JurassicKaiju14
MemberTitanosaurusFeb-05-2020 1:33 PMI love the MonsterVerse. I just want to make that absolutely clear before I go any further. I love it, I love Godzilla 2014, I haven’t seen Kong: Skull Island yet but I’ve heard good things about it, and if you’ve been looking at my content long enough you’ll know that I especially loved King of the Monsters, warts and all. And it’s great to see that most of the fandom–about 70-80% of it, I’d say, correct me if I'm wrong–shares that enthusiasm for this continuity.
But I think some of us are getting a little too excited over it. Like, excited to the point where people aren’t thinking as rationally as they should be.
I’ve seen a lot of comments around the web rattling off whole lists of monsters people would like to see in the MV, like Gigan or Anguirus or Destoroyah or Biollante, things like that. There’s a whole section on this forum devoted just to theories on how they could fit in. Frankly, I think that’s all just wishful thinking. Let’s face it, the most likely reason that Mechagodzilla is going to be in GvK is because Warner Bros. has the rights to him left over from Ready Player One, and they don’t want to cough up more dough for other monsters.
And on that note, and this is for the people who want to see all these monsters in the MV…have you actually thought of the stories? Like the actual narratives these movies would have outside of “Gorosaurus is in the MonsterVerse” or whatever? What roles would they play? How would they advance the overall narrative? What’s the point?
I’ve also seen some talk about how Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla are coming in way too early for their liking. Maybe they are…or maybe the MonsterVerse simply wasn’t meant to go on for as long as a lot of people think.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Godzilla vs. Kong is supposed to be a “soft-ending” to the MonsterVerse; a point where if it fails, at least it has a definite conclusion with no lingering plot threads (hopefully), and if it succeeds, then goody; we can expect more movies. But it seems to me that GvK is what the MonsterVerse has been building up to all this time. It’d make sense, considering that GvK was the last announced movie in the lineup, and especially considering the state of the world at the end of KOTM.
I think what I’m trying to say is that we shouldn’t get our hopes up. Or at least we shouldn’t get them up so ridiculously high, because we’ll inevitably just wind up disappointed. Here’s a personal example; after Avengers: Endgame, I fully expected that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would usher in a new era of popularity for the Big G. We were going to be the cool kids on the block, the next big cinematic universe, and finally the world would give us and him the respect he and we are due. And we all know what happened; I enjoyed the movie immensely, but the critical backlash and the constant fandom debates have soured the movie for me in a way that I haven’t experienced since probably the last Jurassic World movie, and it almost makes me wonder if my love of the film is worth the constant self-doubt that I end up bringing upon myself. But I’m just rambling now, so best to get back on track.
In summary, for the people who love the MonsterVerse, don’t get so excited. And for the people who hate it, well…hang in there guys, you’re almost at the end of the tunnel. Maybe. If GvK winds up being a success and spawns more movies, then I apologize for getting your own hopes up.
A true fan can acknowledge the bad while still appreciating and cherishing the good.
The Realist
MemberMothra LarvaeFeb-05-2020 1:43 PMI agree with most of what you have stated here, but how have you not seen Skull Island yet?
dk
MemberGodzillaFeb-05-2020 2:07 PMThere is a lot to unpack there and you make some great points. I'm afraid I have to ramble a bit too.
As an Alien fan- we went- and still go way deep in the weeds on that forum and the build up to the last movie was pretty tense. It delved deep into actual science and serious philosophy, trolls were being banned, fan fiction was being written and shared and silly games and contests were concocted to fill time and keep members engaged and excited......I am trying to say that I understand the passion. Moving on.
You make a good point about keeping the list of monsters in check. Personally, I want to see what the moniker states- GvK- and maybe a couple supporting monsters. Too many monsters would dilute the main characters and could just cause confusion to casual fans imo. There are monsters I haven't seen and would wonder why I should root for it or not etc...
As for the ending to the MV, a soft ending might not be a bad idea- lots of movies leave a "what's next" vibe at the end. Personally, I would like to see a hard definitive end but I don't think that will happen.
I never get hopes high for G movies and maybe that's why I am usually satisfied for the most part. I got hopes way high for the Alien prequels and felt woefully let down.
Though I wish success for both franchises, I think if they got too much mass appeal, they would lose something somehow (I am thinking Di$ney or Superhero retreads). They should stay as far away as possible from Hollywood imo.
As for fandom debates- let it ride! We can always enter or opt out of discussions. It's great to see all the different levels of fans. For instance, I don't follow JP but think it's great that it has a large and passionate fanbase that can share their passion.
dk
MemberGodzillaFeb-05-2020 2:09 PMYeah- you need to see Skull Island to be a completist. Hint- pay attention to the end credits and scene after they roll.
JurassicKaiju14
MemberTitanosaurusFeb-05-2020 2:37 PM"how have you not seen Skull Island yet?"
