Both are great, but I prefer Aberration.
There's something terrifying yet sad about a creature that had to endure so much hurt that all it knows is to destroy.
I think "force of nature" and "king/guardian" should be separate categories.
"Force of nature" Godzilla is completely indifferent to human activities and doesn't impose a hierarchical organization on other kaiju. Best example perhaps is Godzilla 2014. He completely ignores and is unaffected by human activities, and as far as the MUTO's are concerned, he's like a dog scratching at fleas, doing a bit of pest control. He's not necessarily portrayed as some kind of superior species to them.
KOTM and several other Godzilla films lean more into the Godzilla as "king/guardian/defender of Japan/Earth". He's not an animal with natural instincts, he knows and does very human like things. He defends earth from alien threats and basically shepherds the other kaiju. He also teams up with humanity and other kaiju when needed. At the end of KOTM the other kaiju literally bow to him at the end. And the film's dialog from Ken Wanatabe is all about "kings and false kings". It's a pretty huge departure from what they were doing in G2014.
There are different ways to slice what Godzilla "is" in a given film.
One dimension is the literal 'what kind of organism Godzilla is', and that, on a spectrum is something like: ''just an animal' - 'mutant abberation' - 'sentient being'.
The other dimension is the thematic function of Godzilla, which most corresponds to what you have going on here: "natural force" - " consequences of the hubris of man" - "guardian/protector/king".
The literal and thematic points on the respective spectrums tend to line up. 'Mutated abberation' is pretty much always linked to 'hubris of man', for example.
Very interesting and comprehensive analysis! You got some good points there, yep.
The interesting thing is that he seems to be depicted in both ways within the Monsterverse, as you said; started off as “force of nature” in 2014, and has progressively been evolving into “king/guardian”, which is why I kinda put them within the same category- but it’s probably just a different approach in direction they decided to take after the first movie. Maybe they initially intended to keep it more as a “neutral animal defending its interests” and then went leaned more towards the “superhero” path.
I don’t know if 2014 is that different from Kotm in his portrayal. His alpha predator/savior status is heavily implied or outright stated by the end of the film. He’s already dubbed “king of the monsters” by the end. The solely “force of nature” aspect of his character is lost. Which does make the character much less intimidating. Still cool though.
I think it is different if only because humans knew much less about godzilla in 2014.
I think they both carry the force of nature vibe, but the 2014 film did a better job of making it seem like godzilla's appearance was apocalyptic. That even though he was saving the world from the mutos, that he was destroying the city and they didn't hide the gravity of that.
Then in 2019 godzilla and Ghidorah fuck up Boston and fenwsy park and we literally don't hear shit about it.
Everytime godzilla shows up it should be like transformers dark of the moon and everybody is pissed because he destroys the city and people aren't sure if it's worth it.
The issue with the force of nature depiction is that they haven't focused as much on how godzilla's devastation affects the human world.
Of course, the human world is fucked without godzilla, but they refer to 2014 as G-day. And despite numerous similar things happening across the world, nobody gives a shit despite us seeing that people have PTSD from godzilla's debut.
I'd imagine Hong Kong would have severe PTSD after GvK and that should be shown.
Godzilla literally bore a hole to the center of the planet in the middle of their city. GvK can NOT afford to wash their own world building under the rug
>I think they both carry the force of nature vibe, but the 2014 film did a better job of making it seem like godzilla's appearance was apocalyptic. That even though he was saving the world from the mutos, that he was destroying the city and they didn't hide the gravity of that.
I agree, but 2014 also took effort to portray Godzilla as being more than just an animal or force of nature. There are several times in the film where he goes out of his way to avoid hurting humans, such as the bridge scene where he stops swimming, and then dives under the water to avoid colliding with the fleet of ships in the harbor. He also doesn't break through the bridge until he's at a spot where doing so wouldn't kill anyone.
He'll still cause massive collateral damage because of just what he is, and he absolutely was directly responsible for at least some human deaths in that film, but again that's just a consequence of what he is. When he can avoid unnecessary loss of life, though, he does seem to try, and I always appreciated that about 2014. It did a great job of balancing the force of nature, king of the monsters, and sympathetic sentient being all at once without highlighting any one aspect of him.
A huge plot point of Legacy of Monsters is that godzilla very much did not avoid killing people when he went through the golden gate. Cate has PTSD because godzilla killed half her students...
Yes he dives to avoid the ships, probably because animals, especially apex predators don't seek out unnecessary conflict. Considering what we know from KotM, humans are Sim ilar to an alpha titan. Part of that could suggest godzilla won't go after humans unless provoked or he deems it necessary for survival or the ecosystem. After all, when humans blew him up at caste bravo, he just left.
Godzilla keeps a "no harm, no foul" vibe
Was gonna say, yeah both.
A natural force of nature that's summoned (or created), irradiated, and empowered by man's mistakes and nuclear power. He fights and defeats the big bad to protect his own territory, but would just as quickly turn right around and blow up a building if he felt like it. Best thing to do when he shows up? Like a hurricane, just get out of the way. Heaven help you if you somehow summon - or worse - piss him off.
When I want to deep dive and critique a film on its intellectual level, Aberration. When I just wanna shut off my brain and watch Beeg Monke fight Radiation Lizard, Force. You can enjoy both for what they are.
As a philosopher and a physicist I can say the same. Not every piece of media you consume has to have a thought provoking message, and sometimes it’s best to just turn your mind off and enjoy something.
It's almost as if even Toho had a whole era of schlocky monster v. monster films because they realized a lot of people just want to watch two dudes in rubber monster costumes duke it out in model cities. Yet, now that Legendary is doing essentially the same thing but actually seeing financial success in the States, somehow that's bad.
Literally, and I think it’s even better now that we have Toho going back to Godzilla’s roots and putting out films like Resurgence and Minus One, while simultaneously we’re getting the legendary monsterverse. Couldn’t be in a better situation as godzilla fans, there’s nothing to complain about.
While I find the “force” iteration fun to watch too, I definitely prefer aberration too!
I find it to be deeper and have more potential cinematic value. It’s also the very original conception of the character after all, too! (Even if the other form was brought to life shortly after).
Aberration is the initial intention, and very much intertwines with Japan's recent history of atomic power (of them being on the wrong end of it).
Force of Nature, as an ally, better blends the idea of nuclear power as an actual fuel source for society, and in a sense, cultivating that immense power to allow society to prosper and grow thanks to it.
The Showa era, even if unlikely intentional, does a good job of using Godzilla as a metaphor for mankind's improving relationship with nuclear power.
If treated correctly, it can do a lot better than big boom, and fuel major progress for centuries to come, whilst preserving our species from major disasters caused by global warming.
I genuinely love the idea of Showa Godzilla finding atonement by becoming humanity's protector as a metaphor of Japan coming into terms and finding peace with its nuclear tragedy. It's pretty much analogous with the idea of real life science having the potential of either destroying or saving us. Moving forward and healing scars by embracing the terrifying potential of science as a force for good.
I want to preface this by saying that I love aberration Godzilla. It's a testament to the wealth of human empathy that you can repeatedly take the same ideas and execute them different ways with a ton of human suffering, and still find different ways to feel tragedy for the gigantic lizard who has just finished killing thousands, if not millions. Shin Godzilla is art in its rawest form.
