Colossal

Enthusiasts of monster movies will be dumbfounded and even disorientated by the peculiarity of this film which is seemingly impossible to categorize in any particular genre.

This cinematic oddball centres on Gloria (Anne Hathaway) whose relationship with her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) has deteriorated owing to her partying ways. She returns to her hometown and reacquaints herself with Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), a childhood friend.

Gloria soon realises that she can control the actions of a Godzilla-like monster which is ravaging Seoul in South Korea and Oscar controls the actions of a huge robot.

As hostilities build in this rekindled friendship they vent their frustrations through these monsters leading to a showdown in the finale. This film explores the dark side of human nature and ultimately asks: who are the real monsters?

The originality of this far-fetched premise is the film’s most redeeming quality, but the excruciatingly slow momentum in the first half leads to interest waning and restlessness settling in.

Hathaway is a joy to watch and motor-mouthed Sudeikis is his usual annoying yet strangely likeable self on screen, but the performers can’t carry this film which fails to amuse or excite.

The mundane story of human deficiencies and relationship issues is cleverly but unsuccessfully hidden behind the monster facade and is ultimately a colossal disappointment.

★★1/2

Reviewed by Mark Morellini.