Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla (2014) by Micah J. Duckless

Directed by; Gareth Edwards (Dir. Monsters)

Starring; Godzilla

The King of Monsters returns to America, and it's never been this good. Though they didn't fair well in the US box-office, Godzilla 1985 and Godzilla 2000 are fine films but we've only had one American produced movie titled after the God of Destruction, from 1998. And if you love Godzilla movies that...literally don't have Godzilla in them, it wasn't bad.

But if you were expecting a portrayal of the actual character, one that would have respect for the mythos and blend the concept with modern SFX making for a unique and satisfying experience, then it's probably been a long 16 years.

Last May an American made Godzilla film hit our theatres once again, this time being Toho-approved. Though not perfect, this film delivers a great ride and sincere depiction of the infamous daikaiju.

Seemingly slow at first, the build-up in this movie is fantastic and creates an eerie off-screen presence for our prehistoric star. Somewhat reminiscent of how we didn't fully see the shark until the end of Jaws, or how they initially showed the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, giving you just enough until the full reveal.

This movie pits Godzilla against not one but two original, giant monsters in an All-Out Attack. The perspective of these scenes makes the audience feel like a speck looking up at these great beasts and there are plenty of nods to classic films from the franchise's past.

One notable difference to the 1998 film, is Godzilla's motivation. In that he attacked NYC to nest, which makes sense if you don't think about it. What better place for the giant iguana to- wait...what? He was an irradiated marine iguana? Ok, I'm done with that flick.

Anyway, in the new film, after a 'MUTO' emerges Godzilla turns up simply to hunt, not to defend or attack us. Though he is depicted as being on our side...ish humans aren't really a concern of his, our presence is incidental. Meaning he shows up, takes down the two behemoths and returns to the ocean. Being depicted more like a territorial animal, not mindlessly destroying buildings or military boats just because they're there.

Since this movie is aimed for all audiences, not just die-hard Godzilla fans, some may have problems with it. Personally, I feel the first half of the movie has a minor pacing problem in that we follow the human characters a bit too much. But this may be simply that we're not following the humans I expected to, a slight mislead from the trailers.

One could argue that, due to this, Godzilla doesn't have enough screen time. On the other hand, him having limited screen time helps you to take this movie more seriously. Having two hours of only massive monsters fighting could, after awhile, make the concept seem hackneyed or feel silly.

None of that matters once you get to the third act, however. This section of the film will have you standing and cheering without realizing you left your seat. In the midst of the climatic end battle, I didn't even notice I had yelled out in excitement the moment Godzilla let forth his Atomic Breath.

Whatever one's opinion of this movie, there is no denying that when Godzilla is on screen it's relentless, brutal, and the exact thing we've been waiting for from a US produced Godzilla movie. Hopefully, it will erase from your mind the 60 meter tall iguana that was tricked twice by a pile of fish, could repeatedly disappear in NYC and was eventually killed by missiles.