Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

[ゴジラ ファイナル ウォーズ]

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring: Masahiro Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Don Frye

Synopsis:
As the Earth Defense Force battles the kaijuu threat around the world, an alien race appears offering to assist humanity.

Impressions:
Watching this right after the miserable experience that was Godzilla 2000, what a difference. From the opening scene, it's totally bonkers, balls-to-the-wall action that shamelessly embraces its cheesiness and I absolutely love it for that. Few Godzilla films can match the gravitas of the original, but rather than making a clumsy attempt to do so, this movie is just here to have fun. You get loads of big action sequences that may look silly, but the energy is infectious. We even have a cheeky jab at the '98 Godzilla, which is fun for people who don't like that movie. Usually the human side of the story is the weakest part of these films and while this one doesn't waste too much time on it, it's probably the most interesting with its big over-the-top personalities and wild setting. Among the human (and humanoid) cast, I particularly liked Don Frye as Captain Gordon (whose got some Jesse Ventura vibes going on) and Kazuki Mitamura as the delightfully smarmy villain. My biggest criticism is the rather bad translation in the subtitle track. All told, this makes for a fine love letter to the franchise on its 50th anniversary. If you're looking for some fun and aren't taking things too seriously, you definitely should give this a watch.

Rating:
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