An excellent movie
The monster Godzilla has been the subject of an entire pedigree worth of films. His original creation, however, was meant to capture the pain and anger of a nation which was trying to move beyond catastrophic losses. The original 1954 Godzilla movie was made in an attempt to personify and rationalize the countless deaths of Japanese innocents in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to say nothing of those who died from the lasting effects of the radiation those bombs left behind. This is why Godzilla was so horrifying in the beginning. He could demolish an entire city, but he weaponized radiation in a way that was familiar to so many survivors of those wicked days.
In the years that followed, Godzilla was made into something akin to a superhero often appearing to save humanity from more wicked creatures than himself. Shin Godzilla is the return of Godzilla as an embodiment of tragedy and aimless illogical destruction. This movie, through some particularly interesting narrative elements, manages to return the Godzilla series to a dramatic and emotional commentary without ever coming off as self-serious or nihilistic.
The story of Shin Godzilla follows a modern but fictional version of Japan with all of its hyper-centralized bureaucracy and crowded urban environments. When a radioactive skyscraper-tall beast crawls out of the ocean and begins tearing through Japan, it is up to the more radical members of a weak government structure to try and mount a coordinated defense against the beast known as Godzilla. The movie is an obvious social satire of bureaucracy and the way career politics stops governments from properly being able to help the people. However, it never tells you that outright. While we as the audience understand the destruction that Godzilla is inflicting, we also see Japanese politicians bicker for hours about whose agency should be responsible for dealing with the giant fire-breathing lizard that just came from the ocean. These elements of drama, commentary, and gallows humor combine to make a Godzilla movie that is engaging for every second of its runtime.
So much of this movie may sound grim so far, but this is far from some hopelessly bleak film looking to wallow in its misery. Hope comes in the form of the protagonists. These are misfits and renegades of the scientific community, the military, and the government. Watching them try their hardest to find a way to stop Godzilla’s assault on Japan is as compelling as it is exciting.
As for how appropriate Shin Godzilla is, I would say it is decently suitable for all ages except for the wanton and violent destruction that occurs throughout the movie.
At the core of Shin Godzilla are the various pains people experience because of the failure of their government to protect them. The true villains in Shin Godzilla are those in power who refuse to put their pride, careers, or even reputations on the line in order to help the people. It brings me back to the first months of this pandemic. During that time, people were dying in the thousands as government officials blamed each other for the deaths. Few of them properly stepped up to the plate in order to protect us or make the hard choices necessary to keep our loved ones safe.
This is why I think Shin Godzilla manages to touch upon something more than a big lizard stomping on a city. It reminds us that crises will test all of us and those who lead us. It reminds us that during the next catastrophe that comes our way, more people will pay the price because some of our leaders will be too prideful to admit their failings. As long as those in power think their careers are more important than the people they serve, Shin Godzilla will always be relevant.
Overall Grade – A (A fantastic movie overall)