Review: GODZILLA

Giant monsters in the middle of a big city. One of them is a giant lizard that needs no introduction. Here is our review of 'GODZILLA'.

By Staff

We usually begin our reviews with a bit of the story/plotline. This time, we'll just mention that the movie is about giant monsters fighting, humans that try to stop them using nuclear weapons and one man who travels around the globe trying to get back to his family in San Francisco no matter what he has to do to accomplish that feat.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it is not. The main plot is pretty good but there are way too many, completely unnecessary, sub-plots. The director, Gareth Edwards, looses an infinite amount of time building up tension and creating high expectations until he unleashes his "supposed" star. We're saying supposed because even though the film carries his/it's name, Godzilla is the character with the least amount of screen-time.

The cast at hand was top-notch but, once again, unbelievably, the director missuses it completely. There isn't a single memorable character and they are all flat and as emotionless as the villain "Kaijus" (the name given to the monsters in Japan when the saga was first created).

The special effects are amazing and Godzilla's design is simply the best in the character's history; it moves great and looks even better.

The villains are a bit different and look a little like the ones on the movie 'Pitch Black' (1997.) but they do exactly what they are supposed to do- destroy everything on their path without mercy.

Bottom-line, this film has a lot of sub-plots that distract the audience from the main story, flat performances, WAY TOO MUCH time preparing the audience for an epic battle between Godzilla and the villains (which, by the way, doesn't even last longer than the opening credits) and to make matters worse- the main character isn't the King of Monsters but a U.S. Army soldier who could take John McClane's place any day, since he survives everything!

Most times it’s not fair to compare films but this isn't one of those times. After watching PACIFIC RIM last year, this film is a HUGE disappointment.

4/10 DISCOUNT THEATER OR RENTAL (and skip the 3D, it is completely unnecessary).