Godzilla (2014)

Ole Rodrigo

Great visuals. .There were some fine moments, there were some awful ones too. Could have been much better.

Am starting to give up hope in effects heavy summer blockbusters. They seem to be aimed squarely at teenagers.

Shane.C

DVD-Lots wrote: »

Just saw and loved it too. Yes there is no need for the poor story/acting/by the numbers military intervention/'Merica yadda yadda, but this is an event movie, a monster movie, it's frickin' Godzilla FFS!!! If you want a good story/script/acting then go see Grand Budapest Hotel or something. Park your brain outside and get on a really good monster movie ride.

Yes it has flaws but the big guy himself was awesome, I was grinning like an idiot at a couple of parts (you'll know when they happen...) and watching it with my 11 year old son only made the experience more enjoyable, he has proclaimed it the best monster movie he has ever see and he has seen them all I tell ya! Much better than the 1998 one imho.

Go see it and enjoy it for what it is, a really really really good, ridiculous movie event!

Spot on, not every movie's strong point is it's acting, and Godzilla is an example, but monster itself and 'spectacle' is worth the watch!

Much better than the 1998 version, due to simple issues aforementioned in a number of posts, such as Godzilla being an

Apex Predator, less of a dinosaur/giant monster and more of a kaiju or M.U.T.O.

Great stuff all around!

beardy_smith

Josey Wales wrote: »

I'd have to rewatch the 1998 version but this current version is so bad that I doubt it.

the 1998 one was unwatchable , i was on a plane from new zealand so had to watch it around three times , awful

GhostInTheRuins

I really loved the first 30 minutes. Great set up with a really serious disaster film feel. After

cranston kicks the bucket and godzilla actually shows up

it went down hill fairly quickly. The last 30 minutes I was bored out of my mind wishing for it to end. But that's my problem really, I should have known what to expect of a giant cgi monster film :pac:

ScrubsfanChris

I'd watch a prequel based on the opening credits

BearBanjer

What a great, fun monster movie!! Was a lot better than I was expecting.

Some really good scenes -

that parachute jump was brilliant. I liked how it was centred around the monsters, but that they weren't the main focus throughout.

.

Godzilla himself looked so bad ass!

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

PunkFreud wrote: »

Whether people are criticising or praising this, take it as a given that they consider it better than Emmerich's 1998 effort.

Not a chance is it better, not for me anyway, no way.

I mean, visually, without question but it's 16 years ago now.

I seen both in the same screen (Savoy 1) and I remember really enjoying it at the time.

Haven't seen it since, granted.. but even the soundtrack alone was worth the price of admission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrSyrOaoAug

Shane.C

Agree to disagree :P

Corholio

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Not a chance is it better, not for me anyway, no way.

I mean, visually, without question but it's 16 years ago now.

I seen both in the same screen (Savoy 1) and I remember really enjoying it at the time.

Haven't seen it since, granted.. but even the soundtrack alone was worth the price of admission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrSyrOaoAug

The trailer for this one was better than the entire 1998 film.

johnny_ultimate

DVD-Lots wrote: »

Just saw and loved it too. Yes there is no need for the poor story/acting/by the numbers military intervention/'Merica yadda yadda, but this is an event movie, a monster movie, it's frickin' Godzilla FFS!!! If you want a good story/script/acting then go see Grand Budapest Hotel or something. Park your brain outside and get on a really good monster movie ride.

As a matter of fact, the very first Godzilla proves that these monster movies can be so much more than a brainless rollercoaster ride.

I remember sitting down to watch the 1954 original one evening with a friend. At first, we chuckled at its dodgy effects and costumes. But as it went on, it revealed its claws. It's a film that reflects the social fears of the time in a vivid and uncompromising way. It explores its anti-nuclear themes with deadly seriousness, and a deeply melancholic narrative develops as it stomps towards it conclusion. It benefits hugely from a strong focus on the human characters, including a powerful performance from Takashi Shimura (one of the greatest Japanese actors of his generation, and perhaps Akira Kurosawa's most fruitful collaborator). Whatever about the long and uneven franchise that followed: Gojira number one proves that the most seemingly ridiculous content can be handled with intelligence and grace.

What's heartbreaking about the new film is that Edwards spends time on setting up a human story that could potentially update the themes and commentary of the first film (it's rather hard to miss the parallels with Fukushima and the Japanese government's response to the situation). But before we even get to the halfway point this is all abandoned, which subsequently leaves what came before seem pointless and muddled. It's almost like the opposite of Godzilla 1954: whereas that film lulls you into a false sense of security before hitting you with its surprising (if not exactly subtle) depths, this seems to start intelligently before descending into bog standard disaster fare with a handful of visually pleasing setpieces.

