‘Shin Godzilla’ Review: A Modern Take on the Classic Character
Shin Godzilla is an amazing Kaiju movie. It’s almost like a soft reboot of Godzilla and proves why sometimes it is a good idea to update an older movie to modern times – both retaining parts of the original message and appealing to the modern language of spectacle.
The movie focuses on Japan’s response to a giant living creature from the deep of the ocean that has insane destructive powers. That’s the story. They keep it simple and focused: there is a threat and we must figure out how we are going to defeat it. The devil, of course, is in the details, and this movie, through its two hour run time, provides enough twists on the formula – red herring solutions to the threat, monster evolutions, and bits of eureka character moments – to keep the audience engaged between the balletic moments of pure, grounded, fantastic destruction.
Unlike modern Western versions of this type of movie that focuses on a small ragtag group that takes it upon themselves – and only themselves – to overcome the menace, Shin Godzilla places much more emphasis on the Japanese idea of Yamato, as it is the combined force of the community coming together to defeat the threat. There are characters with unique identities, of course, but most of the actual conflict of the movie is between Godzilla and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and the scientific and bureaucratic teams that are working together to create a plan to defeat the threat. To me, it is an interesting take that works uniquely with a Japanese film – I don’t think the approach in this movie would work for a Western audience unless it was directed by someone like Soderbergh – a man who can make movies about a societal impact instead of individual contribution. It also shows a more modern version of how a modern society would somewhat realistically react to an insurmountable threat, while also showing on-the-ground reaction from the people living in the cities being razed.
Of course, it isn’t just about the unique way the story is told. The movie – like its predecessors – is very much reliant on its special and visual effects. The reliance on traditional and modern plays here as well – the physical man in the suit of Godzilla enhanced by visual effects (some of which, admittedly, look dated). The use of the practical to give a realistic grounding to the monster and the destruction while modern tech like better lighting (to allow enhances lighting effects of Godzilla), as well as computer graphics and visual flair to help enhance the overall impact and moments of the film, prove, in most cases, to feel more realistic and grounded than computer-generated-only creatures can look. There is nothing wrong with the suspension of disbelief of the modern fat Godzilla, but for fans of the original, nothing beats a man in a suit destroying the city.
Full disclosure: I am a fan of the character but not exactly an expert. There are many others who will be able to tell you everything you need to know, who cheer at every little overt and covert easter egg planted in any movie with Gojira in the title. I am not one of those. I experienced this movie based on a friend’s recommendation and a desire to truly understand why people love this giant monster so much (aside from the fact that he’s a pop-culture icon). Shin Godzilla is a fantastic entry point into the character and a great watch for anyone looking for something a little different in their Giant Monster Movie – a bit of the old with a bit of the new.
