Shin Godzilla

Really loved this movie. An essence of classic godzilla, really entertaining and really good effects. all round very good

As much as I loved this movie, I would only say to go watch it if you're going in with the right expectations. I watched this movie namely because of Hideaki Anno, who's probably most well known for the Evangelion series. I was expecting something with a lot of drama and horror rather than something action-packed, and that's pretty much what this movie went for.

There's a _lot_ of scenes with the human characters talking and if that's not your cup of tea, it's probably better if you look elsewhere. To me, I rather enjoyed the story and was engaged throughout. Some of the characters make stupid decisions but it never feels unintentional as the movie has an almost satirical look on government and politics. The movie always manages to hold a tight grip on the tension, and consistently kept me guessing at what would happen next.

Again, it's not for everyone, and even then I still had some issues with it. Some of the CG looked off at points, such as parts of the debris. Also the official Funimation subtitles on the US Blu-ray are extremely questionable in quality, with constant name and location info at the top of the screen that were unnecessary and could've been omitted entirely. Also some of the spoken English in the movie didn't seem to be reflected in the subtitles. The subs are decent, but I wish they had more care put into it.

If you aren't familiar with Anno's other works and are expecting a big action movie with Godzilla, you're probably going to be more upset with this movie. But if you're willing to pay attention to the dialogue and immerse yourself, the movie works wonders.

This movie is in many ways the most anti-godzilla movie and the most pro-godzilla movie. It is anti in the way it barely shows the legendary lizard and instead focuses on the human characters—their plans for trying to stop Gojira. But it is also for those reasons very much a pro-godzilla movie. Much like in the original from 1954, godzilla is seen as an obstacle to the japanese people, not a spectacle. Much like in the original, Shin Gojira connects to its roots by showing godzilla as a metaphorical obstacle that looms over the country of Japan.

In this case the country must overcome itself, in the form of its outdated beaucracy, and also must overcome the list of nations who believe they can do Japan better than Japan. The US is presented very weirdly in this movie. It was difficult for read on how it felt about the country. Trying to put my anti-american bias aside, it seems like the Japandse government and the United States government were presented as opposites in their approach but equally ineffective in the beginning, and it wasn't until actually cooperation entails is Godzilla subdued.

It is a very flowery message, certainly not one I disagree with, but flowery none the less. We all need to smell the roses sometime I suppose.

_How Quickly Can You Read (Multiple) Subtitles on Screen_: The Movie

Evangelion godzilla, and he’s actually scary for once. Bonus: not military porn

Godzilla makes for a compelling and worthy Angel.

Very innovative and original. I Love how tragic Godzillas potrayed.

Definitely takes an open mind to enjoy properly, but this is a solid modern re-telling of the original Godzilla story. The ineffecient, beurocratic government response to the Godzilla threat is the real obstacle here, and is done brilliantly, although Godzilla is properly terrifying in a fresh and unique way, too. The team of underdogs who decide to tackle the Godzilla threat all on their own consists of likeable characters, which is rare in any monster or kaiju movie. The way Godzilla is finally dealt with is both clever and gimmicky; you'll either love it or hate it.

Godzilla himself takes his time to get going and start wreaking proper havoc, but that doesn't mean this film is slow-paced. The scrambling government officials and their comedic antics allow things to move at a speed that should keep one's attention.

I LOVED the first 68 minutes of this film! Imo, they are perfect. Easily one of the strongest 10/10 I've ever given a certain stretch in fiction. They were able to capture the feeling of the original movie when it came to Godzilla's destruction, while also solving my biggest problem with the original movie, the human cast. In the original, I personally thought they were too silly/cartoonish, especially when put side by side with Godzilla, but here, they serve as a critique of the modern politics. They exist as a way to put the viewer into the shoes of the decision makers. How hard and unnecessarily long it is to be the one calling the shots.
As for the rest, I liked it, but it definitely didn't hit as hard as the first half of the movie. It was pretty damn slow and the soundtrack, for some reason, felt very out of place, particularly in the final fight against Godzilla.

Really refreshing take on the old monster. Goes back to its roots and brings fresh new ideas, like how the government's would actually deal with such a threat. Love the depiction of just how devastating and terrifying an actual event like this would be. And all the nods to classic Godzilla was awesome.