tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post4873364030587782891..comments2024-03-17T20:04:18.872-05:00Comments on Indomitable | The online home of Chauncey DeVega: Gareth Edwards’ New Godzilla Movie is No 'King of the Monsters'Lady Zora, Chauncey DeVega, and Gordon Gartrellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138154899923808806noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-54264232441967725382014-08-09T02:24:51.142-05:002014-08-09T02:24:51.142-05:00Marginally better than the 1998 film? I respectful...Marginally better than the 1998 film? I respectfully disagree. This one was just as bad, but with less stuff happening and took itself way too seriously.<br />It's a freaking giant, radioactive, fire-breathing dinosaur! Who could possibly be mind-bogglingly stupid enough to try and make it serious, especially given the lack of a socially relevant message about nuclear war?<br />The 1998 film was bad, but at least I could enjoy it as a bad movie. This one was too dull even for that.MegaSolipsistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-20966102284436880412014-08-09T00:04:11.854-05:002014-08-09T00:04:11.854-05:00Wow! I agree 100% with your review. I was so mad w...Wow! I agree 100% with your review. I was so mad walking out of this movie I couldn't wait to go online and rip it to pieces. I really wanted to like this Godzilla film but Edwards dropped the ball big time. The trailers were awesome, better than a movie.fred handynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-4138282849105057452014-06-03T18:14:00.396-05:002014-06-03T18:14:00.396-05:00i disagree on this onei disagree on this onecezar211091 .noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-42546536002330487082014-05-26T14:26:28.758-05:002014-05-26T14:26:28.758-05:00Does it matter what his name is? The guy is a vacu...Does it matter what his name is? The guy is a vacuous non entity, unfortunately you get to see him for two hours instead of Godzilla.Go Jiranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-22760758160929779012014-05-26T14:25:38.331-05:002014-05-26T14:25:38.331-05:00Well written and and honest.Well written and and honest.Go Jiranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-33283952032415891122014-05-18T19:12:35.956-05:002014-05-18T19:12:35.956-05:00You are spot on in the sense of how audience matte...You are spot on in the sense of how audience matters. I am sure that in some small part of the universe on the evening that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace debuted that there were audience members who were enthralled and excited by it. Who knows? This Godzilla may not age well. Time will tell.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-7732802708490350992014-05-18T15:34:49.177-05:002014-05-18T15:34:49.177-05:00I apologise for coming off as a troll as that was ...I apologise for coming off as a troll as that was never my intention, however up in your comment I see how I can come across as aggressive. I also realize that mistakes are made in the haste of deadlines.<br /><br />In regards to the film itself I have watched it twice. The first being in IMAX and the second on a regular 2D screen. A theory I have is that your interpretation of a film can often rely on who you watch it with. With the IMAX screening I was sat between two people who, like myself , loved the film and so I believe that has a huge effect on how I perceived the film.<br /><br />Many films have their shortcomings and Godzilla is by no means an exception (Brody would never have been able to preform a HALO jump without a lot of prior training), but when you are engrossed in a film you allow them to slide.<br /><br />There is a hefty bit of exposition, but in such a film you need it to understand what is happening and I think that Godzilla has done it in a good way, slowly feeding you rather than the common line of dialogue that explains it all.<br /><br />Lastly I feel that a discussion about films are great because it makes the audience think about what they have watched rather than just soaking it in and not analyzing it. That is why my previous, somewhat aggressive, comment was an attempt to excite such a discussion. Chris Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-55068180332086730882014-05-18T13:41:20.255-05:002014-05-18T13:41:20.255-05:00A reminder that discussions of popular culture are...A reminder that discussions of popular culture are inherently felt and experienced by some as moral judgments. Always good to see that play out in the "real world" as opposed to in the critical work on cultural studies.<br /><br /><br />I listened to an interesting piece on NPR last week about why and if blogs and other websites should allow comments because of trolling and the ugly and rude behavior of many commenters. One of the guests said his strategy is to actually talk to posters and trolls in a nice way as his theory is that most simply do not know how to manage their tone online or have not been taught how to take a step back and think about how their words may be received. I will try to apply that logic here.<br /><br /><br />Sorry about my error about the names, I saw the movie late on Thursday and in the interest of providing something timely and that may be of use to the readers of WARN, I looked at IMDB and switched the names of the characters. I am sure this has happened to you before, when writing something under the pressure of time, you make an error. I stand by the substance of my claims however.<br /><br /><br />The information on Monsters' budget came from a BBC or Times UK piece on the film. If you have some other information that contradicts their's please do share it. <br /><br /><br />On the other matters we will simply have to disagree. That is the beauty of how different individuals and audiences process, interpret, and respond to popular culture. <br /><br /><br />You found the characters relateable. I, and others, found them flat and uninteresting. How one soldier can somehow be all places at once, flying to Japan, getting back to the States, hopping on trains with nukes, then HALO jumping into San Francisco, and then finding his family after destroying the MUTO's eggs is not very compelling to this reviewer.<br /><br /><br />I felt like there was quite a bit of exposition in the film. For something like Godzilla perhaps that is necessary; some of it could have cleaned up in a rewrite. <br /><br /><br />Maybe your king of the monsters needs to take naps after using his atomic breath. Mine does not. Call it a matter of personal taste. I appreciate the correction on the name of the character.