Godzilla, as an idea, is not complicated. He is a large, God-like lizard capable of great destruction and power. The Godzilla films of the past pay respect to Godzilla as a mystical being, as something to be feared as a vengeful deity, or revered as a benevolent savior, depending on the particular plot. But, Godzilla as conceived in 1950’s Japan is a symbol of the dangers of atomic weaponry and warfare. He is a sci-fi veiled warning that an unabated nuclear arms race poses a grave threat to all of humanity. This aspect is absent any and all American attempts at portraying the titanic lizard on screen, as the ideas which Godzilla symbolize are replaced by cheap destruction, CGI, and failed attempts at providing a human element to the story. The substance is gone, and no amount of scenery-chewing A-listers can bring it back.
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Plot and Theme 