Colossal (2016)

Colossal (2016)

5/10

Starring

Anne Hathaway

Jason Sudeikis

Dan Stevens

Austin Stowell

Tim Blake Nelson

Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

The movie isn’t bad, but it’s very hard to recommend to anyone.

Colossal has a lot of gaps, like the connection between the monster and the human, or what caused it in the first place. Sure, there’s lightning and some room for imagination, but why just these two people? Why aren’t there other monsters in other places controlled by other people?

That said, the movie isn’t bad to watch, and it’s not boring. The producers managed to use a small cast to deliver their message effectively.

Colossal doesn’t have impressive CGI, so don’t go looking for that. There’s no monster-on-monster action either, so don’t expect that. The only thing that makes this movie worth watching is the performances of the actors. Anne Hathaway, in particular, is amazing in this film.

Here’s the plot: Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a struggling, unemployed writer and a raging alcoholic. She’s been getting by by taking advantage of her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens). When Tim gets tired of her refusal to change her ways, he dumps her, packs her things, and tells her to leave. With no other options, Gloria returns to her childhood home in New England. There, she reconnects with an old childhood friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who runs a bar and offers her a job.

Gloria starts working at the bar and hanging out with Oscar’s two friends, drinking with them regularly. One night, after another drinking session, she passes out on a bench near a children’s playground. At the same time, a giant reptilian monster appears in Seoul, causing massive destruction and killing many people.

When Gloria wakes up, she realizes she’s somehow connected to the monster. She discovers she can control its movements, as the monster mirrors her actions. She shares this secret with Oscar and his friends, showing them proof.

The movie would’ve been a complete mess if this was all it had to offer, as the buildup to this point isn’t particularly entertaining, and it’s hard to see where the story is going. But then, we learn that Oscar is a possessive individual with serious mental issues. Later, another monster appears in Seoul.

The movie wasn’t a financial success, and if you don’t get around to seeing it, you’re not missing much. It fails on many levels, and even thought the cast on their own can carry movies to make them memorable, in this flick, that did not happen.