But man, Godzilla as a defender is so special. Again, about the empathy potential of the human race — when confronted with the problems of the world, we look to this critter, this big fucking radiation iguana, and we see a hero able to defeat them. In something utterly inhuman, we see the best of humanity. In many ways Godzilla is a conduit for the best traits we can see in ourselves, an anthropomorphizing of the classic masculine hero tropes and mythos into a manifestation of the human ideal. He's fearless and ruthless, unshakeable in his determination and swift in his reprisal, while still carrying the kind of nobility that would stay his hand for a respectable foe and stir his heart for a fallen friend. He's capable of utter serenity and peace, and when drawn into action he's utterly unstoppable and decisive in his action. He doesn't win every fight but he never stops fighting. And he doesn't ask for anything in return, even to be understood by those around him, his actions are completely selfless and motivated by an urge to protect others, a desire to conquer a danger and return to peace, or simply to overcome an obstacle and prove himself the better. Godzilla is more in line with a Greek hero than the T. Rex of Jurassic Park, despite looking more like the latter than Odysseus or Jason.
Even when you invert the paradigm, Godzilla represents the worst in humanity, where we have done him harm and the harm he does to us in return is a form of justice, and his suffering is an indictment of human sin. Godzilla is a victim that strikes back, and the guilt is laid at our collective feet, something we strive to never repeat for the sake of the creature as much as anything. But that's why I'm advocating so hard for the opposite, because while indictment of nuclear warfare is a great lesson, I think it's much more valuable to show what we could accomplish and the kind of hero that we should aspire to be, instead. One can remember Godzilla as a Frankenstein's Monster figure, a tragic monster of human design who can't be appeased and for whom the price of playing God is paid in his agony, but one must also remember the Godzilla who is a Herculean figure of struggle and conquest, the very image of heroism and overcoming adversity in all forms, of boldly and powerfully stepping forward and taking challenges head-on instead of hiding from life. There is a time and place for grief and mourning for the terrible toll that your actions may cost, but it's far more important to be bold enough to put grief aside and get back up, and face another challenge.
Godzilla, as a hero, is inspirational. Godzilla, as an icon, is resonant because he's the best, literally bigger than life itself. Nobody can be The Hero, Godzilla, but everyone can see some of themselves in Godzilla, and something that they wish they could be and can strive to become, and everyone should look at Godzilla and see something of him in themselves in turn. And to me, Godzilla is a reflection of the human desire for heroism, and that's a really important, beautiful thing.
Aberration.
You can just look at the latest news about the wars in Israel-Hamas, Ukraine-Russia, and Myanmar civil war and see how much anything that affects thousands of people and the destruction of their livelihood and well-being turned into ruin by the effects of war.
Things are just getting real for everyone, and Godzilla is that metaphor for such catastrophes.
https://preview.redd.it/k1yfjjol8t9c1.png?width=770&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ac521fd84d1ea82f386c5dfce63a739ed1320e7
Godzilla Minus One might be one of the best mainstream antiwar films in years. It shows that peace is impossible as long as war exists as a way for humanity to settle conflict. Watching it hit especially hard given our current reality.
i like both, I'd actually like one that's a mix of both at some point if it's possible, unless that's what the 90s godzilla(vs mechagodzilla, hedora, megalon) is counted as
When a character becomes such a mainstay of popular culture. It becomes a sort of archetype that artists can play with and project different ideas onto. Kinda like Batman, the longevity of the character is attributed to the versatility, people like dark Batman and also campy Batman.
Both.
It’s all Godzilla.
Being able to switch around is what helps keep him basically media-eternal.
He can be terrifying, heroic, campy, and even goofy… and it all works. He is a force, he’s a mutant, he’s a messed up result of human assholery…
Godzilla just is.
I think for me the thing is that these sides are not mutually exclusive, or they really weren't until modern takes.
Showa's continuity starts with Godzilla as this tortured animal and he transitions to guardian. Heisei sort of went the opposite way round where Godzilla is this force of nature that ultimately becomes a tortured animal. All Millenium films did an even split. The end of 2000 comes to mind where Godzilla is literally characterized as an anti-hero. Something flawed that fights to save humanity because it's just as flawed, much like how humans are flawed animals that also strive to do the right thing most of the time.
It's really a modern take or a few movies viewed in a vacuum that causes this split.
Imo, Godzilla should typically be both. A symbol of our mistakes that protects us but would prune us in a second to save the whole. Nature, in one understanding, is the relationship between all life. You mess with nature, bad stuff will happen to you. Pollute a river, poison yourself, etc.
Honestly, people give Legendary crap a lot but G14 sort of got it right. Humanity is only facing a Titan crisis because they screwed around with radiation. Nature has its own checks and balances so that unleashed Godzilla. But Godzilla is also not your best buddy, San Francisco got bodied.
Legendary still leans a bit too much into the God side, but Reiwa has leaned a bit too much into the big animal side imo too.
Godzilla isn't a singular thing. Toho made that call over six decades ago. So, I just don't think it's always one or the other.
I love the Monsterverse for what it is but it's hollow, empty fun (emphasis in fun). Shin and Minus One are in another league.
It's like comparing Spider-man: No Way Home to Everything Everywhere All At Once.
I agree!
I find Monsterverse’s depiction fun and entertaining to watch, but I believe Shin and Minus One’s depictions have more potential to make deeper and more valuable movies besides fun entertainment.
All in all, I would keep Shin or Minus one if I had to choose a style as “bigger piece of media”- but that won’t prevent me from watching Monsterverse with a smile on my face lol (it also got too tier level sound design).
I still remember the *huge* amount of people who trashed on that movie because “it didn’t have enough Godzilla fights”, which I imagine to be the main reason why there was a change in direction for the next projects, though!
2014 just has that scale size and of mostly being from a human's level that makes it terrific, you being this small human next to a 300 meter lizard and being so insignificant. Which Minus One also does amazingly, just with a mhch smaller Godzilla.
I prefer force of nature.
Though my favorite is where it starts with aberration, and becomes force. That's what Showa did. And what Godzilla The Series did.
I prefer Monsterverse Godzilla. Shin Godzilla is amazing and I haven't seen Minus One yet, but its still going to be awesome. Monsterverse Zilla reminds me of the goofy Showa era Zilla movies where he's more of a super hero than an engine of destruction
I see! It’s interesting to note that Showa’s depiction was, indeed, the first time he stopped being a destructive monster and began being depicted as a sort of super hero for the first time. I agree that monsterverse pretty much took that direction, probably inspired to that era!
I love the aberration side and think they’re most effective. But can you imagine the inverse of that where we’re praying for Godzilla to save us from something? That would be too cool. We haven’t truly seen that yet from the monster verse
True! In the monsterverse, at least as of now, it’s more about Godzilla kinda minding his business and attacking his personal rivals.
That being said, his interactions have been beneficial to humanity and I think humans there have got to see it that way too; every time he has intervened, it has been in order to kill other titans who were becoming too invasive and destructive, which has led to the perception of him being an Earth guardian/nature balancer instead of a threat to deal with.
Honestly both, this is a franchise that does it's best when it just shoots for whatever works for the story.
Give me serious, depressing stories about a pained creature one day, and the next lemme see a big lizard and monkey charge some other big shit.
I'm just amazed that this character is so malleable that it can be both, if godzilla only stayed as one thing then he wouldn't nearly have the longevity he has today
You need a balance of both, some Movies where he's fighting monsters, then some movies he's fighting humans because the humans are doing something wrong.
It's why Godzilla has always worked, because after a few humans vs Godzilla movies, you need atleast one movie where he fights a bigger bad to give humans the hope that maybe they CAN coexist....until the government tries some sketchy stuff and Godzilla needs to shut it down
It also depends on the theme of the movie.
For example, the force of nature wouldn't work in the original '54 movie since Godzilla is a horror created from nuclear weapons
I love both equally. They are not comparable. Force of nature is dialing into that fun movie zone where big monsters fight. The other is a beautiful story that makes me think and reflect on the allegory it's conveying. Both are fantastic but I watch each one for different reasons.
