As a child perhaps the greatest thing about a Godzilla movie is the wonder. The size of the kaiju, the fantastical elements like the aliens that turn into Gorillas, and the lore of these established worlds. In the Showa era, wonder was bountiful. Think of the King Caesar song. There's a lot of passion in its performance that invites more wonder, and establishes connection. Does the song have to be earnestly sung for King Caesar to appear? As a child, I would have thought so.
Godzilla: Final Wars lacks some of that wonder. Somewhere within its conversations about M-Base, multiple kaijus, aliens, mutants, motorcycle chases, fight sequences, and spaceships, there could be wonder, but it's always moving onto the next thing.
Final Wars has an aesthetic that was common in the 2000's. Like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Death Race (2008). Quick cuts and intense action, but not in a fun way. And this weird combination of intense light and even harsher shadows. It's an angry, ugly aesthetic that is trying to look cool. Maybe it was back then. But it's an odd way to say goodbye to Godzilla.
That's the thing about ongoing properties: they are constantly being updated. Godzilla is approaching being a seventy year-old franchise. Much like comic book heroes, these franchises will always evolve past the time in our lives when we loved them the most. To be picked up by someone else, who will treasure the franchise anew. Maybe we don't need to say goodbye to Godzilla or other franchises. Maybe we just need to let them go.
Godzilla: Final Wars lacks some of that wonder. Somewhere within its conversations about M-Base, multiple kaijus, aliens, mutants, motorcycle chases, fight sequences, and spaceships, there could be wonder, but it's always moving onto the next thing.
Final Wars has an aesthetic that was common in the 2000's. Like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Death Race (2008). Quick cuts and intense action, but not in a fun way. And this weird combination of intense light and even harsher shadows. It's an angry, ugly aesthetic that is trying to look cool. Maybe it was back then. But it's an odd way to say goodbye to Godzilla.
That's the thing about ongoing properties: they are constantly being updated. Godzilla is approaching being a seventy year-old franchise. Much like comic book heroes, these franchises will always evolve past the time in our lives when we loved them the most. To be picked up by someone else, who will treasure the franchise anew. Maybe we don't need to say goodbye to Godzilla or other franchises. Maybe we just need to let them go.