confirm it
A thing that i appreciate a lot about this movie that you briefly touched upon is the interaction between the Monsters and the humans. We rarely see these interactions (not counting the destruction of tanks and other military weapons) in the other movies, it's mostly about the monster destroying the city and fighting. But here, there is Mothra attacking the scientists, Ghidorah incinerating and eating humans, Rodan eating the pilot, and of course Serizawa's sacrifice, which i think it's only the third time in the franchise where a human actually touched Godzilla, the other 2 being the girl in Ebirah, and riding on Godzilla's back scene in Vs Megaguirus. It also helps to convey the massive scale of the titans, which is something both this movie and the previous one did great.
I noticed the religious symbolism from the start, but given how quick people (critics especially) are to shoot down anything that may be remotely religious in nature and call you crazy for saying it, I never really said anything until I was so certain that all that deep lore and symbolism was exactly what I thought it was. And the more I looked into it, the more I did discover _others_ have noticed similar things but also of other things I had missed/wasn't aware of that are so cool. And it makes me think maybe that's why the movie was bashed so hard by "critics", not just because it's a monster flick, but because they feel obligated to reject it viscerally at the "God vs Devil" and "Man Rediscovers God/Faith" parts that are only a fraction of the film's themes, but that's all they were willing to see to give them an excuse to hate on it (and also it didn't validate their personal agendas which has no place here gtfo with that shit, Godzilla hates everyone equally). And intentional or not, it's probably also a huge wonder this even got made in the _first place_ given how anti-religious/spiritual Hollywood as a whole is.
But the criticism there also goes to show just how much the critics never understood Godzilla in the first place. Since _day one_ Godzilla was established as some kind of god, which forces of nature tend to be representative of. He lost/dropped that status over time although the religious/spiritual aspects were never truly lost thanks to Mothra's existence (but also there's a lot of cultural divide between religious ideologies of Japan and the West that most people don't consider it). But with the 2010s bringing the god back in Godzilla, it meant having to do something new or fresh while still paying tribute to his roots. The MonsterVerse deciding to make him and the others as Titans, old entities who have been here since the earth was young to maintain balance and _weren't_ born out of atomic power (but instead fed off of radiation), was a risky move that is thankfully paying off because of how rich the lore and mystery is, solving the problem of "modernizing" Godzilla. Fans who go out of their way to ask questions and come up with their own conclusions have brought a lot of new interpretations and theories to the table of a franchise that had been dormant for a decade, and is breathing new life into an ever-expanding universe. It's a blessing.
KOTM may be flawed, but a lot of Godzilla films of old have their own flaws, too, which luckily the fandom recognizes but doesn't belittle. We should at least be thankful that for a Hollywood production, fans have at least been involved in the production of these films. They're making movies not just for themselves but for the fans, because fans love to pay tribute to those which are close to their hearts. Dougherty _adores_ Godzilla with all his heart, and it really shows. Even though the concerns and criticisms (that make sense) have a rightful place in discussion, I honestly don't care that fans are divided with this film, I'll take a love letter that, while messy, a director put his heart and soul into while giving zero fucks what closed-minded people outside of its intended audience thought of it over a paint-by-the-numbers audience-friendly algorithm-tested corporate blockbuster any day.
Excellent Comment.
I absolutely agree with you.
And the the fact that this film succeeds on the level, arguably modest level, that it does (given the handicaps it exists within) should be held up as a minor miracle in the current movie marketplace.
Kumori Garasu That’s...highly speculative and not really an accurate picture of reality in the slightest. Reviewers were critical of the film not because of its religious undertones (especially because the film itself doesn’t even make a concrete, definitive statement on them; it’s mostly surface level commentary), but because of the film’s numerous other glaring issues. Just to name a few: overuse of dark environments that make it difficult to see the monsters in their entirety; bland, one-dimensional characters; monsters that don’t have a lot of screen time (which would be fine if the plot and characters were actually good or even decent); and a plot that is wholly unremarkable (we’ve seen the “broken family that must find each other and come together again in the midst of the apocalypse” plot many times before, and done much better). The point is, just because a movie you like isn’t given favorable reviews doesn’t mean that their is some sort of conspiring plan against religion-it’s because the film was likely bad for the reasons I just listed.
@@SemiProHawk707 Definitely for sure, and they're valid criticisms, but it was just a thought I had because just the other night before this video came out, I followed a link on Toho Kingdom to an Alex Jones review of it (yeah, weird finding) where he hilariously enough brought up some of the eerily similar symbolism and undertones while being his usual Alex Jones tinfoil hat-self. And that got me thinking: If _Jones_ could come to those conclusions, then it's not out of the realm of possibility for someone out there to have thought the same way and didn't like the movie for those reasons. Just haven't found that person yet, most likely never will and whatever, don't care to.