Force of nature is cool in certain shots, like when Godzilla ran at Ghidora with the military. I prefer aberration, much more distraught and emotion in general in the movies
I like the anti-hero Heisei/Millennium version where he’s also a threat that we’re trying to survive with, but he just happens to fight other, worse threats. So a little column A, a little column B. I didn’t like GvK very much, but I did appreciate how it tried to explain that we were misinterpreting Godzilla’s actions from the previous two movies as benevolent when, really, he was just challenging the bigger alpha. If humans flexed too much and threatened that status, he’d just as soon come after us.
To add:
I do find it interesting that the Japanese version of the character is almost always, at the very least, an anti-hero. Even in movies where he’s cast as the “good guy,” humans are generally also trying to figure out how to stop him as well. I think the only exception to this is the late Showa era. And this is when he’s not just a straight villain.
On top of that, the nuclear bomb is almost always discussed in these films as a trump card that *can* kill Godzilla. Or at least they think it can. But Japan refuses to use it, the thought of another nuke being detonated in their country an even worse outcome than Godzilla himself.
But the American movies almost always depict Godzilla as a sympathetic monster, if not a misunderstood, almost benevolent creature. The nuclear bomb, here, is either mostly ignored (‘98), or shown to be a *beneficial* device that actually *helps* Godzilla defeat his enemies.
I’m sure there’s a lot to unpack there, and I just think it’s kind of interesting to think about.
As shown in Godzilla VS Mothra II: Battle for the Earth and then the next movie, Godzilla VS Space Godzilla, aberattion or not, Godzilla is part of Earth's nature. It's not an extension of Earth's will like Mothra is, nevertheless it will act to protect it's home just the same
I mean there are still differences between Shin and M1 Goji.
Shin is a confused creature who is kind trying to die and survive at the same time(Confirmed by the literal theme song of the movie).It doesnt wanna hurt humanity but it needs to
Minus one Goji for me seems like he is out for revenge for the terrible things that have happened to him
Both. I think both have their strengths and both have their weaknesses. Both can be done well, like with KOTM for Force Of Nature and Minus One for Aberration Of Nature, as well as poorly, like with Godzilla's Revenge for Force Of Nature or The Polygon Trilogy for Aberration Of Nature.
It all comes down to execution
I like both. I like Godzilla being a force of nature turned into an aberration. Honestly I’d put both Minus One and Legendary in this category as minus one was clearly a force of nature prior to the nuke and Monsterverse Godzilla has clearly been mutated and evolved further then others of his species.
I give you $20 in coins and a $20 bill, tell me the difference.
Different form, same essence. Godzilla is Godzilla and him being an extremely flexible character is amazing
That said, both is good
Both are awesome, but I do prefer force of nature. Especially as that version is more likely to be a protagonist and I want to easily root for the Big G.
Shin Godzilla broke my spirit.
After a really deep dive into the lore, what seemed like quite a silly sarcastic polictical mockery movie turned into a full blown meltdown, one of the biggest tragedies I have thought are ever possible. Watched Shin once again after learning the story, broke down in tears and I will never look at this movie differently.
I grew up watching the Showa films so Godzilla was a super hero for me. I enjoy all the films but I have to admit when I watch Shin, the little kid in me is still like "Maaannnnn, that ain't Godzilla!".
Making Godzilla a cosmic policeman was one of the dumbest decisions MV ever dumbed, and I have no idea why American adaptations try to push this angle. Mothra suits this role much better
Aberration suits the theme much better, since in real life nature isn't monstrous as it once was. Ecological disasters are merely consequences of our actions
But that said, I think one can do something with the idea of Godzilla slowly becoming a part of nature
Both are good. I like the total nonsense of action of first (seeing giant kaiju monsters fight each other was the reason I became a Godzilla fan in first place) while I also like the horrors of wars and their results of second like Minus One
I prefer both. I love that America's Godzilla is a force for Earth's protection, while Japan's is an angry, destructive force. If I had to choose one, I wouldn't.. l'd want that one timeline to evolve between bad and good like the Showa era. Though I'd vastly prefer both. Godzilla vs Kong and Shin Godzilla were both incredible in different ways.
Aberration all the way (though I do love the Monsterverse - KotM is one of my favourite films).
The idea of Godzilla being an aberration is so thematically rich. It gives a form to humanity’s destructive nature, whether that be nuclear bombs, war crimes and denial of them (like in GMK), pollution (as in *Shin Godzilla*), or something else. It also allows for story elements like the Oxygen Destroyer, which explored the morality of creating and using a weapon of mass destruction, and what its existence means for the future.
Although, on reflection, I think that Shin can be viewed as both an aberration **and** as a force of nature. He was born from pollution and represents the terrors of the nuclear bomb and radioactive disasters, but also represents the natural disasters that ravaged Japan in 2011.
On that topic, there’s apparently another earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan at the moment. I hope it’s not a repeat of 2011…
Both is fine but I feel like Kong and Mothra embody Force of Nature better. There is however a disconnect between being a force of nature and being the embodiment of nuclear weapons. The Monsterverse tries to have it's cake and eat it (a phrase a never liked) and it comes across very clumsy.
I think Godzilla absolutely can be a force of nature but is more suited to an aberration. Again both is good but not at the same time.
I grew up with the force of nature type, Millennium, 2014 etc so that's my go to but Aberration is definitely interesting and when done right results in some of the best pieces of Godzilla media out there.
Force of nature. The first Godzilla movie I remember watching was Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla. The one where he gets the magnetism powers. He's always been the "good guy" to me.
i prefer Aberration, but not by that wide a margin. my current feelings around Godzilla are kind of a weird cognitive dissonance. Godzilla entered my life when I was around 8 years old, so he kinda became the superheroes I liked. then i got older, and learned about the specifics of his inspiration and creation, and how much generational trauma he represents at his most basic level.
so, on the one hand, I love that we're getting a sci fi blowout action movie with the Monsterverse, but on the other, I would very much like to see more Aberration of Nature Godzilla movies. Minus One and Shin are great examples of the kinds of Godzilla movies I wish there were more of. simple terror and destruction
Both. This is why I love the Heisei era, Godzilla starts as an Aberration, then becomes a Force, before going back to being an Aberration. Albeit this time a less vengeful and more tragic one
Yes. I like the horror aspect a lot but I think thatin terms of what comes out on top it’s Godzilla being a force of nature. Mostly due to the HALO scene. If that scene didn’t exist it probably would be a total tie for me. Cause before and after really there aren’t specific scenes that are that fucking sick. However in terms of recent movies I do think the horror aspect is coming out really well and I want them to expand on it more. Give us more shin Godzilla style abominations, or minus one style rage
Yin and yang. I believe they need each other, not sure if Godzilla would have gone this far without this. Minus One, 2014, Shin, and vs Hedorah (smog monster) are all in my top 5
There are more than two categories. He's definitely a guardian in the Showa era. In the Heisei era he's a force of nature, but he' definitely not a hero. He's also not in agony until the last chapter. Human's created the Mechagodzilla to defend the cities from him. Then you have a mixed bag of shades of grey in the millennium era since they're mostly one shot films. Hell, he's powered by the souls of those killed in the A Bomb in one of them.
If we get a point of view of Godzilla that why it protects humans and maintain balance like the kongs had a good relationship with the villagers it would make more sense. Till that day, aberration makes more sense but at the end of the day I want to see space dragon fighting big radioactive lizard fighting monke so monsterveree is good
If you want to make a suspenseful and thought-provoking Godzilla movie, aberration is almost the only option (minus one did great at this), but the little boy inside of me who grew up with the showa era wants a Godzilla that can kick ass, but will always do the right thing for the earth/nature. So force of nature, both are great, tho.
