Shin Godzilla

My Godzilla kick is going to end here. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s probably exactly what a modern remake of Godzilla should be.

Briefly, Godzilla shows up, starts tearing up Japanese towns, a legion of hapless government employees try to stop him until they eventually are successful.  Spoiler? I guess? 

Shin Godzilla is a response to the Fukushima Nuclear Accident and the failed government oversight/response. 

Part of that shows when every government meeting early in the movie leads to another meeting. The point is driven home when one character asks why so many meetings are needed for a news conference. 

Wicked satire maybe, but not exactly riveting scenes.

Those of you who consider it an article of faith that Godzilla should look like a man in a suit will be pleased and the action/destruction scenes are really good. 

But 

A: I just don’t care about anyone here. 

B. Man in a suit special effects are not my jam. 

The Godzilla nuclear breath looks great here though. 

Finally, as a remake the movie makes us sit through scene after scene of people saying things like, “that destruction was caused by an undersea volcano.”

Hero bureaucrat: “maybe that destruction was caused by a giant, nuclear, undersea creature.” 

Everyone else: “That’s ridiculous.”

It’s like watching a vampire movie set in the modern day where no one has ever seen or heard of a vampire. 

Plausible? Maybe. 

But should you even try it? Maybe not.