So it's speculative, totally, but given the abysmal track record religious movies have with the common critic (although not all of them pan them out of bias, some of those movies _are_ just that bad), it wouldn't have surprised me in the slightest if someone had made that a negative for KOTM.
Kumori Garasu It’s entirely possible, as nothing these days surprises me anymore, but even so I’m not sure how far we can really say that stands up to scrutiny. While I don’t think critics have strong religious ties (as most tend to be more liberal in their beliefs, which would mean they tend to be more agnostic/atheist), I don’t think that was on their minds when they wrote their reviews. To be fair to them, though, there have been very few good religious movies, and this is coming from a Roman Catholic.
I don’t know about all this spiritual stuff, but this is my favorite Godzilla movie. It is fun way of looking at this movie.
I always saw Serizawa sacrificing himself as "Japan" making peace with happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Godzilla is the direct result of the bombs being dropped both in the movie universe and in real life via the movies being a metaphor for nuclear radiation and it's impact on Japan. Serizawa had a pocket watch that stopped the exact time the first bomb hit and in his final moments he pulled it close as he used the same power that shook his country to then save the representation of that destruction. I guess I just looked at it differently due to knowing the history of the films and Japan.
Amen
As wonky as this film can be in moments, the details in the lore and how the monsters presented really make it work. The use of mythology to give the monsters more thematic flare is what I love. I still really appreciate this movie and this video kinda explains why. Great vid dude.
To be honest I caught a lot of this during my first and second viewings. Not all of it, but a lot of it. And yeah, the film speeding along is a giant problem. In some other timeline maybe this film got the 3 hours it probably needed to handle everything it presents better or alternatively (and thematically more fitting in my opinion) this was the last entry in the Monsterverse with Godzilla vs Kong being the 2018 film instead. That way the film's spiritual element could have been handled and established before, allowing for the monster drama to take center stage as Dougherty intended. Many of his posts and tweets on social media confirm he had this sort of idea in mind. Godzilla the king, Mothra his queen, Ghidorah the devil (though I would have used the scene where he's literally standing over the cross in a volcano as my proof) and Rodan as the jester, he who takes whatever benefits himself first.
I don't think this film is high art, not even close, but there are layers to it including one many overlook when looking at monster movies. People tend to split character and monster, but this film made it very clear the monsters themselves ARE characters (and frankly they're the best ones with only Serizawa being up there) which is a shame since most people will overlook the clear HATRED Godzilla has for Ghidorah, or the sadistic laugh of Ghidorah or even Rodan's blatant smirk when he pursues the fighter jets because these guys can't talk. They can't tell you how they feel. But like the saying goes "Show, don't tell."
critics when Godzilla 2014 comes out: too much human drama, not enough monster action
critics when Godzilla: King Of The Monsters comes out: too much monster action, not enough human drama
Not trying to start an argument, but what the critic means more action, they mean a perfectly balance screentime, not a non stop action film.
Critics are dumb. Only true fans will appreciate the movie.
i loved the second one for that reason. fuck the human drama. the 2014 one should be called a documentry on godzilla. it had so little to do with him it was just so dissapointing. king of the monsters was grand, crazy, robust and even has meaning if you are looking for that. im just a classic zilla fan that wants to watch him battle it out and stick it to the other monsters
I think you nailed the issue with pacing, something I think Kong nailed while both Godzillas missed to one degree or another.
Great review and pick up on themes I'd not heard articulated so well.
I've seen the film about half a dozen times.
I championed the film since day one. And I never ever thought it was dumb.
So have I, in the cinemas yet. I've dragged so many friends and family to it; then I got the Blu Ray AND the digital download. I found it very enjoyable and really liked the 'modern rendering' of those classic TOHO characters.
@@nickmitsialis same. I saw it multiple times in theaters and took multiple friends to see it.
Then bought the blu-ray and repeated the process.
Agreed.
Loved it frm day one
I always read the orca signal needing human bio acoustics was a statement that humans collectively were the equal of any one titan. A literal alignment of humanity to a titan.
A not so subtle nod to the destructive potential of humanity.
I feel validated. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw these things. Thank you for making this video.
By the way, I run a podcast called The Monster Island Film Vault, and if you ever want to be on it, let me know.
I’ll say the messages in this film are very surface level. However, maybe this may make me reconsider
Edit: Well shit, kinda gives me a new perspective now.