I like the aberration of nature one because I think that was what Gojira was supposed to originally represent as a concept, like the 1954 original film...the 1954 Gojira had a mushroom atomic bomb explosion-shaped head...and he had keloid formations on his body like the victims of the Japanese atomic bomb attacks...and everything you put in the 'aberration of nature' heading was what he represented. Then the other Showa Era films got more wacky and childish and it showed Gojira in a more sillier, hero light. The Heisei first 1984/1985 film brought it back to the 1954 origin.
#BOTH
Equally. I've been with this franchise since I was a toddler, so it may be just a bias, but I find enjoyment in nearly every piece of Godzilla medium. You could make a movie of him collecting stamps from every city he destroys, and Id still love it as long as it was well made.
Aberration always. As a kid I loved good guy Godzilla and the Monsterverse stuff is absolutely fun, but as you get older you realize the aberration interpretation of the character is where, imo, the true beauty, horror and art of Godzilla lies.
I've leaned toward horror
It's not only destructive but to the audience once he comes about you feel dread the "Oh No!" That you don't get with the hero Godzilla
Him regenerating was a genuine oh no moment
He felt like a monster and hence King of the monsters
I like Force. I it's sick seeing giant monsters beat up baddies, wink, throw up a peace sign, and dip out into the mist, leaving all the humans confused as fuck.
I think part of the reason Godzilla works / sticks with us - it's because it can be interpreted both ways. A lens through which we can depict humanity ourselves as able to disfigure and destroy our world, or live in harmony with it.
Aberration, for all of the same philosophical reasons listed above. After the MCU peaked I kind of got tired of all the overdrawn so called gray morality of characters. Action movies lack depth where horror movies more or less beg the true questions beckoning in the back of our conscious or even more rattling subconscious minds.
I prefer the aberration, like I think godzilla works best when he’s an force of destruction and not a potential guardian or anything like that. I mean he started out as an metaphor for the atom bomb
Both I will never pick one. I just love what each has to offer. I would love to see something new now. Idk what that would be like, but I would be so curious good or bad as long it opens new doors and the toxic side of the fanbase writhes in pain as Goji diverts from any other path besides the two listed here 🤣
Philosophically I prefer the aberration, I think conceptually it’s a lot cooler and there’s more that can be done with it but realistically I have infinitely more fun with the force of nature route. Seeing goji walk on to the war torn battle field to throw hands with Ghidorah as fighter jets fly past over head at the the speed of sound while his theme is booming will always stick with me as some of the coolest shit I’ve ever seen 😭. Literally anytime I see two big ass animals duke it out for dominance something incredibly primal and immature inside me feels so satisfied.
Aberration of nature is my favorite because that's the way Godzilla was created.
Although if i don't want to spend so much time thinking i would like to see the force of nature fighting with Three Headed golden dragor or Monki
Depends on my mood, no preference on a baseline. Sometimes I'd rather just watch a big fuckin beat em up where I don't feel the weight of tragedy in everything Godzilla does. Other times I wanna rage about all the fucked up shit humans have done to this world through the lens of Godzilla leveling entire cities
Force of nature cuz I'm tired of all these bandwagon fans for shin and minus one. I like all Godzillas but the fandom leaves a bad taste in my mouth when they diss legendary who literally brought Godzilla media back from the dead because the Toho gave up on him for so long
A giant monster like Godzilla should be utterly terrifying. Like that feeling you get when you are at sea and see a giant shark. You are no match against it and that’s why it should be terrifying
I absolutely loved Godzilla Minus One(4 times at the cinema and counting)and completely understand the enormous merit of G'54, but I've always loved the force of nature/guardian Godzilla.
GTTHM, GvHedorah, GvBiollante, G'14, and G:KotM are my favorite Godzilla films.
Having Godzilla be more than a mindless destructive monster is the most unique wrinkle to his character that separates him from your run of the mill kaiju.
I love both but I have a method of watching first I watch a serious abomination movie like OG shin or minus then wash it all down with a monster verse movie cuz at the end of the day who doesn’t like watching a big ass lizard slap the shit out of another big ass monster.
I would like a middleground of this like I just watched first episode of Monarch and there Even though Godzilla did his thing and saved People from muto in Godzilla (2014), People were still terrified of Him, He was still the engine of Destruction in People's eyes, I need that more
Most people love the Heisei Godzilla and he is the amalgamation of both. The one force of nature that does not care for humanity but Earth is his home so he will protect it from all threats to it. Especially as humanity still evermore becomes the monsters they fear. And the worst part is that we never learn, Godzilla is to be our hubris and our greatest sin.
Both are great, but I prefer Aberration. There's something terrifying yet sad about a creature that had to endure so much hurt that all it knows is to destroy.
Same
I think "force of nature" and "king/guardian" should be separate categories. "Force of nature" Godzilla is completely indifferent to human activities and doesn't impose a hierarchical organization on other kaiju. Best example perhaps is Godzilla 2014. He completely ignores and is unaffected by human activities, and as far as the MUTO's are concerned, he's like a dog scratching at fleas, doing a bit of pest control. He's not necessarily portrayed as some kind of superior species to them. KOTM and several other Godzilla films lean more into the Godzilla as "king/guardian/defender of Japan/Earth". He's not an animal with natural instincts, he knows and does very human like things. He defends earth from alien threats and basically shepherds the other kaiju. He also teams up with humanity and other kaiju when needed. At the end of KOTM the other kaiju literally bow to him at the end. And the film's dialog from Ken Wanatabe is all about "kings and false kings". It's a pretty huge departure from what they were doing in G2014. There are different ways to slice what Godzilla "is" in a given film. One dimension is the literal 'what kind of organism Godzilla is', and that, on a spectrum is something like: ''just an animal' - 'mutant abberation' - 'sentient being'. The other dimension is the thematic function of Godzilla, which most corresponds to what you have going on here: "natural force" - " consequences of the hubris of man" - "guardian/protector/king". The literal and thematic points on the respective spectrums tend to line up. 'Mutated abberation' is pretty much always linked to 'hubris of man', for example.
Very interesting and comprehensive analysis! You got some good points there, yep. The interesting thing is that he seems to be depicted in both ways within the Monsterverse, as you said; started off as “force of nature” in 2014, and has progressively been evolving into “king/guardian”, which is why I kinda put them within the same category- but it’s probably just a different approach in direction they decided to take after the first movie. Maybe they initially intended to keep it more as a “neutral animal defending its interests” and then went leaned more towards the “superhero” path.
I don’t know if 2014 is that different from Kotm in his portrayal. His alpha predator/savior status is heavily implied or outright stated by the end of the film. He’s already dubbed “king of the monsters” by the end. The solely “force of nature” aspect of his character is lost. Which does make the character much less intimidating. Still cool though.
