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Godzilla Rises
Updated
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie Title:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
2014
Original Running Time:
122
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
79
Time Cut:
43
Available in HD?
Additional Links:
Brief Synopsis:
A leaner, meaner and more realistic cut which retains the nihilistic mood and tone of the theatrical cut and minimizes the poor characterization and excess 'emotional' moments resulting in a far darker and better Monster movie... The stars of this version are not the humans, but the monsters.
Intention:
The theatrical cut, while getting a few things right (namely the tone and mood), ran for far too long focusing on paper-thin clichéd characters: the all-American hero with obligatory wife and kid, the determined but conflicted general, the noble scientist, the not-crazy-after-all kook, etc etc. I love the way the monsters were shot, especially in the fight sequences, but they were way too brief to justify the running time. Moments of monster action were continually bogged down by needless 'human' moments, unbelievable acts of superhero-ism by the lead, and worst of all, this nihilistic tale of the arrogance of man is marred by a typical Hollywood happy ending.
I put together a faster paced cut which focuses on the core of the story-- much more emphasis on Dr Serizawa and the military team (relevant to the situation) than on Brody's family (all irrelevant in the big picture) and their attempts to stop the monsters. The dark mood and foreboding tone of the original is retained. If you enjoyed the theatrical cut, I agree that I'm cutting out and losing the (arguably) "emotional" moments of the film (family, power plant, etc) but its only to get a better Monster movie, which is what it is in the end.
I put together a faster paced cut which focuses on the core of the story-- much more emphasis on Dr Serizawa and the military team (relevant to the situation) than on Brody's family (all irrelevant in the big picture) and their attempts to stop the monsters. The dark mood and foreboding tone of the original is retained. If you enjoyed the theatrical cut, I agree that I'm cutting out and losing the (arguably) "emotional" moments of the film (family, power plant, etc) but its only to get a better Monster movie, which is what it is in the end.
Release Information:
Digital
Editing Details:
Adobe Premiere Pro and Godzilla Blu-Ray
Cuts and Additions:
1. Removed credit sequence and replaced with titles
2. Trimmed helicopter ride/ mine shaft sequences in the Phillipines with Seruzawa
3. Bryan Cranston is one of my favorite actors--but here, he just drags the story unfortunately--entire power plant/Janjira sequence cut. As an intelligent audience, I don't think we need this to piece together what happened to his family when he talks about it with Brody in later sequences/ in his ruined house. It'd be a different story if Cranston was the hero of the film, then it would be more important to retain this sequence, but he is a minor character in this story
4. Mine sequence cuts to San Francisco 15 years later. Cut Ford tucking son in/ making out/ packing. Phone call during homecoming party leads to Japan.
5. Trimmed Japanese detention center scene
6. Trims to Ford and dad in quarantine zone / Janjira plant.
7. Cut Elle (his wife) and son watching news at home.
8. Cut Cranston being choppered away--he dies in the initial attack and is never seen again. Ford and Seruzawa alone are helicoptered to the destroyer.
9. Cut shots of Cranston in bodybag. The debriefing is left intact--I thought this sequence was great.
10. Cut Ford going to Hawaii --He is not a monster magnet like in the theatrical cut, and is NEVER in Hawaii.
11. Cut Brody in train and no kid rescue. Train attack rearranged-- everyone dies ;/
12. Trimmed Hawaii beach sequence to cut dog/family escaping the tsunami. Everyone presumably drowns ;/
13. Las Vegas --cut the Elvis "Devil in Disguise" suite. This scene was illogical. Why would a military squad break into a hotel suite? Was the President staying there?
14. Cut Seruzawa's Hiroshima watch scene. Too heavy handed. Nukes are bad.
15. Cut Brody calling his wife / scenes of her in hospital
16. Cut entire train sequence. This did Nothing for the plot-- they chopper the bomb into the city anyway. Worse, I'm not sure if they were going for horror movie tropes with the lone soldiers in the dark and ominous music etc, but it didn't work. If cutting the train sequence and losing a Jurassic Park-style shot of the Mutos in the dark means getting to the main attraction quicker, then cut. Removed references as to why this was an analog bomb
17. Cut shot of helicopter retrieving bomb from ruined train
18. Cut scene of Brody's wife dumping his son on a school bus in the middle of a disaster
19. Trimmed several shots of Brody's son in the bus to de-emphasize his presence
20. Cut Brody looking for his wife in camp
21. Trimmed planning sequence for halo jump by removing references to the train, etc
22. Shortened scenes of finding and evacuating the bomb and edited monster fight sequence to flow closer together uninterrupted
23. Cut Brody and son's reunion with wife--she dies in this cut after the building collapses during the final battle. No happy endings
2. Trimmed helicopter ride/ mine shaft sequences in the Phillipines with Seruzawa
3. Bryan Cranston is one of my favorite actors--but here, he just drags the story unfortunately--entire power plant/Janjira sequence cut. As an intelligent audience, I don't think we need this to piece together what happened to his family when he talks about it with Brody in later sequences/ in his ruined house. It'd be a different story if Cranston was the hero of the film, then it would be more important to retain this sequence, but he is a minor character in this story
4. Mine sequence cuts to San Francisco 15 years later. Cut Ford tucking son in/ making out/ packing. Phone call during homecoming party leads to Japan.
