Anne Hathaway Gets Colossal (2016)


During the course of their history, monster movies (a.k.a. "creature features") have told stories about human prey fighting against superhuman predators. In some cases, the monsters may be portrayed as having a direct connection to humans, such as creator and creation (Frankenstein), a metaphor for human-made destruction (Godzilla), or the figurative monster within (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Wolf Man). Some of these connections between man-and-monster are easy to spot while others take a more abstract approach, such as the relationship between Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and the Id Monster in Forbidden Planet (1956). The abstract approach is what forms the plot of Colossal (2016), an unusual giant monster/kaiju movie that features Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. I finally got a chance to see this film the other week and I have to say that it is the most unique kaiju film I have ever seen.

Colossal begins with Gloria (Hathaway) leaving New York City and returning to her childhood home after she breaks up with her boyfriend. As she begins to rebuild and reevaluate her life through getting a new job and reuniting with her childhood friend Oscar (Sudeikis), she sees news footage of a towering kaiju terrorizing the city of Seoul in South Korea. She soon comes to realize that she has an inexplicable connection to the monster, and that even her most indifferent actions could have devastating consequences for people halfway around the world.

Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis in Colossal.

I remember hearing about this movie when it first appeared a few years ago and I couldn't imagine where such an outlandish story like this could go after it sets up the Gloria/kaiju connection. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised: Colossal uses its kaiju premise to thoughtfully explore issues such as addiction and abusive relationships--in particular, relationships that are not abusive at first but devolve into being so in such a way that they become incapable of repair. I was also impressed by how good the special effects are in Colossal: For such a strange premise, writer and director Nacho Vigalondo really wanted audiences to understand that Gloria's actions could wind up destroying an entire city if she isn't careful.

Without giving too much away, no explanation is given as to where the South Korean kaiju comes from or why it is connected to Gloria. It's like how Donnie Darko depicts time travel: it just happens spontaneously with no clear answer provided. Some might find this too frustrating or absurd to watch but I found this lack of explanation added to the whimsical, fable-like quality of the story, kind of like how films such as Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunlight of the Spotless Mind dabbled in science fiction to tell unique and bizarre modern fables of their own.

Big monster, big problem: The Colossal kaiju appearing in Seoul.

If you're looking for a kaiju clash along the lines of Pacific Rim or Godzilla vs. Kong, then this film is not for you. However, if you want to see the narrative trope of kaiju used in a unique and thought-provoking way, then I highly recommend Colossal. It's a one-of-a-kind movie that kaiju fans shouldn't miss.

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