Colossal - Crim Reviews Movies
Colossal (2017)
From it's almost Godzilla-like opening, you know you are going to be watching something peculiar. Colossal takes us through a turning point in the life of Gloria (portrayed by Anne Hathaway). Stripped of her job under a severe case of alcoholism, she is forced to move back to her hometown in an attempt to push the restart button on her life. Gloria then reconciles with an old friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), where he helps to put Gloria back on her feet.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in South Korea, a giant reptilian monster ravages through the panicking streets of Seoul. You can see where the Godzilla comparison comes into play.
For as big as the monster is, Colossal intends to remain contained, much to its recent counterparts such as Pacific Rim and Godzilla (both of which I thoroughly enjoyed and even own the Blu-Rays). It also intends to be wholly original and strive to be its own independent entity in spite of familiar monster elements. Where the similarities end is a focus on the characters. They tend to become the weakness of monster movies (the main gripe I had with the latest Godzilla incarnation). In Colossal, they are the fold, glued by two stellar lead performances. Anne Hathaway keeps a reserved and subtle persona as Gloria, even within her moments of intoxication. Her reactions come off from a more grounded perspective, whether by the monster or by her newly reacquainted friends. A parallel runs between Gloria and the monster eventually revealed, which runs at the core of Colossal. Hathaway's performance is only partially overshadowed by an even more surprising one: that of Jason Sudeikis. Following a bout of usually familiar comedy roles (Hall Pass, Horrible Bosses, We're The Millers), his role in Colossal as Oscar breaks new mold for the actor. His progression throughout the film shows his capabilities.
Colossal moves at a brisk pace, though there's a sense of time progression lost near the second half in favor of character progression, which is noticeable (It works better in the first half in correlation to Gloria and her lifestyle). Some of the progression could play into the absurdity of the movie, but it doesn't always work. As for the story aspect, it plays better with its own absurdity. It certainly pays some homage to the classic kaiju flicks of the past. This time, it's mixed with the traits of independent film-making with more character-based elements, achieving a solid sense of footing in reality.
Progression is an issue that some may face watching this flick, although it builds to an ending that could make up for those issues. I can only describe it as a climax that had me smiling the entire way through (and also responsible for an extra half-star to my final rating). The movie, intent on building its rules, amounts itself by keeping to those rules. A movie with a premise as gloriously absurd as this kind could truly only build to something that proudly reinforces that trait. For as much as the exploitative spirit of monster movies runs with fervor in mainstream material, it's nice to see a movie that can run rampant with different results. Colossal shows that in the face of repetition, originality can be infused into those crevices. It's a film that should definitely not be missed.
Rating: ★★★★