Shin Godzilla aka Godzilla Resurgence (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – Japan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster.

My Take – Since I was kid I have always been a fan of Godzilla, hence I was very excited when the legendary Toho Studios of Japan, the original owners of the franchise decided to return the King of Monsters back to the screen. The Godzilla story finally seemed to have come to an end in 2004 with ‘Godzilla: Final Wars’, in which a Matrix-inspired series of punch-ups involved Godzilla facing almost every out-sized enemy he had ever encountered – including a version of the creature from the less-than-critically-acclaimed 1998 Hollywood version (and making very short work of his name-sake). The legendary Toho Studios of Japan released its first film about Godzilla in 1954, which was re-edited for an American (and subsequent worldwide) market and became a huge success. Since then, 28 sequels and two American films have come and gone, taking the Big G through dark, political thrillers, camp cartoon fluff for children, repeated monster team-ups, cheap Saturday morning fillers and high-tech special-effects-laden epic. However, with the huge success of 2014’s American version, Toho films have once more wheeled out the legendary lizard. Whereas the recent American version is a mix of special effects never before granted a Godzilla project together with the usual wholesome blandness of the hero, the Japanese films – for all their miss-steps – have nearly always had the ability to surprise, to go in unexpected directions. This film isn’t Toho’s vainglorious attempt at re-capturing the success of recent Hollywood adaptations of its iconic Japanese monster. Quite the contrary, co-directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi know better than try to outdo their Western counterparts in terms of spectacle, and instead have made the astute decision to make a distinctly Japanese ‘Godzilla’ that will most certainly resonate with their home audience, even at the expense of alienating some non-Japanese viewers without the same cultural or historical context. In fact, we dare say that their film has the unique distinction of being both political allegory as well as real-world horror, and is surprisingly effective on either count.

First of all, if you are expecting the stereotypical monster film where the point of it is just watching a monster destroy stuff and watch people running around, you will be disappointed as the majority of this film takes place in offices and meeting rooms. Like the makers pointed out, this is not a typical monster film. It depicts what really would happen if you throw in a monster in present-day Japan. How would politicians, bureaucrats, academics, military and other countries react, using real political systems and real technology available today? Of course being a sci-fi film, there were many fictions added too, but they stayed within the boundaries of this carefully set make-believe world. Co-directors Hideaki Anno (Evangelion) and Shinji Higuchi (Attack on Titan), kick off a brand new story for the harbinger of destruction by rebooting the franchise, by embracing the uncanny elements of the older Godzilla films while introducing it in modern day Japan with contemporary issues in the foreground. The nuclear monster mostly wreaks havoc in the background as tense debates, discussions and bureaucratic processes add to the dramatic effect, basically making the 1954 film Gojira set in modern day Japan, and also converting the traditional ‘man-in-suit’ technique to top-notch Japanese special effects of today, making this Japan’s first fully computer-generated Godzilla. But after 12 years since Toho made a Godzilla project, what does this film have to offer?. Simple, a highly entertaining film that is also a political satire. The story follows a young government bureaucrat named Rando Yaguchi (Hiroki Hasegawa) who after discovering a viral video of a large creature sighting in the bay warns the Japanese government of an incoming monster attack. In a scene of absolute mayhem, the creature crawls through a city, destroying property in its path. Soon enough, the scientists discover that it is now able to stand on its hind legs and thus cover major distances. The government initiates mass evacuations and mobilizes its army and air force to take down the monster known as Godzilla. The sea monster is now a fast evolving giant that grew 3 times its original size since its last spotting. This isn’t a monster that has expressions and bodily movements that are aggressive. This monster is simply walking through a city being clueless, tearing it apart unintentionally. A capable team of government officials and scientists analyze data and take measures to prevent human casualties. The insanely high radiation levels indicate that the Godzilla harbors a sort of nuclear fission within itself, resulting from the radioactive waste that created it in the first place. Much of the film’s drama is generated in these task force rooms where they attempt to stop Godzilla from reaching Tokyo. The bureaucracy in government proceedings is mocked at while the predictably individualistic approach of the US is made blatantly obvious. Japan’s failure to stall Godzilla’s progress towards Tokyo prompts US intervention and with its B-2 bombers, attacks the creature with brute force. For the first time, we see Godzilla shaken after an assault and it doesn’t go well thereafter. Atomic rays are emitted from its mouth and fins that destroy everything around it with acute precision. This retaliation was a shocking revelation of its abilities and the depletion of its energy made it dormant for several days. With the help of Kayoko Ann Patterson (Satomi Ishihara), a special envoy to American, Rando must come up with a solution that does not require the deployment of a nuclear warhead.

