Godzilla Review

   The monster movie has been a staple of cinema going back to the silent era with monster like the Mummy, Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster. In 1933, the world met the first giant monster with the classic "King Kong;" it redefined the genre and would set up for all the monsters to come. But it wasn't until 1954 we were introduced the king of the monsters, Godzilla. Godzilla was originally a lizard that was mutated by nuclear radiation. Over the next several decades dozens of official and unofficial sequels were made in Japan, and in 1998 Roland Emmerich decided to make an American version; it resulted in one of the worst movies you will ever see. When it was first announced there was going to be another American Godzilla film I was excited but still nervous, especially since a fairly inexperienced director was at the helm. Even with an impressive cast, and some very cool trailers I was still apprehensive. The only good monster movies from the past decade I can think of would be "The Host" (2006) and "Pacific Rim." Fortunately though, we can add 2014's "Godzilla" to that list.

     The story revolves around Joe Brody, a nuclear physicist living in Japan, and his family. One day a mining company in the Philippines discovers an underground cavern with the fossils of some giant ancient creature. They also find two huge eggs, one of them has hatched and escaped. Back in Japan, Joe monitors some seismic activity in the area and is worried it could damage the nuclear facility. Not long after, huge trimmers hit and start to tear the plant apart; unfortunately, Joe's wife who also works at the plant doesn't make it out. 15 years later Joe's son Aaron has found success in the arm and is married with a son, but has become estranged from his father who is determined to prove that a natural disaster didn't cause the earthquakes. Aaron learns that Joe has been arrested in Japan and flies out to get him, and while there Joe convinces him to sneak into the quarantine zone near the old plant. They learn that the zone is no longer irradiated and that government officials have set up some sort of facility there. It turns out what ever hatched from the egg survived and has laid dormant in the plant for the past fifteen years, but it doesn't want to sleep anymore. The creature awakens, and they have no idea how to kill it. So the scientist in charge of the whole situation presents a crazy idea, he tells of an ancient alpha predator that could kill the monster; while it's a long shot, the creature known as Godzilla is their only chance.

   Giant monster movies are a hard thing to pull off; in recent years the genre has mostly consisted of B grade horror movies on the Sci-Fi channel. They often come off as cheesy, and it's really hard to make one truly interesting while not being a piece of garbage; fortunately, my high hopes for this movie were met and I absolutely loved it. The most surprising thing about this movie is that it is more than just a monster movie; it actually works as a really great disaster movie. The overall plot of the movie is also pretty good; it’s more than just Godzilla killing some other monsters. The dialog is also surprisingly good and much less cheesy than I thought it would be. There are a few story elements that don't make a lot of since here and there, but I was pleased. Probably my biggest problem with the movie is that some of the characters are lackluster and unimpressive. Most of the characters don't have a lot of depth to them and turn out exactly how you would expect them to turn out. Fortunately though, the acting is pretty good throughout; especially from Bryan Cranston and, surprisingly, Elizabeth Olsen. But let's be honest, you don't go to see a movie like this for the story or acting. You go into this movie to see Godzilla, and let me say he is f*cking awesome. While you don't actually get to see Godzilla a lot, when he shows up on screen it is a sight to behold. With beautiful cinematography and some of the best CGI ever put into a movie, watching Godzilla throw down with the other monster will make you feel like a kid again. The last 20 minutes of this movie are worth the price of admission alone. "Godzilla" knows exactly what it is, a summer blockbuster; but instead of being a lazy cash grab it is obvious that the director put a lot into it to make a really good movie. This is the perfect film to go see with a few friends and just have fun. It may not be an Oscar winner, but it is one of my favorite movies so far this year. 

Pros: Beautiful CGI and cinematography, good performances from Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen, Godzilla is f*cking awesome, works as a great disaster movie, surprisingly interesting plot with good dialog.

Cons: Several lackluster characters, wish there was more of Godzilla.

4/5 Stars