‘Shin Godzilla’ is a new kind of monster in a new kind of war movie

I don’t know exactly how to translate “Shin Godzilla.”

All I know is that this reboot is a war movie. It’s about countries who mistrust other countries, about an unprepared country that must get ready to battle an unknown enemy with incredible strength, and by the turmoil the main characters face with each other.

This movie first was released in 2016. It was released last week in the United States because GKIDS got the rights to distribute it in North America – smart marketing after so many people enjoyed “Godzilla Minus One.”

The movie begins with a nuclear waste dump for which the United States is responsible. It doesn’t take long before leaders in Japan realize something big – something unexpected – is going on in the water.

Various people and agencies react to the great monster, which undergoes various transformations and doesn’t look much like the monster audiences have recognized for decades. Politicians and scientists try to figure out exactly what the monster feeds on, whether they can track its path, and how much destruction it may leave.

Godzilla at first resembles an eel-like creature with a preposterously huge backside and gills that reflect its aquatic origins.

While it lumbers along, we see crowds of terrified residents and scared administrators who know that now they must evolve, too … or millions of people could be lost. Meanwhile, buildings crumble.

This is a war movie. Teams assigned to various tasks assemble. Some people are so dedicated they sleep at their workstations.

And the beast continues to change.

Directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi keep the action going, even in dialogue-driven scenes.

Godzilla is onscreen much of the time. But the real stars here are the people who find themselves in a battle with a foe that very well may have strength they cannot imagine. It’s a different kind of Godzilla – and a different kind of war movie.

3 1/2 stars

Running time: Two hours.

Rated: PG-13 for monster-driven violence, scenes of death and foul language.

In theaters. In Japanese, with some versions dubbed and others with subtitles.

Watch the trailer here.

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