Fantastic, and great theater experience!!!!! Two thumbs up

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2014)

I remember when I first saw the trailer to this movie. When I saw Ken Watanabe, I knew something was up, then I heard the beautiful roar that belonged to the king. Godzilla. As you can see, my expectations were very high for this flick, and I was not disappointed.
Gareth Edwards directed one of my favorite Indie films, Monsters, which a lot of folks didn't like because it was more character-driven, than monster-driven. In my opinion, that's what made the movie, and it was beautiful. A lot of people didn't like Godzilla for the same reason: Lots of character, not much monster. I do see where they are coming from, being they wanted to see Godzilla, and got more Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, but I like when the director gets into the character.
The acting was great in this. Bryan Cranston mostly. He is really moving up on my list of favorite actors. He is so intense and slips into his roles with passion and authentic. I do wish they would have killed him off later in the movie, instead of the first 30 minutes. But hey, the parts he was in were phenomenal. Elizabeth Olsen was surprisingly good. It's not that I expected her to be bad, I just thought she would be one of those girls that is just there for appearance and to cheer the leading men on. But, she shockingly showed emotion well and seemed very dedicated to the role. Ken Watanabe, a Japanese scientist who knows most about the creatures, was alright. He did what the role called for (which wasn't much.) Even though all he really did was talk science and look off in the distance, he says Godzilla better than anyone! I really don't know why they got a big star like Sally Hawkins to play a character that maybe has 5 lines. I mean, this woman was nominated for an Oscar this year, give her some lines! And finally, Aaron Taylor Johnson: Okay, I honestly do not think he ruined the movie....unlike other people. Like Ken Watanabe's character, the role did not call for much. Johnson did what he needed and looked great in a uniform. What else could you want? Sure, there was some boring dialogue in the movie, but is that his fault? No, its the writer's fault.
The monsters weren't in the movie much, but when they were, they were friggin awesome! When Godzilla breathed friggin fire.....I DIED!!!!!!!!! I do think that they should have showed Godzilla more than the Muto monsters, but they were a good addition to the film. But, I could have gone without the Muto monsters cuddling. They are monsters. They have no feeling.
Overall, the movie was fantastic. Was it the Dark Knight of Godzilla movies? No. Could it have been as good as the Dark Knight? Probably not, The Dark Knight was groundbreaking and classic. There were only slim problems with this movie, and it really didn't let me down. And if you didn't like the characters, wouldn't you rather more character, than just monster and no character development whatsoever?