Godzilla (2014)

[Mulder]

Guys do keep in mind that first-hand-witnesses to the Hiroshima bombings made Gojira. There's a big difference there. No one'd be able to replicate that.

[Jessie]

It was so close of being a memorable classic blockbuster for the ages up there with Spielberg's entries. That's why it's damning that the point the great marketing sold me over (apart from the tone and amazing visuals), Human characters we actually care about and relate to in the midst of chaos, was the most deceiving of it all as they were written in the dullest way and acted accordingly ranging from serviceable at best to absolutely boring. I had so much hope anticipating that movie in that regard.

Yeah it's like they had a basic check list of things they had do just so they could try and have relatable characters. There was nothing interesting about them, they were just your perfect couple. Even TDAT had a more interesting character story and that's saying a lot. It's why Independence Day was such a huge hit, behind all the destruction there were characters we actually cared about and enjoyed watching interact, even if reviews say otherwise.To be honest though I never expected much in terms of character, I expected a serviceable plot and lots of destruction and for that it delivered, I never expected to actually care about ATJ 's character to begin with, he came across as dull in the trailers alone imo. Edited May 22, 2014 by jessie

[infiniti]

[*]Ok movie.

[*]Another movie overhyped big time.

[*]They kept on teasing Godzilla so many times only to show the human scenes, it was ok if you're doing it couple of times but to do it so many times  test audiences patients and when they finally show godzilla, i wasn't interested and was bored by then, wanted the movie to finish, it felt dragging.

[*]I didn't mind the lead ATJ, i liked him, don't get where the hate is coming from.

[*]Didn't like most of BGM trying to be epic but didn't feel it, it was distracting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      6/10

[JohnnY]

It just felt like an ordinary disaster movie for me, all the screaming and running the american hero bullshit and we need to do something oh my god all these civilians let's shoot the monster until it roars at the screen a dozen times

 

It was really interesting and even emotional the way Godzilla behaved in the end, but that was like 1% of the movie.

 

5/10

[FTF]

Saw it again and seemed like Godzilla was in it even less this time lol. Not sure why it felt different than the first time I saw it (probably cause the money shots weren't new/fresh anymore), as I figured now that I knew what was coming and my expectations were in check I'd like it more, but I didn't. Lowering to a B- (probably closer to C+, but that seems too low) but really excited to see what they do with the sequel and really hope it's destroy all monsters with 3-4 other baddies for him to fight.

Edited May 25, 2014 by FTF

[Kevin Bacon]

I'd say one of the most disappointing things about this movie's weak writing is that this had the best scenario for well-written human drama. Godzilla 2 may have stronger writing, maybe Edwards will even write it himself, but the story there will be one of a world that's already aware of Godzilla and that has already survived these giant monsters when Godzilla killed them the first time. No matter how good it is, the potential for sheer terror borne from this totally unknown threat, giant indestructible monsters destroying cities, was wasted and there won't be a second chance. You only get one first Godzilla movie (at least until the next reboot), and they wasted it in that regard.

[eXtacy]

Solid monster romp, has a lot of flaws which dragged it down. Overall a C+

[Kevin Bacon]

Sorry Bacon, but the sequel has been greenlit.. There will be a second chance..

There will be a second chance to make a great Godzilla movie, but not to capture the type of human drama they could've had in this one. Now everybody knows about Godzilla and the other monsters, and the dynamic will be a lot different than it is when people are seeing a completely unheard of threat destroy cities, soldiers being faced by a 500-foot tall monster. That first teaser was so awesome because of that monologue to the soldiers, the general's concerned tone, admitting that this is something they never could have been prepared to take on. You can't replicate that once a city has stood up and applauded Godzilla. The dynamic next time will be "Oh, shit, monsters! Where's Godzilla? Oh, there he is, fuck yeah! Godzilla!" and while that can still be good, they'll need to be a lot more creative to make it interesting.

[AniNate]

I... quite liked it. The human drama is pretty rote but I didn't feel it was a huge distraction from the main attraction. That last fight was pretty awesome, too.

 

One of these disaster movies needs to attack Dallas at some point, though. A big city that's been unfairly ignored by the silver screen.

Edited May 29, 2014 by tribefan695

[K1stpierre]

Just got back from seeing Godzilla! Honestly, I don't get some of the hate for this. It's got flaws for sure, but it's suppose to be an action packed thriller, and I think it succeeded in that department.

