K0NY said:
Just watched it this afternoon and I gotta say, I didn't like it.
I've intentionally avoided this thread so that nothing would be spoiled until I actually saw the film. To that end, anyone who reads the titles of this thread should be prepared for spoilers. So I don't think spoiler tags are necessary.
Going in, I was worried that this would just be another "Godzilla takes Manhattan" movie and that's exactly what it was, with a yuppie party tacked on at the beginning. The monster was okay looking. The scene of military attacking it from the perspective of a civilian hiding under a car was awesome, as was the Stealth Bomber run.
The thing is, it's really not another Godzilla Takes Manhattan thing. Sure it all boils down to a monster attacking the city, but the two differ greatly. One's about a monster destroying a town, and people you don't really know nor care about. This took the opposite approach. It sounds by what you mention that you weren't really worrying that it would be another Godzilla takes Manhattan movie, but instead you were hoping for it. If you really were worried that it would be that type, I would think you probably got your wish.
After skimming a couple dozen pages in this thread, I gotta say that I like the movie even less for trying to tell most of the story in internet marketing videos and websites. The shaky cam thing is over-kill for a full length movie, IMO. I know it was used for "realism" but if we're supposed to be seeing file footage then the movie should have been a collage of security cameras, cell-phone cams, professional news crews and the footage from this one particular camera. It would have gone a long way toward realism, with a lot less motion sickness.
The viral stuff is there to create hype. Sure it might help explain some stuff but it hardly tells most of the story. Keep in mind that the viral stuff wasn't even originally planned. The movie was written the way it was with no extra knowledge. It's not like they took the movie and decided to cut out parts to put online.
As for a collage, there wouldn't be enough of a story. It would turn into a typical "Godzilla takes Manhattan" type movie, to borrow your phrase. The movie's main character would be the monster. Sure you could have short random accounts of other people, but it would all boil down to the monster being the focus, not the people. I wouldn't have liked a movie like that, because I've seen countless Godzilla movies, and it gets stale. To see a different approach, where the monster takes sort of a back seat, was a fresh change of pace. The movie wouldn't have had much of any buzz if it weren't for the change of view.
The characters weren't engaging at all. We are meant to believe that a guy who was about to turn his back on everyone he knows in New York to go work in Japan suddenly decides to go into the path of devastation for a chick who showed up to his farewell party with another guy. I don't buy it. Maybe, if we saw early on that he's the hero type (perhaps by him saving someone in that first store they hide in), but that doesn't happen.
Again, it's not like they just met. People have hit it pretty well by saying that in a day and age like this if something like this happened you would want to be with your loved ones. Rob loved Beth, and once she called him he knew she still cared and loved him. Love can make you do some crazy things. During 9/11 people did all they could to get to their loved ones, granted the situations differ. The idea is there though.
They establish that the camera guy is a moron and love sick over a girl who doesn't know he's alive. This same girl suddenly goes out of her way to save his life and he doesn't even bother to put the camera down when she's being dragged away by the military? Again, I don't buy any of it.
You can see the struggle of people holding him back, and the motions are far from steady camera on her during this scene.
I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just sharing my opinion with yours.
