Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
After the success of “Godzilla Minus One” in American cinemas, Toho has decided to re-release “Shin Godzilla” in a 4K format. The film was the first Godzilla movie produced in Japan after a twelve year absence, deciding to focus on the bureaucracy surrounding a domestic crisis. After the Japanese government gets wind of an unknown creature surfacing from the ocean, they shift to refocus their efforts to combat it. With many different opinions and strategies, the government finds it difficult to find a reasonable solution to defeat this monster. As the government banters, the creature’s destruction grows. Can the government contain this entity? Or will it destroy everything in its path?
Positives:
I watched “Shin Godzilla” a few years back in a dubbed English version. I remember being lukewarm on the film, finding its pacing and structure to be offputting. While I still have gripes, seeing it on the big screen in its original Japanese format gave me a better experience. I will credit the film with taking a big creative swing with the presentation of the plot. Godzilla doesn’t actually get much screentime in the film, which may disappoint those looking for the action romp typically associated with the character. This story is more focused on the ramifications of bureaucratic red tape that holds back a government from making timely decisions during a crisis. We see constant back and forth bantering between different segments of the government, each providing an insight to combat Godzilla. This brings in the human approach to a crisis like this, where reputations of each individual are on the line and the decisions they make will change the course of their career. While the film is critical of this issue, it feels realistic in the sense of real life ramifications. I believe people in the government would look out for themselves in a situation like this, throwing pivots in other plans to get their ideas passed. But I also appreciate how the film highlights the voices of reason within a room filled with shouting. There are people who truly care about the citizens they were trusted to protect, giving the film a sense of hope in the midst of the chaos.
Godzilla is reimagined in a unique way. He emerges as a wonky lizard hybrid that oozes radioactive blood, trampling ships and buildings in his path. But he evolves into a more terrifying version, growing in stature and presence. He is complimented by a menacing red glow and hardened scaly skin pattern. As he grows larger, so does his destruction. The film displays how difficult it is to contain a radioactive megamonster that annihilates everything in its path. This leads the Japanese government to reach out to other countries for assistance. The story highlights how Japan must coordinate and work out deals with other nations in order to contain Godzilla. The many complexities and “tit for tat” mentality between the nations feels realistic. The exchanges between the many characters were often more riveting than the monster action itself (which is also good). The film caught me off guard in this sense, providing a behind the scenes look at how the Japanese study, delegate, and plan for this unknown creature. I also enjoyed the final frame of the film. It highlights the death toll and long term effects of how an event like nuclear warfare and creature invasions can leave lasting effects on a nation. It represents coming to terms with living in a nuclear armed world whether we like it or not. Lots of thoughtful material in the film that I enjoyed exploring in the right format.
Negatives:
“Shin Godzilla” certainly improved upon a second viewing without the dubbing. But comparing it to “Godzilla Minus One”, it lacks the focus and filmmaking prowess of that film. The story has a lot of dialogue driven sequences that often gets lost in the mix. A myriad of different government segments gets introduced throughout the film to the point where it becomes difficult to keep track of them all. In that sense, there are prominent characters but none that I would consider mains. However, I believe this is intentional to show the many hoops a government must jump through in order to properly address an invasion like this. It also addresses the many complications, pressures and pivots to be taken on a moment’s notice. Certain segments could have been shortened to help the runtime feel more efficient. The pacing feels sluggish at times and occasionally gets lost in the mix of its many characters and groups. There is a U.S. diplomat that is often working with the Japanese government that (in theory) is a great character. But she’s presented in a way that is unbelievable, especially to Western audiences. She has ambitions to become the U.S. president yet barely speaks English. She is clearly a Japanese actress who doesn’t speak English. If they had hired a Japanese-American for this part where her native language was English, this character would have been more believable.
While I admire the unique approach to Godzilla’s look, there are parts of his design that are perplexing. Compared to his presentation in “Godzilla Minus One” or the Monsterverse movies, this version feels dated and cheesy. His unblinking, bulging eyes and tail twice the size of his body made it difficult to take him seriously. He was most menacing during the night sequences where his glow and radiation breath were able to steal the spotlight. Those shots helped remove the cheesier details of his design. For a monster like Godzilla, his appearance is very important. When he looks cheesy and has a tail swirling that is the size of a skyscraper, it dilutes the intimidation factor. I am surprised the special effects team chose to go this route. It’s a good thing “Minus One” corrected these issues. But since this is the first time using full computer imagery to craft Godzilla, I will cut them some slack.
Conclusion:
I am glad I gave “Shin Godzilla” another chance. Seeing it in its Japanese format (with subtitles) on a big theater screen helped make the experience more immersive. The nuance of the story adds to the intrigue, focusing on the complications and red tape restrictions that a government faces when dealing with a catastrophic threat. It highlights the complexities of dealing with a monster of this scale, where time is not on the government’s side. Godzilla’s design is a mixed bag, at times feeling intimidating but occasionally being cheesy. The pacing can be a bit sluggish at times as well. I would recommend the film to die hard Godzilla fans and those willing to see a different kind of kaiju film. But those looking for a monster romp should look elsewhere. Definitely glad I gave it a fresh watch though!
