THERE’S A BIG HEART IN THIS “BIG MAN“

“Big Man Japan” just opened at the Loft Cinema. This is not a monster action movie, or a satire of monster action movies. Or anything else like that.

Thinking back to the 1950s, it seems like we watched and made fun of those “Godzilla” flicks for a lot of stateside years before anyone noticed the connection between Godzilla and Japan’s love-hate relationship with the United States.

People will be doing an about-face on “Big Man Japan,” too. You read it here first.

Right now American film reviewers appreciate writer/director/comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto’s understated film with its fantasy cheese effects as some kind of accidental genius. Those are the favorable reviews.

The unfavorable critics don’t even give it that much thought. “Amateurish” is a popular label.

What nobody gets is the philosophical imperative. Matsumoto understands the future of fame. You could draw parallels between the decline of SONY video games and the sad demise of Japan’s last traditional super hero, his name loosely translated as Big Man Japan.

Looking dumpy as an unranked Sumo wrestler trying to appear taller with his fiercely brushed Don King hairstyle, Big Man Japan doesn’t get any respect from the people he serves or the government he protects.

Granted, even the Godzilla-sized monsters aren’t nearly as intimidating as they used to be. An entire population raised to be resourceful hates the idea Big Man Japan is the only one who can save them.

When he does save his city from such lame threats as the Stink Monster and the Evil Stare Monster, the people hate him even more. If he accidently steps on a few cars or, heaven forbid, cracks a freeway bridge the outcry is much worse.

But being a super hero is in his blood (literally) and like yesterday’s ink-stained journalists who hate today’s computers, Big Man Japan keeps showing up for work because it is who he is. Even though the job destroyed his own family, took the life of his father and left his grandfather addled with dementia, Big Man Japan will not quit.

There is a human-sized dimension to this giant-sized super hero’s nobility, as well. Most of the time Big Man Japan is just a mumbling middle-aged single guy who doesn’t belong anyplace. His moments of greatness are when the nearest power station jolts him with mega-watts and his body pumps up to become Big Man Japan. But the thrill is definitely gone.

Anyone who has ever felt bypassed or displaced by society’s relentless march of progress will know the feeling. What encourages us all is his determination to see it through – to stay the course. For even if there is little to gain, it is still better than the shame of giving up.

What we all need every day is the stoic gumption of Big Man Japan. See him, appreciate him and try to live like him…without stepping on any more cars.