Godzilla (2014)

17/5/2014

Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: Max Borenstein (screenplay), Dave Callaham
Actors: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan  Cranston, Ken Watanabe

Director Gareth Edwards had a massive task ahead of him, bringing the Godzilla franchise to the Western audience. This is no easy feat, after the sour taste left in viewer’s mouths due to the woeful 2000 screen adaption of Godzilla starring the hapless Matthew Broderick.

Did the team pull it off and warm the hearts of us rabid Kaiju fans?

Yes and no.

The film  starts off in the Philippines where a duo of eggs are found in an underground chasm, these ancient eggs have laid dormant for millions of years, but one has opened and its contents gone for walkabouts.

Joe Brody, played by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, is going about his normal day at a Nuclear Power plant in Japan, until seismic disturbances of an increasing rate cause the plant to implode on itself and cause an alleged meltdown. Was this the cause of something simply malfunctioning at the plant? Or something more sinister?

Cut forward 15 years and Joe is still adamant it wasn’t technical at all, and is aware the government is hiding something…

Without going into too much detail, as spoilers aren’t my thing, the film is set up with its main storyline within the first 30 minutes. And, as it is a Godzilla film, its wafer thin, I mean, you’re watching a giant monster flick, not Oldboy.

So let’s skip past the filler of “son going to help his Dad in Japan” and warming scenes of “Come home soon sweetie..” and let’s get to the thick of it.

After what seems like a lengthy lead up to the inevitable…we see a Giant monster rampaging through a military base, and wow, this is where it finally shifts into gear and provides the audience what they came to see.

The effects on the monsters themselves are quite amazing, and really add a sense of scale and realism to their hulking frames. Godzilla himself, when he’s finally revealed, is a distant visage of the old “rubber suit” days.

Giant monsters bash and crash through cityscapes and oceans in what can only described as visually orgasmic.

The cinematography is inspired and there are some amazing scenes that will leave a visual impact, but one of my main gripes with it was there is an abundance of POV (Point of view) shots when the Monsters are battling. Whether it’s behind a window, or looking through a car windscreen with its wipers going full tilt, it struck me as irritating as it hindered my ability to see the monsters fully. I understand that they wanted you to feel as if you were there, but realistically I want to see it in all its glory, not peeping through a keyhole.

So I guess, the question is, will old school Zilla fans dig it? Yes indeed. I myself am a big geek for all the earlier films starting from the original classic up to the fantastic Final Wars. Whereas you’d take the earlier films with a grain of salt, and had a chuckle at the guys in monkey suits, the 2014 Godzilla film is a worthy addition to the series. It’s serious at times, perhaps a little too serious for its own good. But at the end of the day its paid homage to the originals, and has, in my eyes honored Godzilla himself. Washed away are the memories of Hollywood’s last iteration, and here’s hoping for a sequel.

So all in all, Godzilla is a great film, despite the thin storyline, and weak “human” characters, just take it for what it is, a Kaiju film, nothing else. Powerful visuals, great action and cheap thrills. Godzilla had amazing visual effects, ominous musical score and good old monster bash scene, however it also had a very thin storyline, forgettable cast (not the monsters though!) and the cinematography was a bit “Blair Witch” at times

Definitely worth checking out on the big screen.

Highlight: Standout moment for me in Godzilla?  The glowing spikes on Godzilla’s back, when that happens, you know its about to go down! Plasma Breath style!

Score: 7/10

Written by Tim