by MireGoji » Sat Aug 06, 2005 2:57 pm
I dunno about anyone else, but I'd like to champion Hiroshi Abe as one of the greatest acting performances in a Godzilla film. His character in Godzilla 2000: Millennium, Katagiri, I think is one of the best we've seen in the Millennium series.
Since Katagiri's the young and ambitious director of CCI, Abe gives him a slightly cocky side in his performance, as if he's convinced he can bring down Godzilla and later the Millennian UFO.
Though Ron Yuan makes Katagiri more snide in the TriStar version, Abe's very cold response to Miyasaka's statement that Shinoda's still in City Tower before the detonation deadline makes the scene that little bit more chilling - Abe shows that his character doesn't give a damn to anyone who might get in the way of both himself and his objective.
Finally, Abe gets one of the most wonderful demise sequences in kaiju eiga - Katagiri's failed to kill Godzilla, destroy the UFO and save Tokyo, so his response is fitting - he effectively commits suicide by not trying to escape from Godzilla's advance on the building on which he stands. He's defiant to the last, however, evidenced by his final scream before Godzilla kills him.
I think it's kind of a shame Katagiri was killed, I'd have like to have seen him return some day.
"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks."
- The Tenth Doctor, Smith and Jones
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