Gojira (1954)
Who woulda thunk it... the entire kaiju genre was born from a somber art film. Certainly interesting from a historical standpoint, with much finer production values than the Big G's legacy would lead you to believe. But the restoration of the original Japanese cut brings to light a dirty little secret -- the progenitor of every giant-rubber-monster movie isn't fun, it's boring. The characters are thinly sketched, the tone is awkward (let's face it, no matter how you try, it's incredibly difficult to make a serious film involving a 200-foot lizard) and every third word is 'H-bomb'. (Turns out Godzilla isn't a hidden metaphor for The Bomb; no, he's a big fat honking symbol. Might as well have slapped a blinking neon sign on his forehead that read "NUCLEAR WAR, BITCHES!") Admittedly, it is a professional job, and the big setpiece where Godzilla emerges from the ocean and toasts Tokyo is chilling and unforgettable. But what a disappointment, really.
Grade: C+
Who woulda thunk it... the entire kaiju genre was born from a somber art film. Certainly interesting from a historical standpoint, with much finer production values than the Big G's legacy would lead you to believe. But the restoration of the original Japanese cut brings to light a dirty little secret -- the progenitor of every giant-rubber-monster movie isn't fun, it's boring. The characters are thinly sketched, the tone is awkward (let's face it, no matter how you try, it's incredibly difficult to make a serious film involving a 200-foot lizard) and every third word is 'H-bomb'. (Turns out Godzilla isn't a hidden metaphor for The Bomb; no, he's a big fat honking symbol. Might as well have slapped a blinking neon sign on his forehead that read "NUCLEAR WAR, BITCHES!") Admittedly, it is a professional job, and the big setpiece where Godzilla emerges from the ocean and toasts Tokyo is chilling and unforgettable. But what a disappointment, really.
Grade: C+
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