To whomever it may concern,
The 70th anniversary of Godzilla may have passed, but here at the offices of R&R, we celebrate Kaiju all year long. It’s a New Year, and we’re a little late getting round to it, but prepare yourselves (all dozen of you that read this), for what we have lovingly dubbed KAIJUANUARY!
In the west, Kaiju films are still considered by many to be a rather niche genre, so a brief explanation may be necessary for the uninitiated. Kaiju is a Japanese word derived from ‘Kai’, which means mystery, apparition, or spectre, and ‘Ju’ which means beast. Together they essentially translate to great big fuck off monster. The film that truly kicked off the genre is Godzilla (1954), and its creators drew much inspiration from earlier movies King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Since then, the genre has birthed a whole lot of massive creature features and TV shows, including Attack on Titan, Ultraman, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Power Rangers, and Gamera. In the western world, the best examples of Kaiju in cinema include Pacific Rim, Cloverfield, and of course, the American Monsterverse movies. And almost all of them are pretty damn good.
Why are they pretty damn good? Because they contain great big fuck off monsters! These films may have gone from rubber suits and cardboard cities to CGI, but what remains is the spectacle. I mean, the visual appeal alone is irresistible, in the same way that we flock to disaster movies, or rubberneck a car wreck. Seeing huge creatures run amok and flatten buildings taps into our primal fears, and that makes for a heart pounding experience.
That’s not all though. You’ll be told by the boring folk that Kaiju aren’t highbrow, that they’re mindless horror flicks made for knuckle dragging zombies who would applaud a porno and tip a car commercial for the Oscar nomination in screen writing. Those people are wrong. Kaiju films may appear to be all about massive destructive monsters, but they’re brimming with socio-political commentary. Look at the original Godzilla, the zeitgeist of the atomic age. Not just a metaphor for nuclear weapons and their indiscriminate destruction of lives, cities, and communities, but an indictment of war itself. Are you more bothered by pollution? Godzilla Vs. Hedorah is the film for you. The grinding ineptitude of bureaucracy in the face of emergency got you down? Watch Shin Godzilla. Whatever allegory you fancy, there’s a Godzilla flick for you.
So, whether it’s the complex themes, awe-inspiring action, or the great big fuck off eco warrior monsters, Kaiju movies have something for everyone. And that’s why we’re spending this month celebrating them and all their gigantic glory. We hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Yours colossally,
R&R Investigations
