Godzilla (2014) Review (Pros & Cons)

A Monster Movie Worth Seeing

One of my biggest hopes walking into 2014's Godzilla reboot wasn't just to deliver a great Godzilla movie (being a big fan of the franchise myself growing up), but to at least give me an amazing monster movie experience overall. It's actually been quite a while since I've had what I'd call "an amazing monster movie experience" since 2008's Cloverfield. Although I suppose there was that one standout scene from Pacific Rim that briefly stepped away from the giant robot action and actually delivered a straight forward incredible Kaiju attack scene (but that's one scene in an entire movie). I've honestly been dying to revisit this particular sub genre of horror and science-fiction ever since, and I am more than happy to say that Godzilla delivered for the most part. I found myself enjoying the sci-fi elements surrounding the explanations behind the giant creatures of the movie making for some intriguing world building overall.

Godzilla never came across as a random entity thrown into the mix, but instead an actual living creature that was heavily studied and researched on over the decades. That's another thing that amazed me about this new iteration is the fact that they treated Godzilla as a scientific discovery more so than a simple "entity of destruction". So, to an extent, I can comfortably say that the filmmakers and writers did a pretty solid enough job at bringing the general fantastical idea of giant monsters into the realm of reality. As for the actual monsters themselves, I really enjoyed the massive, awe-inspiring spectacle that was Godzilla showing up in a more polished over but honoring the original material design by the grace of good CGI (Godzilla New York is officially erased from my memory). 

I also completely fell in love with the creature designs of the "MUTO" (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) being introduced here as these new and refreshing Kaiju entities for genre fans like myself to enjoy. I couldn't really describe what they looked like fully which was part of the fun and added a level of mystery and intrigue to the science-fiction elements of the movie. They could've easily do the "giant tentacle creature" route as Hollywood loves to gravitate towards regarding giant monsters, but instead I felt a lot more effort and imagination was put into the creation of these new creatures. 

Visually Stunning

I was already a big fan of Gareth Edwards coming onboard as the director for this new Godzilla reboot after his amazing visual direction in Monsters (especially considering what he was able to do with on an outrageously small budget). Monsters was a gorgeous film to look at back then during its release and Godzilla honorably continues that track record that Edwards has now officially set for himself regarding visually alluring filmmaking. There are certain shots of Godzilla in this movie as well as the MUTOs that was absolutely breathtaking and downright jaw dropping to say the least. I couldn't help but completely tune out of reality (as a film should at least attempt to do) every time a scene was shown displaying these gigantic creatures battling each other or causing complete and utter mass destruction. What Gareth decides to do with the cinematography here frequently placing the audience in first person POV shots of characters gazing upon the terrifying yet majestic nature of the Kaiju encounters effectively imbues a sense of wonder and immersive horror to the whole experience.

Aside from the monster mayhem, the imagery of annihilated city remains as well as an astoundingly directed tsunami scene were all sights to behold on the big screen even without the giant monsters physically appearing. There was just something captivating about not only seeing these creatures in action, but also seeing the result of these colossal encounters. I'll say something here that may or may not be a huge bold statement especially amongst Godzilla fans. This is by far the best looking Godzilla movie ever to grace the screen following the original. There I said it and I'm sticking to it. And now...I await the inevitable wave of the online commentary version of tomato throwing. 

Serviceable To Noteworthy Performances

Thinking about the creature feature genre in cinema, it's sort of become this rare thing to see what many would confidently label "a noteworthy performance" considering the fact that these movies typically focus on spectacle over characters. In the case of 2014's Godzilla, whether it's from a cinematic or dramatic angle, there's a great deal of attention being given to the human perspective of this epic event taking place. Brian Cranston does an excellent job at portraying a scientist who tragically lost his wife in a disaster covered up by the government regarding a nuclear reactor. As an audience member watching, you can really get behind this character as he struggles to uncover the secrets hidden behind this mysterious cataclysmic incident. There's a great scene where he gets placed in a small interrogation room which he completely overshadows everyone around proclaiming that he isn't fooled by any of the lies being sold by the government. It is specifically through this incredibly grounded feeling performance that you can emotionally connect to this character's mission hoping that he gets the closure that he needs.

