Godzilla (2014)

[ACCA]

A solid B+ from me, very very close to an A-. I was not disappointed at all, like much of the general audience.

 

The visuals were excellent, truly awesome! The fight scenes were spectacularly done, and THIS is the level of visuals and fighting I expected in Pacific Rim. Gareth Edwards showed Del Toro how it's done.

 

Godzilla was a real bad ass overall in the film.

 

I liked the fact that they didn't go overboard with Godzilla and explosions in every scene. I liked the humanity, the sincerity, and the character moments in the film. The Japanese scenes were really haunting to me.

 

The score I felt was very effective, and used very successfully amongst the different scenes.

 

The cinematography was amazing, the editing and pacing were solid as well. It also wasn't fully predictable as you weren't sure how it was going to end.

[Gopher]

A solid B+ from me, very very close to an A-. I was not disappointed at all, like much of the general audience.

I'm a defender of the film and I'm pretty sure this isn't true. Legs were kind of shit if you didn't notice.

[BK007]

Mulder your formatting of that post is intentional? Makes it very unpleasant to read.

[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.

 

Fixed the formatting. 

[Squaremaster316]

[Kalel009Shel]

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.

Dont worry Gareth listens to the people we will see more character development and more Godzilla in the sequel my friend.. IM sure of it!

[Kalel009Shel]

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.

Girl I want that ahole to feel the fear.. Talking that mess that its baby compared to the nuke they got prepared for him now.. I hope they hit him with the megaton nuke and see all it does is make Godzilla pissed off and stronger in the sequel.. Only a mega monster should be able to pose a threat to Godzilla, never mankind... And godzilla should never lose, but rise to challenge with some help from friends..

 

So many fans want the army to hit godzilla with even more weapns and that big nuke.. Great minds think alike my awesome K1 xoxoxo -Yeeehaww... Gareth needs to up the Army attacks on Godzilla(Even though hes the hero) and show what happens when you tick him. As Godzilla should have no qualms about killing them if we come to hurt peaceful monsters in the sequels. Especially their babies..

 

 

Long Live the King!!

[tommycruise]

This whole movie I couldn't help but feel sorry for Brody. He's on leave for 14 months and he wants to have to sex with his wife but first he has to deal with his bratty kid when he gets home and then finally after he puts his kid to bed he starts to get a little lip action but lo and behold his crazy daddy drags him off to Japan, where's he stuck for a few days, he eventually gets to go home and get it one with his wife but the. Monsteras attack and he's stuck in Hawaii, and he has to do military stuff again. Ultimately he gets reunited with his wife but he still can't have sex with her because the whole city has been destroyed and they will no longer have any privacy. Massive unidentified terrestrial organisms ruin everything

[ACCA]

I'm a defender of the film and I'm pretty sure this isn't true. Legs were kind of shit if you didn't notice.

 

Not quite sure what you mean? It isn't true that the general audience was disappointed?

[Mulder]

Not quite sure what you mean? It isn't true that the general audience was disappointed?

WoM was mixed.

[Goffe]

WoM was mixed.

lol keep telling yourself that 

[ShouldIBeHere]

Really disappointed... the trailers made this look like my personal hit of the year, certainly of the summer (at least in blockbuster terms). Unfortunately the atmosphere of the trailers was only present in the movie during the first 30 minutes (if at all).

 

The change of leading character hurt it A LOT. I had no issue with "not enough Godzilla" but with "we tease even after we revealed Godzilla". 

 

It could have been close to perfect if it had followed what it kind of pretends to do all the way through: that whatever mankind does, this is now the battle of these monsters, and humanity cannot do much against it.

 

But with the unbelievable journey of the main character, the role of humanity creeps in - all the time (and often in a boring way).

 

Visuals were good most of the time (though the quality varied)... the opening chapter totally pulled me into the story and the finale had some nice moments.

 

C- (though my expectations made it feel more like a D+ initially)

Edited August 5, 2014 by ShouldIBeHere

[darkelf]

This movie had the best opening credits since Watchmen.

 

Very good direction and pacing by Edwards but the human story felt half-assed. The acting was mostly okay, nothing horrible but no stand-outs. The special effects were very good with some iffy moments and the score was good. So overall, pretty mediocre but with nothing to get mad about. Great third act though.

