The Big Picture: The King of Meh-Sters?

karamazovnew

New member
Apr 4, 2011
263
0
0
10/10 movie trailers these days just piss me off. It's like "Hey, look at all the cool scenes you'll see in the movie. No really, those really are ALL of them. Also pretend you didn't figure out the whole freakin' story already, but we're hoping you're too stupid for that."
So basically the only trailers that still somehow get me into the cinemas are ones about stuff I already want to see. Like, Godzilla and well, New York being destroyed again... by a monster which had the total screen time in the trailer... which is of course defeated... crap. Why the FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU is it New York again?

On a similar topic, I have a controversial question to which I don't really expect a satisfying answer. How come "The Avengers" is considered a masterpiece while "Man of Steel" is the torment of the 9th hell? Sorry, it might seem off topic but this does come up a bit too often in Bob's videos (including this one).

Allow me to explain. Thor's movies are PATHETIC, but the actor is decent and the character is still interesting. Robert Do... ups Iron Man is well.. annoying, I don't know if it's intended but I simply loathe him in his solo movies (less so in TA). Hulk did have a decent movie (the one with Edward Norton), and the new actor was super, so no surprise to see him have the best moments in The Avengers. Captain America had a really good entry movie (but not much to do in TA). Ok... but here's the shocker. The script SUCKS. The main villain is pathetic (doubly so considering how interesting Loki is in the crappy second Thor movie). There is zero tension, zero at stake, no message, nothing worth remembering aside from Loki being thrown around by Hulk. That's it. Bob seems amazed that they "made it work". No they didn't. It's like taking the best ingredients for pizza and putting them in the washing machine instead of the oven. The Avengers is a dumb action flick with nothing new to say (apart from the series idea) and a plot so dumb I got bored midway in the cinema hall. I've seen bad 80's action movies with more memorable scenes than The Avengers. The first Punisher movie was better than The Avengers. Darkman was a masterpiece by comparison.

Now on the "Man of Steel". As a non comics fan, I still understand that generally Superman is probably the most boring character of them all, most of his aura coming from the fact that he was mostly the first Superhero. He's so pathetic that I disliked the original 80s movies even tho I was a kid when I first saw them. He's a tough job to put on screen. In fact I don't think that the actor actually did a good job at it. But the story? The locations? The action scenes? They're at least decent, some even memorable. The bad guy is interesting, the plot is credible, the origins story is minimal (cause we all know who Superman is) and we get to see Krypton instead of dumb Louis Lane getting fooled by a pair of glasses. Heck we get a brave Louis Lane, not a dumb broad and the best explanation of Superman's motivation for being a hero in the first place. I'm not saying that the movie is the best thing since cookies, but it's a decent movie about... wait for it.. Superman.

If you think I'm wrong, just remind yourself the story of both movies, tell it to yourself and see which one sounds better. Or better, tell it to your mother (unless your mom has also seen the movies).
 

Darth_Payn

New member
Aug 5, 2009
2,868
0
0
Well, at least you use your problems with Man of Steel to back up your message, instead of a pointless digression. I'm getting bored (BORED!) with Hollywood heads thinking that everything having to be "grim-n-gritty" to be successful. No joy, no hope, no sense of wonder, nothing! I thought we grew out of it in our comic books, but it moved into our movies and TV shows.
 

Hitchmeister

New member
Nov 24, 2009
453
0
0
I won't say grim-dark has no place, but I'm tired of grim-dark. I want a few "fun" action movies.
 

cojo965

New member
Jul 28, 2012
1,650
0
0
karamazovnew said:
is it New York again?
Not unless New York suddenly got a desert while I wasn't looking. That is the Lady Liberty in LA the trailer shows. Apparently after landing in San Fran, Godzilla goes on a massive overland rampage ending in LA.
 

Sir Shockwave

New member
Jul 4, 2011
470
0
0
MarsAtlas said:
They said something called "MUTO" would be appearing, which if rumours are to believed, are various insect-like kaiju, some with wings, and the word "some" implies multiple ones, so yeah, multiple monsters. Plus, potentially Rodan and Gigan, as I spotted things in the trailer that could've been either one of those or a MUTO.
For now, I'm going to roll with "It's a MUTO" considering for a while it's been confirmed that both Kaiju are NOT classic Godzilla movie villians. The Rodan/Gigan rumors for the time being are about as real as Toho demanding Legendary use Rubber Suits for the monsters (yes, this was a real rumor folks).

On top of that, the MUTO's are supposed to have transforming capabilities of some sort according to one source.
 

faefrost

New member
Jun 2, 2010
1,280
0
0
I think part of the problem with the lack of engagement with the trailer isn't that we find Godzilla meh! It's that we have become literally numb to the over the top cgi destruction. It no longer grabs us. Look at the stuff that caught you Bob. In the Avengers it was that hopeful panning shot showing your favorite heroes in all their colorful glory making a stand. In Man of Steel it was that awesome clip where he is setting up to take flight. The colors the inspiring anthem the rousing crescendo of the music. These were positive scenes. These were something that we want to be a part of.

Then look at the Godzilla trailer. It's once again 9/11 type footage that goes on and on and on. We can't even admire it for the technical effects like we could in the old Toho films. No model railroads were harmed in the making of this film. It's just more video game cutscenes. There was nothing in that trailer that gives us that connection. Maybe if they had given us a good shot of the Big G's eyes, and they had that strange level of depth and feeling that the old rubber suits had? There was really nothing in that trailer to differentiate it from something like Battle Los Angeles or a host of similar destruction movies. As you said it looks like a full movie of the last half of Man of Steel. Yay? At least Pacific Rim had the eye catching scenes of colorful giant robots punching giant monsters, which at least somewhat humanized the destruction and brought us into it in a fun positive way. But over the top destruction just does not sell movies anymore. It doesn't spark anything in us. We have seen to much of it, both fake on screen, in video games, and from watching the news.
 

