6 ms·

I saw the movie last night and for my first Godzilla experience, I was extremely impressed. It deserves its 97% RT rating, and manages to do so much with its li

I saw the movie last night and for my first Godzilla experience, I was extremely impressed. It deserves its 97% RT rating, and manages to do so much with its limited $15m budget as well. I recommend that you give it a watch while it's still out in extended limited release due to its success.

fidotron 3y ago
The director has commented at the Tokyo comic con that he wished it was $15M.
shihab 3y ago
I also watched it last night, and it is my top pick for the year. It felt like a fantasy fulfillment film. For a nation with profound martial pride, the defeat in WW2 must have been a deep wound. But then there's Godzilla, an enemy that Japan can finally triumph over. It's not a criticism. As long as the story is well-executed, who cares.
- earthscienceman 3y ago
  I mean, since this article is explicitly political and thoroughly interesting context I definitely have some criticism that I think should be stated here. I saw the film and it was very well made and enjoyable. A friend invited me and I didn't know anything about it before going in. That said, there are clear problems with the political narrative in the film given it's supposed to be artwork. Making a film about redemption without in any way commenting on the evil atrocities you committed is extremely Japanese and morally dubious at best... downright propaganda at worst. Were the Japanese public and military rank and file the real victims of the war? Is it ok to pronounce the moral ambiguity of the top brass without commenting on the Holocaust-level crimes committed? These things were glaring in the theater. And I know I'm going to get the standard "doesn't matter good film" responses for having an honest appraisal of the conceptual idea. But it's bad in that way. If we want to move into a brighter future we need both redemption and brutal honesty and this was only one of those things. Good popcorn film? Absolutely. Cultural artwork on a new level? Definitely not.
  - KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
    > Making a film about redemption without in any way commenting on the evil atrocities you committed is extremely Japanese and morally dubious at best... downright propaganda at worst. Were the Japanese public and military rank and file the real victims of the war? Is it ok to pronounce the moral ambiguity of the top brass without commenting on the Holocaust-level crimes committed? It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. Victor's justice and everything. Be thankful for nukes else one day the shoe might be on the other foot and and history will be rewritten again.
    - atticora 3y ago
      > It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. It's also easy because they were the aggressors. The attack on Pearl Harbor when we were at peace does not leave a lot of room for nuance. We were not their oppressors, we were just in the way of their conquests.
      - aamoyg 3y ago
        Well we stopped selling them oil, so they must have framed us as oppressing their expansion
        KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
        I am sure the middle easterns were the bad guys during the Gulf war too.
        aamoyg 3y ago
        I should have put the /s tag in my post. And the Gulf War wasn't even our war to get involved in.
    - hughesjj 3y ago
      > It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. Real interesting response to 'holocaust level crimes' Historically the US absolutely treated our natives and African descendents to a similar level of horror, but we 1. Own that and 2. Weren't doing anything to that level en masse by the time WWII came around. I love Japan and it's people but I will absolutely throw shade at their cowardice in ignoring the sins of their past (at the cultural/national level).

fidotron 3y ago

The director has commented at the Tokyo comic con that he wished it was $15M.

shihab 3y ago

I also watched it last night, and it is my top pick for the year. It felt like a fantasy fulfillment film. For a nation with profound martial pride, the defeat in WW2 must have been a deep wound. But then there's Godzilla, an enemy that Japan can finally triumph over. It's not a criticism. As long as the story is well-executed, who cares.

earthscienceman 3y ago
I mean, since this article is explicitly political and thoroughly interesting context I definitely have some criticism that I think should be stated here. I saw the film and it was very well made and enjoyable. A friend invited me and I didn't know anything about it before going in. That said, there are clear problems with the political narrative in the film given it's supposed to be artwork. Making a film about redemption without in any way commenting on the evil atrocities you committed is extremely Japanese and morally dubious at best... downright propaganda at worst. Were the Japanese public and military rank and file the real victims of the war? Is it ok to pronounce the moral ambiguity of the top brass without commenting on the Holocaust-level crimes committed? These things were glaring in the theater. And I know I'm going to get the standard "doesn't matter good film" responses for having an honest appraisal of the conceptual idea. But it's bad in that way. If we want to move into a brighter future we need both redemption and brutal honesty and this was only one of those things. Good popcorn film? Absolutely. Cultural artwork on a new level? Definitely not.
- KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
  > Making a film about redemption without in any way commenting on the evil atrocities you committed is extremely Japanese and morally dubious at best... downright propaganda at worst. Were the Japanese public and military rank and file the real victims of the war? Is it ok to pronounce the moral ambiguity of the top brass without commenting on the Holocaust-level crimes committed? It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. Victor's justice and everything. Be thankful for nukes else one day the shoe might be on the other foot and and history will be rewritten again.
  - atticora 3y ago
    > It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. It's also easy because they were the aggressors. The attack on Pearl Harbor when we were at peace does not leave a lot of room for nuance. We were not their oppressors, we were just in the way of their conquests.
    - aamoyg 3y ago
      Well we stopped selling them oil, so they must have framed us as oppressing their expansion
      - KRAKRISMOTT 3y ago
        I am sure the middle easterns were the bad guys during the Gulf war too.
        aamoyg 3y ago
        I should have put the /s tag in my post. And the Gulf War wasn't even our war to get involved in.
  - hughesjj 3y ago
    > It's easy to cast them as bad guys because they were defeated. Real interesting response to 'holocaust level crimes' Historically the US absolutely treated our natives and African descendents to a similar level of horror, but we 1. Own that and 2. Weren't doing anything to that level en masse by the time WWII came around. I love Japan and it's people but I will absolutely throw shade at their cowardice in ignoring the sins of their past (at the cultural/national level).