Godzilla is an awe-inspiring spectacle that truly delivers

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2014)

After the failed 1998 version of Godzilla, a Jurassic Park ripoff (there are many scenes lifted shot-for-shot from Jurassic Park) which nearly destroyed the franchise by making the titled monster looked nothing more than a giant iguana with spikes, Hollywood decided to make another American reboot again for the well-known Japanese pop-culture icon. The Japanese hated the 1998 version so much that they named the Iguana monster as 'Zilla', without 'god' and they even have a film (Godzilla: Final Wars) where 'Zilla' get blown to bits by the real Godzilla. So, this time, does it truly deliver? YES.
From the menacing look...the thunderous roar...the humongous 107m (350ft) size...the trademark back plates...the gargantuan tail whip...the signature atomic breath...Godzilla is a word taken from 'Gojira', a combination of two Japanese words: gorira ("gorilla")and kujira ("whale"), implying his enormous size, power and aquatic origin.
The newly-designed Godzilla is more faithful to its Japanese origins, done with Hollywood's state-of-art CGI effects (instead of a man-in-suit costume). The film respects of the monster's dark nuclear roots by showing the nuclear tests done in the past as attempts to kill it (although it enhanced the creature, making it bigger, powerful and stronger than before).
The film done a great job in portraying the monsters, showing them as animals that tries to survive, trying to do what it takes to defend their territories or reproduce. The CGI was really good and the shots of godzilla or the MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) appearing on screen were nothing short of incredible. The film chooses to hold back the Kaiju battles until the end and gradually reveal Godzilla's body parts (the spiky back plates in the Pacific, the gigantic tail, the stomping foot, the massive chest, etc) from various human viewpoint camera angles before making his full appearance.
While many would think this might cause frustration for the impatient ones, but this is not the case. The film gave us several breathtaking closer shots of the MUTOs to keep us entertained before the big guy comes in. It builds up the anticipation for the climax. At the same time, these shots give us a sense of scale, an understanding of monsters' massive sizes before the climatic battle begins. Otherwise, an overexposure of monsters earlier in the film might leave the audience feel exhausted and develop repetitive feeling of scenes as the film progresses. I was genuinely awestruck during the moment when godzilla first appears on-screen, stomping on buildings and makes his first roar.
The monsters remain as the central story that ties many of the human characters together in the film. Gone are the silly, cheesy acting, lame humor, and tone of the 1998 version. The level of seriousness in the film gives the sense of urgency and danger for events that about to happen. First, we get to see the Ford family and how the existence of these monsters affect their lives, the research team that tries to understand the creatures behaviour, the Navy troops that tries to stop these creatures from wiping out the entire human race. These stories works together as a functional narrative that connects all the pieces (although it feels contrived and too convenient at some point).
The acting was good. Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Juliette Binoche and Elizabeth Olsen all provide decent performances in their respective roles. Bryan Cranston delivered a brilliant on-screen performance despite his limited screen time in the film. However, Aaron Taylor- Johnson's character does fall a bit flat and it's a shame that he has most of the screen time compared to the rest of the casts.
Overall, Godzilla is an awe-inspiring spectacle that delivers. The climatic battle in San Francisco is truly rewarding and worth the wait, it left me wanting for more.
http://yjcool.blogspot.com/2014/05/movie-review-godzilla.html Rating: 8/10