At the Theater - "Godzilla" (2014) -The Saturday mornings of my childhood were spent watching Warner Brother's Looney Tunes (still the best cartoons ever made), old westerns (they were mostly black and white) and giant monster movies of the "guy-in-a-rubber-suit" variety. I always had a fondness for most creatures of a reptilian nature (except snakes), so "Godzilla" was an early favorite. Gigantic, green, covered in keloid scars, with cool spikes running down his back and tail, displaying a penchant for destroying skyscrapers and occasionally letting loose with some very bad breath that could melt tanks... what the hell was there NOT to like for a young boy?
Japan's 1954 film, *"Gojira" was the first to feature the now iconic creature- released less than a decade after the end of WWII and with Godzilla clearly representing the horrors and ramifications of the Atomic bomb, the tone of the film was deadly serious and the monster was at his most fearsome. Sixty years and 32 films later have found the giant lizard's nature alternating back and forth from unstoppable force out to devastate mankind to a heroic champion for good out to save the world. I've always wanted an Americanized film to approach the Big Guy as a malicious sort out to scorch the Earth and stamp out mankind, though it appears I'll have to wait a bit longer...
***SPOILER ALERT***
This particular Godzilla film concerns the destructive rampage of two ages-old creatures unearthed and unleashed upon mankind, with Godzilla awakening from a sixty year slumber to essentially clean up his back yard and save the day. The two "M.U.T.O.'s" (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) are black and insect-like, with the male a winged, airborne threat, while the exponentially larger female wreaks havoc while grounded. The two creatures periodically deliver electromagnetic pulse emissions which keeps most of our military vehicles and fighter jets either inoperable or at a substantial distance.
***END SPOILER ALERT***
Director Gareth Edwards displays an uncommon and unexpected restraint for a young Director whose only other feature-length film contribution was 2010's shoestring budgeted, Sci-Fi/Drama/Thriller, "Monsters". Legendary Pictures CEO and Producer Thomas Tull (a self-described Godzilla fan) recognized the filmmaker's grasp of pacing, tone and atmosphere (as well as making the most out of his budget) and apparently felt it would translate well with this particular tale. It was a gamble that apparently paid off.
Edwards playfully cuts away from a couple of mid-film monster skirmishes and effectively teased the hell out of the audience I was part of- it worked wonders in fanning anticipation and building tension. I'll always believe there is no payoff without buildup- I'm a fan of the slow-burn approach to film-making but definitely didn't expect it to be utilized so efficiently in a larger-budgeted, spectacle-driven film of this nature. At times there are mere hints at the creatures; a tail trailing off behind a damaged building, a shadow disappearing amongst the rubble dust, a peculiar mass on a monitor screen in a war room. It's thrilling stuff for those moviegoers who have grown weary of the excessive slathering of CGI that's drowning out the endless parade of blockbusters Hollywood's churning out with regularity.
Brian Cranston (AMC's Breaking Bad) is damned good in every scene he's in as a former Nuclear plant supervisor, "Joe Brody", who becomes obsessed with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disaster at his particular facility which subsequently results in the death of his wife, played by Juliette Binoche (The English Patient). Cranston breathes a palpable desperation, anger, resentment and frustration into the role and he keeps the human element of the film's narrative afloat while onscreen.
That said, Godzilla '14 would have had a helluva lot more dramatic impact had Aaron Taylor Johnson, who is called upon to carry the film for long stretches, brought his "A" Game as Joe Brody's son and U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal specialist, "Ford Brody". Johnson seems a little unsure of himself here, adequately beefed up and ready for the physical demands of the role, but never quite comfortable with his surroundings or understanding what's required of him emotionally- Gareth Edwards should have leaned in a number of times and requested, "Once more, with feeling." - Either that or a slightly edgier, maybe a bit more seasoned actor should have taken the role. The Kick-Ass star isn't awful here, he's just distant.
