[polishgenius]

Yeah, he was a terrible choice for Deadshot for that exact reason. Also part of why the I Am Legend movie fucked with so much, I imagine.

[Macros]

Hancock was supposed to be a lot darker as well I believe

[Morgoth]

He was a terrible choice for I Am Legend. It is pretty clear he would never concede to being ordinary in any of his films.

[Traveller]

Well, the sidestory about hollow earth aside, Godzilla vs Kong more than delivered on the fighting front.

And lots of nice refs to the classic movies -

Spoiler

Kong shoving an axe handle into Gs mouth instead of a tree - and the slightly bizarre story in the millennium series where Kiryu, made from Godzillas bones, has a 'memory' of being Godzilla and runs amok is sort of replicated here with Ghidora's head taking control of mechagodzilla at the end. We were pretty much cheering at that point anyway!

Definitely better than KotMs, we'll probably watch it again tomorrow.

[worry]

I thought it unfortunately had the same problems as the first three -- the monsters are genuinely great while the people are nearly-blank leftovers from Independence Day (and I was hoping for more than that from Adam Wingard). There wasn't a single line of dialogue in this move that stood above par. BUT all that said, this was still the best of the bunch because Kong and Godzilla are so compelling. The fights in this were really good, the collateral damage was appropriately massive, and as far as the monsters as 'characters' go, the series continues to get them right at least.

[Traveller]

We've watched it 3 times now.

It's really funny when you realise they made Kong into a titan John Mclane. From the yawn and ass scratch at the start, to his face when he sees the blue glow in the ocean and does the jump from the explosion.

The human stuff is obviously padding, but it's not even trying to be anything else - if anything, it's doing it in a very knowing and self aware way. They give the guy from the previous movie about 5 minutes screen time because his acting is atrocious, and the bad guy is literally just there long enough to

Spoiler

introduce mechagodzilla, which kills him mid sentence

in what I read as a metaphor for the whole human subplot - the monsters are center stage, we don't need a load of backstory, just let them have the fight!

Which they do. Legendary Godzilla gets to act like Heisei G for a bit and really let loose; the ocean shots are just great, the score is menacing without being too nostalgic, and he even gets some facial expressions and character which is familiar if you've seen a lot of heisei/showa era movies.

And Kong... I just love this Kong, he's the best version from any movie yet.
That roar

Spoiler

of defiance at the end in Godzillas face, when he knows he can't get up

is so good I hope we get to see it on the big screen.

That end fight is like a barroom brawl, there's even the equivalent of the guy that gets put face first through a window but it's a building instead.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 03 April 2021 - 08:22 AM

[worry]

I wouldn't agree it's the best Kong -- nothing beats the original -- but it's a really good one top to bottom. Definitely the best American Godzilla though.


On another note, I watched The New Mutants. My impression is that when this movie finally got released, it landed with a distinct thud? But I liked it -- definitely a lot better than the last couple X-men movies. Effectively creepy and the violence packs a punch, largely because the characters are all relatively grounded, low key, and believable in surrounding scenes. I know this movie had production issues and not just release delays, which is usually a bad sign, but if that allowed it to stay small rather than go big, it was the right decision. It's lean and mean for a comic movie. Not nearly as good as Logan, obviously, but hewing closer to that than to Age of Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, which can only be a good thing.

[Cause]

In an alternate reality somewhere will smith is neo in the matrix and josh whedon never butcher Justice league.

The four hour Snyder cut is some intense directorial masturbation but it could easilly have been cut into a decent 3 hour movie that would have actually been good and actually been able to launch a dc universe of films that might have been interesting. I know Snyder’s wife got sick or something but the DC execs dropped the ball in what they allowed to happen.

[amphibian]

His daughter died by suicide.

[Cause]

amphibian, on 04 April 2021 - 07:27 PM, said:

His daughter died by suicide.

I wasn’t blaming Snyder for taking time with his family just to be clear.

I’m just saying that what josh whedon created and what the dc execs asked for or allowed him to create ultimately killed the dcu. I don’t know if there is any precedent for seeing two versions of the same script by two different directors but it’s really fascinating.

[Malankazooie]

Man, I enjoy the movie Monsters Inc. I watch it at least once a year.

Do you guy ever find yourself singing "he's a happy bear" after watching? Damn, I get stuck on that for awhile personally.

[QuickTidal]

Finally got around to HOBBS & SHAW....and enjoyed it, even though it's completely ridiculous...I mean no more than the F&F movies already are...some cheesy bits, but everyone played their parts well and I would 100% watch another entry.

[Malankazooie]

Is it true that the Godzilla v King Kong fight does not disappoint? That is what I'm reading/hearing. Supposed to be worth the price of admission.

Lets not get it twisted though, Godzilla would take Kong's milk money, eat his lunch and give him an atomic wedgie every day of the week (and twice on Sundays). But good to hear they made it a donnybrook to please the fans.

[Gorefest]

Don't judge too hastily. Sure, Godzilla is an enormous prehistoric radiation-powered sea monster with atomic breath which is almost impervious to damage. But Kong has opposable thumbs.

[worry]

They added a tail to Kong and retconned him into being a giant lemur.

[Tsundoku]

He also likes to move it, move it.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 02 April 2021 - 09:33 PM, said:

I thought it unfortunately had the same problems as the first three -- the monsters are genuinely great while the people are nearly-blank leftovers from Independence Day (and I was hoping for more than that from Adam Wingard). There wasn't a single line of dialogue in this move that stood above par.

I will, no offence intended, never understand this type of statement about a GODZILLA flick.

These movies aren't designed to be a movie where the dialogue stands "above par", or in which depth of character matters. Ever. They are designed for big monsters to either wreck shit, knock the fuck out of each other, or both... for our entertainment.

If you walk into a kaiju movie expecting more, then I'm not sure what to say.

Like the most meme-worthy and memorable thing in the 2014 GODZILLA flick is Ken Watanbe's character stoically saying "Let them fight". Why? Because that's what we paid to see...gigantic monsters fighting. The script knows it. We know it.

Is there a universe where a GODZILLA flick has entertaining Kaiju Action AND a depth of character and dialogue that elevates it? Maybe....but I certainly have no interest in it.

[Gorefest]

Agreed. Thoughtful dialogue and character arcs should really be reserved for the Godzilla origin story movie (provisionally dubbed 'Ascendantzilla'). A sad tale about a little troubled salamander on a small japanese island in 1945.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 09 April 2021 - 11:41 AM

[Tsundoku]

Gorefest, on 09 April 2021 - 11:40 AM, said:

Agreed. Thoughtful dialogue and character arcs should really be reserved for the Godzilla origin story movie (provisionally dubbed 'Ascendantzilla'). A sad tale about a little troubled salamander on a small japanese island in 1945.

... whose father Thomas and mother Martha are brutally murdered in an alley after going to the movies, haunting young 'Zilla and fuelling his thirst for vengeance ...

[Gorefest]

....after which he gets drafted into a super-secret clandestine military program to create super-soldiersalamanders in a desperate final bid by the Japanese emperor to turn the tide of WW2...