Japanese Fans: Godzilla 2014 is "Fat"

A recent article at IGN reported that Japanese fans who saw a the Godzilla 2014 trailer said they thought the new Godzilla was too fat. They were, "annoyed with how fat the monster appears in the American trailer." and America had "done a Super-Size me". Others named Godzilla as "Calorie Monster", or "Godzilla Deluxe". Click on the link above for the full article.

 

Now, the Godzilla from the old Japanese series was never thin. He' always been "big" and had a triangular body shape and was bottom heavy. Early on in the Showa era movies of the 60's and 70's, Godzilla and the other monsters were portrayed in battle like sumo or pro-wrestlers and Godzilla has always had a bit of a pot belly. The original Godzilla had a height of 50 meters(164 feet) and this was maintained throughout the Showa series. However, in the Heisei series of the 1990's, Godzilla grew to 100 meters(328 feet). He was quite massive with thick, heavy legs. I believe this reached a peak with Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla(1994) when Godzilla actually did look fat. My sister and I had a nickname for him, "Thunder Thighs".  Godzilla went on a major diet for his appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars(2004). He was his thinnest ever and could actually run and turn on a dime, something I never liked. He moved too quickly and lacked weight and drama.

The new Godzilla 2014 is slightly larger at about 106 meters(350 feet). Actually, as much as I'm excited about the new movie and pleased that Legendary Pictures has remained true to the overall design and character of Godzilla, I partially agree with the Japanese fans. The new Godzilla is a little too "heavy". The neck is shorter and very thick. The head is a bit small and lacks definition in the shoulders. From the neck down, Godzilla gradually grows in contour. It's obvious that Legendary design was based on a bear. The face is distinctly bear-like and Godzilla resembles a standing bear from the front. I believe they did this to make Godzilla look less anthropomorphic, less like a man in a suit.

Godzilla look has changed frequently over the years. This is simply the next stag in his evolution. So in conclusion, I agree the new Bear Godzilla is a little fat and thick necked, but he's always been a little fat and I like it.