Sometimes you've got to go see the mainstream movies just to remain correctly prejudiced. Pretentious? Yes, and shame is flowing, but that sentence does encapsulate my preconceptions as I went in to see 'Godzilla'. Ultimately those unfair (all preconceptions tend to be unfair) conceptions proved to be right, but there were a few interesting things thrown into the mix. The bottom line reaction is that 'Godzilla' did everything right to be a modern version of all the past iterations of the character, but that doesn't mean I necessarily liked it.
The character of Godzilla began as a menace in his original outing in 1954 and then over a ridiculously long series of movies in Japan became a hero, emerging from presumably refreshing naps to beat off other more evil monsters that were ravaging humanity at regular intervals. ("Yay, Godzilla, you've saved us! And you've levelled our apartment block accidentally...") Godzilla is not just the King of the Monsters but also the Count of Collateral Damage and the Archangel of Atomic Breath. I think he even likes bagels but don't quote me on that. Those decades of movies may have been dominated by men in rubber suits, and inconsistent continuity as Godzilla grew ever bigger to continue peaking over the ever-higher skyscrapers, but his status as a champion could never be contested. So, what do you do with Old Stompy in a modern Godzilla movie? Hero or villain?
Let's not be coy, as Godzilla does turn out to be the hero even if he does level most of Hawaii and San Francisco in defeating the evil Muto butterfly monsters. In fact, he is almost the most humanly relateable character in the film, as the actual humans tend to be just a little (or a lot) monotone. Some reviews I've listened to liken the acting performances to pulling a face and then holding it for the rest of the movie, and that's pretty much accurate. Juliette Binoche continues her run of being wasted in films by being killed early, Bryan Cranston does his best to shed his 'Breaking Bad' legacy by being hammy and ending up bland, and the lead actor carries on with all the charisma of a blunt instrument. In line with earlier comments, this could be in line with what a modern version of Godzilla has to be to line up with its history, but it's still a painful reminder of its place in the land of blockbusters.
Despite all the bad things you can say about the film (pedestrian plot, ridiculous coincidences, hideous attempts at emotional manipulation, pointless over-casting of top actors in forgettable roles), it does have a certain relentless charm. You do feel a bit sorry for the maternal Muto when her eggs get torched, and there is a certain awe when Godzilla finally breaks out his atomic breath and fires it down a gigantic throat to burn the last monster from the inside out. There is a sense of wonder when he exchanges stares with Mr Leading Man and then wanders off to finish the job. Part of me wonders if that is an essential part of Godzilla's screen success; He is always more interesting than the humans even if they have to blanded down to ridiculously low standards to achieve that distinction. Is that the only way for him not to be rejected as a 'monster' instead of a character? On side notes the music is ponderous and weighty but fairly unmemorable which is again necessary unless you want to write the 'Godzilla polka'! The restraint in showing Godzilla and the Mutos is admirable, as anything else would have rendered it automatic shlock. David Strathairn is wasted, Binoche is wasted, Ken Watanabe is wasted, all in the cause of providing a starry cast to get people to come to the movie despite the name 'Godzilla'.
Summing up, if you want to see a movie about giant primordial monsters battling and destroying cities collaterally while cardboard humans stomp around being ineffectual then 'Godzilla' is a good movie. (This definition also applies to 'Man of Steel', illustrating why that would have been better as a Godzilla movie too.) In many ways it probably lives up to its cinematic forebears admirably. Unfortunately it is also decidedly bland in many visual and story respects, and computer-generated Godzilla has two of the most heartfelt moments in the film. C'est la vie, for it is after all a monster movie. We can't expect miracles!
O.
PS Someone please write the 'Godzilla Polka'. Now it has been named it must be done!
No comments:
Post a Comment