So I just finished watching the newest Godzilla movie, and wow. There's a lot to unpack.
First and foremost, spoilers aside, if you want to know whether or not you should see this movie, the answer is yes. There have been a lot of rumors about the film, and some sketchy looking photos of Godzilla with some janky looking arms. I'm glad to say that this does not represent the final product, and that the photo makes sense within the context of the scene.
Now, onto specifics. This was not an action movie. At all. This was a movie about the state of Japanese bureaucracy in the wake of the tsunami and the reactor meltdown. It was a film about how the government is incapable of responding to a natural disaster. It was a film about how Japan feels impotent on the world stage, and how it depends on everyone else to protect them. This was a film about the legacy of the atom bomb, and about the impact that this disaster has had on their culture. You will spend more time watching government officials arguing in an office then you will be watching Godzilla. This was clearly a film made for a Japanese audience, and you have to have that kind of mindset before walking in. This is the thinking mans Godzilla.
The practical affects look fine, and Godzilla's design works remarkably well. I was worried that he would look goofy, but thankfully this was not an issue. The writing and acting were decent, and while there weren't very many action scenes, the ones that were in there were quite good.
I had two main criticisms. The first is that the CGI definitely showed its budget. This didn't matter as much during the scenes that really mattered, as the scenes were still well shot, and many of them took place at night, but some of the CGI scenes that took place during the day were rather cheap looking. My second criticism is that the film slows down after the first half. The middle of the film felt like it should have been the ending. While I still enjoyed the movie, and the second half made sense thematically, it still felt anti-climactic. Again, this is not an action movie. It was a movie about Japanese politics. That said, the movie ended on a strong note.
Finally, I want to talk about the director. If you've seen Neon Genesis, then you should know what to expect. This film feels like an episode of Neon Genesis. The way shots are done, the way tanks and weapons are positioned... it even has actual music from Neon Genesis. Heck, one of the main characters is basically just Misato with a name change. This could have been somewhat obnoxious, but it actually works in the films favor, as many of the scenes actually do the opposite of what you would expect from Neon genesis.
Overall, the film was an interesting take on the idea, and a resounding success.
First and foremost, spoilers aside, if you want to know whether or not you should see this movie, the answer is yes. There have been a lot of rumors about the film, and some sketchy looking photos of Godzilla with some janky looking arms. I'm glad to say that this does not represent the final product, and that the photo makes sense within the context of the scene.
Now, onto specifics. This was not an action movie. At all. This was a movie about the state of Japanese bureaucracy in the wake of the tsunami and the reactor meltdown. It was a film about how the government is incapable of responding to a natural disaster. It was a film about how Japan feels impotent on the world stage, and how it depends on everyone else to protect them. This was a film about the legacy of the atom bomb, and about the impact that this disaster has had on their culture. You will spend more time watching government officials arguing in an office then you will be watching Godzilla. This was clearly a film made for a Japanese audience, and you have to have that kind of mindset before walking in. This is the thinking mans Godzilla.
The practical affects look fine, and Godzilla's design works remarkably well. I was worried that he would look goofy, but thankfully this was not an issue. The writing and acting were decent, and while there weren't very many action scenes, the ones that were in there were quite good.
I had two main criticisms. The first is that the CGI definitely showed its budget. This didn't matter as much during the scenes that really mattered, as the scenes were still well shot, and many of them took place at night, but some of the CGI scenes that took place during the day were rather cheap looking. My second criticism is that the film slows down after the first half. The middle of the film felt like it should have been the ending. While I still enjoyed the movie, and the second half made sense thematically, it still felt anti-climactic. Again, this is not an action movie. It was a movie about Japanese politics. That said, the movie ended on a strong note.
Finally, I want to talk about the director. If you've seen Neon Genesis, then you should know what to expect. This film feels like an episode of Neon Genesis. The way shots are done, the way tanks and weapons are positioned... it even has actual music from Neon Genesis. Heck, one of the main characters is basically just Misato with a name change. This could have been somewhat obnoxious, but it actually works in the films favor, as many of the scenes actually do the opposite of what you would expect from Neon genesis.
Overall, the film was an interesting take on the idea, and a resounding success.
