Rated: 3.5 / 5

You almost had it movie. You almost had something that I would’ve considered to be a borderline masterpiece and miracle. Japan once again making a great Godzilla film, the best made since the end of the Heisei era. Then you just had to pull some typical crap at the end that, for a respectable amount of time, I thought you were better than pulling on me. This is why I have a hard time getting my hopes up about anything these days. Hopes raised only to be crushed.

As far as Shin Godzilla is concerned, that doesn’t count. I don’t consider that to be a true Godzilla movie. That did too much weird mutant and outrageous superpower bullshit for the monster to be considered an actual Godzilla monster. That’s all I’ll say about that movie, other than it’s well made aside from all that.

Anyway, this movie was good for the first 3/4ths of it. Decent enough characters with motivations you could understand and sympathize with. Pretty damn good special effects, considering the output Japan has had in that department in the past, at least when compared to Hollywood standards. Considering how Hollywood standards have become stagnant at best, it was only inevitable that other countries with their own film studios would catch up. It just takes time and dedication with a modest budget.

Godzilla himself looks as good as ever. Damn good callback to the heisei era design. Just as I thought they would continue to make his design more and more over-the-top and exaggerated with each new rendition, they finally scale it back a bit to something more along the traditional lines. If there’s anything fantastical about his design, it would be the way his spikes poke out when he’s prepping to use his atomic breath.

The whole theme of bravery and cowardice, trying to redeem yourself for having others die on your account. If you did the right thing by wanting to live more than being willing to sacrifice yourself so that others (family, friends, and other fellow countrymen) could. If the act of sacrifice would’ve made a difference. If you’re able to live with yourself even if it wouldn’t have. Fairly good themes regarding humanity that’s deeper than the crap any of the American Godzilla films have had, including the Gareth Edwards 2014 Godzilla film (the only good one). Which is something a monster film could use. It needs more than just the monster action. It needs solid themes of humanity injected in there with it. Which is why the American Godzilla films just aren’t that good, objectively (also doesn’t hurt to have solid acting).

And I noted some amusing film influences within this one. Moments where the 2014 Godzilla film inspired it with how Godzilla moves underwater (particularly when he goes beneath a ship). This part that reminded me of Jaws with the shark chasing the boat and the sailors shooting barrels at it (except in this film’s case they explode). And this bit that’s inspired by the last act of Dunkirk with civilian sailors and ships coming to help (which I thought was stupid, more on that later). Hell, the ending also felt inspired by Japan’s own Godzilla film, Giant Monsters All Out Attack. For the most part, they were done well enough to where the inspiration felt nice rather than cheaply exploited and ripped off.

There’s also that moment where Godzilla uses his atomic breath on land. Let’s just say that his atomic breath lives up to the name, and has never been stronger. It’s like a nuke went off that causes a massive amount of debris to go flying from it, which can annihilate anyone within 3 miles of it (or so). Which leads to this one moment that I thought was a bit predictable (due to some foreshadowing with a picture getting taken of her) where the “girlfriend” gets engulfed in the debris that flies from the blast. It further develops the main protagonist emotionally, finally pushing him into a willing kamikaze pilot at the end. The dualism of wanting to protect those he loves (who are still alive) contrasted with protecting the country (and thus countrymen). How cowardice of the past leads to the destruction wrought in the present. With some criticism of governments thrown in for good measure (Japanese, American, and to a lesser extent Russian too).

Then comes the film’s last act. The act that tends to make or break a movie. This act borderline broke it for me. What could’ve been a 4 star film degrades into settling for 3 stars (MINUS ONE star). For the following reasons:

1.) This mechanic from earlier on in the film is forced back into the scene exclusively because the protagonist demanded it.

2.) This one guy with his arm bandaged up wanting to go to sea with everyone else to fight Godzilla, but these ex-military guys telling him no, to stay on land. Because not being in a war isn’t something to be ashamed of. That there must be survivors to carry on the country into the future. Only for all that to be meaningless when he shows up later in his fucking tugboat to help out. Don’t you see how that cheapens the message!? Not to mention how fucking stupid it was for all those little ships helping out the big ships (the amount of time it would’ve realistically taken for them to help out the way they did would’ve made it pointless).

3.) The girlfriend survives that atomic blast debris stuff and comes back at the end. You know what… fuck you. I don’t care if there’s some weird implication about her regarding that mark on her neck, this is a film pulling it’s fucking punches. I hate it when movies do that.

But other than all that it’s one of the better Godzilla films out there.

PS: And if you were hopeful about this being a review where the reviewer would be respectful enough to the readers to not have any major spoilers for the movie in it, I’m more than happy to crush those fucking hopes for you the way this film crushed mine.

Edit (5-17-2024): In all seriousness though, I was a little too harsh on the rating. Now that I’m over how pissed I was with the girl showing up alive at the end, I’ll bump the rating up half a point. Also, that sequence with Godzilla swimming after the ship is the best part of the movie for me.