That’s good
there is alot of deeper meaning. 70% of the things the humam's say are relevent and can be connected to fabel's, history and so much more when examined. i watched it 3-4 times so the become easier to see the more you watch it. it was a great movie. i darsay the best Zilla movie ever
When this movie came out I always saw that it more than just a mindless monster brawl. I applaude how the monsters were not just monsters but intelligent animals and like you said creatures that would be seen as gods. Critics keep complaining about the plan but what they originally want is ultimately good for the planet and it was confirmed that the titans ultimately heal damage done to the planet. The only negative consequence was Ghidorah who's not natural. Something I absolutely hate is how some so called Godzilla "fans" only want monsters to fight and no humans at all *cough* Angry Joe *cough*. If you want that then just watch the fights on CZcams. All Godzilla movies have a human plot and Godzilla typically doesn't get more than 15 minutes of screentime and that's how it is. Your deep analysis is absolutely perfect for what the film was trying to convey. Godzilla represents nature and Ghidorah is the evil done to nature (which can be man made or an invasive species like he is). This is easily the most scary version of Ghidorah as well as the first to really paint him as a planet killer and he's not going to just fly around and shoot stuff but become a creature that all others obey and use them for his own endgame, extinction. Mike Dougherty truly is a TRUE Godzilla fan. His work on this movie really shows how much he wanted each of the monsters to be depicted, in appearance, environment, and especially color. Something I really enjoy is how each monster has a distinct color to associate; Godzilla is blue, Ghidorah is yellow, Mothra is much more aquamarine, and Rodan is dead. These colors end up blending in the final battle especially with Burning Godzilla. I love the film so much that little things like Monster Zero or the outposts being the years each monster movie came out or reference other classics (The Thing) are just icing on the cake. Bear Mccreary's music gives me chills and Godzilla and Ghidorah charging each other felt just as epic as the portals in Endgame for me. It's not perfect but I do feel it was harshly criticized. Hail to the king baby
Watching this on the big screen privately a day early was definitely an experience. I saw the flaws, but I had mindless fun. What really stuck to me was the soundtrack the most, and just like many after more then one viewing I saw the many gems and symbolism hiding right in front of us. Ghidorahs theme gives such a terrifying vibe, the mantra repeated sounded like a more of a prayer made in fear too keep him frozen in his hell, a fear of the unknown but at the same time a sinister chant as he brings in hell into the world. Mothras gives off such a peaceful vibe as she guides the human race to salvation. Rodans being absolute chaos, bringing in destruction on either side for the benefit of whichever he picks. Then you got Godzillas, which gives off that of a king bringing in justice to the land to the sound of chanting and war drums. It stands out the most in the Boston battle, the music itself clashing as much as the monsters do on screen. They remind me of what you would hear from ancient armies clashing with one another each marching to their own beat, one side cheering on the other as the collide, it becomes even more believable with the chanting you hear in the vocals of both Godzilla’s and King Ghidorah(which is even more evident with the fact that out of the four monster themes, There’s are the only one WITH vocals!)
Wow! As a youth pastor at my church and also a massive godzilla fan, this is a GREAT parallel between my personal faith and my personal love of kaiju movies! Great job!!!!!
This is the most awesome combination of interests
Quit your pointless job.
I tend to enjoy Godzilla: King of the monsters because it feels like a Toho Godzilla film, and I would specifically compare it to GMK, albeit with Godzilla and Gihdorahs rolls reversed.
So I think it's a leap to say all the people who like it defend it because it's a big dumb monster film.
The American Godzilla series feels alot like later showa era films vs shin which feels like a throwback to the og film. And tbh both have a place at the table.
@@thelasttaino4299 I personally think its great that we've gotten both styles of godzilla in the last decade
Its an emotional big dumb monster film to me, actually making the monsters their own characters for once with human intelligence, but of course it doesn't hold back on action and fight scenes
agreed
Widdly Scuds made an awful rant. Please do me a favor and stop supporting this jerk.
The interaction between Godzilla and Mark Russell definitely gave a lot of meaning and shock factor with how it reestablished that ancient connection. I wish that GVK won’t go into fast pace though and that GVK brings more meaning to mostly everything with both the humans and Kaiju’s I do hope we get more people invested towards that so that way the next movie will be that successful in regards of better writing and more correlation with our characters.
As if I didn't love this movie enough, you offer us these insights, and now this movie could not be more closer to my heart, more seemingly tailor-made for me alone.
Thank you.
