Pretty Good

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2014)

The wonderful thing about taking a chance is sometimes you get lucky.
Thanks to the Godzillas franchises dubious history I didn't really expect much but I was pleasantly surprised.
The film makers supplied ample tension and (for sci-fi) a decent story to explain the huge monsters wandering around the pacific rim. The real genius was taking a leaf from Speilbergs "Jaws" and taking their time to reveal the real star of the film. Even the early battle scenes are intermittent and out of focus to tease and keep waiting for the ultimate confrontation in San Francisco.
If I have a complaint its with the portrayal by Ken Watanabe as he pursues Godzilla with the aid of the US Navy. Ken must be looking for a role in the next installment of a teen vampire/werewolf melodrama as he spends most of the time staring off into the distance. The rest of the actors play their part as capably as anyone asked to fill the gaps between rounds 1,2 & 3 of the heavyweight combatants. Brian Cranston more so than others.
This film is what the Godzilla movies of the 50's aspired to but as then special effects amounted to a bloke in a lizard suit traipsing around a collection of cardboard box skyscrapers with a smoke machine they were a bemusing Japanese fascination. Thanks to modern special effects those film makers could finally see their creation in all its glory.
It was a fun couple of hours (which as always could have been 15 minutes tighter) and worthwhile experiencing on the big screen.