2014's Godzilla is not directed by Roland Emmerich. That statement alone can swell up the heart of any Godzilla fan with utter joy. Gareth Edwards, director of the under-the-radar Sci-fi drama Monsters, takes a shot at reviving the radioactive monster; and revive him he did, in spectacular fashion. Before I "Fan-boy" all over this movie or something to that effect, let me begin with the things that were not so great. First thing coming to mind- the characters. With the exceptions of Godzilla and Bryan Cranston's character, who we don't see a lot on both accounts, no character in this movie is extremely interesting. Bryan Cranston, playing paranoid scientist and father to our lead Aaron Taylor Johnson, was great. He brought a powerful sense of desperation and emotion that let the audience invest in the story. Unfortunately, he doesn't stick around for long.
Even more unfortunate, the film changes focus to young Ford Brody, Cranston's character's son and played by Kick-Ass himself Aaron Taylor Johnson. Ford Brody is an extremely bland and boring character, no real way to sugar-coat it. It's likely due to a screenplay more detailed about spectacle than characters, not necessarily due to poor acting by Johnson, but the character lacks any sort of...well, character. While that is a bad thing, it's still preferable to the over-acted and over-written characters in Godzilla '98. While the characters were this movie's biggest drawback, it more than makes up for it with amazing visuals and superb pacing. As contemporary audiences of cinema, we have become too accustomed to in-your-face, loud, blunt, and excessive violence brought on by the Michael Bay's, and the Roland Emmerich's, and the Man of Steel's. We are now used to that final amazing action scene taking place in act 1, 2, and 3. Gareth Edwards has made a film that alludes back to the glory days of cinema; movies like Jurassic Park, Jaws, Aliens. With a story structure that allows time to build suspense, to build tension. We have all already seen Pacific Rim (or according to it's disappointing box office, some of us have), we have all seen Transformers. We have all seen how amazing special effects can be, how far they have come. So how can you make your special effect extravaganza memorable? You tell it in a way that was lost somehow during this style over substance era of film. That's what Godzilla does. It doesn't have it's action scenes in the beginning. It teases and teases until the end, until the payoff, and boy does this movie payoff! The fighting scenes between the MUTO and Godzilla were awe-inspiring, both due to it's visual effects and it's realism. Edwards utilizes action to his advantage, using it as frosting on his big scaly, atomic-breathing cake. In the end, the film does have it's flaws, like any movie. The human characters are bland for the most part, there are a few dry spots here and there, and there are a few moments that were a little TOO convenient. But overall, Godzilla is a movie that is a long set up and pay-off. There is a moment near the end in which Godzilla utilizes his most iconic atomic breath, and I can guarantee you, if he were to have done that in the first act, it would not have had the same impact. If you walk in expected Man of Steel, you are in for a disappointment. If you walk in expecting something more than that, more than mindless action designed to distract people from a lack of an interesting story, then you are in for a treat. Final Rating- B+
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