 

Flaws: The biggest one for me was the storyline, it just felt way to confusing. Like, the first 20 minutes or so I had a hard time figuring out which monster they were talking about and which monster was responsible for what. It made getting into the film a bit hard. Also, character development lacked a bit, I never actually cared for anyone, not even the main character. Like, the wife in the beginning of the movie dies in a sad way, but we just met her two minutes ago, so I really didn't feel anything for her. Same thing with the dad, just when I thought I was getting to know the guy, he dies. The main character I should have felt something for, but I didn't, don't know why. I don't know if it was the script, or the actor's acting, but he just seemed bland to me.

 

Pros: Now to the good stuff! I loved the action scenes! Some of the shots in this movie were so well done and just so COOL! The special effects in the movie were amazing, loved them! The trailer did not spoil it for me, as they saved some good stuff for the movie. I fighting scenes with the monsters was super cool, I was squealing with joy in my seat. Godzilla just looks so cool in this movie, his face is bad ass. Only thing negative I will say about him is that I thought he would be bigger. Like, there were buildings that were taller than him (in fact, the end showed a building crashing in on him like it was going to kill him. I was like, wtf? So a nuke can't kill him but a crashing building can?).

 

Overall, I was pleased with the movie. It didn't blow me away like I had hoped at first seeing the trailer, but it wasn't as bad as some people here were saying. I'd give it a 7.5/10, B rating.

[Kalel009Shel]

Just got back from seeing Godzilla! Honestly, I don't get some of the hate for this. It's got flaws for sure, but it's suppose to be an action packed thriller, and I think it succeeded in that department.

 

Flaws: The biggest one for me was the storyline, it just felt way to confusing. Like, the first 20 minutes or so I had a hard time figuring out which monster they were talking about and which monster was responsible for what. It made getting into the film a bit hard. Also, character development lacked a bit, I never actually cared for anyone, not even the main character. Like, the wife in the beginning of the movie dies in a sad way, but we just met her two minutes ago, so I really didn't feel anything for her. Same thing with the dad, just when I thought I was getting to know the guy, he dies. The main character I should have felt something for, but I didn't, don't know why. I don't know if it was the script, or the actor's acting, but he just seemed bland to me.

 

Pros: Now to the good stuff! I loved the action scenes! Some of the shots in this movie were so well done and just so COOL! The special effects in the movie were amazing, loved them! The trailer did not spoil it for me, as they saved some good stuff for the movie. I fighting scenes with the monsters was super cool, I was squealing with joy in my seat. Godzilla just looks so cool in this movie, his face is bad ass. Only thing negative I will say about him is that I thought he would be bigger. Like, there were buildings that were taller than him (in fact, the end showed a building crashing in on him like it was going to kill him. I was like, wtf? So a nuke can't kill him but a crashing building can?).

 

Overall, I was pleased with the movie. It didn't blow me away like I had hoped at first seeing the trailer, but it wasn't as bad as some people here were saying. I'd give it a 7.5/10, B rating.

I wanted them to hit him with the megaton nuke and show that Godzilla is resistant to that too. and the panic

in there faces. ....Sorry it didnt go off .. Great film, and next time they need to keep the great actors in it to the end. That was was one  of the big mistakes. Glad you love it K1...Now they have a chance to fix the flaws make it scarier

and gives  worlds most loved Ant-hero more screen time

[K1stpierre]

I wanted them to hit him with the megaton nuke and show that Godzilla is resistant to that too. and the panic

in there faces. ....Sorry it didnt go off .. Great film, and next time they need to keep the great actors in it to the end. That was was one  of the big mistakes. Glad you love it K1...Now they have a chance to fix the flaws make it scarier

and gives  worlds most loved Ant-hero more screen time

Oh my god yes I know! I was thinking the same thing! I wanted the nuke to land right on Godzilla, and Godzila just shrug that thing off.

[Michael Gary Scott]

3.5/5The monster stuff is great but the character aspects suck and what could of been A classic is just an okay film

[Maxmoser3]

saw this last week really good movie despite it is more of a Mouto movie with Godzilla as a special appearance but I will admit I really liked the special effects in the movie and had some cool scenes such as the ocean scene destroying Hawaii and Godzilla and Mouto fighting in San Francisco near the end. Now about the characters Aaron Johnson was not that bad of a lead and Bryan Cranston(even though he is not in the film very long). Overall Godzilla is a very good summer blockbuster definitely one I will get when it comes to bluray in the fall, and Godzilla receives a B+ from me

[BK007]

OK, what exactly were people expecting?

