Talkback #17: Godzilla vs. Biollante

Godzilla vs. Biollante is the best of the heisei series. Godzillas design like Durp004 pointed out, is one of the greatest designs ever. It may have influenced the 91' suit, but, it's just a animalistic beast that speaks for itself. The film itself takes everything seriously. That's just another reason why it's a great film.

I watch it more than any other heisei film besides the return of Godzilla. I, personally could rank this film in top 10 easily.

HUGE-BEN - I happen to agree that Godzilla's design in vs. Biollante was one of the best! Indeed, he was quite imposing and very much a monster within the film! :)

Not sure about the english in Godzilla vs Biollante and how it effects the subbed version of the film as the last few times I watched the movie it was dubbed due to the nostalgia I have from having the old dubbed VHS tape, although I don't recall that when I did last watch is subbed that the english took me out of the movie. Having bad english actors in the Japanese movies isn't all that uncommon though. During the showa era when Godzilla had a decent market in the west real actors could get attached to the films, but as they got etched out for the newer model movies if you will these actors became harder to come by. That being said there are a few actors that were english in the older showa movies(notably the sub captain is KKvsG comes to my mind first) that had pretty bad acting too. 

Durpoo4 said:

"As a rose Biollante looked like a giant plant with almost a humanlike silhouette, but as she continued to mutate and the monster side takes over when she reappears any resemblence to a human is gone, both in look and spiritually. This is why it's okay that Shiragami took so long to see his fault. Erika was still there in the rose. She was even crying in in the first form of Biollante, but when it came back she was nowhere to be found, only breaking free after the monster beats Godzilla and moves on. After that he sees what he did, a move that was so driven by love only cost her sorrow."

The transforming nature of this incredible creature and its relationship to Dr. Shiragami, is the core of the human narrative of this film, and provides it with its depth. This story is one of the aspects of Godzilla vs. Biollante that make it so unique. And that we ride this emotional rollercoaster with this anguished, grieving scientist allows us to connect emotionally with him, and thus the story, and it also plays very well along with the appearance of giant monsters, the international espionage and the cautionary tale of biogenetic engineering. GvB has so much to offer, that it can be a bit overwhelming and confusing.

But it's worth it. 

And regarding jarring moments: that line, "Kiss, you guys." It did, for an instant, take me out of the story. It was so weird. But, I hung in there and got to see the scenes with the ship bound for "Saradia" followed by images of this fictional Middle Eastern country. This added a rather nice international scope to the story. Then, that was shot to hell with the nearly incomprehensible, phonetically-driven conversation between Dr. Shiragami and the head of the Saradian institute. No one, I mean, no one could ever be convinced that these two guys spoke English on any level.

Godzilla vs. Biollante is a great experience. But you have to be prepared to give it a few passes.

But, it's worth it.

^Exactly. It's not necessarily the bad English speaking actors, (although they're pretty atrocious and the movie instantly gets better after they meet their end) but also the real actors who try to speak english.

Basically every line during the Saradia scene at the beginning of the movie (before the bomb goes off) is incomprehensible. I might grasp a word here or there, but trying to understand everything they're saying without the hearing impaired subtitles is borderline impossible. I'm not sure why Omori decided to go that route-- Maybe it was Toho trying to reach an international market, but it completely backfired. If there was a speech coach involved he was overpaid by merely being on set.

^I think this is it.

With the plot involving a Middle Eastern (obviously OPEC) nation, aided by scenes of the mythical Saradia, the story took on an international flavor. But, I guess it had to. The subject of biogenetic engineering is global in nature. So, why not include a few jabs at the U.S. (Bio-Major) and a wily, petroleum-producing entity that proves to be treacherous in the end.

It was, and is, entertaining. Although it would be difficult to find agents more inept than Bio-Major's Lee and Low. But that's part of the fun ("It's that Saradian agent again!").

("It's that Saradi-ah a-gent ageeeeeeeen!").

Fixed.

The international aspect, storywise, would have still worked in Japanese. Enough movies get by with every country seemingly speaking the same language. I just feel as though Toho was trying to use the English language to appeal to overseas markets and it didn't exactly work out like they wanted it to.

("It's that Saradi-ah a-gent ageeeeeeeen!").

Fixed.

^Thanks. I can see the attempt to market the film overseas. And why not? Plenty of gaijin players to make it look 'international.' By the way,I love the way Bio-Major burglar Lee says this line. I mean, something very serious is about to happen. This is a major turning point in the film's plot. Then, there's this line. I don't get the impression that Toho had or solicited English dialogue help.

Speaking of impressions, an excellent first one, one that sold me on the film and it's story, was that shot of Biollante in the Giant Rose Form, with the shot panning up from the street. Completely convincing and tokusatsu stylistic at the same time. A digital version would have been inferior, even done years later because this one was real and practical. It was jaw-dropping and beautiful. The musical cue was just right and it fit the overall 'feel' and atmosphere of the film.