Review : Godzilla (2014)

This summer’s schedule of big movie releases.  First , a Godzilla remake.Are you familiar with Godzilla? 

Here a intro, Godzilla first hit the screens of Japan in 1954, an allegory to the nations fear of nuclear attack post Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

Godzilla was a beast awakened and empowered by radiation with unstoppable atomic fire breath.  
Godzilla was a primitive ferocious beast that lived under the sea, when his character changed over the years.  He became something of an anti-hero, saving the people of Japan and indeed the world from the attack of weird and wonderful beasts from earth and sometimes from outer space.  His sheer size meant that cities would crumble despite his good intentions.  It is never spelt out if he actually cares about people, but Earth is his home and he defends it whenever he needs to.

The 1998 American version was a disaster, so all eyes were on this to see if it will be the same fate. But it wa better.

Gareth Edwards’ 2014 remake of Godzilla is much better than the 1998 attempt, but it’s not without problems.

In real world history, the US carried out various nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean from 1946 to 1962.  The photo below is a real photo of one of the tests.The surrounding islands still continue to suffer from radioactive contamination and since the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, the US has paid out in the region of $759 million in compensation.  The movie uses these nuclear tests as the backdrop for its story, setting the stage that the nuclear bombs were in fact not tests but attempts to kill an ancient monster they had found, a beast so prehistoric that it even pre-dates the dinosaurs which roamed the earth some 66 million years ago.  They named this beast GODZILLA!

Ken Watanabe plays a scientist who has figured out that Godzilla harks from a time when radiation levels on earth were much higher.  Hence when dormant he sleeps deep in the earth closer to the cores higher radiation levels.  He figures big G is the top of the food chain and comes out when there is suitable pray for him to take note of or when his home turf, earth, is put at risk.  By this rationale, people are little more than ants to him.

Well, such a threat presents itself in the form of two giant cockroach like creatures labeled as M.U.T.Os – Massive Unidentified Terrestrial .

Bryan Cranston plays a nuclear plant supervisor seeking to uncover the truth about what happened to a plant he used to manage in Japan that was destroyed, whereas his son Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a military bombs expert residing in San Francisco with wife Elizabeth Olsen.  They get caught up in events as the monster showdown eventually comes to San Francisco.


In this movie the Godzilla all Godzilla fans have come to know but most say it fat..  He looks and sounds great and the CGI is outstanding.

Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe steal the show despite playing second fiddle to Aaron Tayor-Johnson’s lead character.  

There rather crappy looking bad monsters, the lack of utilization of Bryan Cranston’s character and, surprisingly, the lack of Godzilla himself. 

Godzilla looked great, he seemed unusually weak against his foes and before you know it, the final fight is over leaving you wanting more! 

I also wished the monster scenes could have been done in bright daylight rather than in night scenes, which always makes things hard to see.

Although this movie seem better then 1998 version. It lack the japanese touch.
Maybe if they add the japanese element maybe it will be much better.


If you dont agree go watch and see for youself.....