 

I just saw it today and I really don't know why this movie has poor WOM. It really is no different from any other disaster flick, then again, maybe that's the problem because disaster flicks in general don't exactly have strong WOM. Still, what were you all expecting? Perhaps it is because I have no knowledge or comparison for Godzilla, so I don't expect super monsters or whatever people wanted. I thought the amount of screentime he had was great, any more and it'd be like "Hey, you can call me Spiderzilla or Superzilla or Batzilla, just a phone call away bros!". I was satisfied with the explanation I was given as to him needing to restore the natural balance, because really, otherwise it'd be cheesy as fuck if he ran around like a superhero.

 

The characters weren't given that much to do, but it is a really, really strong cast for just a disaster flick, makes different viewing. Anyway, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

 

How did it get you folks going for 19 pages?

[BK007]

Yeah, not sure what people wanted from this movie?

 

It's writing is basically similar to most disaster movies just like how most superhero flicks all follow the same plotting. It's all predictable, but why do the latter films get a pass?

 

And time for blasphemy, Jaws is highly overrated. I didn't care about any of the characters there. It was a pretty crappy movie that seems to be held in esteem because of nostalgia, historical significance, Spielberg or the shark. 

[ChD]

Yeah, not sure what people wanted from this movie?

 

It's writing is basically similar to most disaster movies just like how most superhero flicks all follow the same plotting. It's all predictable, but why do the latter films get a pass?

 

And time for blasphemy, Jaws is highly overrated. I didn't care about any of the characters there. It was a pretty crappy movie that seems to be held in esteem because of nostalgia, historical significance, Spielberg or the shark. 

 

If it wasn't advertised as being a completely different movie, it wouldn't receive so much hate from us. We just got our expectations high and the end product was really unsatisfying. Of course we're upset...

[BobbyJohn]

It was good entertainment. Well made, good action, decent cast, wasn't offensive in anyway (unlike 98 Zilla) and in general I had a good time. But I expected more. Cloverfield was better, both in human departement and fresher approach to monster segment. The new zilla is cool, but doesn't really push itself. I will take flawed Maleficent that aimed to do something fresh than by-the-book 2014 Zilla.

[Ozymandias]

OK, what exactly were people expecting?

 

I just saw it today and I really don't know why this movie has poor WOM. It really is no different from any other disaster flick, then again, maybe that's the problem because disaster flicks in general don't exactly have strong WOM. Still, what were you all expecting? Perhaps it is because I have no knowledge or comparison for Godzilla, so I don't expect super monsters or whatever people wanted. I thought the amount of screentime he had was great, any more and it'd be like "Hey, you can call me Spiderzilla or Superzilla or Batzilla, just a phone call away bros!". I was satisfied with the explanation I was given as to him needing to restore the natural balance, because really, otherwise it'd be cheesy as fuck if he ran around like a superhero.

 

The characters weren't given that much to do, but it is a really, really strong cast for just a disaster flick, makes different viewing. Anyway, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

 

How did it get you folks going for 19 pages?

 

Read it.  If not, its because it looked like the most promising movie of the summer with its haunting trailers/outstanding marketing campaign and it turned out to be poorly conceived forgettable shit.

Edited June 23, 2014 by Ozymandias

[Mulder]

Ah Godzilla. Ever since preschool I've been a huge fan of Dinosaurs and while this started out with Jurassic Park ((Which is still one of my big loves to this day.)), Godzilla is an equally important franchise to me and one I hold most dear. I first got into Godzilla in 2nd grade because of Godzilla 2000 and an Animal Planet documentary. It's safe to say that I was enamored instantly. The vast multitude of strange and wonderful villains and allies only added to the appeal of a franchise that was literally about giant Dinosaurs, Dragons, Insects, and more and ever since then I haven't looked back. Gojira, Godzilla's first film, is also the film that made me fall in love with allegory and symbolism and is a film I love to death to this day. It's not surprise then that I've been tracking this film since it was announced in the winter of 2010 with amazing trailer, after amazing trailer, every piece of news and overall being hyped up for this film. Was G-2014 worth it? Hell yes.

 

Let me start with is by far the most divisive part of Godzilla 2014 which is the human drama and acting. The human drama in Godzilla is great. Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binonche knock it out of the park in their scenes together with a very natural chemistry which adds to the tragedy of her death as Cranston, who plays a nuclear power plant supervisor, has to seal his wife, Juliette Binonche, to stop the radiation leak. This scene is incredibly powerful because of the amazing delivery of the great dialogue written by Frank Darabont ((The script however is written by Max Borenstein.)). The first act after this event is great as Bryan Cranston continues to deliver a great performance after this part of the movie as Joe Brody and really sells this first act. Him and his son, Ford Brody played by Aaron Taylor Johnson, have great chemistry together and really make this first act enjoyable. 

