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Godzilla 2014 is weird because on paper its absolutely fine, but it doesn't quite work in practice. It's really just overstuffed with early 2010 ideas and loses itself in trying to be a disaster movie, a soldier trying to get home to his family, ancient aliens, WMDs, etc, etc. Coupled with CGI that hides its flaws with heavy darkness and too close shaky cam and you get a movie that just doesn't add up to the sum of its parts.

A shame too, because the kiss of death is easily one of the best monster kills the franchise has ever seen and basically puts this into the upper ranks of the franchise all on its own.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters

Right, everything we mentioned as criticism of Godzilla 2014 is valid. And here? Gone! All of it.

Greater focus on the Kaiju, more focussed and relevant smelly hooman stories as mankind begins to understand the Kaiju and their part in Earth’s ecosystem. And the performances are markedly better. Even if Charles Dance is just doing Tywin Lannister again. I don’t care, it’s a terrific performance.

Also the lighting is much better. As are the Kaiju, relying as it does more on long established characters. Not sure about the Massive Mammoth though? At least he looks effing sweet.

It just feels like a much more confident, much more accomplished effort.

In fact, is this a rare film series which only gets better as it expands?

If I were to rank them:

#1 - Skull Island

While the least kaiju of the bunch, its easily the most competent story while still having some good monster fights

#2 - Godzilla vs Kong

This one is a little on the sillier side compared to the rest but wins out for me for a super satisfying final battle that has some of the cleanest choreography in the series.

#3 - King of the Monsters

Probably better than GvK with some incredible shots and beautiful direction throughout. Mostly I was just disappointed by the final battle with King G that doesn't get to breathe while the humans scramble around doing nothing.

#4 - Godzilla (2014)

Said the above. Most of the film is a jumbled mess of ideas, but the final battle mostly makes up for it.

#5 - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

I REALLY didn't like this one unfortunately. It has a few moments, but it just shifted too far into GvK's weaker elements and felt too much like a CGI void for me.

I really enjoy The New Empire, as it gives Kong some deserved greater attention, and really sells the Hollow Earth as a place of weirdness and beauty. Though I do agree it’s not quite what it could be.

As I said earlier in the thread, the scale is missing when Kong is exploring Skar’s realm, which makes the final battle feel jarring where everyone is always conveniently big enough to flatten the next building they get punted through. I don’t think that’s actually the case, just a result of sudden and clear scaling where there was none before.

GvK I love for the beautifully crafted “classic Toho” moment during the big scrap. It’s seamlessly stitched into the more modern effects, and is more an Easter Egg.


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Overall I think it’s a really fun film series, which benefits from the studio not trying to fart one or two out each year, every year. And even when there are more than a few bum notes along the way? No one film is terrible.

If for nothing else Kong using a child as a cudgel gets it some extra points.

#3 and 4 would probably vacillate depending on mood, but overall I think Luna's ordering is a pretty solid.

I think part of it is I never bought Skar as a villain on the scale the story tries to make him. He's a tyrant and a bully that would have been a perfect villain for Kong alone, but not the kind of threat that demands a team up film.

Why the series definitely gets right is the world building.

The films are pretty formulaic, but it feels like an advancing timeline where lessons are learned and attitudes develop. Particularly Monarch which starts off evil/morally ambiguous, but comes good in the end.

I wouldn’t say any quite enter my favourites list. But they feel like nerd crowd pleasers to be held in reserve for a movie night.

To break away from the Big G talk.....

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Oh, Zoey Daschanel (sp) how far you have fallen......

If you were a 6-10 year old boy, this would be great. Maybe being really drunk or stoned could help too. However, it is not great BUT I am not the target audience.

However, kudos to the casting director as the guy who played Library Gary and the gal who played Porcupine were GREAT finds.