A thrilling and exhilarating movie experience

Rating: 10/10 (18 May 2014)

This greatly thematic movie takes me back to the original Gojira-era films. From the appearance of the great lizardy f(r)iend, to the transformery/decepticony enemies of the mankind (i.e. giant mosquito-grasshoppers) and the old school slo-mo "Don't tell me that there is that a giant Godzilla behind me" looks of despair.
Bryan Cranston gives a top notch performance and makes me believe he really cares about his wife dying from radiation, and that he feels responsible. Something no one else in the movie seems to be capable of doing professionally.
While the protagonists seem to care about each other, they don't really tend to show it. Well, OK, maybe I'm generalising a little. Elizabeth Olsen produces a fine result of portraying someone in dire need of help in all the scenes where Godzilla is (kindly) smashing San Francisco. Even though her character does say she will stay behind to help, I can't really put my finger on the reason. I mean, If three ultra-giant monsters are smashing your city like Andre the Giant in a lego town, how much help can you really be?
Anyhow, her characters emotional state is as deep as the Mariana Trench when compared to the fantastic Taylor-Johnson's character. I was getting mixed signals from him from the very start. So, he comes back home after 14 months of being away, gives his son a pat on the head, starts kissing his wife and the has to fly to Japan to give his father a "get out of jail free" card. I mean, OK, I guess I understand, but I would be really mad at him, since this was not the first time he's done it.
We learn that "crazy"-Cranston, has been at this for 15 (if I remember correctly) years. BUT, he still maintains enough influence over his (apparently) dim-witted son to persuade him with a talk about echo-sound-communications? Ah well, naivety at its finest.
But, this is not the main problem of the film. The apparent lack of interest from any political leader in the world about the giant ancient monster-gods is a little bit weird. I mean, the only one seeming responsible is the commander of a aircraft carrier? (To be honest, he does pick up a red phone at some point).
But enough of the movie-bashing. I really felt for the portrayal of Godzilla. I really liked the whole misunderstood, friendly Iron-giant type figure. Yes, he is an ancient alpha-predator that feeds of the radiation of the Earth core. Yes, he does create tsunamis when he emerges (oops!) to save the puny humans he might later trample.
But by all that is good and true, even when an enormous building falls down upon him, even when he has used his super-sayan blue-flame radiation-filled breath on the giant bug thing, he still has the strength to give a "I hope I did a good job soldier!" look to the main representative of the armed forces. Uncle Sam would be proud of you Godzilla. And the he would probably sue you for damages.
10/10 would re-watch just to see the best "omg I can't believe I have one facial expression in this movie" face by Ken Watanabe, portraying the I'm-always-at-a-loss doctor.