I liked the theme of religion in this third installment of a very divisive trilogy for fans, myself included. It dives into how manipulative leaders are to people who place blind devotion in them. That's about all I can say that I liked about it. No action, and almost no Godzilla.
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Mikk17-110 January 2019
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kevin_robbins9 January 2024My daughter and I recently watched Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018) on Netflix. The storyline concludes the trilogy as humans returning to Earth, now dominated by Godzilla and similar monsters, where they collaborate with the indigenous people. When an alien named Ghidorah arrives, the humans find an unexpected potential savior in their biggest enemy.
Co-directed by Hiroyuki Seshita (Ajin) and Kôbun Shizuno (Evangelion), the film features the voices of Kendall Quiniano (Somebody), Robbie Daymond (Spider-Man Animated Series), and Bill Rogers (Blood Red Sky).
Throughout the trilogy, I found consistent frustration with long, philosophical conversations that make the film drag. The "god" premise didn't resonate with me, and it takes until there's about 45 minutes left before the first monster battle. While the monsters and island inhabitants are well-depicted, Ghidorah's portrayal deviates from my expectations, resembling more of a stream of energy than the iconic three-headed monster. Despite an entertaining battle with Godzilla, I wasn't a fan.
In conclusion, Godzilla: The Planet Eater offers enough for monster universe enthusiasts but falls short of its potential. I'd rate it a 6/10 and recommend giving it a viewing. -
samradcliffe11 January 2019If you've managed to sit through the last two films, and you're still up for more, then this one ties up the story nicely.
Dont expect a mega monster battle....or any action for that matter. The plot focuses heavily on the human aspect.
It's closer to a Drama than a monster flick. Which is disappointing but not unbearable. -
garabedian12311 January 2019Yawn. I knew I should have turned it off after 5 minutes. Its just that the other 2 were pretty good so this one was surely going to get better. The religion of the aliens is finding peace in knowing that they are going to die..SO they spend the whole movie converting people and to convince the main character to kill himself....JEEZ...And there is nothing more to the story than that.
And...Spoilers.
After spending the whole movie defiant, and hopeful, suddenly out of nowhere, the main character just gives up and kills himself...OMG...that was lame... ....And how is it that a group that can see the future and call monsters from another universe and yet still have no hope for surviving the end of the universe...There are other universes.!!!! -
mig-4771810 January 2019Out of the trilogy this is the worst one and the other 2 aren't even very good to begin with.
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kaefab9 January 2019This movie is no different then the last 2, it drags on and on and on with useless conversations. There is very little action, very little godzilla, i thought that with King Ghidorah arrival it would change and the movie would get better but no.
They could have done so much more with those 3 movies, the animation is really good, the voice acting too but there is so much drama and almost no action that you are sure to get bored. -
kevinxirau10 January 2019At last, the final chapter of the Godzilla anime trilogy was released, a very different take on the franchise that has gotten mixed feelings. In "Monster Planet" and "City on the Edge of Battle", Haruo leads humanity's return from space to a post-apocalyptic Earth to reclaim it from Godzilla's rule, a mission that brought heavy losses and unexpected revelations. Now, in "The Planet Eater", he and his remaining forces are lost and divided. His longtime friend, Exif alien priest Metphies, gains a loyal following by proclaiming God will come to save them all. This "god", however, turns out to be Ghidorah, the 3-headed devourer of worlds. As Godzilla takes a stand against this otherworldly creature, Haruo must overcome his personal demons and confront Metphies.
The previous films explored themes of man vs nature, evolution/creation, hope, sins of the past, sacrifice, and abuse of technology. These continue with the addition of religion and nihilism; when combined, these two can lead to horrific results for those who blindly fall into their grip and there are some disturbing things here (deaths included). Metphies, arguably the most developed antagonist in the franchise, enforces this when he summons Ghidorah and attempts to force humans to accept their "golden demise" by taking advantage of their despair. By contrast, Haruo is on a crossroads of creating a brighter future for mankind in the face of all the blood on his hands in his quest to kill Godzilla. This is helped by his developing relationship with twins Maina and Miana, who put things into perspective through both their optimism and their closeness to him, though the execution of this aspect gave me mixed feelings.
The conflict between Haruo and Metphies parallels with the battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah; while admittedly not the most exciting fight and the middle is largely uneventful, it has cool moments like when they engage in melee combat. This version of Ghidorah is radically different, very alien and Lovecraftian in design and presentation, but retains core elements of his character (3 heads, gold, destroyer of worlds, etc.) and is honestly kind of scary. Godzilla is a little livelier this time around, showing more emotion, and his role as man's enemy takes an interesting turn as the planet's only true defense. The lore is also expanded, particularly with the Houtua culture and the Exif's grim philosophy. I also like the music, which brings the right sense of dread in scenes like Ghidorah's arrival and soothing in others. The song "Live and Die" by Xai is the best in the trilogy, having a somber, transcendent vibe to it with lyrics that complement the narrative. I'll also give kudos to the ending, one that is thematically appropriate for Haruo's harrowing journey.
