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Topic: Godzilla Movies Review

This week, we watched a giant Lizard smash a building… lots of buildings in fact.  And lots of Lizards too.  I think a few had wings even… so many monsters, so little time.  But a fun time at that, lots of it!  And both mom and me would agree that they’re a lot of fun.  So we’re back with two American Godzilla, and the most recent live action Godzilla from Japan.

Godzilla (2014)

• Directed by: Gareth Edwards
• Starring:
  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson as U.S. Navy EOD LT Ford Brody
  • Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishirō Serizawa
  • Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody
  • Juliette Binoche as Sandra Brody
  • Sally Hawkins as Dr. Vivienne Graham
  • David Strathairn as Admiral William Stenz
  • Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody
• Monsters:
  • Godzilla
  • Muto (Male)
  • Muto (Female)
• This movie felt like a proper disaster movie, but at times, it doesn’t feel like a movie, more like we were following a narrative and series of unfortunate events. Almost like a found footage piece.
• Depictions of Japan, of the fictional city Janjira, were very comical. Rather than looking like a suburb of Japan, it looks like an American suburb with Japanese aesthetics. They even driver cars on the left side of the car, which is typical of America. 
• While Aaron Taylor-Johnson may be a decent actor, he felt very disposable in the film.
• At the time of Casting, Elizabeth Olsen hadn’t been cast as the Scarlet Witch in the MCU yet, but her role felt fairly disposable as well. Looking at the role now, she’s only memorable because this was what she was in prior to the Marvel movies.
• Ken Watanabe always adds gravitas to a film he’s in, especially in this case of Godzilla.
• Godzilla is talked about and seen sporadically in the film, but major brunt of destruction is from the Muto monsters. Godzilla has a proper fight at the end of the movie.
• While critics praised the tone and direction, many criticized the under developed characters, lack of thematic depth, turning Godzilla into a secondary character, and insufficient screen time for the title character.
• Japanese critics liked the film, but felt the same way. Toho  liked the film so much, they decided to reboot the series with Shin Godzilla.

Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)

• Directed by: Michael Dougherty
• Starring:
  • Kyle Chandler as Dr. Mark Russell
  • Vera Farmiga as Dr. Emma Russell
  • Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell
  • Bradley Whitford as Dr. Rick Stanton
  • Sally Hawkins as Dr. Vivienne Graham
  • Charles Dance as Alan Jonah
  • Thomas Middleditch as Sam Coleman
  • Aisha Hinds as Colonel Diane Foster
  • O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Jackson Barnes
  • David Strathairn as Admiral William Stenz
  • Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishirō Serizawa
  • Zhang Ziyi as Dr. Ilene Chen
• Monsters:
  • Godzilla
  • Mothra
  • Rodan
  • King Ghidorah
  • And many more, including King Kong
• Unlike the 2014 Film, this one felt more like a Movie than the last. Perhaps it’s the bigger sets and more sightings of Godzilla.
• It was nice to see some of the cast from the 2014 Godzilla return.
• It’s a shame Ken Watanabe’s character was killed as the film leave the possibility of a third Godzilla movie in the near future.
• Nice to see Bradley Whitford in work.
• American Critics were not impressed by the film, remarking that the script was ‘laughable’, the monster battles were either too numerous or boring, and that the film was paper thin with no real drama.

Shin Godzilla

• Directed by: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi
• Starring:
  • Hiroki Hasegawa as Rando Yaguchi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary.
  • Yutaka Takenouchi as Hideki Akasaka, Aide to Prime Minister.
  • Satomi Ishihara as Kayoco Anne Patterson, Special Envoy for the President of the United States.
• Film used the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake/Tsunami & Fukushima Daiichi nuclear Disaster as inspiration.
• Film is considered political, mostly in the sense that it’s a scathing depiction of Japanese bureaucracy and its politicians. Often seen as trying to manage the in pending fall out, rather than trying to manage the actual situation, and tied up in various meetings.
• Did very well in Japan, winning 7 Japanese Academy Prize, including Picture of the Year and Director of the Year.
• Laughed at multiple points from hearing the ‘Decisive Battle’ illusions being made during the planning phases. The song is from Evangelion (1995) anime, directed and created by Hideki Anno, is used at multiple points throughout the film.
• Can see lots of allusions to Evangelion, though as a Evangelion fan, I might be more hyper aware than most.