A. I am happy that there is a new Godzilla movie, although I am a bit peeved about the ongoing use of his image in so many crass television and print advertisement. Of course, Hollywood would never put out money for this campaign if they knew they could not reap some massive financial benefit. There is still the movie to consider, of course, but I always believe that the high bar for films of this nature is on par with “The Flintstones”.
Godzilla’s historic significance to Japan is important, but this is also a monster that has been retread, recreated and reimagined far too many times. Aside from his appearance as a gigantic dinosaur with severe back deformation and radiation breath, Godzilla has either been a good guy with very large, cute eyeballs or a gigantic Mike Tyson with scales and a very bad attitude. He has been controlled by telepathy or made concessions for small children, although not quite on the scale as Gamera. He has fought pollution and saved mankind, but has also destroyed the giant ferris wheel in Yokohama and stepped on far too many people.
When the first Godzilla was released in the late 90’s, I went to its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. I collected a faux newspaper that reported Godzilla’s sighting off the Croisette, then spent most of the film wondering why the incredibly sexy Jean Reno would appear in such a clunker. After the film was done, I was approached by so many Swiss and Dutch friends who wanted to know my impressions of the movie. My answer was simple: that was not Godzilla. Of course, the producers had intended their Godzilla to look different.
Toho seemed to share my opinion, especially when the American Godzilla was flattened in a matter of seconds when he made a brief appearance in “Godzilla: Final Wars”.
This new Godzilla is also different. So far, I know that he likes Snickers bars and won’t eat a Fiat, which is a switch from his usual dietary preference for radiation. I want to see this movie because it looks fun, and I really hope I do not spend the whole time in the theater wondering why the incredibly sexy Juliette Binoche is in this movie.
While there have been many great monsters in movie history, Godzilla stands out for a reason. Like the beautiful game of baseball, Godzilla is a tradition handed down to me from my father. We had few chances in life to bond, but he gave me an inherent love of Godzilla. He told me that the monster was Japanese, like me, and the people who ran away from him were also Japanese, like me. He would laugh in intervals, then randomly shoot his top denture out to make me giggle. The love of Godzilla was thus born, as it was for so many others. My husband watched Godzilla as a small child, while others received the same introduction. Godzilla was the afternoon babysitter, the trustworthy childhood attention getter that would keep us transfixed for a few hours.
It was also safe to watch, even for our immaturely developed sensibilities. Despite the crashing buildings, the burst of radiation and the bellowing stomp, we all realized that some adult was controlling that rattling tank that was wiggling across the phony terrain. We knew that someone had drawn in the animated effects shooting out of those inept lightning guns. Most of all, we understood that there was a man in a rubber suit stepping on cardboard and cheap wooden buildings. It was endearing, and a far safer reality than watching Michael Myers when you are only five or seven years old.
I hope this Godzilla has some charm. He deserves much more than to be treated as a figure appearing on a 7-11 slurpee cup I am sure that there will be a flood of toys, as Godzilla figurines have disappeared from Japanese stores.
On another, more important note, what are great French actors doing in Godzilla movies anyway?
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