Review of Shin Godzilla (2016) by Ken S — 05 Aug 2017

Solid return to form for Toho and Godzilla, who once again decide to show up an American adaptation of their classic franchise with an updating of their own. The big things Godzilla movies need for me to succeed are some big monster destruction, some good characters to follow, and (hopefully) some social commentary.

This entry feels like a very good updating of the original's premise, as the original was essentially a monster movie with (at the time) highly relevant commentary on the dripping of the bomb on Japan, which was obviously still very present in the minds of that nation.

This updating focuses in on a more modern issue, the tsunami that caused major destruction and brought about major issues at a Nuclear Power Plant in Fukishima...this movie comments on that and the bureaucracy of the Japanese government and seemingly ineffectual way they handled the situation, all through the lens of Godzilla.

Like the 2014 American adaptation, Godzilla itself isn't seen that often, but unlike the Hollywood version I was engaged in the story and characters in this version. It might need a bit of trimming of the satire and meetings, and while a lot of the effects and some of the cinematography are quite good, there are moments where it feels weirdly cheap and amateur.

Like random GoPro shots that just feel distracting. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one.