Following this trilogy to its conclusion has been an interesting experience as a fan. It has been both an entertaining sci-fi action/adventure and a meditative think piece, reminding me of Matrix in that regard. While there are definitely areas of which it can be improved such as the pacing and further development of side characters, I found it satisfying. Though this may not be for everyone, any Godzilla and anime fans out there should at least give it a try. -
trey3910 January 2019I genuinely enjoyed some aspects of the first two movies. The animation, audio, art direction overall all were really well done. But none of that can save this trilogy or series from itself. I could deal with the lack of actual Godzilla action in the first two. Like many others, I assumed it was all build up for the third part. This third part just had to have action and engaging human drama... or at least more than before. But no, all we get is extended lazy exposition and mindless technobabble. Some SPOILERS: The scene where the glowing bright yellow body-less space snake (doesn't sound like a description for Ghidorah does it? Nope!) attack the space ship is one of the most unwatchable sequences I've ever had the displeasure of seeing. Having some whining shrieking bride crew member (or whatever she was) scream out exactly what we were watching for what felt like 20 minutes was unbearable. I never rooted for a human character's destruction more than I did watching her. And when the snake thing finally "fights" Godzilla? Godzilla literally stands there the whole time (in the same spot the entire movie actually). Ever make a potato clock? You know where you take a potato and attach thin wires that have little clips to the potato? That's pretty much the fight between the two most powerful "monsters" in this movie. Oh sorry - the wire/clips are actually from another universe and have no physical form except when its attaching to the potato - I mean biting Godzilla. And the only way to defeat this yellow snake thing is to poke some tall religious fanatic douche in the eye. (Someone actually got paid for coming up with this crap?)
I could go on and on more than I already have (geez I'm doing what this movie did to me!!) about how bad this movie is. Bottom line: thank God we have King of Monsters coming out in a few months to clear our palettes of this crap. -
snikker171 December 2019Quite honestly, those dozens that rate it a "1" and repeatedly state its boring are simply not capable of higher thought and just don't get it. Plus they are either a bunch a of adolescents or have yet to move out of their parent's basement. If you watched this trilogy and expected a Hollywood-ized giant slugfest you will be disappointed. But if you paid attention at all during the first 2 installments, you'll get it as the end of a story-arc.
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ExpNoob1931 May 2019The best movie where a man has sex with a moth girl while the moth girls twin sister gets cooked into a soup.
The one Kaiju battle in this movie is pretty much Godzilla trying to slap magical space-spaghetti while moving at 2mph.
HOW IS THIS THE SAME WRITER WHO WROTE PSYCHO-PASS AND MADOKA MAGICA!?! -
crom-dubh12 February 2019Yes, it is more dialog than action. Maybe that's not your thing. On some level I can appreciate that most people's association with Godzilla is wanton destruction and that for people not willing or able to alter their expectations this movie (and the series as a whole) are probably a disappointment.
But I am genuinely surprised that more people can't seem to appreciate the slower pace and "high concept" nature of especially this last installment. I have to wonder whether those dismissing the themes here as "religious rhetoric" even watched the same movie that I did. I'm guessing they simply tuned out early on and didn't even try to make sense of what was being said.
If you don't mind slower plot development and more philosophy than action, you really ought to give this a shot and not let the, quite frankly, ridiculous 4.9 rating fool you. This is a really well produced film with some really interesting themes and brilliant visual moments. -
Basically, it tries to say many things about... many things. How much it succeeds on this mission, I guess it's up for debate. While it can get a bit convoluted, it does manage to captivate you with its philosophical themes.
Definitely one of the most (if not THE most) profound Godzilla stories to ever be told. The execution could have been a bit better but overall, it deserves a watch.
It's not your average "monster vs monster" movie, so you have to watch it with an open mind. -
The final episode of trainwreck trilogy of "Godzilla" which is nothing improving from two movies or worse. Reimagined monsters were interested but everything ended up on long conversation to explain each monsters.
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celsick9 January 2019Anti-technology message, pretty much says that we should not bother with technology because it will kill us all and we should just live in huts and enjoy tribal living then grow old and die... no thanks, hard pass on all that gibberish terrible ending, our main character (spoiler) kills himself at the end along with the last of their advanced technology which was just repaired and was meant to restore an advance civilization. really disappointing, considering how well done everything else was, characters, character design etc. the ending (3rd movie) was just so bad...
