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2024 Goals***
The various Monsterverse movies that Legendary and WB have created are mostly upsetting and formulaic. We've ended up turning one of the most iconic monsters in film into a
Fast and Furious cash grab. Thankfully, Japan has made several films within the past ten years that have put some energy back into the lifeles husk that is the
Godzilla franchise.
Shin Godzilla isn't perfect. In fact, I can easily understand why some people wouldn't like this movie. It does technically have the same primary problem as
Godzilla v. Kong and
King of the Monsters: too many human characters with little to no development for any of them. We watch these films for the monsters not the people and that will never change. That being said, even though they make up a vast majority of the film, the sections with the human characters are pretty great. There are some intense political discussions and difficult choices that keep them interesting. They also feel very realistic to the point where I could see Japan and the US acting in this manner.
Godzilla is horrifying in this. He's completely unrecognizable from any other variation I've seen before. They've made him disgusting and strange while still making sure that he's a threat. The destruction that he causes after he evolves is devastating and makes you feel hopeless. I can't say that I've ever felt that way about any monster movie before. The excellent cinematography aids this by making Godzilla look and feel invincible.
The issue that I'm suspecting most people will have with
Shin Godzilla is the CGI. It hasn't aged too well considering that the film is not very old. It's not just Godzilla. The liquids, smoke, vehicles, and explosions all look pretty dated. There are certain scenes that look great, but I'd say a majority do not.
This is definitely one of the best Godzilla movies I've seen and it makes me excited to see
Godzilla Minus One in the future.
