Force of Nature or Defender of Mankind?

Shadow Moon · 12-11-2013, 10:16 PM

Which incarnation of Godzilla do you prefer? I myself am torn. While I prefer the force of nature that was presented to us in the 54 classic I also love the Defender of mankind that I grew up watching.

Matrixbeast · 12-11-2013, 10:21 PM

This doesn't quite make sense since Godzilla wasn't a force of nature. The original's existence lends itself to mankind's intervention. More "Evil" Godzillas never felt like nature getting revenge on man and more of a punishment for man's hubris sort of thing.

That said, I do prefer the defender of Earth style for the character, but I enjoy it more when he straddles the middle of the line.

Shadow Moon · 12-11-2013, 10:40 PM

Me calling him a "force of nature" comes from him acting on raw instinct. Like you said he wasn't getting revenge by attacking but rather defending himself. Though that reasoning gets lost starting with King King vs Godzilla and continues into Ghidorah where he just randomly wakes up and starts wrecking havoc.

Sentai · 12-12-2013, 03:40 AM

Tragic Force of Nature. And that's how I hope he's portrayed in the upcoming movie from Legendary. I think that comic that was posted on here a while ago sums it up best. "I was the Last of my Kind. And you Made me the First. That's why I punish you, because I didn't know I could be made more lonely". That's my Godzilla. Stopping through Tokyo, not giving a good damn. Beating other Kaiju solely because he's strongest. Destroying us for what we've done to him.

ZeoRangerV · 12-12-2013, 04:07 AM

Since I tend to prefer the first film/Heisei era/Millennium depiction of Godzilla, I'd go for force of nature. Not that I don't like the defender of the Earth interpretation, but Gamera fills that role nicely for me.

Sentai · 12-12-2013, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV

Since I tend to prefer the first film/Heisei era/Millennium depiction of Godzilla, I'd go for force of nature. Not that I don't like the defender of the Earth interpretation, but Gamera fills that role nicely for me.

I'll be honest with you. All I know about Gamera came from Myster Science Theater 3000

Gamera is Really Neat, Gamera is Full of Meat, We All Love Gamera!

Baltan II · 12-12-2013, 05:25 AM

I have no general preference for my depiction of Godzilla, preferring to let the needs of each film or series dictate the appropriate direction for the Big G's personality. I'll just as readily take my benevolent protector from vs. Megalon and the first Mechagodzilla movies as I would the force of nature Heisei Godzilla, the raging Final-Goji, or the outright malevolent and evil GMK Godzilla.

The only real exceptions are those Godzillas that don't even work in their intended films, that offer nothing personality-wise or clash too much with the intended message of the film. Really, I'm taking about Kiryu-Goji in particular, but that's because that Godzilla suffered from a movie with a muddled and confused purpose to its devastation and bizarre choices of storytelling in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla that utterly failed to work - ie. Godzilla standing there, doing nothing while Kiryu attacks it for the first time as a conscious storytelling choice to emulate Noh theatre... or something. More noticeably than any other Godzilla film that comes to mind, Kiryu-Goji offered no purpose other than to threaten Japan when convenient in the script. Zilla could also be lumped into this category to a lesser degree, though the '98 movie has all sorts of other problems to deal with anyway. I'd also consider Nankai-Goji (Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) in this category since his personality is due to replacing the intended King Kong.

ComicGuy89 · 12-12-2013, 05:48 AM

I think either depiction works and really just depends on the execution. One thing I don't want him to be, however, is malevolent and sadistic.

Dr Kain · 12-12-2013, 09:08 AM

Force of nature. Making him a super hero is when the movies started to decline on a massive scale. It's also one of the reasons the Heisei era is my favorite era and why GMK is my favorite Godzilla movie of all time.

ZeoRangerV · 12-12-2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sentai

I'll be honest with you. All I know about Gamera came from Myster Science Theater 3000

Gamera is Really Neat, Gamera is Full of Meat, We All Love Gamera!

http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Guardi.../dp/B005ENCIWG

Buy this, go away and watch them and then come back to me

12-11-2013, 10:21 PM	#2
Matrixbeast Mighty Morphin Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Za Warudo Posts: 25,465	This doesn't quite make sense since Godzilla wasn't a force of nature. The original's existence lends itself to mankind's intervention. More "Evil" Godzillas never felt like nature getting revenge on man and more of a punishment for man's hubris sort of thing. That said, I do prefer the defender of Earth style for the character, but I enjoy it more when he straddles the middle of the line. __________________

12-12-2013, 04:07 AM	#5
ZeoRangerV Kawaii 5-0 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom Posts: 12,851	Since I tend to prefer the first film/Heisei era/Millennium depiction of Godzilla, I'd go for force of nature. Not that I don't like the defender of the Earth interpretation, but Gamera fills that role nicely for me. __________________ My Shiny Toy Robots: Toku, Anime & Toy Reviews

12-12-2013, 05:25 AM	#7
Baltan II Space Ninja Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Baltan Star (or Maryland) Posts: 1,193	I have no general preference for my depiction of Godzilla, preferring to let the needs of each film or series dictate the appropriate direction for the Big G's personality. I'll just as readily take my benevolent protector from vs. Megalon and the first Mechagodzilla movies as I would the force of nature Heisei Godzilla, the raging Final-Goji, or the outright malevolent and evil GMK Godzilla. The only real exceptions are those Godzillas that don't even work in their intended films, that offer nothing personality-wise or clash too much with the intended message of the film. Really, I'm taking about Kiryu-Goji in particular, but that's because that Godzilla suffered from a movie with a muddled and confused purpose to its devastation and bizarre choices of storytelling in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla that utterly failed to work - ie. Godzilla standing there, doing nothing while Kiryu attacks it for the first time as a conscious storytelling choice to emulate Noh theatre... or something. More noticeably than any other Godzilla film that comes to mind, Kiryu-Goji offered no purpose other than to threaten Japan when convenient in the script. Zilla could also be lumped into this category to a lesser degree, though the '98 movie has all sorts of other problems to deal with anyway. I'd also consider Nankai-Goji (Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) in this category since his personality is due to replacing the intended King Kong. __________________ Got MonsterArts? I've got money! \| Figuarts, Movie TFs and More for Sale/Trade!

12-12-2013, 05:48 AM	#8
ComicGuy89 Master of Water Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 6,246	I think either depiction works and really just depends on the execution. One thing I don't want him to be, however, is malevolent and sadistic. __________________ \|deviantART link\|

12-12-2013, 09:09 AM	#10
ZeoRangerV Kawaii 5-0 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom Posts: 12,851	Quote: Originally Posted by Sentai I'll be honest with you. All I know about Gamera came from Myster Science Theater 3000 Gamera is Really Neat, Gamera is Full of Meat, We All Love Gamera! http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Guardi.../dp/B005ENCIWG Buy this, go away and watch them and then come back to me __________________ My Shiny Toy Robots: Toku, Anime & Toy Reviews