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lionheart-648279 January 2019As a huge godzilla fan watching all 30 plus movies I have never been so mad and dissapointed in my life they ruined Ghidorah by changing his origin and not even making look anything like Ghidorah from the other movies so much useless talking and such little action and feels nothing like a godzilla movie godzilla 1998 is even better than this movie and that is saying something hopefully we never get another anime movie
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bitchmaster11 January 2019The entire third film is just talk talk talk talk talk....so boring I fell asleep so many times watching it.
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gengar84312 May 2021The first film in the trilogy is quite good, setting up many battles, intrigue, and character depth. The second film falters a bit, due to building the story rather than continuing in non-stop action, as a second-of-trilogy ought (in my book). It's cool that the nano-metals are used for the Vultures, but we never see Mecha-G in form. The third film disappoints, for me, only in that the monsters are limited in range. Mothra is seen and not heard, Ghidrah is missing his lightning bolts, and Godzilla is exceeding slow (yes, he's 300 meters high, but that's a reason, not an excuse).
OK, so let's talk about why this movie was good. Many have commented that Haruo ended the film hate-filled and as a poor messiah, more depressed than righteously angry, and left his child behind for no reason. I disagree. There were so many references to the metaphysical Messiah that it should be impossible to miss that Haruo simply believed his own hype. He was guided by Metphies, from a young age, to believe he was something special. This is why Metphies gave him extra rations, and made Haruo's plans seem like the best course of action (even if they were). Notice that it didn't faze Haruo much that he was to aid in being the conduit for Ghidrah, even as it dawned on him that this meant the end of Earth.
Haruo was actually an anti-hero for most of the movie. He enjoyed his role as commander a bit too much, seemed reckless much of the time, called a hero a coward, had two women at one time (against the hero trope), and was generally loud and obnoxious. He kind of liked the struggle. He liked the conflict. He didn't even buy into his peaceful parental memories, or his future as a father. Instead, he wanted to continue the fight, go out in a blaze of glory, be known for what he did (there is, of course, no reason to believe he destroyed Godzilla at the end, anymore than we should believe Ghidrah is really gone forever).
Contrast with Godzilla, who is the manifestation of all striving towards prosperity, the target of the Buddha, if you will. Ghidrah is portrayed (I would say wrongly) as the natural enemy of that striving. In fact, Godzilla is portrayed as the PROTECTOR of Earth, because it was Ghidrah who destroyed Earth, not Godzilla. Godzilla merely re-adapted Earth for life after the destruction, simple, even prehistoric, as that life may have been. Haruo did not want that simplicity and peace, apparently. Haruo was actually the enemy of Earth, the conduit for Ghidrah, the enemy of the protector Godzilla.
Godzilla was not on a rampage when they arrived back to Earth. In fact, and this is important, Godzilla attacked not the Earthmen, but the Exifs on board, because he KNEW, instinctively, they were bringing Ghidrah back. If Godzilla were a bit more proactive, he would've stalked the Exifs before any ceremonies and sacrifices could take place, but that would've stopped the film's tension and build-up in that area. I will say this also: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS is still better, no matter how silly you think it looks next to this anime. I was not really impressed that the humans in the trilogy were so easily led down the path of cult religion. But I assume this is part of the social science which presently corrupts much of modern cinema. In the 1960's, even the 1990's, films, we do not endure mankind as sheep to the slaughter, but rather faked out by gifts of alien science and promises of peace, plausible motivations. So in that respect, the anime fails, because Ghidrah could not come without their willing participation, their desire to be rid of Godzilla so badly they would take on an alien "god." This is my peeve with many movies: I don't want to be taught an anti-human message. "1984" is not anti-human, "War of the Worlds" is not anti-human, and "Godzilla" should not be anti-human. It can be anti-war, anti-pollution, anti-greed, anti-corporate, but not anti-human. So that part was a fail.
Now, if you watch to the very end, after the credits, there will be, must be, more anime, involving Mothra. However, I don't know that Ghidrah was charismatic enough for me to anticipate another fight between Godzilla and a more on-screen Mothra. It would be very difficult to beat the 1990's films, especially GODZILLA VS. KING GHIDORAH, if not REBIRTH OF MOTHRA III. In fact, I don't know the purpose of introducing a cameo Mothra in this film if there is NOT going to be another anime.
As to re-watchability, the anime misses several key components, which exist in most Godzilla films from the 1950's through the 1990's: (1) battles of immense proportion which repeatedly stun, (2) characters you love, or love to hate, (3) culture charm. I was not awed by the combat scenes, I did not love or hate anyone enough, and I missed the Japanese micro-moments.
