Shin Godzilla

I watched a movie and it was Shin Godzilla, co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, starring Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Satomi Ishihara, released in 2016. It is the 31^st installment of the Godzilla franchise from the Toho Company in Japan. It is not like any previous Godzilla film. On the dvd it says it is a “reboot” but I don’t see it as such. Have you ever imagined what it would be like if Godzilla was treated like a natural disaster? This movie treats Godzilla as such in a modern setting, showing the minutia of how much red tape there is during a natural disaster and how far we are willing to go to fix this natural disaster. I will admit, this is not what I was expecting as far as a Godzilla movie goes but it does follow within the mythos that is Godzilla. However, there is more focus on how Godzilla effects people rather than just seeing him rampage through the city like in times past. Some were critical of this (I got a message on my social media about it). I see that criticism. The greatest of all Godzilla films is Gojira (1954), the Japanese one, not the American one, and that established Godzilla as a force of nature, born of nuclear testing. He wreaked terrible havoc on Tokyo and the devastation caused was an allegory for the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. Godzilla is the embodiment of nuclear destruction. The later films, I'm not really sure about since they represent the time they were made, to a certain degree, but the military and people still treat him as a threat. I can understand where fan's criticism comes from; you come for Godzilla and get a lot of talking and very little Godzilla. I can relate in that is what disappointed me about the  Godzilla (2014) Legendary Pictures put out. However, that didn’t seem to bother me so much in Shin Godzilla.

As for Shin Godzilla, there is some interesting and creative ways to try and stop Godzilla that are really fascinating to watch. It is about teamwork and what the greater good is for. There are sections where it is frustrating to see where the government breaks down because of personalities and/or policies. Many of the countries are portrayed in a lighter tone, with some digs here and there but that’s understandable. Ultimately, it comes down to the choices they have to make to stop Godzilla from destroying and killing so many people, which in itself is interesting since it is a living organism and the question becomes even more difficult than say if it was a hurricane or earthquake (which they address in the movie)and how to rebuild from that. It also brings up other questions of whether to destroy Godzilla as a pest or keep it alive for testing since it is a new organism, which is similar to the Gojira (1954) in that respect.

Godzilla, for the most part, is very different from what you expect but it works better in the context of the story. There is evolution of both Godzilla and how the people in the Japanese government try to contain it. That gives much more depth to how much is at stake as the movie progresses and that adds a fresh perspective on the Kaiju drama. The Godzilla effects are well done and you (or at least I couldn’t) tell the difference between if it was CGI or suit actor (it was motion captured!). The design of Godzilla was familiar but very different from before, which is nothing new since Godzilla has gone through design changes since 1954. There is a different way Godzilla defends himself from attack though again, this change goes more in line with the kind of story we are dealing with. The crumbling buildings and devastation looked pretty spot on as well.

All the elements are there in this Godzilla installment: people running, Godzilla rampaging through the city, the government talking about how they will contain Godzilla, personal sacrifices of main characters (no romance though) and ultimate resolution. It is a Godzilla a film and I commend Toho for doing something different rather than rehash something over and over. Each Godzilla film is different (have you seen Son of Godzilla or Godzilla v. Hedora?) and though it might not be liked by many Godzilla fans, I think it stands on its own as a thought provoking piece much like the 1954 Gojira.

Hardcore Henry

I watched the movie Hardcore Henry, dir. by Ilya Naishuller, released 2016.  I saw it in the movie theater with my best bro, Mike when it first came out and recently received it on blu-ray.
Right from the start, you are inundated with the first person perspective right in the opening titles and this sets the stage for a movie that is shot entirely from the first person perspective. Though not the first to do this (as I learned from the commentary track of director Naishuller and Sharlto Copley), that distinction belongs to The Lady in the Lake from 1947, which is a Philip Marlowe mystery thriller, starring Robert Montgomery, as Marlowe, through his eyes. Though where that movie seemed a bit clunky, Hardcore Henry does something slightly different and much more action packed. “Action packed” does not even begin to tip the scales on what Naishuller accomplished with this film.
Using Go-Pro cameras and stunt men, Naishuller extended the format from his music videos for his band, Biting Elbows, into a 90 minute ride of a man who is cybernetic and stops at nothing to rescue his girlfriend from a telekinetic megalomaniac, with the help of Jimmy, along the way. The story is simple.
I’m not going to mince words here, it is violent. Practically gratuitous. Where the story is simple, it is the visuals and the innovation that is what sticks out the most from this film. The very idea that this movie is made with GoPro cameras mounted on a rig to a stuntman’s/actor’s head and the audience is “Henry” chasing people down is amazing to watch. It is a very visceral experience when you see it the first time (for me it was because, like I said above, I was lucky enough to see it in the theater so it was much bigger on the screen and you saw more, in a sense, that doesn’t translate well to the small screen, unless you have a larger television/projector screen).
I liked that it is easy to understand, in terms of story and character motivations, and that it doesn’t bog down with a lot of exposition. As was pointed out in the commentary, you only know what Henry knows, which is virtually nothing, and are experiencing everything along with “him” so there is a kind of surprise as the viewer goes along, which is satisfying in many ways. I also like that it is short, in that it doesn’t go over the top with the length of the story and trying to get fancy with plot devices or twists that also could bog down the simplicity of what is happening. I liked Sharlto’s Jimmy character as the guide, not just because I like Sharlto but because, he helps the ground the story in some reality (this movie is very hyper-realistic) while giving “Henry” enough exposition to keep the story moving along, rather than just a smattering of killing over and over again. The music is very well chosen for a lot of the sequences, 3 of the songs being Biting Elbows songs but for the most part, it adds a sense of urgency to the moments but doesn’t overpower it as with some movies.

This is a hard movie to review because I don’t want to spoil anything by saying a lot, as with a lot of my reviews. Here, it is imperative that I stay silent (like Henry) because I want you to experience it like I did. Though, in that case I would suggest reading this AFTER you see it because when I saw it, I had NO IDEA what I was in for. All I knew was that I wanted to see the movie after seeing a quick trailer. This is one of the best movies I saw in 2016, for sure.

This is not a movie for everyone. In fact, when I saw it, there was a printed out disclaimer on the register that warned if you get motion sickness, this may not be the movie for you. Indeed, my best bro Mike experienced it in the first few moments but quickly got over it. I think I did too in one part but I adjusted fairly quickly as well, which I chalk up to all the years of playing First Person Shooter games (which I think is interesting since I have an inner ear disorder that has affected my balance all of my life).

 I would liken it to a theme park ride, much like the Back to the Future ride that used to be at Universal Studios Hollywood. Just sit back and let the story happen. 


If you get the chance, I would suggest watching the extras after watching the movie, for extra enjoyment of the time, craftsmanship and artistry it took to make such an interesting film.