Director: Gareth Edwards
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence)
Running Time: 123 Mins
Tagline: "A king's arrival is never silent"
Before I get into the review, let me advise that there are plenty of spoilers up ahead, so if you haven't viewed the movie yet, please do so. Now, that we have that cleared up, lets talk about the movie. This time around we have Gareth Edwards helming directorial duties instead of Roland Emmerich, who is a far better choice. Roland is known for making epic destruction movies with paper thing plots; sometimes they work (Independence Day) and sometimes it doesn't (all of his other movies) Gareth on the other hand is known primarily for his work on the low budget movie "Monsters" which he wrote and directed. I will admit, I wasn't very pleased with his film Monsters, he did the best he could with the budget he had, I just was not that interested in the human characters in that particular film. So, in many ways, I was skeptical of his work in the new adaptation of Godzilla...but at the same time I was positive it would surpass the mediocre 98 flick.
Suffice it to say, this new version does not disappoint, it is a relentless movie with greats amount of action...in the last 20 minutes. Yes, that was a little bit of sarcasm there. Godzilla's presence is very minuscule in comparison to all the other films. The director did a similar approach here as he did in Monsters- hide the creature as much as possible until the third act of the film. While I enjoy films that hide the main monster for a great length of their film (ex: Jaws) the way it was done in this film was a bit of a two edged sword. At times it just felt frustrating, and other times it got you pumped- wanting to see more, it was a big tease for a great deal of the movie. However, the last fight scene between Godzilla and the two other MUTOS was amazing, if they had used that just a little more instead of just showing us news footage, I would have rated the movie higher.
Now aside the negatives mentioned, the movie has more positive notes to mention. One of the best things the movie offers is the human story element; unlike "Monsters" I was actually invested and cared for the human characters in this movie. We get to see all of this cataclysm through the eyes of a young lieutenant ( Aaron Taylor Johnson) who for the most part of the film presents a likable character trying to cope with the loss of his mother. We also have Bryan Cranston playing the role of a distraught scientist who is sure that the government is hiding potential important information from the public. While Cranston's appearance in the film can be summed up to a little more than a cameo, it is perhaps some of the best acting in the film. Had they used Cranston more in the movie, I felt it would have elevated the film more, his acting performance and sheer of emotion presented in the mere first 10 minutes is nothing short of spectacular.
So, is Godzilla worth the price of admission? Yes, but keep in mind that you are viewing a movie centered more on human story rather than mindless monster fighting. Initially, I was very upset at the approach, but come to think of it, it's nice to see a movie where there isn't something blowing up every 5 seconds (ex: Transformers) and instead center more on character development. Yes, the movie might center a little to much on the human side of the story, but regardless, it works very well for the film. I am tired of this ADHD nation that can't stay still unless something is blowing up or a scene is not crazily edited or quickly paced. Come to think of it, those who complain about the pacing of the film have a problem with their attention span; have some patience and you might just enjoy the film.
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence)
Running Time: 123 Mins
Tagline: "A king's arrival is never silent"
THE MOVIE ITSELF:
It's been almost sixteen years since the disastrous american adaptation of Godzilla...and believe me I don't want to remember that movie. It was only a matter of time for someone to come along and bring life again to our favorite fire breathing monster. So, do we get that in this new remake from Gareth Edwards? Well, to be quite honest, Hell yeah!
Before I get into the review, let me advise that there are plenty of spoilers up ahead, so if you haven't viewed the movie yet, please do so. Now, that we have that cleared up, lets talk about the movie. This time around we have Gareth Edwards helming directorial duties instead of Roland Emmerich, who is a far better choice. Roland is known for making epic destruction movies with paper thing plots; sometimes they work (Independence Day) and sometimes it doesn't (all of his other movies) Gareth on the other hand is known primarily for his work on the low budget movie "Monsters" which he wrote and directed. I will admit, I wasn't very pleased with his film Monsters, he did the best he could with the budget he had, I just was not that interested in the human characters in that particular film. So, in many ways, I was skeptical of his work in the new adaptation of Godzilla...but at the same time I was positive it would surpass the mediocre 98 flick. Suffice it to say, this new version does not disappoint, it is a relentless movie with greats amount of action...in the last 20 minutes. Yes, that was a little bit of sarcasm there. Godzilla's presence is very minuscule in comparison to all the other films. The director did a similar approach here as he did in Monsters- hide the creature as much as possible until the third act of the film. While I enjoy films that hide the main monster for a great length of their film (ex: Jaws) the way it was done in this film was a bit of a two edged sword. At times it just felt frustrating, and other times it got you pumped- wanting to see more, it was a big tease for a great deal of the movie. However, the last fight scene between Godzilla and the two other MUTOS was amazing, if they had used that just a little more instead of just showing us news footage, I would have rated the movie higher. So, is Godzilla worth the price of admission? Yes, but keep in mind that you are viewing a movie centered more on human story rather than mindless monster fighting. Initially, I was very upset at the approach, but come to think of it, it's nice to see a movie where there isn't something blowing up every 5 seconds (ex: Transformers) and instead center more on character development. Yes, the movie might center a little to much on the human side of the story, but regardless, it works very well for the film. I am tired of this ADHD nation that can't stay still unless something is blowing up or a scene is not crazily edited or quickly paced. Come to think of it, those who complain about the pacing of the film have a problem with their attention span; have some patience and you might just enjoy the film.
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