Post by 1godzillafan on Aug 10, 2018 14:36:38 GMT -5
Eh...I'm the Godzilla nerd on these forums, so why not?
It took me a while but I finally watched City on the Edge of Battle. It wasn't some intentional shunning of the film, as I always intended to watch it, but I had to shut off my Netflix for about a month due to some personal matters. Incidentally my Netflix's final day before the billing cycle ended was the day before this movie dropped. Being the Zilla nerd I was, that stung a little, but my lackluster response to Planet of the Monsters kept me patient for it. My Netflix is back up now, mostly so I can check out Disenchantment next week, but I first checked out City on the Edge of Battle to see what I missed.
I didn't rewatch Planet as I didn't want to become bored with this anime before I even started City. That said, as I mulled it over these last few months I began to realize that Planet just might be the Godzilla movie I've liked the least in a looooooooooooong time. Like before the Heisei series started. I'd need to watch it again to be sure, but I was in no hurry to do so. But I wanted to go into City not wanting the stigma of having to follow that stink first so I can be as unbiased as possible. I think that was a wise move, because I enjoyed City for the most part.
What really struck me about this one was that since we started in the meat of the story there is a greater opportunity to explore this reinvented environment around Godzilla. Identifiable pieces of Godzilla lore started to take shape in new and intriguing forms. The tribe of humanoids that we discover seem to be a reinvention of the tribe of Infant Island, complete with a pair of twin girls at the center (though normal human sized). I liked this take on the natives, as it reminded me of old sci-fi I used to like growing up, such as Planet of the Apes and The Time Machine.
When it comes to the reimagined Mechagodzilla, I'm a little disappointed there wasn't a traditional Mecha form for him. Instead he's pretty much a city throughout the movie, and it just sits there and shoots Godzilla from a distance. It's an interesting take, but I don't quite understand why "Mechagodzilla City" needed the Mechagodzilla connection at all. It could have been just something different to underline how unique it was. However I do wonder if a lot of what happened in the climax of City was setting up a reformed Mechagodzilla in The Planet Eater for a big monster rumble with Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Mothra. That's just speculation though.
I do find the film to be sluggish though. It drags in the second act, and now that they've set up their world there is very much a missed opportunity to properly immerse ourselves in it as the film instead tries to intrigue with philosophical and spiritual discussions and questions. It mostly fails. While certain revelations of nature siding with humanity vs. monsters vs. machine and the linking the three together are interesting in concept, the film feels like it's repeating itself many times over. In the end it just feels like it's prolonging the inevitable, since like the first film the big Godzilla action scene is pushed to the end, and while it's entertaining I do feel there should be more.
But it was fun...ish. There are still things I feel could be done better, the characterization is still godawful, and the while animation is beautiful in places it can be fairly dull in others. I'm intrigued about how The Planet Eater will end this saga, though I don't think this Godzilla anime will ever be a must see in Godzilla's film legacy.
Except for the Vultures. Those things are badass.
It took me a while but I finally watched City on the Edge of Battle. It wasn't some intentional shunning of the film, as I always intended to watch it, but I had to shut off my Netflix for about a month due to some personal matters. Incidentally my Netflix's final day before the billing cycle ended was the day before this movie dropped. Being the Zilla nerd I was, that stung a little, but my lackluster response to Planet of the Monsters kept me patient for it. My Netflix is back up now, mostly so I can check out Disenchantment next week, but I first checked out City on the Edge of Battle to see what I missed.
I didn't rewatch Planet as I didn't want to become bored with this anime before I even started City. That said, as I mulled it over these last few months I began to realize that Planet just might be the Godzilla movie I've liked the least in a looooooooooooong time. Like before the Heisei series started. I'd need to watch it again to be sure, but I was in no hurry to do so. But I wanted to go into City not wanting the stigma of having to follow that stink first so I can be as unbiased as possible. I think that was a wise move, because I enjoyed City for the most part.
What really struck me about this one was that since we started in the meat of the story there is a greater opportunity to explore this reinvented environment around Godzilla. Identifiable pieces of Godzilla lore started to take shape in new and intriguing forms. The tribe of humanoids that we discover seem to be a reinvention of the tribe of Infant Island, complete with a pair of twin girls at the center (though normal human sized). I liked this take on the natives, as it reminded me of old sci-fi I used to like growing up, such as Planet of the Apes and The Time Machine.
When it comes to the reimagined Mechagodzilla, I'm a little disappointed there wasn't a traditional Mecha form for him. Instead he's pretty much a city throughout the movie, and it just sits there and shoots Godzilla from a distance. It's an interesting take, but I don't quite understand why "Mechagodzilla City" needed the Mechagodzilla connection at all. It could have been just something different to underline how unique it was. However I do wonder if a lot of what happened in the climax of City was setting up a reformed Mechagodzilla in The Planet Eater for a big monster rumble with Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Mothra. That's just speculation though.
I do find the film to be sluggish though. It drags in the second act, and now that they've set up their world there is very much a missed opportunity to properly immerse ourselves in it as the film instead tries to intrigue with philosophical and spiritual discussions and questions. It mostly fails. While certain revelations of nature siding with humanity vs. monsters vs. machine and the linking the three together are interesting in concept, the film feels like it's repeating itself many times over. In the end it just feels like it's prolonging the inevitable, since like the first film the big Godzilla action scene is pushed to the end, and while it's entertaining I do feel there should be more.
But it was fun...ish. There are still things I feel could be done better, the characterization is still godawful, and the while animation is beautiful in places it can be fairly dull in others. I'm intrigued about how The Planet Eater will end this saga, though I don't think this Godzilla anime will ever be a must see in Godzilla's film legacy.
Except for the Vultures. Those things are badass.
