Godzwallop

Rating: 2/10 (29 May 2014)

At one stage during the film a character introduces himself to a Japanese scientist. "Dr. Serizawa? Jerry Boyd. Just to warn you, it's a mess. A total mess." And that sums up this entire film.
It's pretty amazing that a film that is supposed to be about one of Movie History's most iconic characters barely uses him.
As to Acting? There IS no acting whatsoever throughout the entire film. The bloke out of Kick Ass seemed to be asleep and the less said about his pointless family the better. After getting back home to San Francisco from a 14 month tour of duty he jets off to Japan 5 minutes after arriving home just because his mad dad was in jail for trespass. Yeah that would happen!
Bryan Cranston the dad just phoned in his performance as a crazy old man who for no sensible reason the US military allowed into its top secret facility after throwing him out earlier in the film.
The 'story' makes absolutely no sense at all and simply highlights the stupidity of the US military. Not that the scientists are shown in the best light either as they do some pretty idiotic things during the movie.
It would take longer than the film to cover the absurdities the film presents to its audience. Such as why evacuate civilians over the Golden Gate Bridge knowing two huge monsters are going to pass under it. Simply go North and South and avoid the monsters. The film makers not having a clue what EMP does. Or for no fathomable reason the soldiers do a 30,000 feet HALO jump into the area where 2 monsters fight it out. This made no sense other than it looked cool. Why not use a helicopter or drive there. And the sight of Godzilla being 'escorted' by the US navy was too ridiculous for words.
The 3D was a joke as nothing remotely interesting happens in 3D. It was really poor 3D anyhow and the money would have been better spent on a script or motivating one or two of the actors into actually looking interested.
The MUTOs looked like they were designed by a committee and are about as menacing as Sooty. Godzilla is supposed to be hunting them but once he wipes them out he loses all interest in them.
Whenever the monsters start to fight we cut to some useless scene with the actors or the army and see a few glimpses on a TV screen. What little monster on monster action we get is pretty underwhelming and poorly executed.
Cloverfield showed what could be done with the huge monster genre and Pacific Rim, even if it was a bit cheesy, did a very good job as well. Godzilla on the other hand was to quote one of the cast 'a total mess'.
Another film that promised a lot but delivered bugger all. Damn shame as Godzilla deserved better than this.