SHIN GODZILLA

Japan, 2016, 120 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi.

In the 60s, there were Japanese films focusing on the terrifying monster who attacked cities and levelled them, Godzilla. In more recent years, Godzilla has become something of a favourite in Hollywood, resurrecting him for more destruction and then pitting him against King Kong.

In the meantime, the Japanese industry made this Godzilla story, fairly straightforward in its presentation of the monster, in its wreaking havoc on Tokyo, in Tokyo Bay, on destruction of buildings, on evacuations by people, government officials, sceptical at first, having serious discussions, calling in experts, even from the United States, debating how to deal with Godzilla, to destroy the monster, to capture it for scientific inspection, then the problem of what weapons to use in its destruction, continual barrages, more destruction, and eventually freezing the monster – until next time.

The film has a great deal of discussion, especially amongst government advisers, the Prime Minister and his having to make so many decisions, as well as political experts discovering manoeuvres, and scientists with their various opinions.

Interspersed with these discussions are close-ups of the monster, a giant crawling creature at first, then undergoing some kind of evolution, beginning to stand upright, becoming more like the Godzillar we are all familiar with.

A lot of the Japanese commentators noted the satirical aspects of the dialogue, the ditherings of bureaucracy, the discussions about responsibilities, about codes of behaviour even for invoking weapons. Satire on the contemporary Japanese government.

Those wanting a Godzilla action show without Hollywood fanfares and ever more extravagant spectacle and CGI, this is probably a satisfying version.