 

7/10

[Omario]

Gosh i enjoyed this movie. It helps when you watch it on a giant screen

 

My criticisms are that it was pretty slow in places and had too much emphasis on human characters. They didnt delve into Godzilla too much and focused more on the two Mutos. I would have liked to see Godzilla under the ocean awaken after hearing the mutos talking to eachother. Him appearing out of nowhere was kind of confusing. They also teased the fight scenes in Hawaii and when the big doors shut in Elizabeth olsens face. I was like come on man, show me something. Been here for 2 hours already!

 

Me and my friend couldnt stop laughing at Watanabe. God his accent is barely understandable. 

 

'We named him Gozhilla...' bahahahahahaha

 

Than when the final battle arrived. Holy smoke that was fucking epic! Hail the king of monsters! 

 

A-

 

So after a rewatch my criticisms still stand. Not enough Godzilla action. It was more noticeable the second time how absent he is from his own movie.  Aaron Taylor Johnson did some extremely poor acting in this movie. Godzilla kicks ass when he comes but this movie has to be downgraded by me.

 

B

[BoxOfficeZ]

Its still amazing.

 

 

There's definitely flaws (especially the writing). Like, why the heck does the MUTO burrow into a random Japanese nuclear plant instead of closer locations like nuke plants in Philippines or Taiwan? That was always a bit of a stretch for me. Plus little things like the scene of the white family is the only one that apparently avoids the tsunami always annoys me. Also you'd think someone at the waste facility in Nevada would hear the mountainside collapsing from the MUTO leaving it.

 

But its still one my favorite films of the year. This, GOTG, Dawn, and DOFP.

 

A -

 

I do hope for the next movie they film more scenes with the monsters in the daylight, though I know nighttime is convenient for hiding obvious VFK work.

 

Also, rewatching it again another observation came to mind, the cinematography is really amazing. Every shot is art. One thing that they nailed so perfectly was the scale of the monsters.

 

Examples (not my screenshots):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by BoxOfficeZ

[TheMovieman]

Decent movie with great visual effects but not enough Godzilla, seemed to be a supporting player in his own movie, and the human element was dull, though I could go along with the opening/set-up but after that, I couldn't care less about any of them and the plot seemed to get bogged down with unnecessary devices. All in all, not bad but a bit underwhelming. Not good enough to praise but not bad enough to mock either (a la the 1998 version).

 

***¼/*****, (B-, 6.6/10, 2.75/4)

[DAR]

Okay I agree with the consensus on Johnson he was not good. And I think Olsen had less screen time than Godzilla. That being said, I really dug the film. I was very entertained and thought the pacing was well done. A-

[RobinHood26]

After rewatching Pacific Rim I have I say the fights shit all over the ones in this movie.

[Jessie]

After rewatching Pacific Rim I have I say the fights shit all over the ones in this movie.

The fights were better in Pacific Rim ill give you that but with the exception of few water effects in the middle act, Pacific Rim looked cheaper.I always thought PR's problems was the lack of daylight fights but Godzilla showed me that PR just had poor looking CGI for a 200m movie. On a plus side for PR, the 3D was good.

[Jessie]

Its still amazing.

 

 

There's definitely flaws (especially the writing). Like, why the heck does the MUTO burrow into a random Japanese nuclear plant instead of closer locations like nuke plants in Philippines or Taiwan? That was always a bit of a stretch for me. Plus little things like the scene of the white family is the only one that apparently avoids the tsunami always annoys me. Also you'd think someone at the waste facility in Nevada would hear the mountainside collapsing from the MUTO leaving it.

 

But its still one my favorite films of the year. This, GOTG, Dawn, and DOFP.

 

A -

 

I do hope for the next movie they film more scenes with the monsters in the daylight, though I know nighttime is convenient for hiding obvious VFK work.

 

Also, rewatching it again another observation came to mind, the cinematography is really amazing. Every shot is art. One thing that they nailed so perfectly was the scale of the monsters.

 

Examples (not my screenshots):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's not forget these

This shot is my favourite, symbolising the 'heroes' emerging from the light into chaos. The only problem is all the shots just looked cool but it never mounted to anything more than that.