Once in a while, a movie is released into theaters that
changes the course of movies for the foreseeable future. People see it and the movies that come after
it ape the style or story. I have
witnessed this kind of progression before and I will witness it many times
again. It is the way the movie industry
works. If something becomes popular,
they will milk it for all that it is worth.
They will run a concept or trend into the ground for the simple want and
desire of money. Yet sometimes that
concept prevails and stands the test of time.
The concept becomes one of the many foundations on which movies have
been built. And that’s what I’m here to
discuss. One of the concepts that has
become a normal thing in the world of movies.
A concept that has spawned many, many movies and has become a favourite
of some people.
1933 saw the first of the popular big monster movies with King Kong. This one was a little different than the ones
that would come after it, and it’s an important distinction to make. The movie was about the discovery of a giant
ape and the capitalism that comes with the discovery. They use the ape to make money by bringing it
to the city. It escapes, kidnaps a
woman, and is ultimately defeated. There
was a sequel that same year about King Kong’s son. There have been two remakes (1976 and 2005). But the giant monster craze wouldn’t truly
hit until about twenty years later.
In 1954, a new movie monster came to the big screen. The name of that monster: Godzilla. Godzilla
was a Japanese creation. It showed a
giant lizard-like monster attacking Japan and destroying multitudes of
buildings. This really was the franchise
that kicked the concept of giant monsters in movies into full gear. The original series of Godzilla films lasted until 1975, spanning fifteen movies. The Japanese company Toho has rebooted the
franchise twice. Once was in 1984 with a
series that lasted seven films, and once in 1999 in a six film series. Hollywood has also dipped their toes into
rebooting the franchise twice. Once was
the failed Matthew Broderick movie in 1998, and the other time was just last
year. The 2014 movie fared much better
with critics and audiences. It has a
sequel on the way.
The popularity of the Godzilla
movies led to television shows being produced with similar ideas. Giant monsters would attack towns and people
would be sent to stop them. Shows like Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and the Super
Sentai series brought the monster craze to people on the small screen. They also included mechs, superheroes, and
anything else that could fight or destroy in the same way. The boom even came over to North America in
the 1990s with American adaptations of the shows called Big Bad Beetleborgs, VR
Troopers, and the still popular Power
Rangers. The Power Rangers franchise is still going, over 20 years later.
There were other movies that were keeping the giant monster
craze alive as well. One such movie was
1996’s Zarkorr! The Invader. This movie was about a postal worker who was
brought in by aliens to stop a large lizard-like creature from destroying
America. It comes from Full Moon horror,
and like much of their stuff, isn’t great.
It’s like a predecessor to the Sharknado
storyline. Lots of driving, a few stops,
final battle. The movie chose the old
style man in suit monster, reminiscent of the Godzilla films. It was nice
to see that, since most newer movies tend to go with the computer animated
effects for their monsters.
The new generation of movie monsters is all about computer
graphics. You’ve got your Cloverfield, your Grabbers, and your Anaconda
movies. They all use computer graphics
to generate their monsters and creatures.
There are a few reasons that this is the case. First is that no miniatures or costumes need
to be built for the production.
Secondly, the monster or creature can be more complex and mobile with
its complexities, unlike when an actor in a suit can’t use all of the tentacles
that the costume has. Third, a suit
looks goofier than a computer generated creation. The computer graphics can make things look
more realistic to the eye and cause you to believe they are real. It’s a great tool for filmmakers who want to
have their monsters feel like a real menace in the movies.
Most people consider the pinnacle of giant monster movies to
be Pacific Rim, the 2013 film helmed
by Guillermo del Toro. He is a favourite
director of many a fanboy. His artistic
style was on display in this movie that brought monsters and mechs together in
a way that Hollywood hadn’t seen in many years.
It brought the idea of giant monsters to the forefront and led the way
for Godzilla to be successful the
next year. People still rave about Pacific Rim being one of the best
experiences they have had in the theater in a long time. It’s hard to argue that giant monsters didn’t
have anything to do with it.
What makes giant monsters as captivating as they are? Is it the size? If you see something that towers over you,
there is a fear within you because of the size difference. You feel tiny. You feel like one small part of the very
large universe. You feel
meaningless. Is it the destruction? There is so much destruction that comes with
giant monsters that you don’t know if anywhere is safe. They could take down any building. They could throw rubble anywhere. And many of them come with powers too. Those could be even more destructive than
just walking into buildings. Is it because
it would take something huge to stop them?
Whether it’s something equally large, or some huge source of power,
something with massive strength will be needed to take down a giant
monster. This usually causes the climax
to be an entertaining battle of strength and size, which is just a boatload of
fun to watch.
Giant monster movies have been around since nearly the
beginning of film. They have existed for
at least eighty years. And they don’t
seem to be going away any time soon.
People like to see giant monsters destroying cities and fighting one
another. This hunger for more seems to
not be going away. With potential
sequels to Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and even King Kong on the way, it looks like
these kinds of movies will be around for a long time. And that’s a good thing because we all like
entertainment.
I have notes to give before I let you guys go about the rest
of your Easter festivities:
- This movie was suggested by @SilverEmulsion.
- Movies I’ve covered with giant monsters or mechs include Robot Jox, Big Ass Spider!, Inframan, and Robot Wars.
- I mentioned the Anaconda movies in the post.
- Full Moon Films is headed by Charles Band, the director of The Gingerdead Man, Evil Bong, and Evil Bong 2:King Bong.
- What are your thoughts about giant monster movies? Have you seen Zarkorr! The Invader? Do you like it? How about mech movies? If you have any thoughts you would like to share, use the comments below.
- I’m always looking for more movies to watch for the Sunday “Bad” Movies. You could suggest some to me in the comments, on Twitter, or email me at sundaybadmovies@gmail.com
- Next week’s movie is going to be Bio-Dome, the Pauly Shore movie from 1996. It’s the first time Pauly Shore has been featured in the blog. I’m worried about this one.
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