A mixed bag of good and bad that ultimately lands somewhere in the middle.

Rating: 6/10 (15 May 2014)

If ever a movie could be labelled a bag of liquorice allsorts, this is it. With nonsensical plot points, lifeless acting and a tone so earnest it makes Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy look like a Disney series, there's plenty to gripe about. Winning the directing gig solely on the back of his phenomenal debut film Monsters, Gareth Edwards appeared to be a rock solid choice for the job, but his approach is so heavy handed it all but drains the film of it's energy in the first hour. He also has a tendency to sideline logic or narrative cohesiveness – which is expected in a film that asks to be taken so seriously – in the name of crafting a visually splendid shot. Not helping is a ridiculously wooden central turn from Aaron Taylor-Johnson who is boring and unconvincing as the Navy EOD technician who inexplicably becomes the key to fighting the monsters. Also disappointing is the short shrift given to the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen (see Martha Marcy May Marlene) with a one-dimensional role as Taylor-Johnson's wife and the overcooked performance from the otherwise amazing Bryan 'Breaking Bad' Cranston. Yet for all of its downfalls, when the final hour hits and Edwards lets loose with some cracking sequences all is almost forgiven. From a tense scene atop a railway bridge to a thrilling special ops HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump and finally to the concluding beasty showdown in metropolitan Oakland, Edwards demonstrates just how memorable this picture could have been had he got it right from the opening credits instead of halfway through. Pacific Rim without the tongue-in-cheek vibe, Godzilla is at first a tough slog but finishes strong to place this squarely in the middle of the road.