REVIEW: Shin Godzilla

The Godzilla franchise, I feel, is one that doesn't get nearly the respect it deserves. Yes, we're all too familiar with the hilariously bad dubbing jobs and overwhelming silliness of the 60's and 70's, but Godzilla represents a very culturally significant moment in the history of Japan. The first film was released in 1954, not even a decade after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first film, while somewhat quaint in terms of its special effects budget, represents a national catharsis. Godzilla was created as a symbol of nuclear destruction, bathing the landscape in a hellstorm of atomic fire. Despite the sometimes corny special effects, the original film is played entirely straight. There's very little levity and it all comes off more like a natural disaster than a goofy sci-fi monster flick. It wasn't until later that the franchise took a cue from Gamera and recast the Big G as a friend to children and champion of the Earth. After countless sequels, reboots, and re-imaginings, we finally have a new Godzilla film from Toho, the studio that started it all. With Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse seeking to establish its own, Westernized brand of Godzilla movies in the coming years, is there still a place for homegrown kaiju action? At the end of the day, does Shin Godzilla deserve a place at the table?

Like many Godzilla films before it, Shin Godzilla is a complete and total reboot. The events of all prior films are ignored, even those of the 1954 original. Unlike many of the later Godzilla films, however, the plot is as straightforward as they come; after a massive aquatic creature makes landfall near Tokyo Bay, the Japanese government amasses every expert available to assess the situation. By the time a response is readied, the creature has seemingly evolved into a larger form before returning to the sea. Research indicates that the creature is the result of genetic mutation, dubbed "Godzilla" by the United States. By the time Godzilla reappears, he is twice his original size and still showing signs of evolution; the world flies into a panic and the UN proposes using nuclear weapons to stop the impending threat. It's up to a small team of Japanese researchers to develop a means of stopping Godzilla before the rest of the world drops the bomb, sacrificing all of Tokyo in the process.

It's amusing to compare this to 2014's Godzilla, as it suffers from many of the same problems. Mainly, a lack of interesting characters. We're introduced to a great many scientists, government employees, and military personnel over the course of the film, but very few are all that memorable. No one truly gets a chance to develop, since the threat of a giant monster and nuclear annihilation takes precedent in the plot. There isn't really anyone for the audience to latch onto and connect with, though I also feel that the movie isn't exactly going for anything particularly intimate. It sacrifices in-depth character development for a massive scale and scope, and in those aspects it definitely succeeds.

Godzilla, in this film, is treated like a pure force of nature (even moreso than Legendary's take on the character). This Godzilla is an inexpressive, deep-sea abomination, bane of all mankind. A monster in every sense of the word. This is a movie that definitely gets what makes Godzilla scary and understands how to convey him as a legitimate threat (even his doofy, huggable early forms). There's a specific moment in which we first see his iconic atomic breath put to work; where Legendary's take on this classic ability was unquestionably awesome, Shin Godzilla manages to turn something as absurd as a giant dinosaur firing laser beams from his mouth into a legitimately shocking, horrifying moment. The destruction on display here never feels cheap or over-indulgent. If there's one thing this movie gets right, it's the tone.

Just as the original Gojira was inspired by a nuclear tragedy, so was Shin Godzilla. Despite being released in 2016, it's clear that it took some direct inspiration from the infamous Fukushima disaster of 2011. The sense of destruction, the displaced civilians, the trail of nuclear fallout; it's all clearly meant to put the viewer in a specific kind of headspace. Even moreso when one considers the snide social commentary at play here, taking digs at the way the Japanese government responded to the disaster. When Godzilla first makes landfall, precious time is wasted in the name of decorum. The PM takes his sweet time to convene with his advisers, attend various conferences, and essentially do everything in his power to delay making a difficult decision. When the time finally arrives, it's far too late, and Godzilla is nigh-invincible. 

While there isn't much going on with the characters, the story has more layers of meaning than one would expect from a giant monster movie. It was directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi (known mainly for their work on Neon Genesis Evangelion), and their influence is definitely felt here. The film espouses the virtues of teamwork in the face of crisis; the group of researchers assembled to stop Godzilla are told outright from the beginning that titles and decorum no longer matter. Those who remain hung up on protocol and procedure when the situation has clearly escalated beyond such trivial matters are resigned to failure. Meanwhile, it is those who are able to sort their priorities and think outside of the box who eventually save the day.

Shin Godzilla is notable for receiving overwhelming praise within its native Japan and a more lukewarm reception everywhere else. Having given it some thought, I have to side with the Japanese on this one; Shin Godzilla is an excellent movie. It's by no means perfect (the characters are for the most part bland and some of the dialog scenes can drag here and there), but it represents a true return to form for the King of the Monsters. Boasting surprisingly excellent special effects (considering it was made on roughly a tenth of the budget of Legendary's Godzilla) and an engaging plot, Shin Godzilla is a true treat for any kaiju nut. Whether you're new to the franchise or a long-time fan, this is an exemplary monster flick, not to be missed.