By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
On Netflix
Spoiler Alert
Gojira has evolved with the times. Previous treatments during specific decades saw him as either a metaphor of systematic destruction, humanity’s relationship with nature, or simply be a reluctant hero. Ever since his introduction in 1954, the story direction had no definitive bible for future filmmakers to consult or even abide by. That eventually changed circa 1984 with Return of Godzilla (known as the Heisei era) where each film interconnects and again 1999 (Millennium). The ideas being offered per movie didn’t always pan out and the latest, starting with Shin Godzilla (2016) is getting way out there.
The series Godzilla: Singular Point depicts him as absolutely primordial. He is on an evolutionary path to destruction and rebirth. From a giant sea wurm to a dinosaur, he’s not to be reckoned with. Instead of a relic of a prehistoric age, he’s now a nexus point where all things (not necessarily human life) begin and end.