You can’t trust the critics on Godzilla movies. They always seem to be expecting something different than a Godzilla movie (“Godzilla isn’t even really in the movie; it’s mostly about some humans” — have you SEEN one of these movies before…?) I sat down to watch “Godzilla: Planet of Monsters” (available on Netflix already after its theatrical release in Japan) with low expectations. From what the critics said about the movie, I expected a nonsense script with boring and confusing characters. I felt apprehensive that the movie was created in anime style with CGI (Godzilla is almost always live action). I watched the movie anyways because I love Godzilla.
Godzilla is absolutely huge in this movie. For Godzilla, that’s really saying something.
But actually, it was pretty good. Despite the crazy premise of taking place 20,000 years from now in a future where Godzilla and a host of other monsters have conquered earth and driven humanity to seek the refuge of outer space, the movie delivered a classic Godzilla horror/action story. As far as the structure goes, Godzilla himself appears briefly in the beginning and not again until much later in the movie — but that is exactly the sort of suspense I enjoy for a Godzilla story. “Godzilla: Planet of Monsters” is grim, dark, and disturbing. Humans have dwindled to just a small band of survivors, many of whom have lost hope and even the will to live. Godzilla stands between humanity and the prospect of humanity surviving even one more generation. The director succeeded in portraying Godzilla’s immense size and power. This is perhaps the scariest Godzilla movie yet, even scarier than “Shin Godzilla.” This new movie is the first in a series. I look forward to seeing more of this bleak, terrifying future where Godzilla truly is King of the Monsters.