I guess it all boils down to this: surely the film would be significantly better if it delivered the spectacle alongside "good story/script/acting" - I'd actually be quite concerned if they're considered mutually exclusive properties. It's hardly like the film is going to be worse if it actually had a bit of brains or interesting characters as well as the kaiju wrestling. Personally, I think 99% of blockbusters aim far too low these days, and I savour the rare occasions when I get something more alongside the theme park thrills. And you just have to look at a sixty-year old film with a guy in an iffy dinosaur suit to prove why fun doesn't have to be dumb.

Edit: Also, just glancing over the thread, I think I missed a memo - when the hell did Independence Day become a film worth emulating? :pac:

Goldstein

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

As a matter of fact, the very first Godzilla proves that these monster movies can be so much more than a brainless rollercoaster ride.

Edward's own Monsters illustrates this point comprehensively.

Frankly I find the "it's a popcorn flick, what do you expect" excuse offensive and insulting to the thousands of science fiction writers out there that pour their heart, soul and brains into producing compelling stories that get ignored in favour of the severely limited abilities of in vogue screenwriting industry cliques producing ADHD fodder for easily entertained mass audiences with low standards. Those lazy good for nothings are all doomed if someone picks up a book someday. Screenwriting standards are so low now almost any well regarded sci-fi book of the last 70 years would be an epiphany t0 the industry.

BlitzKrieg

best review i've seen of it is this one:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/9210-Godzilla-Breaking-Kaiju

hits it spot on all the major issues with it.


Also I'd like to echo Johnny ultimate's disappointment at the film's inability to update or do anything interesting with the themes of the original.

I'm particularly annoyed at how nuclear energy essentially becomes a macguffin for the second half of the film with

nuclear missiles being used as plot devices. Which I found incredibly odd (not to mention why didnt the monsters go for the aircraft carrier, all modern US naval carriers use nuclear reactors.

The film was pretty. But god I hated the characters so much and when

it was setting up for the big fight in Hawaii and cut away I genuinely felt I was robbed, I can understand doing something like that in the first 30 minutes of a film, but after an hour we the audience needed some sort of treat to keep us going and to shaft us out of that spectacle really pissed me off that I had to go deal with soldier whitey mcwhite and his bitch wife again....ARGHHH! hate them so much.

StaticAge11

I've been wondering, is there any chance they may re-release the Toho originals on bluray and DVD as park of the promotion for this movie or even it's DVD release? Would love to get my hands on them!

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

Corholio wrote: »

The trailer for this one was better than the entire 1998 film.

Yeah. but if only they had a made a film as good as the trailer, then we'd all be happy.

jones

I thought this was fantastic i'd give it 8/10...the first hour or so is brilliant and builds very nicely. The ending had some moments i wasnt as delighted with but overall it was great.

Went to see it in 2D and the visuals and audio were top notch. This will be a definite bluray purchase

Nuri Sahin

I've not read any of the comments above, so I'm probably repeating what's already been said or maybe I'm not and everyone thoroughly loved it!

Most of the film was killing time for the monster fight at the climax. Cranston's role was more cliched then I expected which was somewhat disappointing, especially more so since we all know he can really act, and it seemed the film as a whole went to great lengths to keep the focus on his kid, Ford who was I was hoping throughout wouldn't make it the full length of the movie surviving.

Undoubtedly, a better Godzilla movie than the travesty that was the 90's flick. I did enjoy the nods to the past. Watanabe did a stellar job with what he was given. The visuals are stunning, flawless even, and the last hour or so was brilliant viewing.

Overall I'd give it a 7 out of 10. I'll probably see it again, but there is a shade of disappointment from my point of view.

Soft Falling Rain

Looked great, strong ending, but I can understand the frustration of some. It did irritate me when they introduced Godzilla, only to cut to a different scene. It just left me thinking "eh?".

Taylor-Johnson was fine though imo, he has a likeable quality. That's what makes the Kick Ass films for me too.

conorhal

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

As a matter of fact, the very first Godzilla proves that these monster movies can be so much more than a brainless rollercoaster ride.

