Also, the reason why Godzilla slept in Rome Coliseum is because it reminds him of his old home before Ishiro nuked it as a self-sacrifice to defeat King Ghidorah.

Based on the fortune cookie line in King of the Monsters, because joke or not it's a hilarious mental image.

"Did you just make that up?"

"No. I got it from a fortune cookie. A very long fortune cookie."

I might ask too much but hope at least someone mention him in the series

everyone talked about how Godzilla (2014) waited a whole clock hour to have its titular character appear on screen, only to immediately cut away and remind you what this GODZILLA movie is really about; tooting the horn of the american military-industrial complex. but what still boggles MY mind nearly a decade later is how the writers managed to kill off its most compelling character not even 1/4th of the way in

how do you write a character so haunted by guilt and grief at the loss of his wife that he spent 15 years obsessively researching and uncovering a government conspiracy, alienating himself from his only remaining family in the process of finding out what really happened on that day, have him be played by BRYAN CRANSTON, and then instead of exploring any of that you kill him within the first 35 minutes so the rest of the movie can be about his bootboy son

Do you want this duo to return ever?

Since the day I found out that Serizawa is 74 years old according to the canon. I'm sorry, I'm sitting in shock from how good he looks at that age (50-55 years at most).

Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa in ゴジラ (GOJIRA, 1954) dir. Ishiro Honda

So we finally went to see the next chapter of the MonsterVerse GodzillaxKong: The New Empire. I was super excited to go see this because as a Godzilla fan I have been enjoying this series. Also yes there was plenty of collectable goodies for this movie which of course you can see here.

So as for the movie itself I would say I pretty much loved it I thought it was great myself. I loved all the monster action and all the smashing and crashing. You can tell how these movies evolved from the 2014 Godzilla to now being in the 2014 movie it was very I'd say human centric and as they went on the monsters pretty much took center stage. I feel that the human involvement in this movie was very minimal and were there when they needed to be. and that Warner Bros was all "they want monsters we'll give them monsters!" because I feel this was like 85% monster action!

Now with the story I do feel much like the previous Godzilla vs Kong that the story is focused more on Kong then Godzilla. Kong is the main character in this movie and does get the most screen time. but as for the story itself if kinda is telling two at the same time a Kong Story and a Godzilla story and going back and forth until the 2 meet up again. I don't know the timeline of this I don't remember if they mention anything but I think it does take place shortly after the previous movie maybe a year or 2?

Your basic story is this Kong is living in the Hollow Earth while Godzilla is above. Kong is still lonely believing he is the last of his kind until he finds a hidden underground area with many like himself but it is ruled by a ruthlessly despotic ape known only as "The Skar King" Kong of course comes into conflict with him and gets the upper hand for the moment until the Skar King unleashes his ultimate weapon a kiju named Shimo who has a devastating ice attack causing Kong to retreat and seek help from the only one who can match Shimo's power the King of the Monsters Godzilla! after a short scuffle Godzilla agrees to Help Kong and the Monster action goes into full swing!

Now I like I said I love this movie I thought it was every exciting and very fun and delved more into the mythology of the characters of Godzilla and Kong I loved how they introduced some more new monsters like The Skar King and the little minikong Suko who was a real bastard when you meet him but of course became a friend of Kong's as Kong earned his trust. I also love the return of Mothra as well. The animation and character work for this movie was impressive too especially with Kong and the other ape characters as well as Godzilla who seemed to have a greater sense of motion in this movie as you can see him both running and jumping.

Also like I said the monster action is amazing Ken Watanabe's character Dr. Ishiro Serizawa said it best in the first movie of this series back in 2014 "Let them Fight" and this movie takes that to heart and lets them fight! the fight in Egypt is alot of fun but its pretty much not until they get to Rio and then everything goes crazy! but it is so much fun to watch and I would say it is very satisfying all the smashing and crashing and buildings going flying as the monsters tear everything apart.

but in the end this is just an amazingly fun movie. There is plenty of action and its exciting and goes deeper into the lore and I feel it is having lots of fun expanding on this world and this universe. One thing with these movies is I would like to see more classic characters appear like Anguirus and maybe Gigan but I also like how they are creating newer monster for these movies too. I'm just enjoying everything in these movies and loving it all! but yeah if you are enjoying the MonsterVerse as much as I am then I would highly recommend this one.

(Prepare yourself.)

Godzilla was a movie that aired in Japanese theaters on April 27th, 1954. Directed by Ishiro Honda, the movie was Toho’s last attempt at surviving. Mainly inspired by The Beast from 20 Thousand Fathoms, Godzilla (also known as Gojira) was a success.

