Godzilla, Our Hero

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2014)

This evening I went to the show and saw Godzilla. The theater had an 80% male population and 20% female population. So much for the demographics. I guess guys like monsters. Now onto the movie.
Having lived through the big screen release of Jurassic Park and T-Rex, who scared the living daylights out of me, I was really looking forward to another OMG moment of closing my eyes out of terror. Unfortunately, I think I only had one "holy crap" pop out of my mouth during the entire movie. Perhaps I'm too old to frighten with make-believe monsters.
The movie itself wasn't what I expected. The trailers are pretty spot on setting up the basis for the story. Whatever is down there, it's going to throw us into the stone age again, or so we are led to believe. As it progresses, other monsters emerge who received more screen time than Godzilla. After a while, I felt a bit cheated because I didn't come to see two other creatures get it on and lay eggs. I mean, they're not even that good looking. Sort of leggy, if you ask me, leaping buildings in a single bound. Of course, there's not much left after they leap from rooftop to rooftop.
There were a few odd bits in the storyline, one being the captain of the naval ship who seemed to be calling all the shots and making the big decisions to save the United States. Only once did he get on that important red phone to confer with the President on nuking those nasty building stomping, lay egging monsters. Of course, he didn't listen to the guys who knew what they were talking about, telling him the chosen course of action was a bad one. No surprise there.
As far as gore and blood, you won't see much. I don't think the movie carries the scare factor enough to leave nightmares behind. Of course, the special effects are a far cry from the 1954 version that I grew up with on television. Godzilla looks like the original big body, small headed monster we've always known. Only, you don't cringe when he shows up. In fact, the audience was cheering the big lizard onto victory. Instead of the terror, he is hailed as the "savior" of San Francisco. Hum, I think the religious right may balk over that thought.
In any event, it's mildly entertaining. Godzilla sort of sounds like T-Rex, but without the bite. I did not see it in 3D - those progressive lenses I have just ruin the experience for me. The big screen without the 3D was just as much in your face with monsters, falling buildings, and roaring creatures.
All in all, it's an okay remake with the cool new technology we have for film making. No complaints with the actors, they all did a fine job of saving the world and showing that they were at least scared to death over the nuclear eating monsters. San Francisco is a pile of rubble, and Las Vegas will never be the same. Such a shame all those casinos were flattened. Oh, well.