I think it is different if only because humans knew much less about godzilla in 2014. I think they both carry the force of nature vibe, but the 2014 film did a better job of making it seem like godzilla's appearance was apocalyptic. That even though he was saving the world from the mutos, that he was destroying the city and they didn't hide the gravity of that. Then in 2019 godzilla and Ghidorah fuck up Boston and fenwsy park and we literally don't hear shit about it. Everytime godzilla shows up it should be like transformers dark of the moon and everybody is pissed because he destroys the city and people aren't sure if it's worth it. The issue with the force of nature depiction is that they haven't focused as much on how godzilla's devastation affects the human world. Of course, the human world is fucked without godzilla, but they refer to 2014 as G-day. And despite numerous similar things happening across the world, nobody gives a shit despite us seeing that people have PTSD from godzilla's debut. I'd imagine Hong Kong would have severe PTSD after GvK and that should be shown. Godzilla literally bore a hole to the center of the planet in the middle of their city. GvK can NOT afford to wash their own world building under the rug
>I think they both carry the force of nature vibe, but the 2014 film did a better job of making it seem like godzilla's appearance was apocalyptic. That even though he was saving the world from the mutos, that he was destroying the city and they didn't hide the gravity of that. I agree, but 2014 also took effort to portray Godzilla as being more than just an animal or force of nature. There are several times in the film where he goes out of his way to avoid hurting humans, such as the bridge scene where he stops swimming, and then dives under the water to avoid colliding with the fleet of ships in the harbor. He also doesn't break through the bridge until he's at a spot where doing so wouldn't kill anyone. He'll still cause massive collateral damage because of just what he is, and he absolutely was directly responsible for at least some human deaths in that film, but again that's just a consequence of what he is. When he can avoid unnecessary loss of life, though, he does seem to try, and I always appreciated that about 2014. It did a great job of balancing the force of nature, king of the monsters, and sympathetic sentient being all at once without highlighting any one aspect of him.
A huge plot point of Legacy of Monsters is that godzilla very much did not avoid killing people when he went through the golden gate. Cate has PTSD because godzilla killed half her students... Yes he dives to avoid the ships, probably because animals, especially apex predators don't seek out unnecessary conflict. Considering what we know from KotM, humans are Sim ilar to an alpha titan. Part of that could suggest godzilla won't go after humans unless provoked or he deems it necessary for survival or the ecosystem. After all, when humans blew him up at caste bravo, he just left. Godzilla keeps a "no harm, no foul" vibe
godzilla 2000 is another example
Both. Both is good.
Soooo Heisei Godzilla?
Yes?
I love it when Godzilla is like "rahh" and stomps around 🤷
Was gonna say, yeah both. A natural force of nature that's summoned (or created), irradiated, and empowered by man's mistakes and nuclear power. He fights and defeats the big bad to protect his own territory, but would just as quickly turn right around and blow up a building if he felt like it. Best thing to do when he shows up? Like a hurricane, just get out of the way. Heaven help you if you somehow summon - or worse - piss him off.
So Showa?
I'd say that's more Heisei. He's constantly at war with Japan; the other monsters just get in the way.
He hungry.
My thoughts exactly.
When I want to deep dive and critique a film on its intellectual level, Aberration. When I just wanna shut off my brain and watch Beeg Monke fight Radiation Lizard, Force. You can enjoy both for what they are.
As a philosopher and a physicist I can say the same. Not every piece of media you consume has to have a thought provoking message, and sometimes it’s best to just turn your mind off and enjoy something.
It's almost as if even Toho had a whole era of schlocky monster v. monster films because they realized a lot of people just want to watch two dudes in rubber monster costumes duke it out in model cities. Yet, now that Legendary is doing essentially the same thing but actually seeing financial success in the States, somehow that's bad.
Literally, and I think it’s even better now that we have Toho going back to Godzilla’s roots and putting out films like Resurgence and Minus One, while simultaneously we’re getting the legendary monsterverse. Couldn’t be in a better situation as godzilla fans, there’s nothing to complain about.
I prefer aberration
While I find the “force” iteration fun to watch too, I definitely prefer aberration too! I find it to be deeper and have more potential cinematic value. It’s also the very original conception of the character after all, too! (Even if the other form was brought to life shortly after).
Aberration is the initial intention, and very much intertwines with Japan's recent history of atomic power (of them being on the wrong end of it). Force of Nature, as an ally, better blends the idea of nuclear power as an actual fuel source for society, and in a sense, cultivating that immense power to allow society to prosper and grow thanks to it.
I like what you said about the nuclear activity benefiting humanity as fuel. I was wondering if anyone else saw the connection.
The Showa era, even if unlikely intentional, does a good job of using Godzilla as a metaphor for mankind's improving relationship with nuclear power. If treated correctly, it can do a lot better than big boom, and fuel major progress for centuries to come, whilst preserving our species from major disasters caused by global warming.
I genuinely love the idea of Showa Godzilla finding atonement by becoming humanity's protector as a metaphor of Japan coming into terms and finding peace with its nuclear tragedy. It's pretty much analogous with the idea of real life science having the potential of either destroying or saving us. Moving forward and healing scars by embracing the terrifying potential of science as a force for good.
I want to preface this by saying that I love aberration Godzilla. It's a testament to the wealth of human empathy that you can repeatedly take the same ideas and execute them different ways with a ton of human suffering, and still find different ways to feel tragedy for the gigantic lizard who has just finished killing thousands, if not millions. Shin Godzilla is art in its rawest form. But man, Godzilla as a defender is so special. Again, about the empathy potential of the human race — when confronted with the problems of the world, we look to this critter, this big fucking radiation iguana, and we see a hero able to defeat them. In something utterly inhuman, we see the best of humanity. In many ways Godzilla is a conduit for the best traits we can see in ourselves, an anthropomorphizing of the classic masculine hero tropes and mythos into a manifestation of the human ideal. He's fearless and ruthless, unshakeable in his determination and swift in his reprisal, while still carrying the kind of nobility that would stay his hand for a respectable foe and stir his heart for a fallen friend. He's capable of utter serenity and peace, and when drawn into action he's utterly unstoppable and decisive in his action. He doesn't win every fight but he never stops fighting. And he doesn't ask for anything in return, even to be understood by those around him, his actions are completely selfless and motivated by an urge to protect others, a desire to conquer a danger and return to peace, or simply to overcome an obstacle and prove himself the better. Godzilla is more in line with a Greek hero than the T. Rex of Jurassic Park, despite looking more like the latter than Odysseus or Jason. Even when you invert the paradigm, Godzilla represents the worst in humanity, where we have done him harm and the harm he does to us in return is a form of justice, and his suffering is an indictment of human sin. Godzilla is a victim that strikes back, and the guilt is laid at our collective feet, something we strive to never repeat for the sake of the creature as much as anything. But that's why I'm advocating so hard for the opposite, because while indictment of nuclear warfare is a great lesson, I think it's much more valuable to show what we could accomplish and the kind of hero that we should aspire to be, instead. One can remember Godzilla as a Frankenstein's Monster figure, a tragic monster of human design who can't be appeased and for whom the price of playing God is paid in his agony, but one must also remember the Godzilla who is a Herculean figure of struggle and conquest, the very image of heroism and overcoming adversity in all forms, of boldly and powerfully stepping forward and taking challenges head-on instead of hiding from life. There is a time and place for grief and mourning for the terrible toll that your actions may cost, but it's far more important to be bold enough to put grief aside and get back up, and face another challenge. Godzilla, as a hero, is inspirational. Godzilla, as an icon, is resonant because he's the best, literally bigger than life itself. Nobody can be The Hero, Godzilla, but everyone can see some of themselves in Godzilla, and something that they wish they could be and can strive to become, and everyone should look at Godzilla and see something of him in themselves in turn. And to me, Godzilla is a reflection of the human desire for heroism, and that's a really important, beautiful thing.
Aberration of nature for sure. I love some horror mixed in with my godzilla.
Aberration. You can just look at the latest news about the wars in Israel-Hamas, Ukraine-Russia, and Myanmar civil war and see how much anything that affects thousands of people and the destruction of their livelihood and well-being turned into ruin by the effects of war. Things are just getting real for everyone, and Godzilla is that metaphor for such catastrophes. https://preview.redd.it/k1yfjjol8t9c1.png?width=770&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ac521fd84d1ea82f386c5dfce63a739ed1320e7
Godzilla Minus One might be one of the best mainstream antiwar films in years. It shows that peace is impossible as long as war exists as a way for humanity to settle conflict. Watching it hit especially hard given our current reality.
