A combining the scope of the "World War Z' with correct use of CGI to tell the story of the "Pacific Rim".

Rating: 8/10 (18 May 2014)

Do you like character driven old school giant monster movies? A combining the scope of lets say "World War Z' with correct use of CGI to tell the story of the "Pacific Rim". In many ways this version of "Godzilla", an old Japanese cult character, story wise is very close to the original Japanese movies from 50's - 70's, Godzilla contra what ever monstrosity writers would come up with. Considering the quality of the movie I was surprised to attend a screening with cinema being half full. Is it because this movie lacks a big name Hollywood star that would be able to hold the pressure of the movie on his popularity. Some might say that Bryan Cranston work is enough, but I beg to differ. Based on the fact that we don't see him enough in the plot, which in itself is the narrative point of the story, the rest of the cast is solid, but without someone truly standing out. Here director Gareth Edwards succeeds in creating a film that even though full of potential references to it's predecessors creates something, maybe less original, but superbly well executed. In moments there are Hitchcock like original story points (without giving to much away, we generally do not expect to get our protagonist killed off in the first act of the movie) at other the main characters and story off the plot seems not well motivated enough to be believable. At first the mission is to send the analog nuclear bomb to destroy the creatures, eventually becoming the danger to the town, so needed to be evacuated on to the sea and detonated there. The good thing about this film is the character driven part of a plot focusing on the characters and their individual stories. The original idea that Godzilla is in fact a "good" character protecting us from another creatures which due to the radioactivity gained gigantic size called MUTO. Their confrontation in San Francisco is the culmination point of the movie. Of course there are some episodic narrative personal stories that ad to the drama of overall visual extravaganza. "Godzilla" in fact often leaves a lot to our imagination not showing to much, but when you are able to see something it is truly work of CGI excellence. One of the best use of CGI in combination with great sound design. The music is well contracted specially great musical moment when marines are jumping on to a fog, the composer used the same musical shouts like in Stanley Kubbrick's dark sound for the alien monument on the moon in 2001: A Space Odyssey. For some reason this film style wise and in terms of dramatic choices for gathering tension remind me old movies of Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock and J.J Abrams which is not a bad place for a director Gareth Edwards to be artistically associated with. One of the better movies of it's kind in western tradition of the Monster vs. Monster blockbusters.
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