“You either die a villain or live long enough to see yourself star in several mediocre films.”
The kaiju known the world over has had a rough Hollywood existence the last twenty-plus years. The 1998 incarnation was so hated that it was recreated in the 2004 TOHO film, Godzilla: Final Wars. It was done so for the explicit purpose of letting TOHO Godzilla murder it by impaling it on the Sydney Opera House after a blast of atomic breath. On the plus side, the 1998 soundtrack still slaps.
The 2014 Gareth Edwards film fared much better, both critically and commercially, only for the franchise to take a kaiju-sized dump on itself in 2019.
RELATED: Godzilla: King Of The Iron Throne? | Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast
Initially introduced in the 1950s by TOHO films and starring in over 30 films since then, Godzilla gradually shifted from a villainous force of nature to a monster that protects the balance of the world. What caused this shift? Twitter user @Noe31158907 spotted a recent interview with former TOHO special effects director, Teruyoshi Nakano, where he explains the evolution of Gojira.
Here's special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano commenting on the changes made to Godzilla's character during the late Showa Era. pic.twitter.com/7KY7Hh4arY
— Blunova (@Noe31158907) May 26, 2020
Character development is important, I just wouldn’t expect to see it in a 65-year-old giant monster, but that certainly seems to have helped with Godzilla’s longevity. It’ll be interesting to see where his character arc leads in the next film of the series, Godzilla vs. Kong. Slated for release in November of this year, we’ll have to see if COVID-19 has any impact on the premiere date, as it has with so many other movies.
What do you think? Would you prefer to see Godzilla stay a hero, do a heel face turn or fight Kong only to realize that Lex Luthor there’s some bigger threat out there that they need to defeat?
Let us know your thoughts down below!
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