This reflection of the 1956 original story of big, weird train-eating Lizard thingy is a little different.
Heartbreaking as it is, I wasn’t able to enjoy the viewing of Gojira with my seminar buddies as I was completing the last week of an internship. However I soldier on with an alternative take.
Personally, I’m a lover of anything timeless. In the current day and age we love new. We need the new technology, new clothes, new foods, new, new, new. But why? We get so wrapped up in the shiny screen or flashy fit of our recent purchase that we’re blind to the fact that our love for it will probably fade and die as quickly as its level of trendiness in our society does.
If I was to ask what your favourite song or piece of clothing was, I’d bet it’s not in the charts or trends right now. In fact, I’d almost bet it wasn’t even made in the current decade. This is my definition of timeless, the things in life that stand the test of time as the flashy and new fall to waste around them.
I’ve compared the reaction of the internet to Ishirō Honda’s 1954 original Gojira, to the 1998 and 2014 Godzilla remake, and it pleasantly justifies yet challenges my rant about timelessness.
The original kills the competition with its ratings 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97% on Film Takeout, and 7.6/10 on IMDb. The ratings stoop quite magnificently with the 1998 Matthew Broderick remake, a dismal 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, 32% on Metacritic, and 5/10 on IGN.com (sad face). A surprise comes with the most recent take, fetching 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.4/10 on IMDb, and 9/10 on IGN.com.
Equally as interesting was the observations made by critics and fans alike. One theme I continued to find through feedback was the poetic nature of the original flick (as poetic as a film about big, weird train-eating Lizard thingys can get), and how the reimagined films lacked the same poetic qualities. The reviews for the middle child film are hardly worth giving words to, but I’ll summarise by noting I’m not rushing to see it. To the admiration of critics the 2014 Godzilla did borrow some of its classic predecessor’s most loved qualities, making it a worthwhile visit to cinemas, but alas, it still just simply didn’t live up to the standard of the original.
I’m not here to trash the modern film industry, or the modern anything to be frank, I watch new movies, buy new clothes and new technology. I just want to explore and justify my love for anything that is too wonderfully classic to be outdone or replaced by the new versions.
Now that my rant is over, go and have a laugh at this hilariously made You Tube review of the 2014 film by the AngryJoeShow.
Are you a fan of the timeless side of life too? If so, what’s your poison?
Digital Asia 
Hey Josh,
I completely agree with you! I’ve found that for quite a few movies, anything after the first or second and in some cases the remake can’t compare. I think that the year or time period the original is created gives the film a sense of authenticity and almost adds to characteristics of the film. For me Gojira was a lot more interesting in comparison to the other following movies and the remake. The fact that it was created in black and white, for me personally added to the overall tone of the movie. Its a reflection of nuclear horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it conveys the emotion and destruction of the time. Whereas looking at the most recent 2014 Godzilla, I don’t take really feel the reflection from significant historical events. I more so look at it and have a giggle and a cringe from time to time.
I found this article https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/05/why-you-should-watch-the-actual-original-godzilla/371389/ – and it helped me to understand why the original is so different to any of the other films.
Just a thought ! You can dig deeper and analyse the metaphors each filmmaker includes and compare/contrast.
Overall, great post!
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