The days of men in rubber suits are long gone and while they may have looked as fake as some of those late night videos you might indulge in...
The days of men in rubber suits are long gone and while they may have looked as fake as some of those late night videos you might indulge in, they had absolute tonnes of personality. Audiences, for whatever reason bought into old school Godzilla and he gained a following and cult status as big as himself. But the days of the Toho studios King of the Monsters are long gone. Rubber has been replaced by computer graphics and as most people will agree, rendered monsters are hard to get right. But more importantly pulling a personality out of 355ft monster made of polygons is an incredibly difficult task. Thankfully though, Gareth Edwards and his team have pulled off a monstrous task and brought the 2014 Godzilla to life as never before. Until you witness it for yourself, words do absolutely no justice to this mammoth creation.
Starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ken Watanabe and Elizabeth Olsen, Godzilla follows a father’s quest for closure on the death of his wife. 15 years after her death,Joe Brody ( Cranston) still convinced that a cover up is in play following a nuclear accident, finds himself in the middle of a major monster smack down. Along with his son (Johnson) they find the truth is what they knew all along. Humankind has woken up some MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) and with it Godzilla wakes up too and fancies some lunch.
The movie takes the best part of an hour to get going with monster teases along the way, but once the set up is complete the insanity really kicks in. The military are dragged along by Godzilla as he goes on the hunt for aforementioned MUTOs. They really haven't a hope in hell. It's the equivalent of a child's doll tied onto a rampaging bull. Except this bull is the height of your average skyscraper. The destruction that is bestowed on San Francisco is brutally realistic as buildings, planes and everything else is pulverised into oblivion. While initially the set up might sound long, it's well done and it gives you just enough to suck you into the world of the characters. While Bryan Cranston pulls plenty of emotional punches and is very likeable, it's Elizabeth Olsen that, while not given a whole lot of screen time, makes a very powerful impact. Aaron Taylor Johnson, on the other hand, surprisingly leaves a bit to be desired. His performance is watchable, but it seems very subdued and at times borders on flat. Given that he's up against Godzilla you can just about leave it slide. Ken Watanabe utters the greatest line in the movie “Let them fight” and provides a well rounded performance and is very likeable.
But It's Godzilla himself though that pulls off an incredible performance. The way the king of monsters carries himself is phenomenal and he is oozing with charisma and personality. While he is a walking mountain of death and destruction, you genuinely care for him more than any other members of the cast. There's a few moments that will really have you on the edge of your seat and at one point you may well jump out of your seat screaming in delight. Make no mistake about it, this is Godzilla’s movie. And while the human cast provide some heart, it’s the monster himself who is all heart. He really is a superb creation and is absolute credit to MPC and Gareth Edwards.
There's enough nods to original Toho studios monster to keep the hard-core fans happy, and even Godzilla virgins will be blown away by the sheer scale that's on display. It really is hard to describe how immense he is, let alone the gigantic amounts of destruction. While you can read all the stats and figures on this version, you really have to witness him in the flesh. This is easily one of the most impressive cinematic monsters ever created. And speaking of impressive the sound mix is incredible. Buildings fall, planes explode and general destruction has huge volume and detail. This is one loud movie complimented by a rousing and eventful score that adds immensely to the movie.
It's a movie that's not without it's faults and while they are minor, It walks a very fine line in the first hour with a setup that comes very close to feeling dragged out. Of course with all great monster movies, the monster reveal needs to take a while and to Gareth Edwards credit, he builds and builds to the imminent arrival of Godzilla. But again, it’s a very fine line but ultimately it is testament to a talented director.In places it takes some influence from Jaws, where you get little glimpses here and there and that works well enough to keep you engaged and really wanting more. If you look at all the great monster movies throughout the years, less is more always is the best way. Just look at Gareth Edward’s monsters! When the first MUTO arrives and you take in its sheer scale, you really are drooling to see Godzilla, so much is the anticipation. If the MUTO is this bad ass, then what the hell is Godzilla going to be like?
There's enough set pieces here to keep even the most ardent action movie fan grinning from ear to ear. A lot of the time though, the set pieces will blow your jaw off and right through the ground. You may well find yourself pushing back into your seat saying holy fuck. They are wonderfully imagined and are nothing but immense. And the finale has possibly the greatest scene you will see all year.
The 3D, while this being a conversion doesn’t really add much to your monster encounter and it provides nothing more than a little bit of depth than anything else. If the movie wasn’t predominately at night then maybe the 3D would have worked, but as we know 3D is dark enough without things being at night-time. If you’re a 3D fan by all means part with the extra cash, but otherwise toss a coin.
You really need to find the biggest and loudest screen you can, to savour all this. And to be honest, you'll need to see it twice. The first time is a hugely overwhelming experience from an audio visual point of view and you will need a second viewing to really absorb it. But it leaves such an impression you'll buy your next ticket on the way out of your first viewing.
Godzilla is the movie experience of the year. It's a gigantic, thrilling, monster of a movie. You must see this!
