Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE
Director ~ Adam Wingard
Writers ~ Terry Rossio, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett
2024, USA-Australia
Stars ~ Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens

Within minutes, Kong is leaping in slo-mo to a dimuendo, and I’m thinking, “|Oh, one for the trailer.” But that’s far from the last. Godzilla curled up in the Colloseum is kinda cute, an example of a ridiculous detail that amuses. But I’m distracted thinking, “Why has she parked on the grass? No tyre tracks…?” Then we have the fast-talking loundmouth blogger that knows better than the uptight experts. And I’m thinking: “There’s a lot of sparks flying around in that underground base where people are running around like headless chickens – isn’t that very unsafe?” It is the kind of film where you notice the nonsensical details, the kind of film that knows you know it’s affronting your intelligence. And anything but red blood. Then it all hinges on Kong’s dentistry and a funky song saying “I gotcha!”, so, you know. Needle-drops that make sure you don’t take anything seriously and add nothing but nonsense (everyone thinks they can do what James Gunn or Tarantino can do).

The first fight between Kong and other giant apes had me locked in for a moment. Baby Kong isn’t as cloying-annoying as you might anticipate from the trailer. How much did this cost? Despite Kong occasionally impressing, very much fake gamesystem visuals, insulting compared to the focus of ‘Godzilla Minus One’, although more expensive – and something like this is why something like that was such a revelation. Whether it meets a “fun” quota depends on your taste. After all, Kim Newman says, “This spectacle fully embraces the toddler-tantrum-on-a-colossal-scale aesthetic and is winning because of rather than despite its essential goofiness.” I sensed shrug rather than goof.  

 

There’s potential in the premise of a bunch of humans trying to co-exist with kaiju, focusing on the minutiae of doing their dentistry for example, serios or fun, but this doesn’t care.  Lots of sound and monsters signifying nothing. Leave your brain and need for internal logic waaayy behind. Stuff on top of stuff with the constant pace of desperately urgent! And a roar! to imply excitement. But it is all just shallow distraction. Just: Kong knows sign language. Good Kong x Bad Kong. Kong has giant super-axe. Kong has … robo-arm? Oh, and here’s Godzilla putting in a cameo.

Gamera, the Giant Monster

Gamera, the giant monster

Director ~ Noriaki Yuasa

Writer ~ Niisan Takahashi

1966, Japan

Stars ~ Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita

 

The ‘Godzilla’ template with a … giant turtle? Well okay. And this time with a sappy kid that can stop a military nuclear strike just by whining, and whose turtle fixation is near psychopathic. But anyway: Gamorah is fascinating and awkward as only a man-in-a-kaiju-suit can be, plus he cashes in with the UFO craze – I mean who anticipated a jet-propelled shell? (and how does that work??) – the black-and-white photography is vivid, especially as this is mostly a dark film, and the miniature work is often impressive as it is appealingly clunky. Despite the kid element, ‘Gamera’ mostly follows in ‘Godzilla’s footsteps as a wannabe serious evocation of post-nuclear bomb devastation, as an analogy for Japanese fear of an unstoppable force. Yet it is as blasé as American Atomic monsters as the initial nuclear explosion that wakes this kaiju doesn’t have any effect on the locals, who surely aren’t nearly far enough to be safe.

 

But consistency isn’t a thing to concern Daiei studio’s giant monster cash-in. A turtle, with tusks, fire-breathing, with aspiration of being a UFO? Typically, there was an American version with added scenes called ‘Gamera the Invincible’, but I watched the original Japanese subtitled release. Most of the dialogue is hilarious; at times, characters seem to be in different conversations, or at least out-of-synch. For example, during the opening sequence, people are talking about how nuclear testing could affect the Earth’s axis, and/or cause typhoons, where just moments before the scientist told everyone that “At this distance, we should be safe from the fallout.”

 

The film tries to have it both ways with Gamera touted as good by little, annoying Toshio (Yoshiro Uchida) even as the monster fries a club of ignorant teenagers (which is all “Hey daddy-o! Don’t try stop our party with all your giant monster destroying the cit– arggghhh!”). It makes no sense at all, etc. There is a lot of unintentional humour here, perfunctory characterisation, tonally uncertain, crisp black-and-white photography by Director of Photography Nobuo Munekawa which gives it the air of seriousness, and at times almost nightmarish. Although he’s indiscriminately destructive and murderous, no matter what Toshio protests, Gamera isn’t really so frightening as curious. Yet for all this, its very goofiness dressed up in serious aesthetic is entertaining.

 

But I couldn’t stomach ‘Gamera: Super Monster’ for more than ten minutes.

 

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla Minus One

Gojira -1.0 ~ ゴジラ-1.0

Writer & Director ~ Takashi Yamazaki

2023, Japan

Stars ~ Minami Hamabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Sakura Ando

 

As I was sitting watching ads and trailers, families with kids came in and I did wonder if they knew it was going to be subtitled. The trailer for ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ came on – this time with baby Kong making cutesy noises! – which only reminded me that I may have let myself in for a chore.

But I needn’t have worried. Godzilla’s first appearance and assault is just the giant monster action I came for. CGI it may be, but this Godzilla had a weight, mass and nuance to movement that was leagues ahead of the American version of the franchise. Or rather, it just felt like it had more meaning, more convincing, simply because the story felt more so from the start. This is the Toho Studios original strand and returned Godzilla to a terrifying force of War Time obliteration. While he is off elsewhere tag-teaming with Kong, here he represents a man’s PTSD and is awesome (not in the frivolous sense) and frightening. And every Godzilla appearance is impressive and gripping.

The human interest between monster appearances has often been disappointing, often padding, and even the admirable ‘Shin Godzilla’ felt a little bogged down in politics despite how goofy and impressive it often was. This human filler typical of the giant monster genre is often patience-testing whenever a kaiju is not stomping across the screen, but the drama here is admirably acted and thematically strong. And although there is no way to truly make lines of dialogue such as “The Monster has reached the coast” in a military context truly convincing, ‘Godzilla Minus One’ has serious intent. PTSD, survivor’s guilt, cowardice and duty, family units, self-respect, and sacrifice; and a little rebelliousness and political criticism in that the post-war civilians get together to defeat the threat after ditching belief in the authorities. All this, but mostly the monster action is focused, substantial and often dazzling. And if you were worried it was all going to be in darkness, or you wouldn’t get enough monster: don’t worry. There’s so much to enjoy: Godzilla attacking an undeserving group of mechanics on an island; Godzilla chasing a comparatively tiny wooden mine-sweeper boat; the heat ray – oh, the heat ray.

 

 

But most of all, it’s fun. Look! There’s a destroyer being tossed into the city like a chocolate bar. See! Godzilla chomp on a train! Therein is the audience moral dilemma because half the joy is the destruction, and the other half is seeing them beat the monster. And especially when the film is so properly engaged with the themes of its people facing war. But this time, you won’t be rooting for the kaiju. The film’s belief is in the people, and its fidelity to the sincerity of the original means this shows up the stateside franchise as derived from the wrestling match silliness the franchise originally fell into.

A kaiju film that met my expectations and more and not just silly fun. Usually, every time I go in, there’s disappointment in the mix. Not this time.

A triumphant balance of war film with giant monster action and effects