The real unfortunate tragedy of this movie (even more tragic than the destruction caused by the giant monsters) is the fact that Cranston's troubled scientist essentially gets tossed to the side very early on despite what the marketing campaign may have lead you to believe. The main human story that we're left with is actually led by Aaron-Taylor Johnson who plays a bomb specialist named Ford and the son of Cranston's criminally sidelined Joe Brody. Ford does have his place in the overall narrative, but in terms of giving us a performance or memorable character moments to connect to, he ultimately came across as being both easily forgettable and expendable. To put it not so kindly, this is a character that stood out as much as a background extra would if they were given a few more seconds of camera time and a couple of somewhat meaningful lines.

That being said, the rest of the cast does a serviceable enough job in their roles helping to further the story along as well as adding different perspectives to the action taking place. There's a scene regarding Ken Watanabe's character (as seen from the trailers) which he utters the words "Let them fight". Now maybe the line triggered some raw, visceral love that I've always had for monster movie blockbuster or perhaps Watanabe is just that awesome of an actor, but guys...this sent chills down my spine. This is the line to remember from this movie and both Watanabe and Bryan Cranston should've quite honestly been our human leads to follow along.

Epic Moments Worthy of a Theatrical Experience 

I'm starting to realize now in my mind just how difficult it is to discuss the more grand scaled moments of Godzilla without sounding like an excited 8 year old. But honestly, that's one of the biggest compliments that I can possibly give this movie. There are action segments that genuinely left me in a state of sheer joy gazing upon and applauding these epic clashes of these giant behemoths. If you've seen the teaser trailer for the film, there's this spotlighted scene where Lieutenant Ford is performing a HALO jump into the chaos of the citywide battle ensuing which for me was one of my most anticipated things going in. Thankfully, the actual scene itself doesn't disappoint at all (and double thumbs up for having the same epic music as was in the teaser). Knowing that it's eventually coming due to the marketing is one thing, but actually experiencing it on the big screen knowing the epic context of the situation itself was a heart pounding adrenaline rush of anticipation.

I remember everyone in the theater sitting completely silent in awe as the sound of wind gushing past Taylor's character's face alongside the thunderous roar of a raging storm surrounding him filled the room. It truly was this unforgettably epic, haunting, highly suspenseful, and yet cinematically beautiful scene that in parts felt like a dread inducing oil painting come to life. As for the battle scenes surrounding Godzilla and the MUTOs, I thought these were highly entertaining overall (albeit short and heavily teased throughout). In regards to any other standout moments worthy of celebrating for its visual direction like the HALO jump sequence, there's another hair raising segment involving a rain storm, a bridge of terrified civilians, and a small fleet of jets crashing into the ocean from a Navy ship's perspective. The way this scene effectively ramps up the suspense of the situation leading to the MUTO then flying down from the skies like an apocalyptic angel of doom, I remember everyone in the theater including myself collectively gasping out loud. As I've emphasized already, the direction here is astounding.

Can I Have Just A Tad Bit More Godzilla?

So here's the part of the review where I attempt to thread carefully with my comments ensuring that I don't mistakingly come off as someone complaining about Godzilla's screen time. All I can honestly say is that I'm very grateful for the human-focused point of view segments in the movie giving a lot of perspective on the action taking place as it helps ground the situation for the audience. However, I do wish that we got an equal amount of attention given to the battles that took place themselves with a traditionally wide scope showcasing the monsters. We get these scenes of what I can only describe as being purely teases that tends to take place just when an epic Kaiju confrontation is about to commence. Now, I will give credit towards the brilliance of some of those transitions for the tease factor alone, but I felt as though I patiently waited a tad bit too long for the epic showdown spectacle that I paid to see. In retrospect, I do believe that there is at least roughly 5 or so minutes of character focused scenes that could've easily been replaced with more Godzilla engaging in an action packed, theater ticket worthy wrestling match for the ages. Just a thought.

Rating: 8/10