I’m
not really an anime guy. The only anime
series I ever flat out loved was Kekko Kamen.
Everything else from Akira to Vampire Hunter D sort of left me
cold. However, when Netflix announced a
trilogy of anime Godzilla features, I was intrigued. Being a fan of all things G-Man (not to
mention his ‘70s cartoon), I figured I’d give this series a whirl.
Earth
is on the brink of destruction from Godzilla’s constant kaiju battles. The last remaining humans board a spaceship
and head to the stars looking for an inhabitable planet. After a fruitless search, the crew decides to
return to Earth to reclaim their planet from Godzilla.
I’ve
never been a fan of the whole anime style, but this doesn’t look all that bad. The design on Godzilla is decent enough and
if he was removed from the action, he would’ve looked at home in a live-action
movie. (Those who criticized Godzilla’s
tubby frame in the 2014 American remake will be disappointed as it looks like
The G-Man’s put on even more weight here.)
I also liked the design on the various spaceships and flying motorcycles
(although the “power suits” are a bit clunky looking).
However,
when it comes to traditional monster mashing, the film is sorely lacking. The dragon monsters, though nicely animated,
are never much of a threat and feel more like video game foes the characters
have to defeat before working their way up the boss (or in this case,
Godzilla). Had there been a monster for
Godzilla to fight, or at the very least, a building he could’ve stepped on,
this might’ve gone down a lot smoother.
The
human scenes in a live-action Godzilla movie are always the slowest and most
boring things about it. That feeling is
amplified in an animated flick. I just didn’t
feel anything for the characters. I know
the same thing can be said for any other Godzilla film, but the animated
characters never quite get you absorbed in their plight. The most memorable character is the hard ass captain, who also has the best line of the movie: “In times like
these I find myself jealous of those who have gods to pray to!”
AKA: Godzilla:
Monster Planet.
Are you craving more reviews of horror sequels? Well, you can read all about them in my latest book, The Bloody Book of Horror, which is currently on sale at Amazon. Get your copy HERE
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