"we can make a religion out of this"
- bill wurtz, 2017
Happy to find the review! Loved it, describing Titans and meaning behind them. Loved the movie myself, just sculpted rodan on my channel and guess that is the reason why I stumbled upon this one. Cheers mate!
It’s not a bad movie….It just had bad luck.
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters is not a perfect movie. It's not even a perfect Godzilla movie. There are plenty of other movies I would watch, given the chance, over KOTM. But here's the thing-it takes a 65+ year old monster, born from a horrific act that cost millions of innocent people their lives, built to represent the dangers of misused atomic power. And it honors that past, and the more recent past (Godzilla 2014), and everything in between. Sure, it can be seen as a goofy, silly monster movie filled to the brim with one-liners and admittedly flawed directorial choices, but who's to say the Godzilla franchise didn't do that more than once? Godzilla has evolved over time into becoming a heroic antihero, saving the world from evil kaiju and sometimes evil humans, and usually being indifferent to whatever else he saves along the way. In this movie, Godzilla fights/kills Ghidorah not because of the humans he killed in the Arctic scene, but simply because he was a threat to the Earth. The only time he DIDN'T do that is in GMK, where he was the outright villain and being possessed by the spirits of those who were killed by atomic power. That is possibly the ONLY time when Godzilla didn't defend the Earth. Even in the original he was protecting the Earth from the dangers of atomic war by showing humanity how it affects the world around them. However, there is no Godzilla film, at least in my opinion, that achieves and understands this balance in its specific Godzilla better than Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. Godzilla is the eternal protector of the Earth, whether that be from other kaiju or the humans themselves. Even if this Godzilla falls to Kong in 2021, he will still protect the Earth with his life, even if he is no longer a king. As for the future of Godzilla's personality and motives, I think KOTM said it best:
"Good thing he's on our side."
"For now."
Edit: if you want to see a heated debate about the anime trilogy, go to the replies
Very true @Scado56
also that stream was great.
@JapaneseGiant Lizard1234 I would defend the anime trilogy till death.
@JapaneseGiant Lizard1234 They are really good films in my opinion, i think shin ruined it a bit by coming out right before and being so good.
@@Supremacy-wg8jc it was a fun premiere to be sure! Hopefully our paths will align again on the SOTC streams, where we can discuss the game in-depth. ;)
@@scado5679 Yes, a channel called blunova has been doing a lot of great streams at the moment, you should watch them.
KOTM is definitely a mixed bag. I too was under whelmed when I first saw it.
Seeing it again. I loosened up a bit on how I felt about it. Being a lifelong Godzilla fan...I wanted a strong movie that rivaled the best Toho had.
KOTM does deliver, yet 2 of the best kaiju Mothra and Rodan take backrests.
Their slobberknocker at the end is pretty darn entertaining.
I have High hopes for KK v G next year.
Pretty well written. There are a lot of things for me to think about with this now. It's nice to look at the movie in a different light. I think you explain it a lot better than I ever could. I remember trying to tell a friend that maybe the fight in Antarctica is a homage to Dante's Inferno and his 9th ring of hell, but it was pretty much a mute point that fell on deaf ears lol. I really think the cut scenes of Madison sparing with the soldiers, and her father being plagued by nightmares would have gone a long way in helping audiences help to connect to the characters and the story of the film more :( Still boggles my mind on why those were cut at all....
This movie deserves more credit than the critics gave it!
The Mothra scenes hit me on a spiritual level
First!
But seriously, I love your content sir! You've made me appreciate Kaiju movies more than I ever have, thank you for all the time you put into these reviews and studies of the Kaiju franchise
Couldn't have said it better!
I freakin loved this movie. It had everything I wanted. And THANK YOU for explaining the deeper meaning for people who thought it was a dumb monster movie with no internal message or mindless. Drove me nuts. PS, everytime Godzilla rises up out of the water in front of the sub and you hear the original theme with the chanting.... goosebumps. EVERY time. Also, I thought Gidorah was the best CG villain, like ever. Even more so than Smaug (Don't get me started, actions speak louder than words, Gidorah didn't need to monologue)
Glad you came around! KOTM was great man - Godzilla and the titans were portrayed so well, despite not enough screen time for Mothra and especially Rodan. They could have done more, but at the end of the day it was pretty good! Also, the ones who say that it was frustrating that the weather interfered with seeing the titans fight don't seem to realize that if this were to happen it probably wouldn't be on a beautiful sunny day with perfect conditions! If anything the elements of rain, smoke, snow and darkness helped evoke more realism for me, but to each their own I guess!
Great review. Rodan is so totally the Starscream of the monsterverse
No he not. Starscream never joined the autobots. He hate prime more then he hate Megatron.
