Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

For Godzilla fiftieth anniversary Toho wanted something special. They hired Ryûhei Kitamura to be the director, Kyle "Se7en" Cooper to design the main credits, Keith Emerson on music and every frigging monster they could find in the basement on the screen. And what a movie, baby! First of all, it is connected to my favorite G-movie, Invasion of the Astro-Monsters, yes more or less a direct sequel - but spiced up like no other movie. Second, Ryûhei Kitamura knows exactly what he's doing - except in one sequence (more later on that), whatever the fanboys around the world says. Third, it actually manage to still make some impressive action-scenes, 50 years after the first movie. It's not may franchises that can do that. 

The credit's was something that Kyle Cooper probably did for pocket money during his lunch break, but it's still a perfect beginning for the ultimate japanese Kaiju-movie. What it lacks is energy, and feels a bit to chaotic, but it could also have to do with that Emersons theme really dosen't fit perfect to the images. It's like Kyle cut something, gave it to Toho who then changed the music a bit. I don't know. But it stills brings tears to my eyes every time, to see the evolution of Godzilla and his adventures over all these years. I'm just a sissy! Well, I cried at the end of Godzilla vs Destroyah to! I admit! A little ashamed maybe, but I'm just a rubbermonster-loving human! Nothing else...

Acting? Yes, it's good and everybody seem to know what they're doing - but I'm not counting the pimp, the policeman and the drunk in "New York" (really a street somewhere in Australia). The "real" actors in this show is of course the monsters. There's some very impressive monster-action, and the scene where Ebira (the crab you know?) destroys a factory area is AMAZING. It's so good that I can't find any good words for it. The explosions, the stunts, the destruction. Everything is where it should be. It's also fun that Anguirus for once is cool, and can roll himself to a ball and crush cities! His destruction of Shanghai is another highlight.

"I knew that tuna-eating monster was useless" - one of the best lines in the whole movie, and that's when the real Godzilla is beating the shit out of the american Zilla. It's a short fight, but we all know that Zilla would never stand a chance against a real monster. Another little in-joke is when a little american boy is playing with his monster toys and throwing a plastic turtle into the fire, screaming "looser!". He knows it. We all know it. Gamera is a wimp. Well, to Gameras defense I must say that the last couple of movies is masterpieces. Enought about that turtle! Let's talk about the fantastic script! Ha ha. No, it's not much of a script, but it's still more emotional and satisfying than a lot of other "better" movies I've seen. But the filmmakers knows what they're doing. Logic is not that important, and the quote from UN Secretary General Naotarô Daigo (played by Akira Takarada, who also was in the first G-movie in 1954) in the end says it all: "I must have survived somehow". It's not important how he survives, who he escaped. He's back, everyone's happy and life can go on.

Yes, the only thing that Ryûhei Kitamura succeeded in? The motorcycle chase. Really, I've never seen such a slow chase in my life. I could run faster than those bikes! The editing also lacks, the there's no energy at all. Like the terrible car chase in the beginning of swedish cop-turkey Noll Tolerans. If you seen it, you know what I mean.

But fuck that. Great movie. The best. I can't get enough from it.

Hugs and kisses,

Freddy