All hail the return of the King!

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2014)

Next to King Kong, Godzilla is arguably the most iconic monster of all time, spawning entire generations of kaiju films from Mothra to Rodan. My history (and love) with this franchise dates all the way back to my childhood, becoming something of a passion, and since I have grown I have come to appreciate what Godzilla and his fellow kaiju stood for, as forces of nature meant to remind humans that we are not as superior a species as we like to think of ourselves. At the same time, the kaiju themselves have demonstrated what it means to be human, showing emotions and character not typically seen in general American monsters. In 1998, Roland Emmerich failed miserably at his attempt to make his creature Zilla pass as the King of the Monsters. For sixteen years we have had to live with this outrage, but now newcomer director Gareth Edwards takes center stage with his re-imagining of Godzilla. It was worth the wait!
Plot: In 1999, nuclear physicist Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) saw the death of his wife due to a strange tremor in the nuclear plant they worked in. Fifteen years later, Joe realizes that this was no natural disaster and goes looking for answers. He and his distant son Lieutenant Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) soon discover that man's arrogance has unleashed ancient, malevolent beasts called Mutos just as it had decades ago. With everyone's lives at stake, including Ford's wife Elle (Elizabeth Olsen), the military attempts to contain and eliminate the threat, but Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) believes only one thing can stop the malevolent Mutos, something just as ancient and equally terrifying. Nature has a power to restore balance and that power is in the form of the giant reptilian monster known as Godzilla. But, is Godzilla a friend or foe to humanity? Who will survive in the war of the monsters?
Since "Godzilla 2000", I have waited fourteen years to see another Godzilla movie in the theatres and my wish was granted, fan-boy joy and all. Gareth Edwards made sure not only to deliver great kaiju action and special effects, but also a well-written story with compelling human characters and good themes just as the original film "Gojira" had done.
The human element of this reboot is exceptionally well-done, with notable performances done by Bryan Cranston brilliantly delivering the tragic nature Joe Brody and Ken Watanabe bringing the insightful wisdom of Dr. Serizawa (a fitting reinterpretation of the original character). Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen do alright in their parts as a married couple trying to pull through in helping others at a time of crisis. A few other characters play there parts well enough at different points of the story. I like how some of the humans don't just sit by and do nothing, they really do their best to play their part, particularly Ford Brody.
There's some darn good kaiju here as well. Godzilla is presented as he should be, like an angry god who will stop at nothing until his enemies are destroyed and balance restored. There was a great deal of build-up to his grand reveal and when he shows up, it's all worth it. His design was awesome, sticking close to the classic look but updating it for today's standards (take note of this, Emmerich!). Some may question a few design choices here and there, but when one thinks about it they all make biological sense, bringing some realism to a gigantic radioactive dinosaur. Big G's roar was a nice sound effect, loud and pretty scary. Granted, Godzilla should have had more screen-time in the film, but I was at least satisfied. In the other corner, we have the Mutos, who are great additions to Godzilla's rogues gallery. They have a unique design that makes them look quite alien but still having traits that make them seem like real-life animals. Both kaiju are terrifying monsters, but Gareth Edwards made sure that they all have a sense of emotion and character, to which he succeeds, making us fear them but also empathize with them.
There are other elements that also make this film great. The suspense in the first half of the film is done almost perfectly, leaving you in anticipation for the arrival of the kaiju and the action in the second half. The music befits the dark tone of the movie, especially the surprisingly-catchy main theme which has a truly foreboding mood. The action scenes are excellent, shot with superb cinematography giving the sense of scale (important for creatures as big as these) and bringing increasingly great thrills. The battles between Godzilla and the Mutos are especially awesome to watch, smashing everything in their path as they brutally tear each other apart like savage animals. All of this is achieved with special effects that would impress even the greatest of filmmakers.
With a stellar cast, impressive special effects, spectacular kaiju, ominous music, impressive action scenes, and a few nice themes, Gareth Edwards has created an American reboot that is worthy of the license. Godzilla's creator, Tomoyuki Tanaka, would be so proud. Pacific Rim may have brought back people's interest in the genre, but Godzilla has officially cemented the fact that giant monsters are making a comeback (heck, Gamera is said to be coming back next year). It is SO GREAT to see the King of the Monsters grace the big screen once again and I look forward to seeing him in more. Sure, this movie does have a few flaws, but I would strongly recommend you check this action out.