The movie was an anti-nuke statement and was even inspired by the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident where a fishing boat was contaminated by radiation from the Castle Bravo nuclear test. None of the 23 fishermen survived.

The film resonated with the audience due to rising fears that stemmed from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident.

Gojira was the first movie to use suitmation, where an actor would wear a rubber suit and stomp on miniatures.

Gojira was dark and depressing, even going as far as to be classified as a horror movie.

Its American release, however, took out any and all anti-nuke messaging and marketed it as “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, an action packed monster film.

The original Gojira would be such a success, one of its main characters, Dr. Serizawa, would’ve alluded to in many other Godzilla movies, including 2014’s American Godzilla.

Gojira from 1954 would even spark a series that spanned 70 years and was considered the start of the “Showa Era” where Godzilla would be played by suit actor Haruo Nakajima (R.I.P).

Mmm, your knowledge is impressive, friend~

I do quite like the way the films have a goal to discourage the use of nuclear weapons... they create so many unnecessary problems...

And what about this "Godzilla" 's appearance? Has it changed at all thoughout the years? I mean... colourwise, pattern-wise? Has its form been enhanced with digital effects as I'd assume, or has it stayed the same?

Godzilla by Ishiro Honda

In 1954, just nine years after the end of World War II, the film "Godzilla" was released. It serves as the inaugural film of the Godzilla series, which continues to be popular to this day. To be honest, I did not know much about Godzilla. I had only seen one film, which was not highly regarded. My prior knowledge about Godzilla was limited to its themes of anti-war and anti-nuclear messages, its association with radiation, its status as a monster, and its ability to be both an enemy and an ally in different movies. So, essentially, I went into watching it with little knowledge, but despite feeling the limitations of the technology of the time, I felt that it was a masterpiece with enduring visual, thematic, and narrative impact.

Being a film from decades ago, there were many instances where I felt a sense of cheapness compared to modern computer graphics-heavy action films. Scenes featuring Godzilla's appearances often felt uncomfortable, possibly due to the use of special effects. In scenes with miniatures, at first glance, I felt something strange but did not realize they were miniatures, and in a time without computer graphics, I was puzzled about how they achieved such powerful visuals. Watching Godzilla land on the Ogasawara fishing village and witnessing the extensive damage, I even rewound and rewatched to notice the miniatures. However, the film's black-and-white nature helped mask the cheapness that sometimes arose from the special effects and miniatures, and the power of the visuals created using those techniques was still remarkable. Despite some technical aspects like missiles seemingly missing Godzilla entirely, the fact that such a film could be made with the technology available at the time left a profound impression on me.

The portrayal of Godzilla in this film was not what I had imagined – not the typical monster rampaging in broad daylight. Instead, Godzilla attacks in the dark of night, shows curiosity towards the sound of the clock tower, observes, and then destroys it, and deliberately targets humans. Scenes where Godzilla destroys bridges felt reminiscent of a baby's actions. These scenes emphasized a sense of being a "living creature.” Consequently, his tragic demise, brought about by human-made weapons after landing in Japan due to threats to his habitat from human nuclear testing, evoked deep sorrow and sympathy. Also, the prolonged absence of Godzilla's visible presence in the beginning, with only the portrayal of severe damage, footprints, and sounds, was impactful, and the combination of Godzilla's theme music, the drum-like sound accompanying his appearances, and the inherent dread and horror of black-and-white filmmaking heightened the fear of the unknown creature.

Moreover, this film effectively portrayed anti-war, anti-nuclear, and anti-weapon messages through the reactions of people. Particularly, Dr. Serizawa, who lost an eye in the war and had his engagement broken off with Emiko, embodies these messages. Due to his personal experiences of war's horrors and his morals, he cautiously conducts research on the Oxygen Destroyer he invented, ensuring it is not misused as a weapon. Although it is the only thing capable of stopping Godzilla's rampage, he struggles with whether to use it, fearing its weaponization. Ultimately, having burned all evidence and knowing the weakness of mankind, he decides that he will die with Godzilla to eliminate the possibility of leaving it as a weapon in the world and save the people. Despite having the chance to survive, he cuts his own lifeline, leaving a message for his friends to live happily. His poignant final moments are heart-wrenching. Additionally, the film includes realistic human dramas reminiscent of war, such as mentions of Nagasaki and evacuations, a reporter bidding farewell to his audience before his imminent death, mothers trying to reassure their children amidst the chaos, and scenes resembling the aftermath of the Tokyo firebombing. These elements collectively evoke the horrors and cruelty of war, nuclear and weapons, emphasizing the responsibility of humanity for its consequences. Especially noteworthy is Dr. Yamane's line towards the end, "If we continue with these hydrogen bomb tests…," which serves as a thought-provoking commentary on war.