I remember sitting down to watch the 1954 original one evening with a friend. At first, we chuckled at its dodgy effects and costumes. But as it went on, it revealed its claws. It's a film that reflects the social fears of the time in a vivid and uncompromising way. It explores its anti-nuclear themes with deadly seriousness, and a deeply melancholic narrative develops as it stomps towards it conclusion. It benefits hugely from a strong focus on the human characters, including a powerful performance from Takashi Shimura (one of the greatest Japanese actors of his generation, and perhaps Akira Kurosawa's most fruitful collaborator). Whatever about the long and uneven franchise that followed: Gojira number one proves that the most seemingly ridiculous content can be handled with intelligence and grace.

What's heartbreaking about the new film is that Edwards spends time on setting up a human story that could potentially update the themes and commentary of the first film (it's rather hard to miss the parallels with Fukushima and the Japanese government's response to the situation). But before we even get to the halfway point this is all abandoned, which subsequently leaves what came before seem pointless and muddled. It's almost like the opposite of Godzilla 1954: whereas that film lulls you into a false sense of security before hitting you with its surprising (if not exactly subtle) depths, this seems to start intelligently before descending into bog standard disaster fare with a handful of visually pleasing setpieces.

I guess it all boils down to this: surely the film would be significantly better if it delivered the spectacle alongside "good story/script/acting" - I'd actually be quite concerned if they're considered mutually exclusive properties. It's hardly like the film is going to be worse if it actually had a bit of brains or interesting characters as well as the kaiju wrestling. Personally, I think 99% of blockbusters aim far too low these days, and I savour the rare occasions when I get something more alongside the theme park thrills. And you just have to look at a sixty-year old film with a guy in an iffy dinosaur suit to prove why fun doesn't have to be dumb.

Edit: Also, just glancing over the thread, I think I missed a memo - when the hell did Independence Day become a film worth emulating? :pac:

As usual, an excellent and thoughtful post.

I think the problems is two-fold. Firstly, it's not 1954 and thus nuclear paranoia is a distant memory and thematically difficult for a modern audience to connect with.
And secondly, Godzilla is a problematic creation. Like Superman, the problem with protagonists that are indestructible and all powerful gods or forces of nature is that every other character becomes a superfluous bystander, because what real impact can the human characters actually have in the face of such awesome power other then to simply bare witness to the unfolding events and react?
As much as they tried to interject human drama, it was always going to feel secondary to the larger events.

conorhal

StaticAge11 wrote: »

I loved it. As a kid who grew up watching the old Toho films, it really ticked all the boxes for me. It felt like a great homage to the 54 original. I'll admit some of the acting was a bit bland and there were several cringeworthy lines, but I expected that going in given the subject matter. The sound design really stood out for me. You could almost feel the seat shake when Godzilla roared. Loved it

I must have watched Destroy all Monsters 50 times a a kid, the thing is, you enjoy the campyness of those Toho movies, but I felt kind of detached from the film , it was pure spectacle, but when you're as old as I am and have seen far more then your share of summer blockbusters, spectacle can feel a little hollow. Godzilla was visually stunning, but like a faberge egg, beautiful but hollow. Edwards Monsters was cleverly a human drama with a monster maguffin in the background, but Godzilla simply couldn't be that movie.

A note to those calling Godzilla 'fat' though. There have been more then a few Toho movies in which he sports thunder thighs and a gunt....

Optimalprimerib

This really had a touch of the raiders of the lost ark about it. Take out the humans and you would have the exact same story.

Bit annoyed with the whole welcome home the heroes nonsense as well.

Fysh

Another blockbuster film that's 30 minutes too long and burdened by the same problems stemming from rigid adherence to the stupid formula.

I thought this was ok, but it could and should have been much better. The monster fight that we actually get to see is great fun, but cheating us out of the first encounter was a dreadful decision. The script had lots of stupid moments in it (a repeat of the Prometheus Idiocy with Cranston's character, the inability of the military to apply the thinking about EMP-proofing technology to their transport systems) and the human drama revolved around characters who were so banal and uninteresting that it killed any pace the film had worked up along the way.

Visually it was quite pretty, and the last 30 minutes when it all kicked into high gear were good. The skydiving sequence was lovely.

It should have had the opening scene (the entire "15 years ago" bit) and all the stuff featuring the wife and/or son should have been cut. That would've gotten it down to about 90 minutes of runtime and made it a better film overall.

I can't help think of The Host as the comparison - that had a similar amount of focus on the human drama, but because it had much more interesting characters (and much more confidence and flair in how it told their story) it worked much better and thus the human drama kept the pace going in between the monster sequences. I just wish an American production could aim for the same heights

DrumSteve

For a film called Godzilla, it had a lack of Godzilla.