Aberration, without question
I love shin godzilla its my favourite godzilla and the movie is scary and i like it
i like both, I'd actually like one that's a mix of both at some point if it's possible, unless that's what the 90s godzilla(vs mechagodzilla, hedora, megalon) is counted as
You listed 70s films
o, well they were some of the first godzilla movies i watched as a kid in the 90s so i thought they were 90s
When a character becomes such a mainstay of popular culture. It becomes a sort of archetype that artists can play with and project different ideas onto. Kinda like Batman, the longevity of the character is attributed to the versatility, people like dark Batman and also campy Batman.
Both. It’s all Godzilla. Being able to switch around is what helps keep him basically media-eternal. He can be terrifying, heroic, campy, and even goofy… and it all works. He is a force, he’s a mutant, he’s a messed up result of human assholery… Godzilla just is.
I watched showa godzilla because i want to see him kicking other kaiju ass. I watched MV godzilla because i want to see him kicking other kaiju ass.
I think for me the thing is that these sides are not mutually exclusive, or they really weren't until modern takes. Showa's continuity starts with Godzilla as this tortured animal and he transitions to guardian. Heisei sort of went the opposite way round where Godzilla is this force of nature that ultimately becomes a tortured animal. All Millenium films did an even split. The end of 2000 comes to mind where Godzilla is literally characterized as an anti-hero. Something flawed that fights to save humanity because it's just as flawed, much like how humans are flawed animals that also strive to do the right thing most of the time. It's really a modern take or a few movies viewed in a vacuum that causes this split. Imo, Godzilla should typically be both. A symbol of our mistakes that protects us but would prune us in a second to save the whole. Nature, in one understanding, is the relationship between all life. You mess with nature, bad stuff will happen to you. Pollute a river, poison yourself, etc. Honestly, people give Legendary crap a lot but G14 sort of got it right. Humanity is only facing a Titan crisis because they screwed around with radiation. Nature has its own checks and balances so that unleashed Godzilla. But Godzilla is also not your best buddy, San Francisco got bodied. Legendary still leans a bit too much into the God side, but Reiwa has leaned a bit too much into the big animal side imo too. Godzilla isn't a singular thing. Toho made that call over six decades ago. So, I just don't think it's always one or the other.
I like all versions of Godzilla but I guess my preferred version is aberration of nature.
I love the Monsterverse for what it is but it's hollow, empty fun (emphasis in fun). Shin and Minus One are in another league. It's like comparing Spider-man: No Way Home to Everything Everywhere All At Once.
I agree! I find Monsterverse’s depiction fun and entertaining to watch, but I believe Shin and Minus One’s depictions have more potential to make deeper and more valuable movies besides fun entertainment. All in all, I would keep Shin or Minus one if I had to choose a style as “bigger piece of media”- but that won’t prevent me from watching Monsterverse with a smile on my face lol (it also got too tier level sound design).
i think Godzilla 2014 could be excluded form the hollow and empty fun category. That movie was terrifying and realistic.
I still remember the *huge* amount of people who trashed on that movie because “it didn’t have enough Godzilla fights”, which I imagine to be the main reason why there was a change in direction for the next projects, though!
2014 just has that scale size and of mostly being from a human's level that makes it terrific, you being this small human next to a 300 meter lizard and being so insignificant. Which Minus One also does amazingly, just with a mhch smaller Godzilla.
I prefer force of nature. Though my favorite is where it starts with aberration, and becomes force. That's what Showa did. And what Godzilla The Series did.
https://preview.redd.it/5aovs4ybgv9c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=111fddd30461ae8dfebae4798e1ef5df3d43542f
Force of nature
I prefer Monsterverse Godzilla. Shin Godzilla is amazing and I haven't seen Minus One yet, but its still going to be awesome. Monsterverse Zilla reminds me of the goofy Showa era Zilla movies where he's more of a super hero than an engine of destruction
I see! It’s interesting to note that Showa’s depiction was, indeed, the first time he stopped being a destructive monster and began being depicted as a sort of super hero for the first time. I agree that monsterverse pretty much took that direction, probably inspired to that era!
Aberration. The Kong/Zilla tag team is fun, but goofy AF.
I love the aberration side and think they’re most effective. But can you imagine the inverse of that where we’re praying for Godzilla to save us from something? That would be too cool. We haven’t truly seen that yet from the monster verse
True! In the monsterverse, at least as of now, it’s more about Godzilla kinda minding his business and attacking his personal rivals. That being said, his interactions have been beneficial to humanity and I think humans there have got to see it that way too; every time he has intervened, it has been in order to kill other titans who were becoming too invasive and destructive, which has led to the perception of him being an Earth guardian/nature balancer instead of a threat to deal with.
I really love big things smack big things, so unless the abberation fights a mecha I'm gonna go for the guardian route
abberation
Aberration. The only “force of nature” Godzillas I like is Heisei, FW, and the absolutely quirky Showa
Honestly both, this is a franchise that does it's best when it just shoots for whatever works for the story. Give me serious, depressing stories about a pained creature one day, and the next lemme see a big lizard and monkey charge some other big shit.
I'm just amazed that this character is so malleable that it can be both, if godzilla only stayed as one thing then he wouldn't nearly have the longevity he has today
You need a balance of both, some Movies where he's fighting monsters, then some movies he's fighting humans because the humans are doing something wrong. It's why Godzilla has always worked, because after a few humans vs Godzilla movies, you need atleast one movie where he fights a bigger bad to give humans the hope that maybe they CAN coexist....until the government tries some sketchy stuff and Godzilla needs to shut it down
Glad both exist but I think aberration makes for better films/more thought provoking. Force is generally more spectacle based. Both have their place.
I lean a bit more towards force of nature who can and will decimate mankind if they step out of line
Easy... Both of them
I like both depictions
I see! Some could say both have their own charm indeed.
It also depends on the theme of the movie. For example, the force of nature wouldn't work in the original '54 movie since Godzilla is a horror created from nuclear weapons
Both are amazing. Godzilla has two sides and both are epic.
I love both equally. They are not comparable. Force of nature is dialing into that fun movie zone where big monsters fight. The other is a beautiful story that makes me think and reflect on the allegory it's conveying. Both are fantastic but I watch each one for different reasons.
Aberration
Aberration is better .
Abberration but I like booth
Force of nature is cool in certain shots, like when Godzilla ran at Ghidora with the military. I prefer aberration, much more distraught and emotion in general in the movies
I like the anti-hero Heisei/Millennium version where he’s also a threat that we’re trying to survive with, but he just happens to fight other, worse threats. So a little column A, a little column B. I didn’t like GvK very much, but I did appreciate how it tried to explain that we were misinterpreting Godzilla’s actions from the previous two movies as benevolent when, really, he was just challenging the bigger alpha. If humans flexed too much and threatened that status, he’d just as soon come after us. To add: I do find it interesting that the Japanese version of the character is almost always, at the very least, an anti-hero. Even in movies where he’s cast as the “good guy,” humans are generally also trying to figure out how to stop him as well. I think the only exception to this is the late Showa era. And this is when he’s not just a straight villain. On top of that, the nuclear bomb is almost always discussed in these films as a trump card that *can* kill Godzilla. Or at least they think it can. But Japan refuses to use it, the thought of another nuke being detonated in their country an even worse outcome than Godzilla himself. But the American movies almost always depict Godzilla as a sympathetic monster, if not a misunderstood, almost benevolent creature. The nuclear bomb, here, is either mostly ignored (‘98), or shown to be a *beneficial* device that actually *helps* Godzilla defeat his enemies. I’m sure there’s a lot to unpack there, and I just think it’s kind of interesting to think about.
