After a whopping 28 Godzilla films produced by Japan’s Toho over the last six decades, I appreciate the fact that a new approach was taken for the highly-anticipated 29th effort, Shin Godzilla. As much as I enjoy the series, a reboot (the franchise’s third) can be a good way to break up the redundancy and try something different; I’m just surprised this is the direction in which they decided to go.

Despite being the main draw, it has never been uncommon for Godzilla to appear sparingly in films while the focus was drawn to human characters embroiled in the chaos. It was largely due to budgetary reasons, as the intricate miniature work was expensive and time consuming, but there’s also something to be said about too much of a good thing. 90 minutes of Big G destruction sounds like bliss in theory, but it would grow tiresome. In Shin Godzilla, however, the monster serves as little more than an impetus for a political procedural.

When an underwater disturbance is detected in Tokyo Bay, the first of the film’s ongoing meetings between Japan’s top government officials is held. It’s not just that the viewer knows Godzilla is responsible that makes these conferences - and the film at large - particularly tedious, but rather the fact that so little is ever accomplished. Perhaps that’s an intentional commentary on bureaucracy, but watching it unfold on film is as frustrating as it is for the characters living it.

The unpredictable monster is always one step ahead of the humans, often negating their previous issue by posing a new, more dire dilemma. Each thwarted attempt to devise a strategy only raises new questions. What is the creature? Do they capture, exterminate, or expel it? Is it capable of coming ashore? How do they evacuate the population? Will foreign nations provide assistance? Should nuclear weapons be employed to stop it?

Prime Minister Seiji Okochi (Ren Ohsugi, Audition) is faced with some weighty decisions and consequences to consider. He reluctantly calls for the first military action since World War II and enlists the aid of the United States. Neither gunfire nor tanks nor missiles have any effect on the monster, but Godzilla becomes incapacitated after expending all of its energy with its atomic blasts. He spends a good chunk of the movie in a dormant state as a result. Even still, the political vacuum struggles to gain control of the situation, fighting the clock before the monster is resuscitated.

The first full view of Godzilla - occurring an unprecedented 15 minutes in - is not just disappointing; it’s downright laughable. I actually thought it might be a hoax within the film, as it toys with found footage, but alas this is the real deal. It’s not the king of the monsters viewers know and love; it’s a serpentine beast that haphazardly crawls on its stomach. Its eyes are supposed to resemble those of a fish, I presume, but they look more like big, googly eyes.

Thankfully, this incarnation of Godzilla doesn’t last long, as it is an evolving life form. This is merely the first of four stages, becoming less cartoony with each transformation. Its ultimate form stands 389 feet tall, making it the biggest Godzilla ever put on film. Once you get past the disproportionately long tail, the new design is impressive. The CGI, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Although the destruction of Tokyo looks fine, Godzilla himself lacks a realistic texture. The video game-like quality will leave fans longing for the days of a man in a rubber suit.

The political aspects are handled with an Aaron Sorkin-esque precision by co-directors Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Shinji Higuchi (Attack on Titan), but ennui is the issue here. Anno’s script relies solely on Godzilla’s presence as conflict; there’s no drama or tension beyond a ticking clock. In addition to an abundance of dry dialogue, the film is bogged down by a barrage of characters. It’s more realistic than having one main character conveniently present at every important event (a major issue in the 2014 American reboot of Godzilla), but it’s impossible to develop them.

The two characters who stand out the most are both portrayed by actors who appeared in Higuchi’s Attack on Titan movies. Hiroki Hasegawa plays the first official to suspect that the disturbance is being caused by a large marine creature after seeing a viral video. He’s the main character, but if not for his introduction, he could be swapped out with any one of the people who shuffle in and out of the story. Satomi Ishihara’s role as ambassador to the President of the United States requires her to fumble over English dialogue while professing her desire to one day be President herself.

Remember how you felt watching all the Galactic Senate meetings in the Star Wars prequels? Okay, Shin Godzilla isn’t that bad, but it’s not quite the triumphant return for which fans were hoping either. The kaiju action is sublime, but it’s too few and far between to sate over a decade of waiting, nevermind the tedium within the film. However, Toho’s fearlessness in taking the iconic property in a modern direction while retaining key elements is likely to reinvigorate Godzilla buffs’ excitement for the franchise.