“Man is more destructive than Gojira.”
Godzilla is a sixty-two year old franchise and has had
thirty-one films throughout the monster’s career. The franchise has had it’s up
and downs, but a majority of them have been good. When I heard Toho was making
a new Godzilla film I was overjoyed. I waited and waited for a release date for
the US. Then finally it happened and when I saw it I was not disappointed.
Shin Godzilla is probably the most unusual Godzilla film to
date. It requires an open mind to appreciate it because it is the thinking
man’s Godzilla. The film is very comprehensive with its political, economical,
and ethical consequences. Then it asks the questions, in an extreme process of
scientific details, to why Godzilla exists and how could he move or breathe. So
for the majority of the film the viewer follows politicians, scientists, and
the military during each detailed step of the Godzilla disaster.
Over the years,
Godzilla has transformed into a ridiculous protector of earth, but with Shin
Godzilla it goes back to its roots. In many ways Shin Godzilla is like the
original 1954 classic with how it shows the catastrophic horror of Godzilla.
That he’s not a character, but rather a walking disaster that leaves behind a
trail of radiation that may kill people even after he’s gone. The original was
a serious allegory for the horror the Japanese had to face from the atomic
bomb. This time I believe it’s a serious critique about how the government
handled the tsunami that hit back in 2011 that resulted in nuclear disaster.
This Godzilla
design is probably my second favorite behind Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The
design was fresh and quite amazing. The breath weapon was truly mesmerizing and
his backstory was refreshing. My favorite scene was at night when he finally
opened his mouth and wreaked havoc on the city. The scene was absolutely
beautiful. This Godzilla is probably the most destructive than he’s ever been.
There’s only two
complaints I have with this film. The first is what I have with every Godzilla
film. Could do with less humans and needs more Godzilla. The second is Satomi
Ishihara’s character with her horrific acting and super terrible English
dialog. It seems like every show or film Ishihara is in she ends up being my
least favorite character. She’s like the Kristen Stewart of Japan. I heard from
someone in audience say that she almost killed the film for him. How on earth
she thinks she’ll be a US president with that terrible English beats me. She
was just a pointless character.
Shin Godzilla
brings the viewer a unique approach, which at times feels like a documentary.
Someone asked me how I would describe this film in five words. I guess I’d say,
“Japanese West Wing versus Godzilla”.
It’s a good mix of Kaiju destruction and bureaucracy porn. In a way it
could have been called Conference Room: Resurgence. I’m glad that Shin Godzilla
wasn’t dubbed because it would have killed the naturalistic approach the film
had.
4.9 out of 5
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