So I give the series a 7 for not making Godzilla into just another Tyrannosaur, and for trying to give us a story arc which included nostalgic elements of the past, as well as a provocative, if typical, anime plot. In contrast, the new GODZILLA VS. KONG (2021) gets a 4 from me, due to that OBNOXIOUS child and her "mother", the paper-thin "villain", the RIDICULOUS cave with Kong's paw-print, and so forth. But the second-half battles weren't too bad, but then I immediately watched the 1962 version for the umpteenth time and smiled all over again. What can I say? .. Also, I wasn't very happy with the previous "new" Godzilla. I gave KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019) a 5, due to the DUMB woman who hooks up with completely-OBVIOUS environmental villain, and she is supposed to be a genius, and we need to overlook because she had "good intentions" and OH WELL, the world must be destroyed because of her. I did like the effects in that one, however. -
lotheravanti9 January 2019If you've made it this far by watching the first 2 movies you know what to expect, right? Actually, no, you don't. This one makes the other 2 seem almost decent.
It has NOTHING to do with Godzilla lore. I don't consider myself a fan, but I was expecting to see Godzilla fight giant monsters, not STAND in the same spot for 3 movies straight.
What we have here is recycled anime trope after anime trope, all the cliches in the book and they're not even remotely used in an interesting way.
Do we get Ghidorah, a giant 3 headed dragon? No, we don't get that. We get this cheap CG thing, 3 REALLY long snakes coming out of black holes.
Do we get Mothra? No, we don't actually. It appears in a vision for the protagonist as a plot device to defeating Ghidorah, somehow giving him the inspiration to break out of his trance. Woo hoo.
It's just SO bad, all of it. Even the live action movie seems perfect in comparison. The makes of this movie were probably like "how can we make this thing REALLY cheap? Oh, let's use cheap CG and not have any monster fights, those cost money. Problem solved." -
bertwilpc13 March 2021Watch only if you have watched the first two of the trilogy to fully appreciate. Ending is a bit of a let down, but the quality is almost excellent. Would've given this 8/10 ten for a "better" ending, but it is what it is. ü
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kxxxxxx11 January 20192 hours of nonstop whiny nonsense. The title should be changed to Godzilla: The Movie Is So Bad The Scriptwriters Should Be Eaten.
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Godzilla has nearly a 70 year old heritage, it stands to reason that not every movie can be the same recipe, there needs to be experimentation. That is clearly what happened here with the 3 part movie series, sure there is a chunk of action, but this isn't Pacific Rim - it's much more of a dark dystopian Sci-fi i.e. some intellect and thinking required.
That said personally I found it super relaxing to watch, the crisp visuals, great voice acting (Both Japanese, Mandarin and English all fab) - very easy on the eye and not overly mentally taxing - it's just thought provoking.
It focused more on the idea of godzilla, the implications and what is a similar theme in Asian mythology - the connection between hatred, destruction and forgiveness and rebirth.
Overall this is definitely one for those more interested in intellectual pursuits, there are a ton of physics, sociology and philosophical concepts that gets you thinking - this for me is definitely a cult classic, it won't wet everyones appetites, will definitely polarize but I truly hope will live on for years to come. -
patzilla-7747725 January 2019The Godzilla trilogies have always had something new or unique about them. Look at Shin Godzilla for instance, it was the first Godzilla movie to use mostly motion capture and SGI, and his new look and origin story. However, whenever a new Godzilla film comes out, it sticks, some what, to Godzilla's (1954) formula and story. A blend of monster and human scenes. The Godzilla anime trilogy didn't do this and that's where this film falls flat for many critics and Godzilla fans alike. For such a large franchise like Godzilla to go into something like anime for the first time, you could do something new, but not to the point where the monster action (A main reason people wanted an anime trilogy) becomes a minor background to the characters. Overall, Godzilla the anime trilogy and all three of it's movies were great and different for the series but it did have issues here and there. However, if you're a Godzilla fan and a critic, put aside your biases and really watch and appreciate the new series.
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konstantin-irina9 January 2019More than half of the film was pseudo religious talking to greenish background images that may have been caused by alcoholised minds. Forwarding fast to the real action (maybe 10 min in total) was the only way not to fall asleep or turn off the film.
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marc547711 January 2019The theme here is that technology will be the downfall of civilization. As if this has not been covered a million times before along with the opposite argument. The problem is, because its been done so many times, its boring so if you are going to use old stories, at the very least include something else to pull the viewer in. This is why its gets a flat 1/10. They didnt even try to do anything else.
There is little to no action to see in this movie despite the addition of another monster. The drama is childish as every reaction is a per-buscent emotional outbursts. The characters remind me a lot of my 3 year old son when he cant have any chocolate. There is also no mystery to pull you in. The entire movie was pointless.
I wasnt expecting much after the terrible 2nd film so I was not shocked that this was terrible too. Anyway avoid this mess. Watching paint dry is more interesting. -
seigneur-rat1 February 2019The only movie trilogy in history to have 3 filler episodes.