Another Pass at Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Case and Sam are joined by Nic Woolfe to stomp like a kaiju (stomp stomp stomp)! We're digging into the Monster-verse with "Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)"!

 

Overview

In the podcast discussion titled "Another Pass at Godzilla King of the Monsters," the hosts, alongside guest Nic Woolfe, delve into their personal connections to the Godzilla franchise, reflecting on how nostalgia and earlier influences shaped their appreciation for Kaiju films. They analyze the 2019 film's financial performance, placing it within the context of the MonsterVerse, and offer praise for its visual elements, character portrayals, and emotional depth. The conversation touches on the film’s themes, such as the insignificance of personal problems against global threats, and critiques the marketing strategies that may have contributed to its underwhelming box office results. The hosts discuss scientific inaccuracies, potential improvements, and casting alternatives, asserting that while the film has its flaws, it remains enjoyable. They conclude with suggestions for future explorations within the franchise, including their next episode focus on "Highlander 2: The Quickening."

 

Notes

Introduction and Personal Connections to Godzilla (00:00 - 10:59)

• Hosts introduce guest Nic Woolfe for their fifth episode together
• Discussion of personal connections to Godzilla franchise
• Nick's love for Kaiju came from Power Rangers, Rugrats' Reptar, and later access to classic Godzilla films
• The hosts establish they all genuinely enjoy the 2019 Godzilla film
• Movie cost between

  170-200 million but only made

  387 million, falling short of the $400 million target

MonsterVerse Context and Prior Films (10:59 - 21:41)

• Discussion of 2014 Godzilla film directed by Gareth Edwards as the MonsterVerse starting point
• Brief mentions of Kong: Skull Island as part of the MonsterVerse
• Sam shares her family history with Godzilla, particularly her mother's love for monster movies
• Case discusses the 80s-90s Godzilla marketing push in Western media
• MonsterVerse is praised for continuing to improve since the 2014 film

️ Visual Elements and Character Appreciation (21:42 - 32:54)

• Praise for Ghidorah being portrayed as a hurricane with lightning everywhere it goes
• Discussion of the elemental nature of the Titans: Ghidorah (wind), Godzilla (water), Rodan (fire), Mothra (earth)
• Appreciation for the film's use of mythology and inclusion of Mothra's twins
• Strong praise for the cast including Charles Dance, Bradley Whitford, Ken Watanabe
• Discussion of the emotional scene where Serizawa sacrifices himself

Themes and Human Elements (32:54 - 42:52)

• Comparison between Godzilla: King of Monsters and other Godzilla films including Shin Godzilla
• Discussion of the family storyline involving Mark and Emma Russell
• Analysis of the theme that 'it's bigger than you' - problems being insignificant compared to global threats
• Appreciation for the resolution provided for human characters
• Commentary on the film's emotional resonance and how it saved Nick during a difficult time

Critical Analysis of Marketing and Casting (42:52 - 52:52)

• Discussion about why the film didn't perform as well financially as expected
• Analysis of movie title 'King of the Monsters' being reused from the 1950s
• Suggestion that 'Rise of the Titans' might have been a better title
• Critique that the film lacked young, attractive lead characters that might draw wider audiences
• Observation that the film needed more explanation of the various Titans/monsters

Scientific Inaccuracies and Improvement Ideas (52:53 - 01:02:28)

• Criticism of the 'alpha male' science regarding Titans as outdated
• Suggestion that more monster battles would have improved the film
• Discussion of effective scenes showing the scale of monsters compared to humans
• Praise for Ken Watanabe's sacrifice scene and emotional impact
• Analysis of how the film's marketing could have better emphasized human perspective shots

Marketing Critique and Casting Alternatives (01:02:28 - 01:13:52)

• Proposal that more monster explanations would have helped broader audience engagement
• Discussion of how modern trailers often reveal too much compared to effective ones like Independence Day
• Suggestion that Sally Hawkins' character shouldn't have been killed early
• Idea that Charles Dance could have played Tom Hiddleston's character from Skull Island
• Commentary on how the film might have benefited from younger actors in certain roles

Final Suggestions and Conclusions (01:13:52 - 01:24:43)

• Discussion about whether including Kong would have helped the film commercially
• Suggestion to better explain the costs and benefits of Titans to the ecosystem
• Proposal for including anti-Titan lobbyists or weapons manufacturers as antagonists
• Overall conclusion that despite its flaws, the film is still highly enjoyable
• Guest and host contact information shared
• Announcement that next episode will cover Highlander 2: The Quickening

 

Action items

Unassigned

• Watch 'Godzilla Minus One' while it's still available on Netflix