Shin Godzilla wasn’t at all what I thought it would be when it was first recommended to me nearly a decade ago. A Japanese production, it focused less on the titular character and more on the human spirit through government procedure, logistics, and generational honor. Set in the time in which the film was released (2016), it far exceeded my expectations.

I strongly believe that, without Shin Godzilla, there would be no masterpiece titled Godzilla Minus One. Quote me, lol.

Today, I saw this film in 4k in a theater and, minus the IT tech who ducked in and out from time to time to calibrate the audio, I was the only person in the whole place. Thank you, Alamo Drafthouse Cedars for the opportunity!

Let’s see what the fine folks at Wikipedia have to say about this film:

Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira)^[c] is a 2016 Japanese kaiju film directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, with a screenplay by Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. Produced by Toho Pictures and Cine Bazar and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the 31st film in the Godzilla franchise, the 29th film produced by Toho, Toho’s third reboot of the franchise,^[9][10] and the first film in the franchise’s Reiwa era.^[d] It is the first reboot of a tokusatsu series to be adapted by Anno and Higuchi, followed by Shin Ultraman (2022) and Shin Kamen Rider (2023).^[13] The film stars Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Satomi Ishihara. In the film, politicians struggle with bureaucratic red tape in order to deal with the sudden appearance of a giant monster, known as Godzilla, that evolves whenever it is attacked.

In December 2014, Toho announced plans for a new domestic Godzilla film. Anno and Higuchi were announced as the directors in March 2015. Principal photography began in September 2015 and ended in October 2015. Inspiration for the film was drawn from the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan.^[14] Production had a budget of ¥1.3 billion, with advertising bringing the film’s total budget to ¥2.19 billion.^[4]

Shin Godzilla was released in Japan on July 29, receiving critical acclaim from Japanese critics^[15] and mixed reviews from Western critics.^[e] The film grossed $79 million worldwide in its initial theatrical run, and $82.6 million with re-releases, becoming the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film of 2016.^[21] It was also the highest-earning Japanese-produced Godzilla film until surpassed by Godzilla Minus One in 2023.^[22] At the 40th Japan Academy Film Prize, it received 11 Japan Academy Prize nominations, winning seven including Picture of the Year and Director of the Year. A sequel is in development.^[23]

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The Rev-iew…

My love of Godzilla was mostly mainstream until Shin Godzilla (other than the original Japanese and American versions). A coworker talked me into watching an import copy she’d snagged shortly after the Japanese release. It was worth the trouble.

Until this film, Godzilla was either a guy in an obvious suit or a CGI blur of Michael Bay proportions. The premise (in simple terms; even simpler than Wikipedia): Imagine for a moment that you’ve never heard of Godzilla and he suddenly comes ashore in modern Tokyo. Some of the film is even shot in first person/found footage style, but not like Cloverfield. This film makes you “feel” the damage done in the simplest way.

How? Traditional special effects. Imagine the models, sets, and monster suits from the early days of the Godzilla franchise. Now; all of that, but run it through some modern cinematic wizardry. Bam; Shin Godzilla.

The character “Godzilla” is actually inconsequential to this film. It could be ANY monster, or no monster at all. It could’ve been a nuclear bomb, or a terrorist attack, or a train derailment. The cause of the destruction matters not because there’s no consequential mythos. Some will only loosely call this a Godzilla film; it’s more of a disaster piece or political drama that just so happens to have everyone’s favorite Kaiju in the starring role.

If you’re one of those Godzilla fans who gets super excited about the Hollywood produced “Vs.” series or even the 1998 film from the ID4 people, you will likely hate ever second of this film. There are dubbed versions available, but I believe the theatrical release is subtitled only. If you can’t read and watch tv at the same time, this won’t be your cup of tea. Finally, if you’re a Godzilla fan who’s never watched this film in the ten years it’s been available for home viewing, you’re probably wasting your time.

I’ll wait while you guys click on something else…

Are they gone?

This film is a tense nightmare the likes of which I’d never seen in the Godzilla franchise until the release of Godzilla Minus One. Our guy is very stiff, evolving through multiple forms, and giving off more of a horror vibe as he carelessly squashes the unfortunates without even taking notice to their existence. Think about it: Asian C-SPAN interrupted from time to time with a monster attack. This is a near perfect film, in my opinion. Watching it all by myself in a HUGE theater while chomping on a “Royale w/Cheese” was the icing on the cake.

If Godzilla Minus One is a 5 Star film, this is easily a 4. Maybe 4.5 if I spoke better Japanese.

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