Godzilla Review
RYAN: This first-ever 3D Godzilla hits screens and my initial reaction is that this is the year of the best special effects because after Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man 2… well even last year’s Gravity, I mean, effects just can’t get any better!
CHUCK: But I remember thinking that with Avatar too. They just keep evolving.
RYAN: I was blown away by the visuals in this film, once again. It’s just incredible to look at. We saw it in 3D IMAX and I recommend that experience.
CHUCK: The effects really were just seamless.
RYAN: Godzilla moves kind of slowly, interesting that he’s not that agile.
CHUCK: Yeah in the last Godzilla movie he was really fast and on all fours, very nimble. This one paid more homage to the original movies; almost like there was a man in a Godzilla suit. But it’s also alluding to size. He’s so large.
RYAN: I was a little bored in this movie. Like the monster, the story and pace is slow-moving early on. But it’s still interesting. It has a very Jurassic Park feel to it, in terms of the shots, the reactions, the direction and even scoring.
CHUCK: There are definitely Spielbergian moments where I was like, “Hmm. We can see who influenced you as a director.” The script is a bit like they found one from the ’70s and it had a vibe like an old disaster movie.
RYAN: Totally. It’s a lot like a disaster film but instead of a tornado or tsunami, it’s a huge monster.
CHUCK: All those movies have those parts where they’re building on characterizations and such, so this movie is reminiscent of those.
RYAN: What was original to this that I found both interesting and confusing was the mythology behind Godzilla and all the ties to radioactivity and nuclear energy.
CHUCK: Godzilla movies have often had a thinly veiled anti-nuclear war message behind it. They kind of turn it on its head this time.
RYAN: There’s a lot I want to say about another story point but we don’t do spoilers here so I’ll only allude to it. Let’s just say it’s more than a Godzilla movie and I don’t know if that was necessary but it certainly made the story more twisty and leaves a lot of potential for sequels.
CHUCK: I think this is exactly what it should be as a Godzilla movie. If you’re going to try to apply any kind of logic or scientific reasoning to it, then don’t see it.
RYAN: It’s certainly the coolest Godzilla blockbuster, if only because of the technical achievement. People were elated walking out of the theater though. Everyone in the movie club was coming up saying how much they liked it.
CHUCK: It’s a total crowd-pleaser and a great way to continue blockbuster season. There were some pacing issues as you said.
RYAN: It’s also the first time I saw Elizabeth Olsen and thought she wasn’t that good. I’ve respected her more in previous roles. It’s partly because she’s in a very cliche womens role in an action film, which is just unfortunate writing, but she also played it kind of over the top. The same for Bryan Cranston a bit.
CHUCK: They all signed up to be in Godzilla though. It’s not an actors’ showcase.
RYAN: I like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but again, not the best showcase of his talents compared to other performances but he’s still super likable. It’s all just about getting to the monster though. Big fans of this character will be delighted.
Nathan May 20, 2014
I was never a fan of Godzilla movies but Chuck and you make it sound interesting. I’ll probably stream it once it gets released to Amazon