A scaled-down Godzilla-fest (heh, see what I did there?)

So, two years ago we started a new holiday tradition here: Godzilla-fest, the screening of Godzilla movies as we hang around on Xmas Day. In 2019 it was the Toho collection of the Hisei-era films (13 Godzilla movie and couple Mothra flicks), and in 2020 it was the Criterion Collection of the earlier Showa-era films (15 movies). This year, the film festival was a bit smaller: just one movie.

Shin Godzilla, released in 2016, is a different kind of Godzilla movie. First of all, while previous films either were sequels that directly followed (or retconned) the continuity or the earlier films or were reboots that ignored all the earlier films except the original 1954 Gojira, Shin Godzilla presents the big monster attacking Japan for the very first time. There's even a scene that drives the point home completely: after discovering a vanished scientist's notes that refer to the creature as Godzilla, one character Googles the name and only gets one hit - a regional folklore term meaning God Incarnate.

The movie also differs in tone: while there is significant kaiju vs. building and kaiju vs. Self-Defense Force action, the story really focuses on how the bloated bureaucracy of the Japanese government gets in the way of effective action, as every decision requires a committee meeting first, ministers protect their political careers before providing for public safety, and experts hedge their conclusions to avoid saying anything wrong and wind up saying nothing of substance. The chief of staff's first action to respond to the crisis is to re-organize the crisis response team; I laughed out loud.

This approach is all deliberate, of course: just as Gojira was a melancholy reflection on the Hiroshima bombing, Shin Godzilla is a critique of the government's response to the  Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which drew considerable criticism from different quarters.There are some selfless heroes who do the right thing for the right reasons, but to do so they have out-maneuver or flat-out ignore protocols and proper channels.

So, no struggles against MechaGodzilla or battles with King Ghidora, and no swooping Mothra to help or hinder Godzilla's plans; there was destruction aplenty, no doubt, accompanied by a thoughtful rumination on what it takes to be a public servant.

Perfect for a snowy Isaac Newton's Birthday afternoon.