Shin Godzilla(2016)

Submitted by Evan B

This Japanese film serves as a reboot of the Godzilla franchise.
Pooper:
The Japanese eventually manage to successfully freeze Godzilla, thus avoiding the UN/US dropping a nuclear bomb on Tokyo to destroy the monster. Although the day is saved for now, the world tells Japan that it will commence a nuclear strike if Godzilla ever thaws. We then learn that before being defeated, Godzilla had begun to give birth to other monstrous creatures.

Long Ending:
One day, a disturbance in one of Japan’s bays leads to the flooding of a major tunnel and destruction of a research boat. The Japanese government soon determines that the flood is being caused by a massive, unknown aquatic creature. The government tries to keep this discovery from the press, but the creature defies expert predictions and crawls onto the land. The creature crawls on its belly and begins making its way towards Tokyo. The Prime Minister orders Japan’s self-defense forces to attack the monster.

As the forces approach, the monster suddenly evolves. It grows stubby arms and the ability to stand upright on its hind legs. The attack is called off when civilians are confirmed to still be in the area. To everyone’s surprise, the creature then heads back into the water. A research team is formed and led by a government administrator named Rando Yaguchi (Hiroki Hasegawa). The team determines that the creature is somehow nuclear powered and that everywhere it travelled has experienced elevated radiation levels. Yaguchi is put in touch with Kayoko Ann Patterson (Satomi Ishihara), a special envoy from the USA. She eventually shares data the US already had on the creature, which has been named Godzilla. The creature had been discovered by a Japanese ex-pat living in the US who was the owner of the research boat that was destroyed at the beginning. Godzilla (now called “Gojira” by the Japanese) was mutated after ingesting toxic waste dumped in the ocean. With the US research, Yaguchi’s team is able to determine that Godzilla has a wholly unique genetic structure allowing it to evolve quickly into new forms (and they theorize that Godzilla may be immortal). The team notes that after evolving, Godzilla must rest to allow his nuclear-laced blood to cool off (thus explaining why it retreated back to the water after evolving).

Godzilla soon reemerges from the sea in a much larger and scarier configuration before (basically its traditional form). It begins stomping its way towards Tokyo. The Prime Minister orders an evacuation and orders the Self-Defense Forces to attack regardless of any non-evacuated civilians or collateral damage that the attack may cause. Although the Forces manage to slow Godzilla, their weapons are unable to penetrate Godzilla’s now armor-plated body. Godzilla eventually reaches Tokyo (which is still being evacuated) and begins wreaking havoc. The United States decides to send in stealth bombers to attack. Yaguchi’s team goes into the subway system while the Prime Minister and the majority of cabinet staff prepare to be airlifted out of the capital. The bombs from the US forces manage to penetrate Godzilla’s armor and wound the monster. However, to everyone’s surprise, Godzilla reveals its new abilities to breath fire and shoot nuclear rays out of not only its mouth but each of its dorsal fins on its back. The rays destroy the US bombers and the helicopters containing the Prime Minister and his crew. Godzilla then lights much of Tokyo on fire before going into hibernation to restore its energy.

With Japan’s government largely decimated, the new Prime Minister (formerly the Agricultural Minister) agrees to a US/UN resolution to drop a nuclear bomb on Tokyo to destroy Godzilla. The Americans are particularly concerned that Godzilla will swim to the West Coast of the US if allowed to continue its rampage. Not willing to see a nuclear weapon dropped on her ancestors’ homeland, Kayoko risks her career (and presidential ambitions) by sharing top secret information with Yaguchi’s team. The remaining Japanese government leaders also recruit scientists from around the globe to facilitate their research and convince France to negotiate a delay in the nuclear strike. Yaguchi’s team develops a strategy to freeze Godzilla by injecting the monster with coolant. The Japanese government manages to get the coolant and transport for it just before Godzilla awakens.

Yaguchi puts the Japanese plan into action. They use US drones (obtained by Kayoko) and subway trains full of bombs to distract Godzilla. The monster again uses its nuclear breath (and a new skill, the ability to shoot nuclear beams from its tail) to attack the unmanned attacks. Soon, however, Godzilla becomes exhausted and is no longer able to use its nuclear attacks. Explosives planted in nearby buildings cause Tokyo skyscrapers to collapse on Godzilla and pin the monster down. Modified cranes then emerge to shoot the coolant into Godzilla’s mouth. They successfully inject all coolant, but Godzilla manages to get back on its feet. It seems the plan failed, but before Godzilla can begin attacking, the monster freezes from the inside out.

Yaguchi’s team determines that the half life of the radiation blasted out by Godzilla is relatively short and that Tokyo and the other destroyed towns and cities can be rebuilt in the near future. The Japanese people’s pride in themselves is restored by their successful defense and avoidance of the nuclear bomb. The UN and US agree that Godzilla may remain frozen, but state that they will still drop a nuclear bomb should the monster ever thaw. Kayoko is deemed a hero, closer than ever to competing for the US presidency. She encourages Yaguchi to pursue his political ambitions and perhaps one day become Prime Minister. Before the credits roll, the camera shows a close-up of Godzilla’s tail. There, we see monstrous humanoid creatures were being birthed from Godzilla’s tail (another evolution) but that the monsters were also frozen by the coolant.