A marvel to experience

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2014)

When it comes to iconic movie monsters, few others can come close to the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla. Director Gareth Edward's 2014 Godzilla film is the second time that an American studio has taken the reigns in an attempt to bring Japan's most famous kaiju to the big screen. Its predecessor in 1998 met mixed to negative reviews, but this update pays homage to the original 1954 Japanese film while at the same time modernizing the tale for a new audience.
The film follows Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a lieutenant in the United States Navy who specializes in disposing of explosive ordinances. Ford's parents, Joe (Bryan Cranston) and Sandra (Juliette Binoche) work in a Japanese nuclear plant when a terrible accident occurred in 1999. Fifteen years later, Joe is a conspiracy theorist on the search for truth when he is arrested for trespassing on the remains of his old house, now a quarantine zone. Joe believes that it was not a natural disaster that took his wife, but some kind of creature that the government is trying to cover up. Now, believing that history is repeating itself, he embarks on a search for his old data, dragging his son along with him.
While the plot of Godzilla is told from the perspective of Lt. Brody, everyone knows who the real star of the film is and the director took great care in portraying the monster in a positive light. The real threat to humanity in the film are two giant, insect-like monsters, called M.U.T.O. (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) who are attempting to meet and reproduce. The beast known as Godzilla is described by resident monster expert, Dr. Serazawa (Ken Watanabe, The Last Samuri) as a prehistoric animal who is "nature's power to restore balance." The director spends a great deal of time in the first act of the movie teasing the audience with the scaly hero, and it was a smart decision to build the tension and anticipation before revealing the beloved monster in a roaring crescendo of excitement.
The human story in Godzilla is necessary and while not the most gripping, it remains entertaining enough that it doesn't seem to hurt the action. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) is the film's protagonist and the audience watches the story unfold from his perspective. Viewers will be able to get behind the Navy Lieutenant desperately trying to get back to his family and protect them, and also playing his part to save the world. Taylor-Johnson's performance, however, was rather thin and could have benefited from more emoting as opposed to the serious, blank stare he wears for the majority of the film. Conversely, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) really steals the show as Taylor-Johnson's eccentric father digging for the truth. He shows so much emotion in his time in the film, that it's a shame that his screen time is cut rather short. Ken Watanabe is great in his role and conveys a sense of respect for the titular monster. Elizabeth Olsen as Ford's wife Elle, spends almost the entire film worrying about the safety of her husband and son, but not much else.
Edwards' decision to portray the monsters as animals fighting for their own survival helped keep an otherwise fantastical film somewhat grounded in reality. In addition to the breathtaking visuals, the score by Alexandre Desplat is beautiful, perfectly pulling emotion from the audience. Technically speaking, Godzilla as a film is a marvel to look at, hear, and experience.
-Oliver Pascual www.mediumraretv.org