Film Review: Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (Gojira, Ebirâ, Mosura: Nankai no Daiketto)

Godzilla's back, and he's hungry for some lobster meat! Taking place on a remote island with secret underground military lairs and a bunch of natives, the sea monster Ebirah is just one unique entity in this colorfully fantastic addition to Godzilla's saga.

The actual monster combat is pretty limited in this film, and what you see is ultimately short and silly. When Godzilla and Ebirah clash, they initially throw rocks back and forth at each other, like some kind of monster-sized volleyball match. When they clash again, they have a more prolonged struggle, but the cheesy rubber-suit acting often makes it more funny than exciting. And then Mothra shows up, just for fun. And, for whatever reason, a giant bird appears to claw at Godzilla's head. When all the monsters aren't doing battle, the film still maintains a very light, colorful, and campy tone as the characters explore an island that almost seems to be a mix between Skull Island and Dr. No's island. The film overall is silly, but the camp strikes a perfect level that's not too overbearing, and keeps the film evenly entertaining throughout.

The story's pretty wild; it tracks a group of energetic dudes who sail to an island and wind up facing a military nuclear weapons base, headed by an overzealous commander with a wicked eyepatch. They hook up with a hot native girl, and Godzilla just happens to be sleeping nearby; the guys come up with the brilliant idea to wake him up, so that all hell can break loose. Definitely not a great story, but it's full of endearing characters, and the plot is laid-back enough that it's easy to digest. The classic themes of nuclear warfare are touched upon, but it's hard to tell what this film is trying to say about it (if anything, really).

This film uses good, colorful, and steady photography and editing. Acting is pretty silly and over-the-top. Writing gets the job done. This production uses some cheap-looking sets, props, and costumes. Some of the special effects hold up, and others don't. The music is okay, matching the film's lightheartedness.

There's a lot to laugh at in this film, but with its campy tone and colorful scenes, it's clearly doesn't take itself seriously either. And it is pretty fun that way.

3.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Average)