I believe we have a number of options for a good allegory to a modern Godzilla in the US. So what should it be? Katrina maybe, or possibly the oil spill (say Godzilla wrecks an oil rig and causes a massive spill to go along with his rampage), or possibly even 9/11?
shareI'd rule out Katrina because Godzilla is (unintentionally) man-made. However, they could show the government's reaction to the disaster. Perhaps they are slow to react after the attack on an impoverished area, but as the danger approaches wealthy areas their attitude changes.
"Why would I save a world I no longer have any steak in?"
"Do it for meat."
I'd rule out 9/11 as well. Cloverfield already covered that topic quite well.
Proud member of the AIAFL.
If it has nothing to do with the A-bomb, it shouldn't be in the movie. The bomb is a vital part of who he is. It would make sense for Godzilla to attack the country that used the bombs.
Top 250 on 4/28/06 >>http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0097775/board/thread/42051082
If they are going to modernize the allegory of Godzilla...I say that Katrina or the Oil Spill would function as a good base point...the concept of something very bad happening, and people feeling as though the government isn't doing all that they could to fix the problem...that could be a big element of the film.
But as far as the origins of Godzilla...I feel it needs to pay respect to the original film in that sense, and for Godzilla to still be born of nuclear testing.
August 13th
'Get ready to have a MANGASM'
The Expendables
Hedora/smog monster covers the oil spill allegory, so that would be out.
shareas a huge godzilla fan, i'd like to agree with you, but i can't. the reason the first movie with the A-bomb origin had such a big impact was because the attacks on japan in world war 2 were so recent. however, the a-bomb just doesn't have the same effect on audiences, especially american ones. it order to have the same shock value the original the 2012 godzilla has to touch on something a little less foreign, something fresh in our memory.
shareJapan's still suffering the effects of the bombs. The film can touch on that. What does anything recent have to do with Godzilla? I really don't want them to make the same mistake they made with the "Day the Earth Stood Still" remake. They ruined that with the environmental message.
Top 250 on 4/28/06 >>http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0097775/board/thread/42051082
I have to agree with you on that. One of my favorite movies was really screwed-up by the "Day the Earth Stood Still" remake.
shareThe first "Day the Earth Stood Still" was not hurt by the remake. It's still available and still as good as it ever was. The remake may have screwed up the *idea* the first was based on, but remakes don't do any harm to originals.
"The value of an idea has nothing to do with the honesty of the man expressing it."--Oscar Wilde
@ gayspiritwarrior -
"The first "Day the Earth Stood Still" was not hurt by the remake."
_____________________________________________________________________________
Perhaps not, but it certainly did it no favors.
Remakes, in general, (or at least remakes at this point in time) seem to slap the original work in the face while trying hard to leave it in the dust. That does little to enhance the standing of the source material they're supposed to be paying tribute to.
In turn, when a remake sucks, it doesn't exactly motivate most people to seek out the original work.
With that in mind, it seems possible that the original "Day the Earth Stood Still" lost potential new fans; maybe the remake hurt it after all.
a point of a remake is not to pay tribute to the original. THe point is to get a new spin on the story for a new generation,and a more current times angle on it. Doing a remake of something,in itself,is already a homage,a show of appreciation of the idea of the original.
A remakes intent however,from then on,is not to pay any kind of tribute,but to make it its own,new interpretation. Take artistic license. That is the whole point of remakes. So the idea they are supposed to be paying tribute is just your own desire,not a reflection of reality.
And people who have not seen the original anyway would most probably never watch it anyway,whether the remake is bad or not.
And anyone who gets swayed to not look up the original just because they didnt like the remake is ignorance at its finest,on colossal levels of illogic and irrational behavior because the person has not seen the original,and therefore could not know if one would like it or not,certainly not based on the remake. People who get swayed like that are ignoramuses imo
@ gayspiritwarrior -
"The first "Day the Earth Stood Still" was not hurt by the remake."
_____________________________________________________________________________
Perhaps not, but it certainly did it no favors.
Remakes, in general, (or at least remakes at this point in time) seem to slap the original work in the face and try hard to leave it in the dust. That does little to enhance the standing of the source material, to which they often claim to be paying tribute.
In turn, when a remake sucks, it doesn't exactly motivate most people to seek out the original work.
With that in mind, it seems possible that the original "Day the Earth Stood Still" lost potential new fans; maybe the remake hurt it after all.
Why I got thinking of this today may have to do with the Nat Geo program "24 hours after Hiroshima" and Ground Zero.
Could it be that "Gojira" is a bastardized pronunciation of "Ground Zero"?
Just a thought I had and nothing more.
wireless-phil,
The fact that the word Gojira sounds similar to "ground-zero" is an interesting thing to point out, but Gojira is actually a mashing together of the japanese words for "gorilla" and "whale".
It should be an allegory to humans, despite their technological advancements, who are ultimately at the mercy of nature. Humans cannot fight and defeat Godzilla anymore than they can fight and defeat Hurricane Katrina or the earthquake/tsunami that hit Japan this year. That would make the film timeless and not date it much like the cold war stuff dates The Return of Godzilla.
Proud member of the AIAFL.
Chrisbc-1; GODZILLA would be a biological dooms-day weapon dropped off on Earth during the end of the Mesozoic Era, at ground zero, just before the Asteroid impacted. A left-over from a Inter-Stellar War, part of the terms for Peace. A biological self-generating and renewing terror weapon. It's creators hoping exile and impact would rid them of this terror forever.
How is it awakened, pick the topic that will be the most appealing, does not matter. The kicker, the other side also has buried their 'bio-super weapon' in the Volcano of Mount Fuji as a safe-guard, which will arise soon afterward on the other side of the Planet, triggered by GODZILLA's rebirth. GODZILLA will rampage through Mexico, trashing Mexico City, ravaging everything up too L.A.
Then disappear heading West toward Hawaii. It's opponent, confused, destroys Tokyo, then head East towards Hawaii.
Military forces of the World try to destroy both with conventual up too Thermo-Nuclear Weapons and fail. They both disappear fighting, falling into the collapsing crater of Kilauea. THE END ???
In my Story I trash three (3) major Cities and use up a-lot of expensive Military assets. Plus the ending sets up the sequal.
[deleted]
mhearn; Actually the current Secretary of State would be more appropriate. Her legs remind me on GODZILLA's stumps.
share[deleted]
mhearn; Just hope they do not make GODZILLA a wimp like Roland Emmerich did in his movie. GODZILLA does NOT run away from the Military, it destroys them!
share[deleted]
mhearn: I first saw GODZILLA; King of the Monsters in 1957 at age of six (6). I did not handle it well and my Grand-Mother had to take me into the Lobby too recover half-way through the picture. A year latter THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD was even worse the first sight of the CYCLOPs and I wanted OUT!
Lets hope that the new version redeems itself and does not make the same mistakes as the 1998 version. Even though it was commercially successful. I have NEVER bought it on DVD!
Are OP and others that disconnected to the point of having already forgot about FUKUSHIMA and the 60+ nuclear power plants in the US, without talking about the massive nuclear arsenal?
Fukushima definitely is a catastrophe related to both Japan and the US, just through the fallout.
I would say junk food.
shareNo message, just entertainment. Don't go to movies for education.
shareDonald Trump
share