On 16th May 2014, Toho’s greatest monster will return to the big screen in an American reboot. With just 6 weeks to go, we here at THN are counting down the GODZILLA back catalogue.
Director: Takao Okawara
Starring: Takehiro Murata, Hiroshi Abe, Naomi Nishida, Mayu Suzuki, Shiro Sano
Plot: Godzilla returns just as a meteorite reveals itself to be a flying saucer, but is the saucer dangerous? And if so, who will stop it?
Did we give up on Zilla too quickly? After all, the animated series was a brilliant continuation of the films and had Godzilla fighting some excellent monsters in the process. Even some of the planned sequels hinted at Godzilla taking on other monsters, which would have been great at the time. We’ll never know the answer to such questions, but what we do know is that Toho very quickly wanted to repair the damage done by Godzilla’s holiday to America. It was time to suit up and kick off the Millenium Series. The new series would once again delete everything that came before it, only this time the purge seems too extreme. It seems to throw us straight back into the action that it’s hard to know when this is taking place, other than the title giving us a clue.
I guess Toho really wanted to reclaim their prized possession before anybody had time to dwell for too long on Roland Emmerich’s attempt. GODZILLA 2000 was the last Godzilla film released in North American cinemas (until the upcoming film, of course). It also managed to reignite the series even though it was supposed to be on hiatus until the 50th anniversary (2004). Takao Okawara returned to the franchise having already given us three of the best Heisei Era films, and perhaps it was his connection to previous films in the franchise that prevented this from seeming like an entirely new adventure.
GODZILLA 2000 opens very suddenly, with a group known as the Godzilla Prediction Network tracking down Godzilla’s latest appearance. It’s a confusing start as we aren’t given much background on which Godzilla this is. Is it supposed to be Godzilla Jr. from the previous film? It doesn’t seem so, but it is also suggested that Godzilla attacks have happened regularly, hence why there is a Prediction Network to begin with. The Godzilla Prediction Network is simply a father and daughter team made up of Professor Yuji Shinoda (Murata) and his daughter Io (Suzuki). The addition of a child character may be in response to the success of rival monster Gamera’s recent success with a well-received trilogy. Gamera had always focused on the links between a misunderstood monster and children and had secured a dedicated fanbase and rave reviews. Godzilla is introduced in a series of teasing close-ups which suggest a more ferocious-looking creature than before. A scene in which the GPN track Godzilla down ends in their spotlights panning up to reveal Godzilla in all his glory. He’s a spikier foe with spines and scales looking as though they could cut through anything.
The film also takes on a more realistic and grittier feel, with very naturalistic cinematography. Whether this was intentional or a sign of the rushed production is debateable. Although it works for the most part, it does mean that some of the textureless CG used later on and the rubber suits stand out a bit more. It’s also confusing as the tone seems to be a bit more jovial than previous Godzilla films. As Godzilla roars, the windscreen breaks, which is the first sign that despite the look and overall tone, there are going to be a few more cartoonish moments. A business affair is interrupted to inform the leader of the CCI (Crisis Control Intelligence) that a meteorite has been discovered at the bottom of the ocean. Interesting here is that the director of the CCI, Mitsuo Katagiri (Abe), seems unconcerned with the giant lizard wreaking havoc. No doubt these elements will play into one another.
The two factions, the GPN and the CCI are two sides to the same coin. Whereas the GPN specifies Godzilla by name and merely wishes to predict where he will show up, the CCI see him as a destructive force that needs to be stopped. It’s a theme that’s been used before in Godzilla films, where one side (GPN) wants to study the creature and understand it, while the other (CCI) believes the only thing to do is to destroy the monster. It’s always an interesting plotline, because both sides have good arguments. To study Godzilla would answer many questions and help with monsters in the future, and destroying him would stop the immediate deaths he causes. As Godzilla arrives for a second attack, we are treated to a grand sweeping shot that makes the best use of modern technology and practical effects. It’s so great to see how the makers used CGI and computers to enhance their own style rather than replace it. As the camera pans back over a huge area, Godzilla is integrated with a much larger area than usual, as helicopters fly past the camera as well.
While Godzilla does his thing, the meteorite, which made its way to the surface and responds to light, shows its ability to scan cells in living creatures. It then flies its way to Godzilla where it attacks the King of Monsters and blasts him backwards. Godzilla is soon found to be missing, while the meteorite gradually reveals that it is in fact a spaceship of some kind. As it’s pinned down, scientists from both camps discover that Godzilla’s cells can give life and are the source of Godzilla’s regeneration. The spaceship, now fully revealed as a futuristic but textureless CG creation, announces that it represents a race of aliens that need to reform their bodies and must use Godzilla’s cells to do so. The Millenians, as they are known, certainly sound like a sympathetic race. It’s a plot that has been used in many films, very recently with MAN OF STEEL, as the dying race looks to turn Earth into its new home. No doubt if push came to shove, humans would act in a very similar manner. The ship’s battle with Godzilla is pretty epic, although with it being a machine and not a monster there seems to be less at stake at times. Best of all though is Godzilla unwittingly becoming a hero this time around. It’s a rather nice throwback to the Show Era.
The Millenians absorb some of Godzilla’s energy and one is able to reconstitute itself. It’s a CG creation that looks like a metallic squid. It’s awful by the incredible CG we see in big budget pictures, and is hard to accept being the first mostly CG character in Godzilla history (not including the 1998 film). Godzilla’s atomic breath, which looks epic with added effects, takes down the ship and we see that painstaking detail has even been afforded to the rubble. You can pick out individual cars and bits of building allowing for confident ground level shots. Unfortunately for Godzilla, the Millenian reacts badly with our atmosphere, turning the slick CG’d character into a a very detailed and gruesome-looking practical effect creature named Orga. This in itself could be a message of reassurance from Toho to an audience that perhaps feared a turn to predominantly CG creations. It was playing up to fears about Y2K, so why not other technological fears too? I see Orga as one of the most underappreciated adversaries for Godzilla. He only arrives at the very end, but he is such a hideous creature; his fingers are like huge, thick, stiff tentacles and as his origin suggests, he truly is a creature that shouldn’t exist.
After a feroicious fight where flesh flies and bite marks remain, Orga reveals his final battle technique in which a flowery, membrane, Predator-esque mouth opens up, which even stuns Godzilla into pulling his head back and widening his eyes in a WTF! moment. Being Godzilla though, he simply sticks his head in, charges up, and blows Orga away. GODZILLA 2000 is a fine return for the legendary monster, but there are some points that hamper the enjoyment somewhat. The humour is very poor, with an accidental head-meets-stick sequence setting us up for annoying moments, while the human characters aren’t memorable in the slightest. They’re relegated to building top spectators in the final act, but throughout they lack any charisma whatsoever. At least it set up new approaches to effects, which will look great on the (hopefully) upcoming Blu-ray.
Dub-Misstep: The dub is surprisingly awesome for this film. I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it if I flicked on a TV showing it in the dubbed format, and after a while it is possible to forget it’s not in its original language.
Monsters: Orga is an underappreciated gem with a very cool design and many great skills. The Millenia and its ship look a bit fake, but again it may be a purposeful act to ensure our love of practical effects.
Notes For GODZILLA (2014): This shows that aliens can be done in a dark and real way without having them as humans. Where attention should be paid to is the fights. They are brutal and they do scrap like animals, but you can still relate to them on a humanistic level.
G-RATING:
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GODZILLA will be released 15th May 2014. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Sally Hawkins, Akira Takarada, and David Strathairn.
