Godzilla film’s have always been best enjoyed with a beer (or two…maybe just break out the whiskey), but “Monster Planet” is the first film in the long series that is best enjoyed with the television off. There’s no drug on Earth potent enough to help me enjoy this trash.
Granted I’m coming at this film as a Godzilla fan, not an anime aficionado. I’m familiar enough with the big series, but I’d by know means describe myself as a fan of anime. Still, I struggle to see even the most trash consuming, self hating, katana carrying, selfdescribed weeaboo in Japan seeing “Monster Planet as anything beyond an utter failure.
The one thing “Monster Planet” has in common with 2014’s Godzilla reboot is it’s utter lack of the titular monster. Seriously, Godzilla’s in this thing for like, 15 minutes. It’s a cartoon, so budget restraints aren’t a problem. Or maybe they were, as 90 percent of the animation is poorly dubbed, melodramatic space marines flapping their lips. The same shot of Godzilla using his radioactive breathe is used repeatedly as well, giving a weird Hanna-Barbera feel to what’s supposed to be a serious movie.
One thing Zilla fan’s might appreciate is the the big green meanie is finally mean again. After decades playing humanities savior, evil Godzilla is back in all his city destroying, human stomping glory. And with the little screen time he gets, Godzilla does get some pretty dope ass scenes, like blasting a line of fleeing buses that happen to contain our (whiny, emo haired) protagonists parents. That was worth a morbid chuckle.
Maybe I’m just not into this type of anime, or maybe I just like watching good movies. Godzilla’s supposed to be fun. Cartoon Godzilla seems like it could be even funner. Too bad “Monster Planet” is a radioactive sludge heap.
