It’s difficult to generate excitement for a reboot of a movie franchise. With examples like Spider-man, Superman, Robocop, and The Ninja Turtles, the producer is tasked with not only making a great film, but improving what was previously created. The new Godzilla film, however, had no problem building hype.
The iconic Kaiju has impacted moviegoers and appeared in Japanese films since the 1950s. The first American Godzilla film came in 1998. It was ill received by critics and fans so Toho Studios bought the rights, renamed him “Zilla” and had Godzilla kill him in a couple of seconds in Godzilla: Final Wars. Ouch.
Not only did Gareth Edwards have to prove that America could make a good Godzilla film, but he had more pressure after Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim showed us the possibilities of a modern Kaiju battle. Did this reboot bring justice to the King of Monsters?
The plot homages the nuclear testing and research displayed in the original films. A research group investigates two mines in the Philippines. It leads to seismic activity that kills workers in a Japanese nuclear power plant, one casualty being the mother of the main character, Ford Brody (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Ford’s father (played by Bryan Cranston) was shaken by the death of his wife.
Convinced the government is covering up something, Ford, now an explosive ordinance disposal officer of the U.S. Navy, accompanies his father to Japan and discovers that the chrysalises contain giant winged creatures that wreak havoc all around the world. Project Monarch, led by Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (played by Ken Watanabe), a group of scientists made to study a prehistoric alpha predator known as Godzilla. They decide the best solution is to let Godzilla and the monsters fight.
Despite the film being called Godzilla, he has a short appearance. Without Godzilla, it is important to have interesting human characters and conflicts that revolve around the monster, which this film doesn’t do. Scenes featuring Watanebe, the military, and Project Monarch together are intriguing as they discuss their views on the monsters and try to figure out a way to deal with the situation.
The main focal character of the story, Ford Brody, is also the main problem of the film. The charm we got out of Taylor-Johnson’s Kick Ass is gone and we are left with a boring, generic character.
People who’ve seen the trailers have noticed that Bryan Cranston’s character has been heavily promoted and are likely interested to see his role in the film. Viewers will be dissapointed to learn he’s merely used to push ticket sale while his character is quickly axed off.This is not the only tease of the film. There were many instances the monsters would begin destroying a city or Godzilla would begin to fight the monsters but rather than show it in great destructive detail, it would cut to the aftermath of it.
I can safely say that the film’s third act is easily the best part, as they finally show Godzilla and the monsters brawling it out in a dark city. There is destruction, brutal attacks, and everything I expected in a Godzilla movie showcasing the technology of today. The CGI was fantastic, Godzilla was amazing, and I wanted more of it. One attack Godzilla pulled off made my mouth open wide and made me feel like a kid again. The destruction in the previous two acts was pretty well done too, but when it came down to the final fight, they really brought their A game.
-Brady Lass