Next month, Hollywood’s latest take on Godzilla will roll into theatres. Online in Japan, people are saying that this film couldn’t have been made in Japan. And for good reason.
Due to the awful job Hollywood did with the last Godzilla film, there wasn’t initially much confidence in this effort when it was originally announced.
The movie’s new extended trailer, which was recently released, is making an even bigger impact*.
Japanese film critic Tomohiro Machiyama tweeted earlier today, “The new Godzilla begins with a nuclear disaster and a tsunami? Hollywood did what today’s Japanese films can’t.”
On Twitter, many Japanese users agreed and pointed out that the first Godzilla was centered around an anti-nuclear theme. The movie summed up the uneasiness many in Japan had towards nuclear weapons in the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the series progressed, and time, the weighty issues of the first film were moved further into the background.
Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, there have been protests in Japan over nuclear power. Last month, for example, over 5,000 people took to the streets in Tokyo as the government looked set to restart two nuclear reactors.
With the earthquake and the nuclear disaster still being touchy issues, film critic Machiyama seems to think that Japanese directors might be uncomfortable turning both into a big budget film.
There are many people who survived the earthquake and the tsunami that are still living in temporary housing. Making a movie like this perhaps feels “too soon” for Japanese filmmakers.
“Even if it’s something Japan can’t do, I don’t think that makes it great,” wrote one commenter on popular game site Hachima. Others thought it the way the tsunami was portrayed was “reckless,” with some of the movie’s scenes allegedly seeming to copy actual tsunami footage.
However, some Japanese twitter users pointed out how timely the new Godzilla film seemed, while others stated they now wanted to see the movie. “This is a return to form,” wrote one Hachima commenter. There were those who wondered if the movie will be edited when it’s shown in Japan. And when it finally gets its Japanese release this summer, look for it to divide audiences, just like it’s already dividing internet comment sections.
ハリウッド版新『ゴジラ』は原発事故のシーンから始まり、ゴジラは津波と共に襲来することが判明!日本では絶対に出来ねぇーな [はちま起稿]
*While the extended trailer does look exciting, it also features some incredibly shoddy attempts to reproduce Japanese homes as you can see in the lead photo.
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Comments
11 responses to “Why Japan Couldn’t Have Made The New Godzilla Film”
Or… you know, money. Only American films have such broad appeal, which assures global box office profitability. That’s why they can consistently commit $150 mil+ to blockbusters. It’s 2014, a cheap ‘Guy In Rubber Suit’ film doesn’t cut it. If you’re making a Godzilla movie, go big or go home and the only place you’re going to make that is Hollywood.
But sure, nukes too, I guess.
The money certainly helps. I can’t but notice the even more critical theme of cashing in on previously famous movies.
I mean there’s a remake or a reboot of a huge slew of famous classics in the last few years. I hadn’t heard of the new Godzilla until about a week or two ago but I didn’t even bat an eyelid.
Not to mention Japan seems to think its singers can act and just throws a popular idol into a main role on the cast even though they are usually terrible at acting and are just a pretty face.
The yanks still do this too, look at Britney, spice girls, Bieber, etc. Hell look at how many rappers, many of which are terrible actors, are thrown into films to give them “black appeal”.
Well first of all, Spice Girls are british and the movie was also a British movie, second, Bieber hasn’t been in any scripted movies, he was a guest star on CSI and did an alright job as far as I remember. The whole “black appeal” thing is also wrong, rappers rarely get major movie roles and the ones that do (Will Smith, Ice Cube, Ludacris and before he died Tupac) are actually pretty good actors, especially Tupac and Will Smith.
Japan huh?
I didn’t realise that Megan Fox, Matthew Mccaughnahey, Lindsey Lohan and Ryan Gosling (To name a few) were Japanese
Their acting is debatable but they are still years ahead of the 18 year old idols Japan has who they try to get to act
*cough* Disney * cough*
Except Matthew Mcconaughey is a good actor, his recent movies and acting has been great.
Pffffft
It hasn’t been a guy in a cheap rubber suit for years. (It became a guy in an expensive rubber suit backed up with special effects) Godzilla fans would love another authentic Kaiju film.
America isn’t doing it right, they are just doing it different.
And having money doesn’t make it good by default, all the other Hollywood “Blockbusters” prove that (They threw 130 million at the 1998 film and it was a pile of crap)
God I hope this is good though. If it becomes another flag waving patriotism circle jerk, I’m out
Looks rather enjoyable; who doesn’t appreciate a whole lot of Cranston anyway :>