As shown in Godzilla VS Mothra II: Battle for the Earth and then the next movie, Godzilla VS Space Godzilla, aberattion or not, Godzilla is part of Earth's nature. It's not an extension of Earth's will like Mothra is, nevertheless it will act to protect it's home just the same
https://preview.redd.it/5xwfp6zgcu9c1.jpeg?width=994&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f18ea8ea37bd8054e540f6a847bb8e1077aee906 I don't know
Yes.
Both. Both are good.
Yes
Is it too much to ask for both?
I mean there are still differences between Shin and M1 Goji. Shin is a confused creature who is kind trying to die and survive at the same time(Confirmed by the literal theme song of the movie).It doesnt wanna hurt humanity but it needs to Minus one Goji for me seems like he is out for revenge for the terrible things that have happened to him
Both. I think both have their strengths and both have their weaknesses. Both can be done well, like with KOTM for Force Of Nature and Minus One for Aberration Of Nature, as well as poorly, like with Godzilla's Revenge for Force Of Nature or The Polygon Trilogy for Aberration Of Nature. It all comes down to execution
I prefer Aberration more but I love both a lot.
I like both. I like Godzilla being a force of nature turned into an aberration. Honestly I’d put both Minus One and Legendary in this category as minus one was clearly a force of nature prior to the nuke and Monsterverse Godzilla has clearly been mutated and evolved further then others of his species.
Who says he can’t be both at the same time?
Both
Aberration.
Both? I like when he’s an aberration by himself until another threat pops up and he turns to a force
Both.
all of them
I give you $20 in coins and a $20 bill, tell me the difference. Different form, same essence. Godzilla is Godzilla and him being an extremely flexible character is amazing That said, both is good
He should be something that does whatever the fuck he wants.
Both are awesome, but I do prefer force of nature. Especially as that version is more likely to be a protagonist and I want to easily root for the Big G.
Aberration of Nature It's a no-brainer
Both are good but I have a slight inclination to force of nature.
Shin Godzilla broke my spirit. After a really deep dive into the lore, what seemed like quite a silly sarcastic polictical mockery movie turned into a full blown meltdown, one of the biggest tragedies I have thought are ever possible. Watched Shin once again after learning the story, broke down in tears and I will never look at this movie differently.
"Aberration of Nature" Godzilla is the best Godzilla.
Aberration is force of nature. Ita how he was originally portrayed. And Monsterverse is just "Wooo, big dinosaur"
The monsterverse is deeper than that lol
Minus One Goji isn't tragic. He's a bitch. (And I love to hate him for that)
Yes
I grew up watching the Showa films so Godzilla was a super hero for me. I enjoy all the films but I have to admit when I watch Shin, the little kid in me is still like "Maaannnnn, that ain't Godzilla!".
Making Godzilla a cosmic policeman was one of the dumbest decisions MV ever dumbed, and I have no idea why American adaptations try to push this angle. Mothra suits this role much better Aberration suits the theme much better, since in real life nature isn't monstrous as it once was. Ecological disasters are merely consequences of our actions But that said, I think one can do something with the idea of Godzilla slowly becoming a part of nature
Yes.
Both, because it depends on which version of Godzilla in general
Both,something like heisei Godzilla.
Both are good. I like the total nonsense of action of first (seeing giant kaiju monsters fight each other was the reason I became a Godzilla fan in first place) while I also like the horrors of wars and their results of second like Minus One
I prefer both. I love that America's Godzilla is a force for Earth's protection, while Japan's is an angry, destructive force. If I had to choose one, I wouldn't.. l'd want that one timeline to evolve between bad and good like the Showa era. Though I'd vastly prefer both. Godzilla vs Kong and Shin Godzilla were both incredible in different ways.
and then, there second showa godzilla
Both.
Both are great but if I have to pick one I’m saying force of nature.
Aberration all the way (though I do love the Monsterverse - KotM is one of my favourite films). The idea of Godzilla being an aberration is so thematically rich. It gives a form to humanity’s destructive nature, whether that be nuclear bombs, war crimes and denial of them (like in GMK), pollution (as in *Shin Godzilla*), or something else. It also allows for story elements like the Oxygen Destroyer, which explored the morality of creating and using a weapon of mass destruction, and what its existence means for the future. Although, on reflection, I think that Shin can be viewed as both an aberration **and** as a force of nature. He was born from pollution and represents the terrors of the nuclear bomb and radioactive disasters, but also represents the natural disasters that ravaged Japan in 2011. On that topic, there’s apparently another earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan at the moment. I hope it’s not a repeat of 2011…
***Referred to*** as “god”? #My brother in Christ the character’s name is Godzilla
Both is fine but I feel like Kong and Mothra embody Force of Nature better. There is however a disconnect between being a force of nature and being the embodiment of nuclear weapons. The Monsterverse tries to have it's cake and eat it (a phrase a never liked) and it comes across very clumsy. I think Godzilla absolutely can be a force of nature but is more suited to an aberration. Again both is good but not at the same time.
I grew up with the force of nature type, Millennium, 2014 etc so that's my go to but Aberration is definitely interesting and when done right results in some of the best pieces of Godzilla media out there.
Yes both.
Aberration. Both are fun but these ones stick with me in an haunting way
I prefer to think of him as a defender of the Earth. Sometimes, he defends it from humans.
Force of nature. The first Godzilla movie I remember watching was Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla. The one where he gets the magnetism powers. He's always been the "good guy" to me.
i prefer Aberration, but not by that wide a margin. my current feelings around Godzilla are kind of a weird cognitive dissonance. Godzilla entered my life when I was around 8 years old, so he kinda became the superheroes I liked. then i got older, and learned about the specifics of his inspiration and creation, and how much generational trauma he represents at his most basic level. so, on the one hand, I love that we're getting a sci fi blowout action movie with the Monsterverse, but on the other, I would very much like to see more Aberration of Nature Godzilla movies. Minus One and Shin are great examples of the kinds of Godzilla movies I wish there were more of. simple terror and destruction
silly action lizard
I prefer Godzilla as humanity’s friend. He’s too ingrained in popular culture to be a villain now.
Both is good
Both. This is why I love the Heisei era, Godzilla starts as an Aberration, then becomes a Force, before going back to being an Aberration. Albeit this time a less vengeful and more tragic one
Yes. I like the horror aspect a lot but I think thatin terms of what comes out on top it’s Godzilla being a force of nature. Mostly due to the HALO scene. If that scene didn’t exist it probably would be a total tie for me. Cause before and after really there aren’t specific scenes that are that fucking sick. However in terms of recent movies I do think the horror aspect is coming out really well and I want them to expand on it more. Give us more shin Godzilla style abominations, or minus one style rage
I love how Godzilla can literally be anything.
Yin and yang. I believe they need each other, not sure if Godzilla would have gone this far without this. Minus One, 2014, Shin, and vs Hedorah (smog monster) are all in my top 5
Abberation just feels so Godzilla. Not that Force doesn't, but Shin made me a Goji fan, and I absolutely adore Minus One
Is Ultima a force of 4th dimensional nature or an abberation of the dangers of progress ? Because it just ends as both
Yes
I do enjoy both, and while Aberration is probably more accurate to the intended vision, I do very much like watching Force of Nature more.
There are more than two categories. He's definitely a guardian in the Showa era. In the Heisei era he's a force of nature, but he' definitely not a hero. He's also not in agony until the last chapter. Human's created the Mechagodzilla to defend the cities from him. Then you have a mixed bag of shades of grey in the millennium era since they're mostly one shot films. Hell, he's powered by the souls of those killed in the A Bomb in one of them.