@@INFERNO95 ok then. Hes the dinobot of the monsteeverse
I feel the movie needed another 20 minutes
It should resolve the pacing issues
The oxygen destroyer literally came out of nowhere. Felt rushed
@@rectaltickler8303 and it did in the original gojira too
Whats your point
@@karamsingh982 they discussed a fair chunk of the movie whenever to use it or no they didnt just drop it into the bay in the same minute they talked about it
@@kubikkuratko188 this about oxygen destroyer as in original Gojira it was discussed in 3rd act of movie
@@karamsingh982 yes but still wasnt dropped in the same sentence as in here in the original they talked about it and shown what it can do here they said hey its coming there now
I love this review so much. In first i really love this film because it's gives me a great monster movie and that's all. But after hearing this review, I've just realize the spirituality behind the monsters and the human characters. You did a great job here man who ever you are who narrates this review you did a great job.
Edit: I just fix a one word with wrong spelling whaha😂
8:05 does that soldier woman in Godzilla Vs Megagurius literally ride Godzilla?
Crap you're right!
@@UpFromTheDepths88 Don't worry, you're still (technically) right. When she rides Godzilla, she doesn't do it to heal him or to try and communicate with him. In fact, I'm pretty sure Godzilla was unaware of her presence, and if he was, I'm certain that he thought no more of her than the parasitic lice creatures from The Return Of Godzilla-ultimately of no concern to him. She, unlike Serizawa, is fully intent on revenge, and the whole reason that she's on Godzilla at all is to place a tracking device on him that she hopes will lead to his doom. You could say that the moment in KOTM is the first time that a human has ever truly COMMUNICATED with Godzilla instead of touching him.
Up From The Depths Still the video was great and helped me reenforce my stance of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters being worth watching to Kaiju lovers and not Kaiju lovers alike! Love your content!
Scado56 agreed!
@@scado5679 also Serizawa takes his glove off. I'm pretty sure she was still wearing her gloves.
So he's the first person to touch Godzilla skin-to-skin
Finally! Someone was able to put my feelings of this film into words!
Honestly, the "it's too dark, I can't se themfighting", while it'strue for other cases,hereit's just critics nitpicking:
1) It isn't. I can perfectly see what's going on, even withoutwearing my glasses, andtheaction ismuch easier tosee than the 2014movie.
2) The fight being in raw daylight wouldn't work: the darkness gives a sense of scale to the monsters, as theyare so large that light can't even show them entirely becauseof how big theyare, to the point thattheyhave to produce their own to bioluminescence; the night, the snow, and the rain really fit the atmosphere of an apocalyptic fight between to godly beasts that bring disasters with their mere presence; big CGI monsters fullyexposed to daylight would look like shit.
That makes absolutely no sense. KSI has gorgeous CGI in the daylight.
@@Al0_Vera Neither Kong and the Skullcrawlers glow at night, which is why Godzilla and Ghidorah are so impressive in the nighttime-their respective blue and yellow glows contrast nicely with the darkness. KSI's day fights are good, but that's because they don't do well at night. The same could also be said for Godzilla scenes during the daytime.
@@Al0_Vera Lets also recall Kong in that movie was much much smaller than Godzilla's current size, its obvious how this works for the KSI with how huge the KOTM titans are they would occupy more space and be beyond some perception for a human in the scene.
But the real truth of this is that the lack of light and debri really does help build a sense of scale for the monsters, and them being there is a good thing, though the models will also be fine if you tone them down as seen in Godzilla vs Kong, no darkness but enough clouds and smoke to set the scale.
And 2014 Godzilla was much more shy of it, its a lucky break KOTM had the balls to show the monsters in action with the pilot movie already established.
@@scado5679 That’s right, Kong is mammal. Mammals such apes are not illuminate. If they fight during a beautiful day with flowers and birds etc, there’s no sense of suspense. These are titans, massive and powerful.
So your saying the monster fights should take midday?
The video quality of the premieres are so damn good
Man this movie had some great ideas and with a better execution could have been one of the best Godzilla movies and one of the best Hollywood Blockbusters. Seriously this movie could have been great that’s so disappointing. Still this movie cuts away from the monster action too much and that’ll always be my greatest criticism. Great video as always !
I rather perfer falling down 1993 film to be a better hollywood film more than the avengers and godzilla KOTM, I'm just saying.
FINALLY, I was waiting for so long someone explains the spiritual meaning in KOTM, also not that only, there are also some satanic messages.
