Films > Film Reviews

Shin Godzilla

Cinema City

13/08/17

One part giant laser dinosaur, Two parts politics.....

For much of the world Godzilla exists as a part of the global cultural zeitgeist, a towering figure not unlike Superman, Batman or Jesus Christ himself; a fundamental piece of the lore of the cultural age. Originally conceived as a metaphor for the nuclear devastation that befell Japan at the end of the Second World War, Godzilla, or rather Gojira, is a walking beacon of destruction whose meaning and representation has varied throughout the years. What was once a nonsensical yet poignant message on the dangers of the nuclear age became almost silly, generic monster fare. The king of the Kaiju became not a king but a jester, and what was once proud became faded into repetition and unremarkability.

For most casual cinema goers their next infusion of Godzilla will most likely be in the form of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters sometime in 2019, but for those not afraid of a few subtitles and the unabashed allure of Japanese cinema there is a closer alternative, 'Shin Godzilla'. Directed by Hideaki Anno, 'Shin Godzilla' is a movie very much in the vein the director's best known work 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', a property so much to the heavier side of Anime that I've personally tried my best to avoid it. However, when Toho puts the dial to Godzilla back to zero I find myself inexplicably drawn to it; after all, it is Godzilla. Not just Godzilla, mind, this is Godzilla from the source, a Godzilla not diluted by the machinations of a Hollywood directive but a Godzilla not born through commercial might but perhaps something greater?

'Shin Godzilla' is perhaps everything I could have hoped from a top to bottom systematic reboot of the the franchise. It is as hokey as you'd expect yet comes packaged with serious weight and ramifications. It is by no means perfect and is inherently flawed in its execution but what is here is enough to justify the price of entry. It takes what is crucial about the franchise and runs with it blowing Legendary Pictures' 2014 'Godzilla' out of the water as a prime example of what a Godzilla movie could and should be. Provisionally focusing on the incursion of a large unidentified beast making landfall, the story of 'Shin Godzilla' mostly centers around the government employees tasked with reacting to the unexpected occurrence. Hiroki Hasegawa's Rando Yaguchi takes the leading role as a maverick cabinet secretary, rallying against the system he represents as it bundles forward through the looming crisis.

The film's first two acts cascade through a series of enjoyable sequences, and the gregarious destruction of Tokyo by the ever changing Gojira is matched by the quick and quirky cuts presented in the human sequences. Momentum is matched shot for shot with soul and feeling. This is as much a movie about wanton destruction as it is a movie about how people handle a crisis of monstrous proportions, and while it may be presented in a seemingly juvenile manner it packs more punch and more weight than it would seemingly need to to by modern standards. Where 'Shin Godzilla' falls down is in the lengthy break between its second and third acts. Gojira, worn down from its destructive efforts, is inert for much of this sequence fading into the backdrop as the film attempts to drop its geo-political focus into the plot. Whereas the human sequences before were witty and fun they now become bogged down by bureaucracy and Japanese impotence. A neutered nation struggling in its post war shackles would be a lot more interesting if it didn't distract from the giant nuclear laser lizard with the film's message being somewhat long winded and lost on an audience unaware of Japanese history since WWII. Thankfully for the third act it resumes its earlier promise with a bombastic final part glistening with the fun promise of the earlier film. A strong finish to a good showing that is only slightly mired by the over forceful nature of its perceived message, fans of Japan, Kaiju and Godzilla best catch a screening where you can. For those uninitiated, 'Shin Godzilla' is a glorious example of how to have fun with nuclear dinosaurs, trains and Japanese politicians looking confused. 'Shin Godzilla's screenings are limited so do make sure to grab yourselves a ticket if at all possible.