Godzilla: Reiwa Era Films (2016—)

29. Shin Godzilla (2016)

Dirs. Hideaki Anno + Shinji Higuchi

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Millennium Era. For simplicity I've used English titles, but it's always the Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

Another hard reset of the franchise, with a new creature design and new origin story behind it.

The majority of the film involves politicians, bureaucrats, military leaders, etc, talking about how to deal with the irradiated daikaijū threat.

It utilises fast cuts to give the impression that things being discussed hurriedly is some kind of compensation for things being uninteresting - but it's really not. The first hour in particular is dense with such dry, ponderous dialogue.

Godzilla, referred to as male more than once in the English subs, is mostly CGI, mo-capped so that it moves kind of like a man in a suit. It gets points for good intentions, but ultimately it's just another CGI creature with zero personality. If I wanted that I'd watch the American films.

30. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

Dirs. Kōbun Shizuno + Hiroyuki Seshita

The first part in Toho's CGI animated Godzilla trilogy follows a group of uninspiring survivors on a spacefaring vessel that's running low on resources after twenty years of travel.

Driven by desperation, they plan to confront Godzilla, hoping to destroy it and take the planet it resides on for their own.

It's a grim story with dull colours and equally dull dialogue. The Godzilla design resembles the US version, with the stupidly thick wrestler neck and gargantuan size. The 'threat' does very little other than take a few steps and shoot some atomic breath; mostly the creature is little more than a boring target for the humans to shoot at and comment upon.

The planet has no buildings or man-made structures, no unlucky civilians, there's nothing interesting for Godzilla to destroy and, by extension, very little for a viewer to sympathise with or even relate to. It's a joyless start to the trilogy, and sadly an indication of what's to come.

31. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

Dirs. Kōbun Shizuno + Hiroyuki Seshita

While the mothership searches the battlefield for survivors after the first battle, Sakaki discovers something unexpected on the planet's surface. It seems his plans to take the world for humanity aren't completely beaten yet.

Visually it's as bland as before, with thirty shades of blue and not much else, but for a time the story is more interesting - if you can cope with all the made-up science.

Alas, once thunder-thighs comes on the scene it all falls apart. Too often we learn about what's happening from prosaic people talking about a situation, instead of showing us what's actually happening. Godzilla itself is rarely seen, and when it is onscreen it's lumbering and lacks any kind of dramatic wow factor.

The commentary on evolution and degeneration had potential, but ultimately anything of value is pushed aside so that a CGI battle can happen.

32. Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

Dirs. Kōbun Shizuno + Hiroyuki Seshita

The entire Godzilla Reiwa era thus far has been utterly dire. It's been a mix of stubbornness and hope that's got me through it.

The conclusion of the animated trilogy is perhaps the worst of the trio, precisely because it had the potential to be the best of them but cocked it up in every conceivable way.

Its core theme is needlessly convoluted, when heartfelt simplicity would've been more meaningful. The twins and the egg scenario amounted to nothing but disappointment. And the showdown between Godzilla and Ghidorah is a lifeless bore with yet more tiresome commentary from the spectators.

In a franchise well-known for its action scenes, it's pleasing that the makers seem to recognise the importance of dialogue, but it too must have spark and/or give a viewer something to be enthused about, not feel like insipid lecturing.

The story's attempts at turning notions such as belief, Godhood, and gematria into a binding philosophy are laudable but altogether laughable. Skilled writers that can craft original ideas and good intentions into an engaging narrative is something that the Reiwa era seems to lack. In each case, the poster art of the anime films are better than the films themselves.

NOTE: chronologically Godzilla Singular Point (2021) came next, but because it's a TV series and not a film, I've not given it a number. I did make a post about it, however; see HERE.