With millions of lives at stake and just a matter of days till the creature becomes active again, a helpless Prime Minister and his competent task force will have to understand how Godzilla functions and through those findings, bring an end to the annihilation. The film takes a somber, serious tone as to what would happen if Japan were attacked — in this case, by a seemingly unstoppable foe. This is a gripping film, from the very first opening moments which are complete with music and sound effects that are a direct homage to the opening moments of the original 1954 “Gojira.” That is perhaps the single greatest treat for eagle-eyed/-eared Godzilla fans who have eagerly awaited Godzilla’s return for 12 years now. But while this film is about Godzilla, it’s also about Japan, how the country has changed in the 62 years since Godzilla’s 1954 debut, and a new generation of film-goers are now being introduced to him. And, needless to say, this is a very different film from the “Godzilla” films that appeared before it. Godzilla’s first appearances are met with bureaucratic near-gridlock: legions of decrepit ministers and cabinet members shuffle from one meeting to the next engaged in endless discussions over the problem while accomplishing nothing; outside the monster lays waste to large swaths of the city. No other recent event has been so seared in the Japanese consciousness as that of the 2011 Tohoko earthquake and tsunami as well as the consequent Fukushima nuclear disaster, not just because of the hundreds of thousands of people affected but also because it exposed how terribly unprepared the Japanese government was with handling a crisis of such proportions. The parallels here are unmistakable – from an indecisive Prime Minister (Ren Ôsugi) to the frustratingly bureaucratic attitude of his Cabinet ministers to the embarrassing revelation of his poor judgment (such as during a live press conference where Godzilla makes landfall right after he specifically tells the people that the creature will not) – and indeed meant no less than a searing indictment of just how inept the Naoto Kan’s administration was during 3/11. The film was a great satire on the Japanese Government during the time of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The reactions by the Prime Minister, defense minister, etc during Godzilla’s initial appearance perfectly recreate the indecision that lead to more people being killed in that country than necessary during the real life disaster. In short, this film uses Godzilla to satirize the Japanese government. A new, more decisive body of government forms in the aftermath and one end of it wants to evacuate Tokyo to Nuke him and the other wants to make a more experimental approach by analyzing Godzilla’s body chemistry. The scenes with the humans are also shot in a very dynamic and fast paced way. Of course, characterization suffers but it’s all for the purpose on finding out how to take care of the giant monster rampaging through the city while minimizing human casualties. Believably too like how the government would actually react would it have happened. However, a sharp depreciation occurs during the final act. In addition to the discussions becoming tedious, the urgency of the situation largely dissipates. This is most evident during the climax, where the smoothly executed plan defuses everything; the denouement is actually more interesting. It’s an ingenious plan, to be sure, though the technicalities are murky. As a reboot, the film starts on a clean slate, beginning with an underwater disturbance that briefly makes its way onto shore before going back out to sea, then returning as a much more highly evolved organism that grows and grows ever more fearsome. Fans though will not be disappointed – as with past iterations of Godzilla, this latest version not only has the ability to radiate highly destructive atomic rays from its dorsal fins, and it also can set streets of buildings ablaze by spewing fire out of its mouth. It does take time to get used to the new design, but rest assured that this beast is every bit as terrifying as it should be. Hiroki Hasegawa gives the film’s most compelling acting performance, and provides an amazing center as he reacts to everything that’s going on around him and happening to his country. The rest of the actors are just alright. On the whole, ‘Shin Godzilla’ aka ‘Godzilla Resurgence’ is a spectacular return of the original franchise, which uses its vivid storytelling to provide a varied and dramatic combination of satire & spine-chilling thrills. Easily among the best Godzilla films I have seen in a long time!