Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins
Director: Gareth Edwards
Rating: 3.5/5
Godzilla is one of the most iconic film monsters of all time, and he is back on the big screen this week as Gareth Edwards put his stamp on this well-known tale.
Edwards grabbed everyone’s attention when he made his debut with the terrific Monsters: this is his first film since that success, and the biggest film of his directing career to date.
This latest summer blockbuster
a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance, as humanity stands defenceless.
There is nothing better on the big screen then seeing two giant monsters go head to head… and that is exactly what we get with Godzilla
As for as special effects go, Godzilla is right on the money, there is nothing flimsy of cheesy Godzilla and the Mutos. They really do look fantastic, and the final battle scenes alone are worth the price of a ticket.
However, when I go to see a Godzilla movie, I expect a hell of a lot more Godzilla. He may have looked totally awesome when he was on screen, but he wasn’t screen anywhere near enough for my taste. There is no doubt he is the king of monsters, and I would have loved to revel in all his glory for a little bit longer.
While the human characters usually play second fiddle in a Godzilla movie, Edwards has made them the main focus and, overall, that does work.
Bryan Cranston is just terrific as a man who is desperate for the truth. His emotional performance does make the first half of the movie incredibly powerful, and I would like to have seen the emotion really feed all of the way through the film.
When Aaron Taylor-Johnson takes over the central role, that human drama really is lost - however, that is through not fault of the actor. Unlike Cranston, Taylor-Johnson isn’t given too much to get his teeth into when it came to the emotional side of things. Having said all of that, he is a likeable lead who you are rooting for to succeed.
Elizabeth Olsen is one of the most exciting actresses of her generation, so why she is so desperately underused in this film is a bit of a mystery. She cries a bit, runs a bit, and cries a little bit more and that is about it. She is a major talent who has totally gone to waste, which is such a major shame.
There’s no denying that Godzilla is action packed and quite slick, but the monster fan in everyone will be more than a little disappointed not to see more of this legendary creature.
The script almost goes out of its way to focus on the human story, instead of showing more of Godzilla doing battle. When we do get to the action set pieces they are spectacular, as Godzilla and the Mutos do battle in the centre of San Francisco.
It is clear that a lot of care and attention has gone into creating this new Godzilla creature; I cannot stress how fantastic he looks on the big screen and in 3D. This film really does come to life when the human story is put to one side, and we see Godzilla do what he does best.
This is a movie that should keep Godzilla fans and blockbuster fans happy, but this is a tinge of disappointment that we didn’t quite get to see Godzilla take centre stage, as he should have done.
Godzilla is out now.
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