K
Ki
You really did an outstanding job on this! I'm a bit of a film snob but have always loved kaiju films. Even the silliest ones rattle the subconscious. The use of archetypes in these films, telling the oldest story in the world, The War in Heaven, is always meaningful and thought provoking to me. If you have even a beginners understanding of mythology and occult symbolism all your favorite films will have new & deeper meaning.
Wish the beginning was made more clear to the meaning of Andrews death though, there was one scene that would’ve symbolize that more.
Thank you I really appreciate the analysis. This in depth review made me fall in love with this movie all over again
these videos bring me so much happiness godzilla is still such a great property and im glad to see such a fun fandom.
Its certainly a bit of a let down that the pacing of this movie, along with the artificial lighting on the monsters fights, is not that great. But to me this is by far the best Godzilla movie made by the west, because it has a balance. Hopefully Godzilla vs Kong improves over the foundations we already have. Loved this video mate, keep it up.
We can improve it. #ReleasetheDoughertycut
I fee like everyone nitpicks too much I thought it was really good. I liked these characters.
RAZZA
I thought this film was excellent across the board , along with all its characters. Didn't understand all the dislike about it.
Yeah I really enjoyed the characters and story too. Not the greatest in cinematic history, but still enjoyable.
The characters were like the other characters in Godzilla movies.
It just doesn't feel like Godzilla to me and without that, it didn't have much else to stand on. It felt more like the second Pacific Rim movie to me, only good as pure eye candy. I felt Skull Island was at least a much better made movie, better directing and characters, and it didn't even need to blow its load on an all star cast of monsters. "Blow its load" is accurate too. "King of Monsters", an all out battle of Godzilla all stars, should've been the Infinity War, the finale, of the monsterverse- definitely AFTER Godzilla vs Kong IMO.
What makes a Godzilla movie to me? It's mostly the practical effects that are a big part of my love for Godzilla. I'd even say Shin Godzilla didn't feel like Godzilla to me either but I at least liked it for different reasons.
@@LongToad I think you're standards are too high and you have a very narrow mindset of what constitutes a good godzilla movie. I mean you didnt like shin gojira and thats considered one of the best. yeah I see where your coming from with the blowing its load thing but for all we know we wouldn't have gotten another one of these so better to go all out now and then go bigger next time than never see the fruits of a fully developed monster verse at all. this movie was incredibly well done, from the score to the kaiju designs, to the humans who weren't just generic whispering army dudes, to serizawa and his sacrifice which actually made me sad, I love the monarch team, and the effects and cinematography were some of the best godzillas ever seen, even if it lacked practical effects (which look fake to begin with so I dont see why fans complain about the cgi when its overall the better choice besides for the sake of being purists) this movie was awesome and actually brings a consistency to the franchise thats been missing since the beginning. If what you wanted was a big hollywood blockbuster godzilla then this is the best your gonna get, its a respectful interpretation of the big G and a lovingly crafted film made by true fans of the franchise.
Brilliant video, touching upon points often overlooked, and bringing to light others never considered. Thank you so much for doing this.
I really hope you find the time, and the inspiration, to give an in-depth review of the anime trilogy. It has many problems, we all know that, but it deserves better than the majority give it.
Really amazing analysis, I think many people overlook the themes in these films, specially KOTM, really happy you point out this brilliantly here.
The quality of your production is mesmerising. Thank you for all the insights, it's amazing!!
Really great video dude. King of the Monsters is definitely one of my lesser favorite Godzilla movies (especially as a followup to 2014) and for the longest time I struggled to understand why it's so popular in the fandom. It always felt like me and the people who really liked King of the Monsters had seen two completely different films, so even though I'm still not a fan of the direction they took it's really cool to see a closer look like this from someone who is.
In Dante's Inferno Satan is a three-headed, winged creature trapped in a pit of ice. Didn't pick up on the reference till this video.
I tend not to watch reviews of Godzilla movies because I'm one of the type of fans who loves each and every Godzilla movie and enjoy them all equally. So hearing criticisms really sucks, however, with you, I thoroughly enjoy your deep dives and that's why you're the only reviewer I ever share to others.
Dude, I’m the same way😀
Wow man, what an awesome review... you've earned a subscriber. You explained smoothly all that I try to explain to some friends.
Underrated as hell movie.
Honestly, if the story was told how you told it, I probably would've liked this movie a lot more.
Why, cause of the religious bullshit?
