Godzilla the Monster Ruled. Godzilla the Movie Didn't.

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 2014)

After the disaster that was Roland Emmerich's version of Godzilla, for which the son of a bitch isn't even sorry, this 60th anniversary feature is the 2nd coming of the giant monster & is supposedly the reboot of Godzilla film franchise. Set in contemporary timeline, it depicts Godzilla as "a terrifying force of nature" who is pitted against malevolent creatures who for years have been feeding on nuclear radiations but now threaten the very existence of humanity. But the bigger question is whether it resurrects the legacy of the King of the Monsters and the answer to it is both yes & no.
Director Gareth Edwards uses the same formula that he applied in his debut feature, Monsters, only for it to not work in the end. Too much time is devoted to the human drama which really wouldn't have been a problem if by any means it was interesting or properly executed. Also, he's able to build up the tension but then cuts it just when it's getting more exciting, leading to frustration on the part of viewers. And the humour is absent to give an impression of a serious film but the script adds nothing to that aspired seriousness, thus leaving the drama pretty hollow.
Still, barring one aspect, the technical filmmaking is worthy of all the praise. Art direction meticulously designs, details & renders the creatures on the screen. Cinematography expertly manages to create an aura of impending doom. VFX is as spectacular as the titular character itself while sound is easily the movie's most impressive aspect. Editing, however, isn't up to the mark but the background score by Alexandre Desplat is just the way it should be in this movie; majestic, imposing & grandeur.
Coming to the performances, Godzilla features an unusual cast in Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor- Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins & others. And I've no idea what the hell they signed up for because acting certainly isn't what they do here. For the majority of its runtime, all they do is simply stare with their blank faces & dropped jaws and are completely clueless about what's expected from their characters. The only exception is Bryan Cranston who delivers an energetic performance but then his role is short-lived.
This movie promised to bring the 'King of the Monsters' right from its origins while also keeping its look & style faithful to its depiction in the original Japanese film. And to that, it delivers. Apart from few modifications, the overall appearance of Godzilla is mostly in tune with its iconic look plus its distinctive roar & signature weapon are also in tact. Still, its role is reduced to an extended cameo as the 1st half doesn't tease us with Godzilla's presence but this giant monster is virtually absent from the scene. And when it finally shows up, it happens simply out of nowhere.
On an overall scale, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla had the potential to be 'The Movie of the Summer' but thanks to its mediocre direction, uninspired screenplay, terrible characterization, dull performances, messed-up editing & lack of substance, it doesn't live up to its hype. Still, what works ends up working pretty well in here & considering today's mainstream audience's taste in films, most of them are gonna come out pretty satisfied in the end anyway. To summarize the movie in a sentence, Godzilla did rise but it didn't rise enough.
Full review at: cinemaclown.wordpress.com