Japanese actor Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) is the scientist whose job it is to explain the science behind the events and situations at hand- his "Dr. Serizawa" has a decent amount of screen-time and the best line in the film, though most of his presence is spent looking on with genuine concern. David Strathairn's obligatory Admiral is rather milquetoast and adds nothing to the cause.
The female actors in the film aren't given much screen-time or material to work with- Binoche exits the film early while Sally Hawkins' (Happy-Go-Lucky) scientist has very few lines and spends the majority of her screen-time as an onlooker. Elizabeth Olsen (Liberal Arts), portaying Ford's wife, is relegated to a few exasperated phone conversations.
The digital effects work used to render Godzilla, the M.U.T.O's and countless shots of destruction here is top notch, with WETA digital playing a large part in their development. The creatures move and react in a fluid, natural manner and I can't recall a "fakey" shot.
Overall, I've warmed to the new creature design, though I'm still not too keen on it's elephantine, tortoise-like feet. The Godzilla I've become accustomed to has wide stompers- the better to balance with. I'm not aware of any Dinosaur predator that had lower extremities like this big boy- furthermore, how the hell could this amphibious reptile utilize them to swim? It's a question of practicality, dammit! What I didn't expect from this particular creature were the small flashes of recognizable emotion- cool stuff! The roar is easily recognizable, intimidating and powerful. For what it's worth, my all-time favorite Godzilla character design is featured in 2001's "Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack".
Most fans will point to this Godzilla's initial reveal as their biggest nerdgasm (an admittedly awesome tilt shot), though my "moment" arrived when, locked in a savage battle, Big G's tail spikes started to light up- I remember thinking to myself, big smile spreading across my face, "Aw, y'all in deep shit now!" That was the radiation vibe I was groovin' on...
Seamus McGarvey's Cinematography is excellent throughout, with a wealth of dynamic shots of strangely beautiful devastation. This is one of the better filmed blockbusters you'll see this year.
Composer Alexandre Desplat supplies a serviceable original musical score, though would it have killed the filmmakers to have featured one brief segment utilizing Japanese Composer Akira Ifukube's excellent Godzilla theme or maybe just one small riff from the Blue Oyster Cult song?
All of the negativity concerning Big G's lack of screen-time in this film has me wondering if JAWS (admittedly my all-time favorite film) would even make money if released today...I mean, c'mon, "Bruce" wasn't actually seen very much in the 1975 film at all (thank God the mechanical shark wasn't working). When the shark did appear, it was exhilarating. Furthermore, there was a relatively large amount of footage of the CGI rendered 'Zilla in the 1998 film, yet that obviously didn't translate into a quality film venture.
There's a few lapses in logic sprinkled about along with a few implausible sequences, though there was nothing so totally offensive or hare-brained as to grate on my sensibilities- and yes, I'm pretty damned picky when it comes to logic in films, even when they involve giant monsters duking it out. I would have appreciated a healthier sprinkling of recognizable character actors to cement the human element and a few stabs at humor would have been nice for levity's sake.
As I grow older, there are fewer and fewer films I truly anticipate each year- so many films featuring childhood heroes have broken my heart that I don't invest too much in them before a viewing. Vastly superior to Director Roland Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla film in every facet (I still say that was just a scared, albeit overfed Iguana skittering around the Big Apple then), Godzilla '14 works splendidly as an impressive reintroduction to the King Of The Monsters and is well worthwhile for those inclined- it's imperfect but made by fans for fans and with the franchise's best interests at heart.
Bring on Gamera, Rodan and Daimajin! Bring on Anguirus, Baragon, Gigan, Megalon, King Ceasar and that three-headed bastard, Ghidorah! (You can keep Mothra..).
Highly Recommended, see it in a quality theater.
8.5 out of 10
Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, Richard T. Jones and Carson Bolde
Run-Time: 123 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence
I believe there are several truly worthwhile Godzilla films, though my top three favorites would now be:
- Gojira (1954) - 9
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) - 8.5
- Godzilla (2014) - 8.5
* Gojira is an amalgamation of the Japanese words "gorira" (meaning Gorilla) and "kujira" (meaning Whale).
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