@@KC-py5vq It's not really bullshit given there's no true way to deduce if any of it is real or false (hence why agnostics exist). Even then, nothing about the film is explicitly based in religion much less Christianity specifically; yeah, Rodan's called the "Fire Demon", but the "Demon" in his title is the one used by Mesoamerican peoples like the Aztecs, Mayans and/or Olmecs, not the same monotheistic definitions of Europe's nations. Same goes for Mothra, she's never actually compared to a Christian angel (or, if she ever _is_ callled an angel, it's more so in reference to her beauty than her connection with Godzilla).
Even the analogy that Ghidorah rose from Hell (Antarctica) only really works if compared to the _Dante's Inferno_ interpretation of the deepest circle of Hell, which is far from the most commonly-known version of Hell which is endless flames (which Ghidorah most certainly does _not_ embody or carry; if anything, Ghidorah would be reminiscent of Typhon, the Greek multi-headed storm beast known for his titanic battle with Zeus, the king of the gods who only won with a teensy bit of help from a far weaker god).
@@mrreyes5004 Your completely right 0_0
Typhon is close to Typhoon too, remember that storms in the western pacific are called Typhoons? Ghidorah can generate massive hurricanes by just flapping his wings
As much as I love this movie, your deep, thoughtful analysis has made me love it even more. Awesome job! 👏👏
Great video and great analysis. I already loved the movie but your deeper analysis has made me appreciate it more. I need to go watch it again.
If anything the MonsterVerse movies are the closest things we have to a Hayao Miyazaki directed Godzilla/Kaiju franchise in how they have wildly different tones, but they maintain the idea of humanity being at the mercy of Nature.
Yes 😊💯
Excellent breakdown man! I too noticed and loved many of the Biblical/antidelevion symbolism. Keep up the great work!
This video is fascinating. It's such fantastic observations of things that are so perfectly aligned it's clearly intended.
Fantastic video man!
you put a lot of what i intuitively knew about the movie into words really well
All that has been said here falls in line with the theme of ecocentrism, humanity needing to learn to respect nature and coexist with it for a better tomorrow and entrusting nature to take its course, something that has always been in the Godzilla franchise since the beginning and does it well in its own unique way. This is about as true and faithful to the source material as any adaptation can be. Also, what I love about this film the most is that Godzilla and Ghidorah feel like actual arch rivals for once and is treated as the forefront attraction of the story, not as an afterthought like in every past Toho film, with the latter finally living up to what he was intended to be: the Joker to Godzilla's Batman.
By the way, do you think you can list the music you used in this video, I really like 'em.
Divider - Chris Zabriskie
Gregorian Chant - Kevin Macleod
Gamela - E's Jammy Jams
Ammil - The Tides
Dream Escape - The Tides
@@UpFromTheDepths88 Thanks, man. 👍😉
In one of the Millennium series movies a person literally rides Godzilla. More than a touch I’d say, good sir.
This.
Loved it. Great analysis!
This review gives me faith that down the line, this movie will more generally be appreciated for what you and some of us others already know. I appreciate this video and lending your outline to the conversation. :)
I don't know. When I originally saw the film in theaters, I felt like you tbh--it got a simple "meh" from me. i watched it again when it came to HBO--but my opinion was degraded to a "feh". However, I must give you credit---I really didn't like Shin Godzilla. I hated it. Other than the EFX, I trolled that film wherever and whenever I could. Before discovered your page, I looked at another reviewer who had more praise and explained who the director was (I loved Evangelion so much--well, not Shinji ). He had a link to your site--I watched your review. Your video had more in depth analyst which enlightened certain backstory elements that I either ignored was totally unaware of. So, I watched it again recently, more prepared--now the film haunts me. I still some issues with it but Anno did somethings in there that generated a new view of Godzilla and specifically Shin's G (get it? "shin-Ji--lol) Universe. It's now one of my top ten Godzilla films and one of my top 5 Kaiju movies---It you told me I'd write that anywhere I'd laugh my ass off at you. I saw G:KOTM thrice...I'll give it another look. If you changed my mind on Shin...I'm curious to see if you can do it again. BTW, great reviews on G films--despite your apparent youth your knowledge and love for these wonderfully kookie films has no bounds. Thank you for making an old geezer G fan proud!
And I thought it was good as just a action movie, when you put it like that, it’s not just a good action movie, but when you read between the lines, it’s a pretty good story, too bad it wasn’t very well executed 8/10 for me
Really good review. You explain many points that are not so easily seen for most people out there. There are definitely more than meet the eyes in the story of this one. I really love this, up there as one of my favorite in the series.
This is a great review and comparison. Bravo sir 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I've come to love this film despite its flaws. And strangely, this one criticism is consistent, and I'm glad it is because it means the film wasn't blatantly confusing to me. I'll continue to have fun with it as long as I am a Godzilla fan.