 

Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, and the rest of the cast all do great jobs but I will say this, Bryan Cranston's screen time because of his character's early death in the film does leave bit to be desired and the human parts could've been worked on but in the end the good stuff about the human drama completely overwhelms the bad and just makes the human part of the drama so compelling. There are some great scenes between Ford and Elle Brody, who is Elizabeth Olsen's character, and Elle Brody's interactions with her son do give you lots of sympathy for these characters. The showing of the aftermath of the monster scenes in the film also greatly adds to the human element  and Not to mention the very well done touch of putting a bible prayer before the HALO jump sequence.which makes it all very compelling. 

 

Now onto the amazing direction by Gareth Edwards. I will say it now. Gareth Edwards is by far the best new director yet. Edwards direction is stuff most new directors dream of as he gives great point of view shots and he excels magnificently at capturing the horror but terrifying wonder of Godzilla and his opponents and his director for the fight scenes is truly magnificent. Besides how well he captures the monsters, the amazingly shot HALO jump sequence is truly magnificent and I for one can't wait for Edwards' next projects.

 

Speaking of the HALO jump sequence I will also say this, Alexandre Desplat does a GREAT job with the score. He completely captures the feel for the film with amazing themes and the insertion of the Monolith's theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey completes the scene magnificently. Not to mention Desplat's score is a amazing call back to the themes of Akira Ifukube, the classic Godzilla composer which makes the film feel even more like a Godzilla film and overall his score is the best of any film's this year.

 

Now onto the thing I'm sure you've all been waiting for. The monsters. The monsters in this film are fantastic. From the gorgeous designs, to the amazing sound effects, to the pulse pounding fight scenes, it is just amazing how well they're done. I'll start with Godzilla's opponents, the MUTOs. The MUTOs are a great new addition to the Godzilla roster with their alien looking designs which don't resemble any kind of animal around today or any extinct animal. This alien vibe to them makes them mysterious and creepy, yet Edwards still makes them sympathetic by having them be a mating couple simply trying to survive in a world they aren't used too. The mating scene we get between them is oddly adorable and makes them even more sympathetic. The CGI for the Flying/Male MUTO is simply extraordinary, as is the CGI for the Big/Female MUTO and their destruction of the military, and Las Vegas respectively is great fun to watch.

 

But how about Godzilla you ask? Oh don't worry about him. Despite rants of screen time from people on the internet, Godzilla has the PERFECT amount of screen time where we want more but still feel satisfied. It's this feeling we get from classic Godzilla films as well and seeing it replicated here is just fine and just adds to the whole package. Now onto the real important matter, Godzilla is done justice. 100%. From the amazing Dinosaurian design and sound effects. To the incredible CGI work, this Godzilla will go down as one of the best Godzillas of all 30 films. I love how he's the embodiment of nature and how despite being an Anti-Hero, he will still **** up anyone who gets in his way, as the military ((And the Golden Gate bridge)) learned the hard way, but I like how it shows how there's a personality to Godzilla, as seen when Godzilla and Aaron Taylor Johnson lock eyes after Godzilla collapses. It's a very powerful scene because you can tell how alone and tired Godzilla is, after all these years. Now I do have one teeny tiny complaint here and that's the ending and how it handles Godzilla. I for one didn't like how the civilians he inadvertently saved from the MUTOs clapped for him at the end and the news hailing him as "Savior of this city?" to me it just felt cheesy but overall, like with the human drama, the good outweighs the bad.

 

Now how about the action? Oh boy the action. The action in Godzilla 2014 is out of this world. Everything about it is great. The MUTOs are pulse-poundingly threatening with the railway scene being a true highlight full of tension and suspense straight out of a Spielberg film, to Godzilla's big entrance. But that all is secondary to the truly astounding monster fights. Never before have they been so brutal, raw, and powerful as in G-2014. These monster fights are the total highlights of the film, and how Godzilla fights is just an amazing combination of Grizzly Bear, Komodo Dragon, and Tyrannosaurus Rex and it just all works together so well.  Also there's one teeny tiny thing I must mention.....ATOMIC BREATH IS BACK BABY! The intro to the atomic breath is simply the best scene in any film this year with how it is introduced and done just makes it astounding and awe-inspiring. The atomic breath has a real power behind it and when it's used against the MUTOs it feels epic. Also when it is used to kill the female MUTO it is by far one of the best scenes of the film.

 

Final Rating for Godzilla 2014-9/10

 

Featuring a great script, great performances from its cast, amazing direction, and pulse pounding action and spectacle, Godzilla 2014 easily overcomes a few script hurdles and becomes one of the best american reboots of all time while staying a excellent Godzilla film.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Mulder