Ratty

New member
Jan 21, 2014
848
0
0
Sounds like Bob is just having "grim and serious" fatigue, which is understandable given it's his job to see all these movies.

Everything he said about liking Godzilla from a young age and still loving the franchise applies to me, and I'm pumped for this new version. But then I didn't see "Man of Steel" or have the interest to see "Pacific Rim". Since I'm not super huge on Kaiju movies outside the Toho canons.

But as far as a darker Godzilla, we know a more modern villainous take can work from some of the later films in the series. And turning him into a metaphor for pollution/environmental disasters seems like a natural update to the original movie's message.

Also, we're all just getting old. I'm finding that while you learn some patience and perspective with age, which is generally a good thing, it does diminish your ability to get as excited for/worked up about something like a movie release. Which you can now see in relation to actual major events in your life. Which is why so much marketing goes to the youngest generation with spending power, they're easier to sell to.

PS- Good to remember there's no accounting for taste as well. Bob salivated over "Captain America" and I thought it was the most "meh" of the pre-Avengers Marvel movies. (Nowhere near as good as "The Rocketeer", Joe Johnston's other WW2 era superhero flick.) While he thought "Thor" was only a so-so film while it was my favorite of the lot.
 

Spaceman Spiff

New member
Sep 23, 2013
604
0
0
I'm stoked that the movie looks pretty serious, and Big G looks to be an unstoppable force of nature. I love the old movies, but so many are incredibly cheesy and tacky.
 

Sniper Team 4

New member
Apr 28, 2010
5,433
0
0
Bob, in case you were wondering, you're a nerd. A huge Godzilla nerd. Just thought I'd let you know. :)

I'm hoping that the trailer is hiding the reveal plot: That Godzilla isn't the main threat, but instead is fighting another monster who has set out destroying cities. That would be awesome. I don't want to see him fighting humans, because if he loses, I will be very disappointed.
 

Flunk

New member
Feb 17, 2008
915
0
0
I saw this trailer in the theater recently. The new Godzilla trailer reminded me of the trailer for the last Hollywood Godzilla travesty. Almost exactly the same in fact.

That set off alarm bells all through my head.
 

Grim Sterling

New member
Dec 27, 2013
21
0
0
I think it may be why I am psyched, but not "exploding pants" psyched.

One word, : Reservations

I think folk may have reservations about this because of a number of different reasons.

1: The last Americanized Godzilla was generally seen as terrible and that stain remains
2: The tone of the trailer being 'ultra gritty serious' feels like they might be well missing the point of the classics, and so there is a good chance this will be another misfire(though in a different direction).
3: Pacific Rim was such a blast, it's unlikely an upstart will be able to match the level of craft and quality of (the more seasoned) Del Toro did.
4: With so many fx heavy movies hitting the past few years(and showing modern big budget movies don't need great writing if it will still get butts in seats), it's likely this will have crap for story and plot and so meander around the humans for too long, turning Godzilla into a eventual appearing "prop" instead of a "character" throughout the world they build.

I'm really hoping this ends up being good.
 

Nadia Castle

New member
May 21, 2012
202
0
0
I'm only a casual Godzilla fan but I don't see any problem with doing a grim Godzilla movie now.

The king of the monsters hasn't honestly been treated seriously since his debut, if Bob prefers goofy kaiju movies he has around 60 years worth to dig though.

Sure we've been overladen with 'dark and mature' movies (that are actually anything but), but no-one can deny Batman was a thousand times better by going serious after a four films worth of camp. Even if it does turn out to suck we had Pacific Rim as our traditional silly Kaiju flick.

It's like the whole Man of Steel controversy, if Marvel are content to do the wacky world why can't DC be different and play it straight?
 

Verlander

New member
Apr 22, 2010
2,449
0
0
One of the best trailers I ever saw was for Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Yeah, that didn't turn out so great...
 

Arcane Azmadi

New member
Jan 23, 2009
1,232
0
0
Have to agree with Bob here. I thought the teaser trailer for the movie was AWFUL, 2 minutes of humans doing boring shit with a few brief seconds of what might be a bit of a monster somewhere. The full trailer is an improvement on that at least, but it still doesn't actually get me excited to see the movie. It's too damn bleak and serious for its own good, there's still too little of Godzilla on display (after all there's a reason Just Here For Godzilla [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustHereForGodzilla] is a trope) and the tone just feels too damn similar to the Roland Emmerich disaster in that it feels like a generic disaster movie where the disaster just happens to be an enormous lizard monster.
Nadia Castle said:
It's like the whole Man of Steel controversy, if Marvel are content to do the wacky world why can't DC be different and play it straight?
"Because it ended up sucking" would be a pretty good answer to that I would say.
 

Moeez

New member
May 28, 2009
603
0
0
This has to be the worst reasoned Big Picture episode I've seen. Suddenly want a goofier Godzilla movie rather than a grimdark version which was a rarity with just the first movie, why not more of what we don't usually get and a hopefully faithful sequel to that original vision? Man of Steel could've been good gritty Superman, there have been good stories with that tone.

Now that you're getting movies made on stuff you want, you don't want it. Sounds very childish. Reminds me of this classic Miyamoto joke.


I'm ridiculously hyped for Godzilla and The Raid 2.