"you need to see Skull Island to be a completist. Hint- pay attention to the end credits and scene after they roll."
I'm just not really the biggest Kong fan. I know the gist of the story, I've seen some of the fight scenes, and I have seen the end credits sequence (it was awesome, BTW, really added to KOTM's hype :) ), but I guess I've just never felt interested in seeing it.
A true fan can acknowledge the bad while still appreciating and cherishing the good.
dk
MemberGodzillaFeb-05-2020 2:49 PMJurassicKaiju14 It's a good movie and it is understandable if you aren't a Kong fan. It shows Kong as a character. It should make GvK more enjoyable imo. I am not a big Kong fan either but I enjoyed the movie. BTW, I wasn't a fan of 2014 but bought and watched it out of a sense of duty lol!
G. H. (Gman)
AdminGodzillaFeb-05-2020 6:38 PMHonestly, the excess amount of fantasized hype is one of the things that's probably turned me off to the Monsterverse. Now that we know what it is, by and large, I don't have a whole lot of invested interest in it continuing or revisiting it. It's mostly just retreading things we've seen before. I go back to Toho's Shin Godzilla and Polygon's anime trilogy far more than Legendary's stuff.
That said, I remain optimistic about GvK, as with every new production. But I would be perfectly content with it being the end. Nothing against those who enjoy the Monsterverse--I'm certainly glad they have it and I'm even more happy it's made new fans. But I can't wait to see what Toho ends up doing next. I'm far more eager to see what's next in the franchise and for Toho to take the reins back.
In the meantime, other kaiju fare has taken up my attention--Particularly Ultraman.
Gabriel Salomon
MemberBaragonFeb-05-2020 8:31 PMSo far, I really like what the Monsterverse has done, and if it continues, I'll be interested in what else it will bring. However, certain studios and directors have now gained a lack of originality, and if Legendary cannot come up with new ideas, then I do not think the Monsterverse should continue.
One of the thrills of watching any movie is being able to experience something new, something you don't get to experience every day. I'm hoping that GvK will bring something new to the table, and if it is the last movie in this universe, I can easily move on and look foreward to Toho's mentioned cinematic universe. Until that starts happening, there are over thirty films from Toho that we can go back to. The patience that helped G fans through a decade of absence can be the same patience that will hold them until the next film, whatever or whenever it is.
I get that Godzilla is only just reawakening from a ten year hiatus and that this has sparked some real hype and excitement, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just thankful that I get to look forward to any Godzilla films, weather it be more of the Monsterverse or the Japanese movies.
"What’s so great about discovery? It’s a violent, penetrative act that scars what it explores. What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world."
— Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park (1993)
G. H. (Gman)
AdminGodzillaFeb-05-2020 8:37 PM"Until that starts happening, there are over thirty films from Toho that we can go back to."
So much this. There's so many movies to explore and so much that's still being mined for information over. It seems like a vocal core are obsessing over 2-3 movies when there's 30+ others worth exploring, watching and discussing despite how old they are.
Hell there's many on this very board who have yet to see many of them--And they're readily available.
Im Durp
MemberBaragonFeb-06-2020 5:00 AMI think the Monsterverse is a fine midpoint in the series quality-wise. Sure none of them make my top 10 or anything, and my favorite entry so far doesn't even have Godzilla in it, but I also think there's plenty of G-movies I wouldn't choose to watch instead of them.
I really appreciate the interest for the series it's generated though. We had 3 different timeline coming out concurrently, and it's amazing to be in a franchise that has that many outlets for stories and interest in different avenues. So I can't really dislike them too much.
JurassicKaiju14
MemberTitanosaurusFeb-06-2020 6:09 AMG. H. (Gman) "It seems like a vocal core are obsessing over 2-3 movies when there's 30+ others worth exploring, watching and discussing despite how old they are."
That's just the nature of fandoms, I suppose. The newest thing gets the most scrutiny. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, it's only natural.
And in the meantime, I've been taking a look back at the Godzilla films that I actually own, and I've been snatching them up whenever my local Barnes and Nobles puts one on the shelf. I really hope to snag a copy of Mothra vs. Godzilla, and I feel kinda guilty on passing up Godzilla vs. Biollante the last time I saw it. But I definitely want to watch Mothra vs. Godzilla again; it's been years since I last saw it, and I remember it with nothing but fondness.
A true fan can acknowledge the bad while still appreciating and cherishing the good.
Gmkgoji
MemberRodanFeb-06-2020 8:26 AMWhile not wrong, you're not right either...in my opinion, at least.
Zwei Wing is the best singing duo. Change my mind.
JurassicKaiju14
MemberTitanosaurusFeb-06-2020 9:01 AMGmkgoji How so?
A true fan can acknowledge the bad while still appreciating and cherishing the good.
