Review of Colossal (2017) by Bradley J — 29 Apr 2017

Colossal is a film that ought to have been a lot more fun than it turned out to be. On one hand it is a brilliant metaphorical tale about alcohol abuse and possessiveness, and on the other a Godzilla-style monster movie.

These contrasting tones never mesh well and the film becomes fatally serious diminishing any and all attempts at humor. The film takes itself way too seriously given the absurdity of the premise. What would have benefited the film, would have been subtly weaving the metaphorical subtext into the story instead of sledge-hammering on the audience out of nowhere about halfway through.

The sudden decisions the characters make begin to make little sense and the film's backstory doesn't translate. I completely admire the themes and dark territory Nacho Vigolondo aspires to in Colossal and sometimes they turn out powerful, but the type of insane premise Colossal has is used in a too serious and dark spirited way.

It is justified quite a lot by the film's satisfying conclusion, but one wishes the darker themes explored would have connected better with the hilariously over-the-top premise. Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis both turn in strong performances with Sudeikis managing to layer several nuances to his character.

They both deserve solid credit. Rating: 61.