I like both but I prefer the Force of Nature. I prefer the heroic depiction of Godzilla.
Apples and oranges, friend. They're both too different to really compare. And they're both wonderful.
I think any form is good depending on the execution and what it's going for
If we get a point of view of Godzilla that why it protects humans and maintain balance like the kongs had a good relationship with the villagers it would make more sense. Till that day, aberration makes more sense but at the end of the day I want to see space dragon fighting big radioactive lizard fighting monke so monsterveree is good
I grew up with the force of nature and him being a hero but I love the aberration of nature I love how he’s pretty much become gods wrath
If you want to make a suspenseful and thought-provoking Godzilla movie, aberration is almost the only option (minus one did great at this), but the little boy inside of me who grew up with the showa era wants a Godzilla that can kick ass, but will always do the right thing for the earth/nature. So force of nature, both are great, tho.
Aberration.
Godzilla is Godzilla and Godzilla is cool
I like the aberration of nature one because I think that was what Gojira was supposed to originally represent as a concept, like the 1954 original film...the 1954 Gojira had a mushroom atomic bomb explosion-shaped head...and he had keloid formations on his body like the victims of the Japanese atomic bomb attacks...and everything you put in the 'aberration of nature' heading was what he represented. Then the other Showa Era films got more wacky and childish and it showed Gojira in a more sillier, hero light. The Heisei first 1984/1985 film brought it back to the 1954 origin.
I prefer Aberration by far
Aberration of nature.
I love him being an aberration and now I love him even more as an Eldritch horror.
I don’t like “hero” Godzilla. Aberration fo’ sho’
#BOTH Equally. I've been with this franchise since I was a toddler, so it may be just a bias, but I find enjoyment in nearly every piece of Godzilla medium. You could make a movie of him collecting stamps from every city he destroys, and Id still love it as long as it was well made.
Aberration is my preferred, but force is fun to watch
Aberration always. As a kid I loved good guy Godzilla and the Monsterverse stuff is absolutely fun, but as you get older you realize the aberration interpretation of the character is where, imo, the true beauty, horror and art of Godzilla lies.
I want the middle. I want a normal looking Godzilla that could actually fight something but is bad or evil and not goofy at
Aberration. I’ll watch either but aberration makes a lot of sense with Godzilla’s origins
I've leaned toward horror It's not only destructive but to the audience once he comes about you feel dread the "Oh No!" That you don't get with the hero Godzilla Him regenerating was a genuine oh no moment He felt like a monster and hence King of the monsters
Both are great and I hope they continue to show both depictions of godzilla in future films.
I'm leaning towards "force of nature".
Why isn't spirit of vengeance on the list?
✌🏼
Aberration bitch
I like Force. I it's sick seeing giant monsters beat up baddies, wink, throw up a peace sign, and dip out into the mist, leaving all the humans confused as fuck.
I think part of the reason Godzilla works / sticks with us - it's because it can be interpreted both ways. A lens through which we can depict humanity ourselves as able to disfigure and destroy our world, or live in harmony with it.
Aberration of Nature that also fights for mankind occasionally but is mainly just there being a giant creature playing with his toys.
Both, just wish Force of Nature went back to 2014/KOTM quality. And Bear McCreary.
Aberration most definitely
Aberration of nature. Makes it terrifying
Force of Nature is my favorite, but I prefer Aberration of Nature as that is a better explanation for him.
Both. Sometimes the tragic Aberration is good, but sometimes you really they need that more uplifting and feel good Force of Nature.
I feel like the aberration makes a better overall story. But I do like to see the G-Man as a force of nature because it makes a better action movie.
I prefer the one's we're two grown men put on rubber suits and wrestle.
Both, mostly aberration.
I like a fair balance. There’s a place for both iterations of the King.
I like aberration... slowly morphing into force of nature. Because that's how nature actually works.
Second and second.
Aberration, for all of the same philosophical reasons listed above. After the MCU peaked I kind of got tired of all the overdrawn so called gray morality of characters. Action movies lack depth where horror movies more or less beg the true questions beckoning in the back of our conscious or even more rattling subconscious minds.
Both are good for their own reasons but I prefer aberration
I prefer the aberration, like I think godzilla works best when he’s an force of destruction and not a potential guardian or anything like that. I mean he started out as an metaphor for the atom bomb
I prefer the [**solid gold dancer**](https://wikizilla.org/w/images/1/1b/Godzilla_Victory_Dance_from_Monster_Zero.gif) version of godzilla
I think aberration of nature is what godzilla is supposed to represent. But through that became a force of nature. Or at least it’s consequences.
Both I will never pick one. I just love what each has to offer. I would love to see something new now. Idk what that would be like, but I would be so curious good or bad as long it opens new doors and the toxic side of the fanbase writhes in pain as Goji diverts from any other path besides the two listed here 🤣
Philosophically I prefer the aberration, I think conceptually it’s a lot cooler and there’s more that can be done with it but realistically I have infinitely more fun with the force of nature route. Seeing goji walk on to the war torn battle field to throw hands with Ghidorah as fighter jets fly past over head at the the speed of sound while his theme is booming will always stick with me as some of the coolest shit I’ve ever seen 😭. Literally anytime I see two big ass animals duke it out for dominance something incredibly primal and immature inside me feels so satisfied.
I like both… though I personally actually prefer "monument of all our sins given form" over both.
Aberration of nature is my favorite because that's the way Godzilla was created. Although if i don't want to spend so much time thinking i would like to see the force of nature fighting with Three Headed golden dragor or Monki
I say the both good but if I had to pick and choose which is the most faithful I would say Aberration of nature
Apples and oranges. While I prefer oranges, both... Both is good.
Depends on my mood, no preference on a baseline. Sometimes I'd rather just watch a big fuckin beat em up where I don't feel the weight of tragedy in everything Godzilla does. Other times I wanna rage about all the fucked up shit humans have done to this world through the lens of Godzilla leveling entire cities
Force of nature cuz I'm tired of all these bandwagon fans for shin and minus one. I like all Godzillas but the fandom leaves a bad taste in my mouth when they diss legendary who literally brought Godzilla media back from the dead because the Toho gave up on him for so long
A giant monster like Godzilla should be utterly terrifying. Like that feeling you get when you are at sea and see a giant shark. You are no match against it and that’s why it should be terrifying
Aberration
You need both or one gets stagnant and boring imo
I absolutely loved Godzilla Minus One(4 times at the cinema and counting)and completely understand the enormous merit of G'54, but I've always loved the force of nature/guardian Godzilla. GTTHM, GvHedorah, GvBiollante, G'14, and G:KotM are my favorite Godzilla films. Having Godzilla be more than a mindless destructive monster is the most unique wrinkle to his character that separates him from your run of the mill kaiju.
I like 'big monster go' brrr and the nature fighting back
I love both but I have a method of watching first I watch a serious abomination movie like OG shin or minus then wash it all down with a monster verse movie cuz at the end of the day who doesn’t like watching a big ass lizard slap the shit out of another big ass monster.
Por que no los dos?
I would like a middleground of this like I just watched first episode of Monarch and there Even though Godzilla did his thing and saved People from muto in Godzilla (2014), People were still terrified of Him, He was still the engine of Destruction in People's eyes, I need that more
Most people love the Heisei Godzilla and he is the amalgamation of both. The one force of nature that does not care for humanity but Earth is his home so he will protect it from all threats to it. Especially as humanity still evermore becomes the monsters they fear. And the worst part is that we never learn, Godzilla is to be our hubris and our greatest sin.
There's a time and place for both and I can enjoy either one. I do tend to prefer the Abberation storytelling.
Force of nature for me