My single, major gripe with this film and by far its worst flaw to me is its mishandling, misunderstanding, and in my opinion it's complete desecration of the Oxygen Destroyer.
I always thought that this should be held with some sanctity. It's by far one of the most important plot devices in the series, albeit with the most emphasis in the very beginning of the Showa era and the very end of the Heisei era.
As I watched KOTM for the first time in theaters and was enjoying the battle in Mexico, Admiral Stenz simply popped on the screen and announced that the U.S. had developed the Oxygen Destoryer and were simply going to throw it into the middle of the battle, and my heart sank. I really thought it was going to adhere more to the source material, and at least have something a bit more creative done with it.
What I mean was I had always loved that the Oxygen Destroyer was created by Dr. Serizawa, symbolized mankind's only way to overpower Godzilla, and the way Serizawa was hesitant to use it at first always stuck with me.
First and foremost, I understand that the Dr. Serizawa in the Monsterverse is not the same Dr. Serizawa that appeared in the original 1954 film. I also understand that the Monsterverse's Serizawa would never seek out a way to destroy any of the titans, especially Godzilla.
However, I really wish he at least had something to do with it. Perhaps he could've been its creator and the U.S. discovered it and obtained it under his nose after he tried to hide it away while pursuing his ideology. That would've easily been a better twist compared to what we got.
But no, what we got was that the U.S. simply developed it, and went ahead and threw it into the mess. It was lazy, and honestly ignorant in my opinion. No regard for its historical significance in the source material, no real connection with it, the humans, and Godzilla himself.
I think the other thing that kicks the Oxygen Destroyer's concept in KOTM into the ground even further is the fact that it straight up doesn't even work. On ANY of the Kaiju. Now, with Ghidorah, I can understand that due to him being extraterrestrial and very powerful. But part of what made the Oxygen Destroyer so powerful in the 1954 film and gave it such impactful weight is the fact that it legit killed Godzilla. It was humanity's only way to have power over the Kaiju, the only way that they were on the same level, and here, the only way they could make a bigger mistake out of what they already had.
But no, what we got was simply another missile; the humanity squeezed out of it, something that used to be a crucial plot device, something that used to give even more importance to the character of Dr. Serizawa.
Now, before you ask, no I don't think it would've been better if Godzilla legit died at that point in the film. What I'm saying is that the Oxygen Destroyer shouldn't ever have been in the film to begin with, and if it were to appear in the Monsterverse, it really should've been more thought out and given some creativity and at least some adherence to the source material. It was a total buzzkill for the film for me, especially with how impressed I've been with the Monsterverse respecting the franchise's Japanese roots.
Maybe I'm overreacting to something that really isn't that big of a deal? I dunno. Maybe I am. I'd like to hear everyone else's opinion on the subject.
Maybe this means at some point we'll get Destoroyah in the Monsterverse, which I'd be more than welcoming of.
I'm on the same boat as you. While I also really enjoy this film, its handling of the OD is by far my biggest criticism. My complaints about it mirror yours, albeit to a lesser extent. If they can get Destoroyah and execute him well, much like they did with Ghidorah, then I'd be more than willing to forgive the wonky execution of the OD in this film.
@@austinames9340 I totally agree. If they could pull it off, I'd be more than happy with it.
I agree, the Oxygen Destroyer was really mishandled. I would have preferred a new weapon made up for the movie.
@@johndelzoppo1366 Given our mirroring biggest criticism, I assume we have the same biggest praises as well? lol (The monsters in general and the musical score)
@@UpFromTheDepths88 yeah, I agree. I'm not sure how a new Godzilla-killing weapon would've been recieved though, and obviously a regular nuke can't kill Godzilla without powering him up even more, so if I were in charge of that angle, I honestly wouldn't have any idea what to do.
I guess I'd have Ghidorah beat Godzilla into a pulp and have him almost incapacitated, I suppose that's the most plausible way that could go down, and then the movie could continue as normal with him being revived with the nuke later. I dunno.
history shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man. go go Godzilla.
Great video man! I really like your work! King of the Monsters was probably the most fun I've had in a theater since I was kid seeing Jurassic Park.
Dude you have the best kaiju reviews hands down.
I like The Idea about The Monsters and The other Creatures from MonsterVerse as The Gods And The Titans Themselves than Animals to be honest with That and also I enjoy The Movie Of Godzilla King Of The Monsters (2019) In my entire life after I see This movie in 2019 in the theater.
Godzookey copyright claim image made me snicker.
Nicely done, Up From The Depths
Bro, your analysis just blew my mind… 🤯