The Diva Del Mar Get Stomped by Shin Godzilla
As a child, I remember on occasion catching a scene or two of the classic Godzilla films. My dad wasn’t too into them, and their mythic popularity confounded me. I couldn’t process the jiggly rubber suit and the dubbing. I just didn’t get it, so I set the franchise aside in my nerdy endeavors and dove into Thundercats and She-Ra. I enjoyed the most recent remake but I knew it didn’t really capture the essence of the original Godzilla. When I heard that a Japanese remake was coming to Fantastic Fest, I decided to put it on my calendar. The buzz was good and I wanted to give the famous monster another chance to wow me.
I was wowed, in fact, in some parts, I was even a little scared. And I feel like I’ve officially been schooled in the allure of Gojira, ahem.
This film is centered around the bureaucratic maneuvers of Japanese government as it frantically works around the clock to stop the giant monster from destroying Tokyo. There is an ironic humor to the film, as destroying Gojira is not the only priority. It is also pivotally important to this government that all appropriate departments are addressed to interpret the precise policy and protocol for every step and decision along the way. The adherence to perfect protocol often stands in the way of acting in a timely manner and when some of the departments are compromised by an attack, the government is crippled by its own dependency on policy. It’s an interesting statement and it holds quite a bit of relevancy for a country that recently suffered a catastrophic nuclear incident for the second time in history. The filmmakers are gently ribbing their own government. They also tackle U.S. foreign policy and our tendency to bully other countries, but they do it without hostility and with a grudging admiration.
The strongest aspect of this film is the editing and cinematography. It maintains a quirky, high-paced excitement as it maniacally jumps from scene to scene, while still demonstrating the awesome power of Godzilla. The monster is truly terrifying thanks to the stunning creature design and also the fantastic way they shoot his action sequences. You get an accurate scope of the damage that an animal like this can do to the city and it leaves you astounded. When the monster is first trudging through the city, I felt chills race up my spine. He’s intimidating and the new incarnation is far from the cheesy, rubber suit.
Despite walking in with some doubts, I enjoyed every moment of Shin Godzilla. It was smart, exciting, and lacking the cheesy aspects of its predecessors. It definitely sets itself up for a new generation of sequels, and I’m all in. Make sure you catch this fantastic reboot to the classic franchise!
Thanks for reading!
Diva Del Mar
