Having finally gotten the opportunity to see this in its entirety several times to go more in depth, I can easily say it has joined Shin Godzilla as one of my favorite Gojira films of all time. It has an exceptional cast, a great story and an extremely badass Godzilla. All of the emotional beats & the human story are played to perfection and meshes perfectly with the Kaiju devastation taking place.
One of the biggest reasons this is so enjoyable for me is because of the horror-esque elements but they were of course even better than I thought based on the initial trailers. In viewing again, I just really love how well shot those initial attacks were, definitely gave off JP vibes in terms of the terror at hand & the beautiful execution of it all (no pun intended). Probably overstated by now but man, this movie deserved every damn award its gotten & then some. A prime example of what modern filmmaking should be when its done right & telling a great story. While watching & even after, I just keep loving the design for Godzilla here more and more. I didn't ever have any issues with the design or effects because they're amazing but just seeing him fully just made me appreciate him so much more.
Best thing is the runtime is solid as well; not too long, not too short. It hits just right and doesn't feel cramped nor is it bare-bones. It's a serious take on Godzilla & a film that takes itself seriously, which gives further weight to the immensity of everything that happens because it isn't played for laughs.
Really can't wait to see what's cooked up for a sequel and, if this is their way of starting a new Godzilla cinematic universe, I'm all for it.
oldrazz:
