Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: Max Borenstein (screenplay), Dave Callaham (story)
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche
Running Time: 123 mins.
Godzilla is a reimagined blockbuster that absolutely did not need to be made. Derived from the famous Japanese prehistoric monster that wreaked havoc on Tokyo back in 1954 and then was remade in 1998 to pummel New York City, the 2014 version has Godzilla traveling from Japan to Philippines, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Las Vegas and doing battle with a pair of radiation eating “MUTOs” (Massive Unknown Terrestrial Organism). They look like a robotic version of winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz crossed with giant cockroaches.
Godzilla himself is pretty much missing in action through much of the film but the MUTOs are front and center. They should have called the film MUTO.
As for the humans, suffice it say that they stupidly play with nuclear reactors, get blown up, unleash the MUTOs, call in the armed forces, get blown up, get stomped on by the monsters, pray, get blown up, cry, kiss when reunited with loved ones, watch as monsters die and and one walks off into the ocean sunset as a (spoiler alert) “hero”.
The best part of the film is the opening credits showing redactions to play off the secrecy behind the project and events that lead to the MUTO uprising and Godzilla’s reappearance.
Lotta says: See it if you must.