The Greatest Godzilla Movie Of All Time Is Being Hidden And That’s A Crime

Shin Godzilla is another in the long installment of Toho Pictures Godzilla films. It’s a Japanese-language movie that centers its themes on the implications and ramifications of nuclear annihilation. Many American films centered around the eponymous monster are thematically empty and exist only to showcase mindless explosions and exciting action set-pieces.

But the real reason that this film is the best Godzilla outing is because it manages to succeed where all other Kaiju movies fail by making the humans in the story genuinely entertaining.

Godzilla movies, in general, have a major problem with focusing too much on the insufferable human cast when they should be turning their focus to the giant monster and its ripple effect of city-wide destruction. Recent American Godzilla films have begun to reconcile with this concept, which is why humans play such a minimal role in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Shin Godzilla is the best Godzilla movie because the human characters aren’t there to provide some kind of emotional anchor to the story, they simply serve as a force of nature opposing Godzilla’s wrath.

At its core, Shin Godzilla is about the red tape and bureaucracy of modern government, which the filmmakers seem to view as a hindrance to any progress. As Godzilla emerges from the ocean and begins wreaking havoc on Tokyo, government officials spend hour after hour debating which conference room they should use in order to discuss a solution to the impending threat, all while the people on the ground level fear for their lives.

While my description may not do the film justice, the stark juxtaposition of ineffectual government hand-wringing and dry deadpan humor laced throughout the film make it the best Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen.

The other major reason why Shin Godzilla is my favorite entry in the entire century-long franchise is because it has the best Godzilla character design of any movie so far. I loved the look of Minus One as much as the next guy, but the combination of puppetry, practical effects, and computer-generated graphics used to bring the multiple forms of Godzilla to life in Shin are completely unrivaled.

In this movie, the iconic monster transforms into multiple shapes and sizes like some kind of destructive Pokemon, with each evolution taking on a distinct and fascinating look.

REVIEW SCORE

If you’re looking to stream Shin Godzilla, unfortunately, you’re completely out of luck. The film managed to do well with international audiences, but failed to reach the same mass appeal as last year’s Godzilla Minus One, so it seems like the best Godzilla movie might be getting swept entirely under the rug. Still, if you can rent the film through digital retailers or pick up a physical copy at some point, I would highly encourage it.