I wanna touch a real Kaiju so badly

Careful, Vivienne, your dragon is showing.

Based on this Vine!

シン•機龍 | SHIN KIRYU Mechagodzilla Kiryu [MGK01] [The Biomechanical King]

“This was a mistake, this should have been stopped before it even began. Using Shin Gojira's flesh to build this monstrosity! No wonder Yoroi no Gojira came after us! This is an insult to mother nature herself!”

When Shin Gojira made its second landfall it was seriously wounded by GBU-57 MOP Bombs launched by American Aircraft, enormous pieces of flesh were blasted from it's back including several dorsal plates. These specimens were crucial in the success of Operation Yashiori and were subsequently stored in deep freeze by the Japanese Government. Months after this, Monarch requested several specimens to study citing “a cure for cancer” and “self sustaining power sources” as a potential outcomes. Permission was granted and Monarch began work on several avenues of research including an Operation to combat any similar creatures like Shin Gojira with a huge mecha. Dr Ishiro Serizawa, former colleague of Goro Maki, initially directed the operation however left to track and study the second Godzilla. Dr Shinzo Mafune took over Operation Kiryu and decided to incorporate organic components into the enormous MechaGodzilla despite the objections of Serizawa and colleagues.

Purple Auroras at the poles grow in intensity, a strange unknown radiation is detected in Antarctica and Yoroi Gojira is spotted swimming off the coast of South America with a spiky dinosaur like creature resembling an Ankylosaurus.

Height: 105m Attributes: • Organic tendons and ligaments created from the regenerative flesh of Shin Godzilla. • Absolute Zero Cannon in chest cavity • Laser cannons inside the mouth • Shoulderplates hold Anti-Aircraft Missiles • Capable of short flight • Concussive Wave fired from tail • Limited Power supply (5 hours max if power draining weapons are not used) • Arm mounted Railguns • Sonic Cannons • Has a limited Photon Shield however it is a huge drain on power • Capable of storing and using 30 tones of military grade ammunition in numerous in-built weapon systems. • Scientists have noted that the organic components have started fusing with the metal of the machine, almost becoming a virus of sorts.

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SHIN MONSTERVERSE INDEX

25 of 250: Favorite Films - Godzilla

Not long ago, work colleagues and I got into a discussion about what our favorite films were. Given my categorical nature I could not resist writing down a list and, as a writing challenge, have decided to write 250 word reviews of my favorite 25 films of all-time. Note: these are my favorite films, not what I think are the best films of all time.

Directed by: Ishiro Honda

Written by: Takeo Murata and Ishiro Honda

Starring: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura

Year/Country: 1954, Japan

“Godzilla? Really?” That was the reaction of a colleague when she read my list. Yes, Godzilla - the original, mournful film that begot an awesomely silly franchise. I grew up watching the Godzilla films (in my opinion, the best of which is King Kong vs Godzilla); but the original black and white film from 1954, directed by Ishiro Honda, is a haunting masterpiece of world cinema.

The story is well known. A series of nuclear tests awakens an ancient monster from the depths of the ocean. It comes ashore in Tokyo and wreaks havoc in the city and the Japanese military is helpless to stop it. One brilliant scientist, Dr. Serizawa (Hirata), develops a super weapon, however, he hesitates to use it for fear of it falling into the wrong hands.

There is no getting around the fact that Godzilla was inspired by the horror of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No other nation on the planet has dealt with that nightmare and in many ways the film can be seen as a way for Japan to work through that trauma. Moreover, the movie maturely contends with the old Nietzsche line “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster”. Backed by an iconic score from genius composer Akira Ifukube, Honda frames Godzilla’s rampages as the consequence of mankind’s carelessness. It keeps the film grounded, pressing home the film’s theme of punishing humanity for not appreciating the consequences of its inventions.

A farewell hug

Watching KOTM, I can't help thinking that Serizawa's anger in Argo ("This is a very dangerous path..) is probably caused not only by disgust at Emma's arrogance, but also by the fact that Vivien died in Antarctica because of her.

If you delve into their ent on the Monarch Science website, you will understand that they were very close (Not romantically - they were friends) and Serizawa was heartbroken by her loss.In the novel KOTM there is a scene where it is said that Serizawa gave Vivvien a pendant for her 30th birthday in the form of Godzilla belonging to his father and then to him. At the end of the scene, Serizawa mentions that "he never told her how much he appreciated her all these years."

They are closer than colleagues.