Godzilla: Part 1 “Planet of the Monsters” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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The legendary beast returns in Godzilla: Part 1 “Planet of the Monsters” and Netflix, arguably, gives the monster it’s just due.

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Director(s)	Kōbun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita
Screenplay By	Gen Urobuchi
Date Released (US)	1/17/2018
Genre(s)	Anime, Action, Monster Movie
Noted Actors
Haruo	Mamoru Miyano
Yuko	Kana Hanazawa
Metphies	Takahiro Sakurai
Galu-Gu	Junichi Suwabe
Leland	Daisuke Ono
Belu-Be	Kenta Miyake

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Summary

20 years or 20,000 years. No matter how you calculate the time it has been since the humans have abandoned the Earth, alongside the Exif and Bilusaludia, arguably they have just been buying time. For already, it was shown that sustainably life on another planet is slim. It was even calculated that over the course of 20 years, there would be a 0.1% chance of finding a habitable home. Thus, the return to Earth and coming face to face, for some once more, with Godzilla.

A battle around 600 face, and eventually led by one named Haruo. An Earthling who saw the death of his parents, thanks to the hand of Godzilla, and only due to one Central Committee traitor/manipulator, Metphies, does his plan for revenge get enacted. Though, as we all know, no legendary monster, whether of the action or horror genre, stays down forever or can be taken down without a large number of sacrifices.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Is Yuko the sister of Haruo or did she just call his grandpa her grandpa as an affectionate term? As if all elders were all the young one’s grandparents?

Highlights

For A Introduction To Godzilla, This Was Awesome

I’ve never watched a Godzilla movie before this. I, of course, was aware of who it was, probably played a video game with it in there, maybe even drew a picture as a kid. However, as for sitting down and watching a movie or cartoon, I never did that before. Yet, and recognizing like most monster movies, there are probably terrible ones in the franchise, call me impressed to the point of being curious about past entries.

If only because, the main focus of Godzilla – Part 1: Planet of the Monsters, is more so about the fight against Godzilla than what led to it appearing, being created, and things of that nature. But what we do get to see, which is Haruo take what seems to be a rather small team to fight something the size of a skyscraper, with the circumference of a mountain, is quite eye-opening. Especially in regards to the same animation style as BLAME used to convey all this.

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You know, the sort of weird CGI style which, for Godzilla, works really good, but creates a less than aesthetically pleasing look for people. Making them look the evolution of whatever is used to make Bob The Builder.

It Pairs Scientific Mumbo-Jumbo with Lamens Terms

With the advance technology presented, which allows humanity, and what is similar to that, to exist, naturally, there is some need to explain the various abilities of the Gematron A.I. or software. That is, alongside how flesh and bone, with some hulks of metal, can kill a being which couldn’t be killed by 140 nuclear warheads being dropped in its vicinity. Luckily though, as the movie deep dives into specifics, and possibly losing those who may not be the biggest sci-fi nerds, usually after a long sentence, which nearly seems like rambling, someone gives a one or two summary in basic terms.

On The Fence

It Takes A While To Figure Who Is Who

For those, like me, who sometimes need more than a face but a backstory to remember who a character is, you may have some issues here. If only because, Haruo is the sole character we truly get to know. When it comes to Colonel Leland, Metphies, Yuko and the rest, while you may remember who they are by the end of the film, I do feel, depending on the gap between movies, there may be a serious stumble in the sequel picking up who is who.

Yuko maybe easily identifiable since she is the sole woman who gets to speak, which is an issue within itself, but some like Galu-gu and Belu-be, within an hour of watching the film, there is a struggle to remember who was who and I don’t think I could identify them in a lineup. If even, if they were side by side, not having to guess which one was which. Even if they told me what they did in the movie.

For, just in general, while Haruo you connect with since he is the lead, and Metphies you can identify because he is Haruo’s right-hand man, and Yuko since, again, sole woman who speaks, possibly in the whole movie, everyone seems damn near interchangeable.

Overall: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Taking note of the film’s ending, and after credit scene, it seems there is a huge amount that the first film has simply only touched on. Making what is the length of a full movie, seem only like a pilot. And though not the biggest sci-fi or action fan, Godzilla – Part 1: Planet of the Monsters, has me hooked. It made its monster formidable, gave us a simple but likable hero, and while there wasn’t a huge cast of noteworthy characters, there is such a potential for the future that it feels strangely okay.

Almost as if, they don’t want you worrying about those like Galu-gu and investing in them for they want all of your emotions and commitment focused on this one kid. Everyone else may be named, but ultimately are expendable but this one person. For they are the savior and the rest disciples.

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