Godzilla is my hero!

For many, Godzilla conjures up memories of bad visual effects and even worse acting, with a pretty boring and predictable plot. I’m talking about Roland Emmerich’s big-budget debacle in 1998.

Fortunately, I hadn’t seen the 1954 original … the iconic giant lizard was nothing more than a yawn-fest to me. I didn’t want to see the rubber suit Godzilla in black and white, nor did I care to watch yet another remake, with the same title, 60 years later.

However, this time around, British director Gareth Edwards is behind the camera, and although he may have trouble with keeping this movie short and sweet, the result is awesome.

He gives the audience the perfect blend of exhilaration and slowly developing tension.
The effects in this film are brilliant. There are plenty of ‘wow’ moments that will drop your jaw, especially with the explosions and the number of monsters, particularly when they emerge from underwater. That’s right, there’s more than one creature.

Even as someone who hates watching movies in 3D, I would recommend it. Godzilla is bigger and better than ever. The details on his 350-foot body are worth the annoyance of wearing those glasses for over two hours. The visuals help to make humanity look powerless in comparison to Zilly.

Moreover, the carnage in this film is so gripping you cannot take your eyes of the action. Whether it’s monsters vs monsters or humans taking on the big lizards, the fights are intense and colossal.

On top of all this, the A-list cast helps to bring in some viewers. I’m not going to lie, being a fan of Bryan Cranston I just wanted to see what Heisenberg was up to post Breaking Bad.

The film opens 15 years ago in 1999, where Joe Brody (Cranston), a nuclear technician is working in a power plant in Japan. When one day he speaks of some strange seismic activity, nobody listens and suddenly an earthquake hits, killing his wife. The area is quarantined and evacuated.

Skip to present day, and Joe is now a ridiculed conspiracy theorist just trying to figure out what happened and if it’s a sign for more terrible things to come. His son, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), is an explosives expert and technician in the US Navy.
 
When Ford returns home to his wife, Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) and son, Sam (Carson Bolde), after military duty, he learns that his ‘crazy’ father is in trouble in Japan for trespassing and he must travel there to help him.

Once he’s there, Joe tells Ford about a case he’s been working on and he is sure that something is being hidden in the radiation quarantine zone that surrounds the nuclear plant from 15 years ago. He tells him that the seismic pattern has started again and the last time it happened, it was a disaster!

Joe was right, just as they reunite after being estranged, a prehistoric monster is unleashed, a Muto, and wreaks havoc, destroying everything in its path. But the action doesn’t stop there, Muto’s enemy rises from the ocean floor to attack just as the Muto begins to destroy the world … and who is it? Godzilla!

Yes, this time around Godzilla is our hero! This movie has plenty of twists and changes from its original, but that’s what makes it exciting and fun. You don’t know what to expect next.

Although this film has excellent actors, the script resembled one of a soap opera, making it hard to take seriously. The dramatic tension was further reinforced by the theatrical music and facial expressions. I mean no particular actor was terrible, but I guess they all did the best they could with the script they were given.

Taylor-Johnson proved that he can go from a awkward anti-hero in Kick-Ass to a leading man. He doesn’t provide much depth to his character, and at times may seem bland, but that isn’t necessarily his fault – it’s the script. No one cares anyway; we just want to see the monsters destroy the world.

Cranston is hardly in this movie, but I kind of miss him walking around the desert in his tightie whities. It’s just a shame his character is the complete opposite to his Breaking Bad role.

Godzilla is the true star of this movie. Even the lizard’s facial expressions will have the audience shocked. He truly lives up to the name of the monster and does it justice. It was only after research into the effects that I found out Andy Serkis (Gollum and King Kong), Hollywood’s leading creature motion capture actor was hired to illustrate the emotional reactions.

Overall, this movie pleasantly surprised me, especially with its computer-generated effects.

This is definitely the best Godzilla movie out there. This is the perfect example of how to remake an iconic character and film. Definitely one for the collection.

* Showing in Cineco, Seef I, Seef II, Saar Cineplex and Al Jazira Cinema