Movie Review: Godzilla
It is finally here. And before you could read all the reviews and details and whats happening and whats not, Just wanna say one work. this movie is Kick-ass and is a must watch for everyone.
A truly powerful monster film. Godzilla is an awesome,
satisfying blockbuster made by a "small" director with a great eye
for detail, perspective and performance. The CGI in the movie is
spectacular. It jusy blows your mind. I have never seen it done as well as
this, this was like Pacific Rim five times.
I
liked Pacific rim, but i think it was a good idea to make something different.
This monsterfilm is much more realistic, and is much, much better made (CGI).
In my opinion Godzilla was way better than Pacific rim.
In Godzilla, Joe Brody (Bryan
Cranston), a chief engineer working at the Janjira nuclear plant, discovers a
mysterious seismic activity pattern that, if ignored, could threaten the
stability of his facility. Yet, before Joe can plead to his superiors for
caution, a mysterious force causes a meltdown within the plant – leaving Joe,
his family, along with the rest of the area, devastated.
Fifteen years later, Joe is still searching for
answers, obsessed with uncovering the real reason behind Janjira’s nuclear
meltdown. When the eccentric conspiracy theorist is arrested inside a
quarantine zone, Joe’s son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a Navy EOD technician,
must travel to Japan in an effort to bring his father back to the states – and
put an end to Joe’s increasingly dangerous search for answers. Yet, just after
Ford arrives in Japan, it becomes clear that Joe was right all along – and that
the world is about to pay the price for not listening to his warnings.
Some may complain that there isn’t quite enough
Godzilla in Godzilla, but
Edwards’ restraint is actually a credit to the success of the film – especially
in an era where audiences can become desensitized to CGI characters and
onscreen destruction. The director walks a fine line between showing off the
redesigned reptile while harnessing the creature’s larger-than-life persona.
Godzilla makes a big impression, dealing genuinely crowd-pleasing moments
without overstaying his welcome, and leaving audiences to relish in every shot
of the monster.
Instead of relying on massive CGI fights to sell the
film, Edwards makes smart use of interesting human stories – which
lead viewers through increasingly revealing looks at Godzilla and other
threats. Edwards’ movie isn’t just about Godzilla or military might, it’s a
captivating tale of people (at all levels) as we encounter natural forces
outside of our control. Regardless of its scope, the movie is surprisingly
intimate – with beautiful cinematography that grounds Godzilla in a rich and
lived-in world. Edwards keeps his focus tight on a small group of human
characters – allowing them to develop within the context of the greater crisis
(but without stealing the spotlight from their titular star). As a result, the
computer generated antihero is rarely disconnected from the perils of
people on the ground – with seamless shots that transition back and forth
between selfless human heroics and eye-popping monster mayhem.
Cranston sets the tone early as charming but compulsive
Joe Brody – a man that, even before disaster strikes, is aloof and obsessive.
Despite an award-winning turn as Walter White in Breaking Bad,
Cranston has been relegated to thin caricature in most of his film roles –
one-note villains or tough-as-nails military men. Fortunately, Cranston is
given a lot more to work with in Godzilla and the actor supplies
an emotional and empathetic performance which ensures that both pillars of
the narrative are taken seriously.
Paired with Cranston, Taylor-Johnson is a serviceable
leading-man for the story as Ford – a relatable hero trying to get back to his
wife, Elle (Elizabeth Olsen), and son Sam (Carson Bolde). At times it’s clear
that Ford is a fictional fabrication – a character designed for every occasion
in all the right places at the right times – but thanks to a likable turn from
Taylor-Johnson, it’s easy to suspend disbelief and follow along.
While Olsen furnishes one of the stronger performances
in the film, the talented actress is given very little screen time. Instead of
developing Elle as a character, Edwards sidelines Olsen to fleshing-out the men
and monsters around her - adding another layer to Ford as well as
providing on-the-ground emotional drama once Godzilla hits the mainland.
Similarly, Ken Watanabe’s Dr. Ichiro Serizawa is tasked with
delivering exposition in nearly every single scene – providing backstory,
scientific revelations, and giant monster insights whenever a character (and
the audience) needs clarification. That said, Serizawa is still an
impactful addition, similar to Dr. Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura) in
the original Godzilla, a scientist reeling from
the collision of scientific discovery and its consequences. Serizawa helps
viewers navigate conflicting feelings about Godzilla – making it acceptable (at
least this time) to root for the King of Monsters, even when he’s destroying
entire cities in the process.
Moviegoers expecting two
hours of CGI monster beat downs may be underwhelmed by the amount of Godzilla
in Edwards’ reboot – but the director has actually delivered a much more
ambitious and memorable experience, blending a crowd-pleasing return for
the titular star, poignant human drama, thought-provoking cautionary
themes, as well as fun Toho series nods – all with entertaining
blockbuster spectacle and a third act brawl that sets a new bar for the beloved
King of the Monsters.