5. Trimmed Japanese detention center scene
6. Trims to Ford and dad in quarantine zone / Janjira plant.
7. Cut Elle (his wife) and son watching news at home.
8. Cut Cranston being choppered away--he dies in the initial attack and is never seen again. Ford and Seruzawa alone are helicoptered to the destroyer.
9. Cut shots of Cranston in bodybag. The debriefing is left intact--I thought this sequence was great.
10. Cut Ford going to Hawaii --He is not a monster magnet like in the theatrical cut, and is NEVER in Hawaii.
11. Cut Brody in train and no kid rescue. Train attack rearranged-- everyone dies ;/
12. Trimmed Hawaii beach sequence to cut dog/family escaping the tsunami. Everyone presumably drowns ;/
13. Las Vegas --cut the Elvis "Devil in Disguise" suite. This scene was illogical. Why would a military squad break into a hotel suite? Was the President staying there?
14. Cut Seruzawa's Hiroshima watch scene. Too heavy handed. Nukes are bad.
15. Cut Brody calling his wife / scenes of her in hospital
16. Cut entire train sequence. This did Nothing for the plot-- they chopper the bomb into the city anyway. Worse, I'm not sure if they were going for horror movie tropes with the lone soldiers in the dark and ominous music etc, but it didn't work. If cutting the train sequence and losing a Jurassic Park-style shot of the Mutos in the dark means getting to the main attraction quicker, then cut. Removed references as to why this was an analog bomb
17. Cut shot of helicopter retrieving bomb from ruined train
18. Cut scene of Brody's wife dumping his son on a school bus in the middle of a disaster
19. Trimmed several shots of Brody's son in the bus to de-emphasize his presence
20. Cut Brody looking for his wife in camp
21. Trimmed planning sequence for halo jump by removing references to the train, etc
22. Shortened scenes of finding and evacuating the bomb and edited monster fight sequence to flow closer together uninterrupted
23. Cut Brody and son's reunion with wife--she dies in this cut after the building collapses during the final battle. No happy endings
Cover art by ranger613 (DOWNLOAD HERE)
[Trailer]
User reviews
11 reviews
Overall rating
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
10.0(11)
Audio Editing
9.6(11)
Visual Editing
9.7(11)
Narrative
8.5(11)
Enjoyment
8.4(11)
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I really enjoyed the original movie, except from some parts with the super soldier and the over the tone drama it was nicely directed and the atmosphere was superb.
Being so I was intrigued to see how could the movie be better cutting out more than 40 minutes, but the end result is great. Better pace, loss of inconsequential scenes and all the fortuity of some events.
I only have one minor issue, there is one scene that feels off in which the main character is on a plane when he supposedly was on the destroyer.
I really enjoyed the original intro and the janjira scene, nothing is really lost leaving them out of this edit though.
I totally recommend it.
Being so I was intrigued to see how could the movie be better cutting out more than 40 minutes, but the end result is great. Better pace, loss of inconsequential scenes and all the fortuity of some events.
I only have one minor issue, there is one scene that feels off in which the main character is on a plane when he supposedly was on the destroyer.
I really enjoyed the original intro and the janjira scene, nothing is really lost leaving them out of this edit though.
I totally recommend it.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
M
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
This was fantastic.
7 years after the theatrical release I‘m finally able to love this. Thank you very much!
7 years after the theatrical release I‘m finally able to love this. Thank you very much!
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
F
(Updated: December 26, 2017)
Overall rating
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
9.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
8.0
Enjoyment
8.0
Haven't seen this since the cinema, and when I saw it then I was bored out of my mind. This edit filters out all the unnecessary drama and streamlines the film into a simple monster movie, which is all it ever needed to be. 43 minutes were cut, which is just mind boggling. I didn't miss a single bit of footage - if anything I'd say that the set up is still maybe a bit slow.
Narratively, I liked the decision to have the wife die (or at least, fate ambiguous), however, it would have been good to have her introduced as a paramedic, rather than just randomly seeing her in uniform (minor, minor qualm, though).
Quality was top notch and editing was seamless. I noticed one audio transition, but it's very easily overlooked. The Bonus Short also had a rather dodgy fade from one piece of music to another at the end when transitioning into the credit sequence (you can hear the clash as the tunes overlap).