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-68410816042416654412014-05-18T05:39:56.356-05:002014-05-18T05:39:56.356-05:00I have a few issues with your review which then be...I have a few issues with your review which then beg to question your ability to review the film. Most importantly you got the main characters's name and actor wrong. The character is called Ford Brody and he is played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Gareth Edwards is a British director and Monsters was made on a budget of $500,000.<br />In regards to the film, did we watch completely different versions? Godzilla has fantastically married a monster movie with a character driven drama that uses a well written script to feed you information rather than explain the entire plot in the first five minutes (Pacific Rim if you couldn't guess). Rather than just have Godzilla wreck havoc because he's a monster, this film has chosen to put the relatable humans in the forefront. Because the humans are relatable the audience are able to associate with them, making you care and feel for them.<br />Godzilla has been dormant for 60 years and so it is no surprise that he is tired, imagine waking from a long sleep and the first thing you do is have a massive fight. Your remarks about the military baffles me as the military would never continuously fire upon these monsters as they know it does no damage. Edwards has stated that he is always in pursuit of realism (the more accurate term would actually be naturalism) and so that is why the military doesn't fire everything with their "over-confidence", they know it won't help.<br />Finally, Godzilla has no interest in the humans. His only goal is to kill the MUTOs. To counter your final point, should Jaws not have more screen time in his movie?Chris Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-77966406084815033572014-05-17T03:45:27.777-05:002014-05-17T03:45:27.777-05:00Movies bring people together. That is all that mat...Movies bring people together. That is all that matters. I hope that you and your son see many more movies and continue to build the relationship.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-73276954775277022132014-05-16T14:55:10.494-05:002014-05-16T14:55:10.494-05:00Nowhere Boy was a decent film, basically a young J...Nowhere Boy was a decent film, basically a young John Lennon battling to keep his head together in the midst of family tragedies.<br /><br /><br />I agree, even a bad film can be an enjoyable night out. I remember when my kids were real little, and we saw "Wild Wild West" and oh! how I loathed that film, but I made my sons laugh with my comedic rants against it. So in the end we won, I guess, even though Jon Peters stole my hard-earned money.<br /><br /><br />We came back from Godzilla matinee. Over the past few years, there has been some distance and tension between me and my youngest son, but today we've reconnected. Two years ago he would have politely turned down my offer to see a movie. But lately the ice has broken. So I'll always think of this Godzilla movie as the day we became family again, and look fondly on it.<br /><br /><br />Some movies, if I'm excited enough about them, I'll go see by myself. This latest Godzilla, I wouldn't have enjoyed by myself. It was all about the experience.Buddy Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-4840990245366845132014-05-16T14:43:31.547-05:002014-05-16T14:43:31.547-05:00that's disappointing. I saw a trailer for it a...that's disappointing. I saw a trailer for it and was intrigued by the sheer size of Godzilla. It looked epic. <br /><br />I haven't seen a movie in a long time. I think the last one I saw was Prometheus about two years ago. that was pretty thrilling and dramatic.<br /><br /><br />Another great sci-fi film I saw at home was Outlander. If you haven't seen it, the basic plot is a crash landing by an alien in 700's Norway. He has an alien monster aboard and he has to gather the trust of the community to help them fight it. Pretty good stuff.Myshkin the Idiothttps://www.facebook.com/myshkintheidiotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-26371293007949907852014-05-16T13:34:58.098-05:002014-05-16T13:34:58.098-05:00I would see it for a 3 dollar matinee or for free ...I would see it for a 3 dollar matinee or for free if someone treated me. If there was an IMAX Groupon I would see it there too for the experience. Is this a good Godzilla movie? No.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-18977632758556503532014-05-16T13:34:20.869-05:002014-05-16T13:34:20.869-05:00I haven't seen Nowhere Boy. Is it worth it? Do...I haven't seen Nowhere Boy. Is it worth it? Do engage the movie with your family. That is the whole point and those memories will stay with your forever. I watched many bad movies with my mother and father. I forgot many of them but I remember being with my parents.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-68220353255963303412014-05-16T13:33:15.841-05:002014-05-16T13:33:15.841-05:00The Host is a great movie. Monsters was so good. T...The Host is a great movie. Monsters was so good. These summer blockbusters are made by committee. In the director's defense he did not write the film. Who knows what his vision actually was and how it is different from the final product.chauncey devegahttp://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-80033855869661946742014-05-16T12:31:51.198-05:002014-05-16T12:31:51.198-05:00Nothing to challenge the stereotype that Americans...Nothing to challenge the stereotype that Americans can't make Godzilla movies. I hate movies that put me to sleep.lionessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-46576787327546491392014-05-16T09:30:54.495-05:002014-05-16T09:30:54.495-05:00The last Godzilla movie I saw in the theater was i...The last Godzilla movie I saw in the theater was in 1998, with my sons aged six and eight. I didn't enjoy the film, but we had fun being out together. Today I am going with my sons to see the new one in 3D BTX. I haven't seen them in many months, so I'll enjoy the experience, just being together again.<br /><br />The only problem I have is I keep seeing all these Godzilla trailers featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I completely accepted him in his role as John Lennon when I saw <i>Nowhere Boy,</i> so now my brain is telling me John Lennon Vs. Godzilla.Buddy Hnoreply@blogger.com