And only one Monster fight? Goddammit.

Basq

I was actually really looking forward and thought the negative reviews were probably being harsh.. but it could in fact be the worst movie I've seen this year.

In fact, has Tyler Perry any movies out this year? If not, this has definite potential

Seriously kids, save your money.

Some alternative and superior ways to spend your €10 include putting it towards something more enjoyable like colonic irrigation or an 2 hour prostate exam.

I'm actually really annoyed as I love Gareth Edward's "Monsters" but this was just mind-numbing, irritating, tired, loud, frustrating and horrible.

Emmerich's "Godzilla" was bad.. but I think it was always a little aware it was a bit silly. This film took itself far too seriously.

Aaron Taylor Johnson - STOP travelling to cities, you've got a couple of large stalkers.
Ken Watanabe - STOP constantly looking frustrated and or worried, and that female friend should be forever called 'Ms. Exposition'.

Just aaarrgghh.. I'm getting a nosebleed just thinking about this movie

Just saw it. It was not bad. Anybody catch the Godzilla cameo ?

T-Bird

Dammit! I was looking forward to this, and am never going to see it now....

Kylo Ren

All my friends are pretty much mirroring what is said in here - that it's crap.

I haven't seen it myself but the vast majority of people in here combined with every single one of my friends opinions has me thinking of skipping it. The trailer made it look so good.

Fuck you clever trailer editing and marketing.

Banjaxed82

Keno wrote: »

All my friends are pretty much mirroring what is said in here - that it's crap.

I haven't seen it myself but the vast majority of people in here combined with every single one of my friends opinions has me thinking of skipping it. The trailer made it look so good.

Fuck you clever trailer editing and marketing.

Some of the action sequences are brilliant, but the film feels like we've seen it all before. It's definitely not a crap film. It's mediocre, which is worse in some ways.

Duggy747

Took a while to kick in and was quite the spectacle, it was a great looking film though it did have plenty of problems holding it back from being something truly special.

Johnson was as wooden as ever with his blank stares into the distance with occasional frowning, as if Edwards told him to stand somewhere and Johnson had an expression as if he wasn't sure why.

Cranston was enjoyable,

the film suffered when he departed as he was the only one injecting a lively personality into the film.

though he did have one particularly hammy moment (I thought he was going to kiss that walkie-talkie at one point :pac:) The film would've benefited more from him, anything to take screen time away from Johnson who just vacuumed personality out of the scenes.

Ken Watanabe did cause a few unintentionable laughs, his delivery of Godzilla's name had the whole audience laughing for ages. I think it was the music and the camera panning towards him that gave it that extra chunk of cheese.

Johnson taking out his gun at the end towards the Muto had the audience bursting laughing, too. The dead-seriousness of the scene just made it funnier for everyone.

Godzilla was pretty cool and I liked his design. The cut aways and having the action off-camera was a bold decision and different for this kind of blockbuster but the characters didn't really hold up much water to carry the film when it got quieter.

I did think the cutaway from the airport was far too harsh, a great intro to Godzilla himself only to have him disappear again for a good chunk of the film, it just wasn't executed properly. Felt like the film randomly skipped ahead.

When he did finally get to flex his muscles and fight it was enjoyable, though it felt like a slog of a film to get to that point.

It had plenty of cheesy moments and some bland, by-the-numbers characters but it was an enjoyable and well shot film.

Corholio

Haven't seen it yet but kudos to RTE for their tagline from their website review

'G-Funk Terror, locked up with a monster twist'

Superb :pac:

BMTHian.

I'd be the first to put my hand up and say that Summer blockbusters are usually absolute crap. But I really do think Gareth Edwards effort really took a step away from the cliched blockbuster action movie with a weak story and "epic" but often poor CGI action sequences. I thought the movie was great!

The story was solid although the actual main characters felt as though they were a little bit two dimensional. The movie actually feels quite like a mystery for a while and it really adds to the suspense, for the big reveal of Godzilla himself is a very chilling moment. A key thing which made me impressed with the movie was the sense of scale we as an audience are given, Godzilla is huge and the immensity of the "monsters" in the movie is clearly shown.

I saw it in 3D and I have to say the special effects were probably the best I've ever seen, and I think they did Godzilla justice.

Anyone on the fence about seeing this one, my advice would be to go see it, and it is well worth it in 3D. Even if you don't like it, some scenes are fantastically shot and will send chills up your spine, and that iconic roar will put your hair on end.