While not without some flaws, 2014's "Godzilla" is ferocious monster-sized entertainment that's a ton of fun! It should easily please fans of the character.

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2014)

I am definitely what you could call a fan of the "Godzilla" franchise. Maybe not a hardcore fanboy... but definitely a fan who has seen most of the films at least once, and has an informed-enough opinion to be able to point out my favorite characters, creatures and entries in the series. (Side-note, my favorite entry is probably a tie between "Destroy All Monsters" and "Godzilla VS Mothra", strictly for their strong entertainment value.)
I'm also able to recognize that the King of Monsters has a bit of a dark past when it comes to American productions. Specifically... the 1998 Roland Emmerich film, which bared so little resemblance to classic "Godzilla", it was actually more-or-less parodied later in the film "Godzilla: Final Wars."
So I went into this new film with mixed feelings. On one hand, the trailers and early buzz had me excited. But on the other hand, the last American outing left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, and had me worried. (Although I will admit, I don't think the '98 film was absolutely atrocious... on its own, it was just a mediocre creature film, but the fact it was called "Godzilla" really took it down a few pegs, because... well... it just wasn't "Godzilla.")
Thankfully, my hopes were met and even exceeded, and I emerged very satisfied from the theater. Because director Gareth Edwards' new reboot is absolutely entertaining, ferocious, sometimes emotional... and is pure, unfiltered "Godzilla" fun.
The film predominately follows Lieutenant Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor- Johnson), a soldier who is pulled into a great conflict after he and his emotionally-scarred father (played brilliantly by an under- utilized Bryan Cranston) witness the birth of a creature referred to as "MUTO." ("Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism") While Brody attempts to help the military contain and destroy MUTO (while trying to stop the birth of a second, potentially more dangerous MUTO creature), another threat emerges from the depths of the world- the enormous reptilian creature known as "Godzilla", who has arrived to presumably follow an instinctual urge to hunt the MUTO creatures and destroy them.
The cast is quite decent. Taylor-Johnson is a serviceable protagonist, although he comes across as a bit of a "Mary Sue" at times, which does make him boring in a few key scenes. Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody is a revelation, though. (Even though his role isn't quite as developed as we may hope.) Torn apart by the loss of his wife in a tragic accident, Joe is determined and dark, and gives the film a lot of depth early on. Elizabeth Olsen as Ford's wife Elle, is a great addition to the cast. She pulls her weight and is able to give a nice sense of drama as she is caught-up in the chaos of the dueling monsters. And Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ichiro Serizawa, a man with knowledge of the creatures and what is happening, is a lot of fun.
But the human characters aren't really what most people are going to be looking forward to. No, we were all looking forward to seeing Godzilla and the other creatures, and boy, this this film deliver!
Godzilla is almost always brilliantly portrayed on-screen. His new, updated design is fantastic, serving as not only a tribute to the iconic classic look, but also something a little new and a little different. (Though don't worry, he's still clearly Godzilla... he's just been brought into the 21st century in a big way, with some slight design changes that actually make him feel more real than ever before.) The effects work that brings him to life is extraordinary, and even though he's essentially just an animal, the film does a good job at making him seem like a true "character"... you can sense what is going through his head through his body language and some great subtle facial expressions. Brilliant job on the big guy. The MUTO are also a lot of fun. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say their design is quite cool, and they do seem to pose a genuine threat to the world and to our anti-hero Godzilla.
Edwards direction is top notch. I hadn't seen his first film (the wonderful "monsters") before seeing this, but here, he's able to present the film in a grand way, from the basic scenes of character development to the giant melee brawls between Godzilla and the MUTO. The script is tight and well-pace. The music is perfect, and emphasizes what we see on-screen. Set and costume design is top-notch. Overall, this is a fantastic production.
However, this film isn't without some flaws. The biggest issue is that, well... Godzilla doesn't appear on screen all too much. Which felt funny for a film called "Godzilla." The film really seems to relish in its build-up to his repeated reveals, and it can get grating after a while. Although when he's finally allowed to shine, it almost completely makes up for how much the film previously teased us. I also felt that Taylor-Johnson's lead character wasn't quite as compelling as I might have hoped, causing a lot of the scenes between the human characters to be a little on the flat side.
But I can easily forgive those issues, because when this film works... it REALLY works.
This is pure "Godzilla" fun. It's a blast to watch him back on the big- screen, and it's a great relief to see him done justice in an American film finally. This film got me hyped enough that I am already crossing my fingers for sequels.
I'm giving 2014's "Godzilla" a very good 8 out of 10. While flawed at times, the payoff is just too good to pass up.