Finally! The world gets its first trailer for Hollywood’s upcoming Godzilla film. What did you think? You might have an opinion. I might. Japan definitely does.
Internet users on Japan’s largest bulletin board 2ch have chimed in with their opinions regarding the teaser. This isn’t the first time Japanese net users have given their two cents for the new ‘Zilla. Earlier this fall, 2ch commenters also chimed in on art for the film.
Below, you can see selected 2ch quotes from two threads (here and here) on the trailer. I tried to pull a good mix of quotes from various commenters, showing the range of reactions in Japan. Embedded links were added for clarification.
“I can look forward to this more than that tuna-eating Godzilla from before.”
“This seems good. Along with Pacific Rim, it really seems that more than the Japanese film industry, the American movie industry is in full swing with kaiju movies.”
“This looks like a rental.”
“Just looking at the poster gives it that Godzilla feeling of the original.”
“Is this CG? A man in a suit?”
“I cracked up when I saw Ken Watanabe was in another Hollywood film. But I thought it looked pretty interesting.”
“A Godzilla without tokusatsu effects is not Godzilla.”
“This isn’t another pseudo-lizard, is it?”
“Godzilla is huge.”
“Don’t you wonder why there are skydivers?”
“Jean Reno, sadness.”
“There were complaints about the lizard Godzilla, but I think America doing America’s interpretation is fine.”
“Put Mothra in it.”
“Why is there a Godzilla movie now?”
“I wonder what Ken Watanabe’s role is.”
“I saw the previous Hollywood version, and it was somewhat interesting. I’ll probably go see this.”
“Enormous.”
“The last one felt like Jurassic Park. This one seems like Cloverfield.”
“But it eats tuna, right?”
“Woah, Godzilla looks like Godzilla.”
“They’ll probably say Godzilla was created from Fukushima’s radioactive effects.”
“Personally, I liked the previous lizard Godzilla. But I didn’t have much love for Godzilla in the first place…”
“I’m looking forward to this. I’m just happy to see a new Godzilla movie. Japan ain’t making them.”
“Gipsy Danger is huge. Godzilla wouldn’t win.”
“Hollywood’s lapdog: Ken Watanabe.”
“This seems kinda interesting. But who’s the director?”
“This is nothing but the typical Yankee notion that Godzilla is a cruel destroyer.”
“I guess they’re paying to use Godzilla’s likeness.”
“It appears once again, the U.S. military is going to kill it at the end.”
“Since Godzilla looks like Godzilla, I can look forward to this.”
“This stinks of Cloverfield.”
“As usually, I haven’t seen it, so I can’t say anything.”
Previously, director Gareth Edwards promised our colleagues at io9 that his film will stay true to the Japanese original — something that Ken Watanabe also promised in a recent interview.
And in case you missed it, here are io9‘s impressions of this year’s Godzilla footage.
新ハリウッド版「ＧＯＤＺＩＬＬＡ」！渡辺謙も感激「本家を踏襲してくれた」[2ch]
新ハリウッド版ゴジラの予告編が出たけど、どうよ？？ [2ch]
Comments
9 responses to “Japan Reacts To The Godzilla Trailer”
I’m in. It looks great.
Do not understand where they get the Cloverfield idea from at all, given Cloverfield itself was a tribute to Gojirra…
Also I find somehow that “Hollywood’s lapdog: Ken Watanabe.” is somehow, a very bigoted thing for them to say? Are they saying that any Japanese actor who becomes succesful in Hollywood is somehow a lapdog? How very narrow minded of them.
But that is how their society is. It is like Americans think that they are the only country in the world. Same stereotype people.
“Do not understand where they get the Cloverfield idea from at all, given Cloverfield itself was a tribute to Gojirra…”
Probably because like Cloverfield, they’ve avoided showing Godzilla in the footage shown. Which I can understand the frustration. I liked it in Cloverfield, but I don’t want that really becoming a ‘thing’
Gareth Edwards said there’s going to be PLENTY of full shots of Godzilla in the movie, plus it won’t be packed full of shakeycam thank god. I trust him, the trailer alone was a thing of beauty.
I thought of Cloverfield myself first time I saw that trailer. Very much that “Humans battling against an unstoppable force that we won’t actually be showing you” vibe.
You do actually see a bit of big G near the end but until then they’re very shy about showing him.
Most Godzilla movies aren’t nearly that shy about showing off their main attraction.
RE: Ken Watanabe, basically, Japan has an “island all by itself” mentality. Whenever a Japanese person leaves and tries/finds success in another place, it’s like they’ve “sold out”. “oh you couldn’t succeed here so you went to (inferior place)”. I guess the same happens when, say, an Australian former sports star past their prime follows the bucks to play in some other country. Keep in mind these quotes are from 2ch which is the cesspool of Japan’s internet.
Aaaaaaaah 2chan. Point taken 🙂 I did not see that!!! Was reading on my phone so I must’ve scrolled past it. Ta 🙂 Explains everything.
A very good analogy about the sports players, I recently heard them bagging the crap out of the AFL kickers who go to play in the NFL. Mind you, the kickers from the AFL who play in the NFL? They make up to 20 times the money in one season they’d make in 5 here…
He looks so cute. A very good looking godzilla.
Yeah, the effect worked well in Cloverfield and tied in nicely with the handycam as well as the “what the hell is it?” kind of thing.
If you’ve seen some older movies of this nature, (and I’m certainly not suggesting you havent) you’ll know that some really good ones rarely show the ‘monster’ at all.
Few movies are so far ‘ahead of the game’ like Jurassic Park was and as a result, there’s this choice of ‘show a cheesy CGI model vs show very little and hide it with smoke & fog’
Until we see who the story follows and how closely, it’s hard to say which option would be better.
Am I the only one who thinks this will be a horrible movie?
Yes