No one can complain for the lack of Brian Cranston in this edit. His performance in the theatrical was great, but his beginning scenes were pointless. Thankfully, the editor puts this cut footage into a short, which also makes for a great optional prologue.
I wouldn't call this a great film, but it's certainly a spectacle. A good, solid monster movie that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Far superior to the theatrical cut.
Hats off to the editor. Very well done.
Narratively, I liked the decision to have the wife die (or at least, fate ambiguous), however, it would have been good to have her introduced as a paramedic, rather than just randomly seeing her in uniform (minor, minor qualm, though).
Quality was top notch and editing was seamless. I noticed one audio transition, but it's very easily overlooked. The Bonus Short also had a rather dodgy fade from one piece of music to another at the end when transitioning into the credit sequence (you can hear the clash as the tunes overlap).
No one can complain for the lack of Brian Cranston in this edit. His performance in the theatrical was great, but his beginning scenes were pointless. Thankfully, the editor puts this cut footage into a short, which also makes for a great optional prologue.
I wouldn't call this a great film, but it's certainly a spectacle. A good, solid monster movie that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Far superior to the theatrical cut.
Hats off to the editor. Very well done.
T
Overall rating
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
10.0
Enjoyment
10.0
I think leaving out the bulk of Cranston's part to play in this story was definitely the right call by Kris for this edit. Everything we need to know is already there in the moments with his son, and it is better to envision this all in our heads, as the imagination of what happened provides even greater attachment and atmosphere.
Other changes really help make this feel a bit more urgent, and altogether a bit more real, I appreciate that not everyone makes it out, it raises the stakes significantly and makes us think about how much of survival is down to not just skill, but luck.
The edit moves at a quick pace and the tone, slightly more downbeat, is more appropriate for this kind of film. Expect monster movies to always be monstrous, ripe with conflicts and, more importantly, consequence. Rangerkris serves Godzilla's spirit well in this effort.
Other changes really help make this feel a bit more urgent, and altogether a bit more real, I appreciate that not everyone makes it out, it raises the stakes significantly and makes us think about how much of survival is down to not just skill, but luck.
The edit moves at a quick pace and the tone, slightly more downbeat, is more appropriate for this kind of film. Expect monster movies to always be monstrous, ripe with conflicts and, more importantly, consequence. Rangerkris serves Godzilla's spirit well in this effort.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
DVD
Z
Overall rating
8.6
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
9.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
8.0
Enjoyment
7.0
Decided to have a giant monster double feature with Rangerkris' Godzilla and Pacific Rim.
My feelings about this edit fairly similar to the previous reviews.... a very good looking edit loaded with great monster action.
But I felt the removal of the Power Plant weakened Cranston's role and the cutting back on his son throughout the film made an already uninteresting character even more forgettable. I wonder if Cranston's scenes could have been augmented with at the very least, very brief intense flashbacks to greater sell his trauma and engage the audience more? Or flashbacks of the son with his father, to strengthen their relationship and give his quest more weight?
Also, I wish the watch/Hiroshima moment had been kept. To me, this is a core element of the Godzilla mythos and should never be forgotten or dismissed no matter how obvious it may feel to modern audiences.
It would have been nice if the final night battle had been brightened a little bit, as I found it still a bit too dark to clearly make out entirely what was happening on the screen.
And while I did not mind the darker ending, it might have played stronger if Kris had replaced the final music of Godzilla awakening and returning to the ocean with something more ominous and less heroic.
But at the end of the day, this is still a fun, fast paced monster rumble movie. I enjoyed it as an alternate cut, and I think Kris did well with the limits of the original source material.
Thumbs up.
My feelings about this edit fairly similar to the previous reviews.... a very good looking edit loaded with great monster action.
But I felt the removal of the Power Plant weakened Cranston's role and the cutting back on his son throughout the film made an already uninteresting character even more forgettable. I wonder if Cranston's scenes could have been augmented with at the very least, very brief intense flashbacks to greater sell his trauma and engage the audience more? Or flashbacks of the son with his father, to strengthen their relationship and give his quest more weight?
Also, I wish the watch/Hiroshima moment had been kept. To me, this is a core element of the Godzilla mythos and should never be forgotten or dismissed no matter how obvious it may feel to modern audiences.
It would have been nice if the final night battle had been brightened a little bit, as I found it still a bit too dark to clearly make out entirely what was happening on the screen.
And while I did not mind the darker ending, it might have played stronger if Kris had replaced the final music of Godzilla awakening and returning to the ocean with something more ominous and less heroic.
But at the end of the day, this is still a fun, fast paced monster rumble movie. I enjoyed it as an alternate cut, and I think Kris did well with the limits of the original source material.
Thumbs up.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
B