Rating of
3/4
March of the King of Monsters
Indyfreak - wrote on 07/23/14
Gareth Edwards does a good job reinterpreting the quintessential movie monster that is Godzilla. What I most appreciated about the movie was not the effects or the action or the spectacle but instead how Edwards directed it. There are several examples of solid visual storytelling that a lot directors do not have the patience for these days when it comes to blockbusters. The pacing and the editing is also commendable though I believe a lot of people are going to be disappointed by the slow build-up to Godzilla's first appearance. It is worth it though, trust me.
Once onscreen, he is a sight to behold. His design is cool and his special abilities are all available. Whenever Godzilla appears are easily the best parts of the movie. This makes sense considering the fact that it's a bloody Godzilla movie.
The impressively lined up cast is unfortunately wasted for the most part. Ken Watanabe and Bryan Cranston are both excellent, giving the best performances in the movie. Cranston probably gives the greatest performance in a monster movie since Robert Shaw in Jaws. It's a wonder that despite what the trailers imply that his role is quite small. Viewers like me and you are instead forced to have Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the protagonist, an unbearably stone-faced soldier and Cranston's son.
As I mentioned before, despite its flaws, the movie's sense of pacing and its direction really pay off in the end. Don't be fooled by the more extreme complaints, there is a good amount of action throughout the movie. The finale especially is an exciting brawl between Godzilla and his equally monstrous foes.
This latest version of Godzilla is the expensive one we've always wanted to see. It does take a half-hour to even see him for the first time but he's worth it.
