Review: Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla returns in a worthy addition to the canon.

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Produced by Bob Ducsay, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Brian Rogers and Thomas Tull

Written by Dave Callaham and Max Borenstein

Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston and Carson Bolde

***

In Gareth Edwards' new film featuring the classic monster, the fearsome creature Godzilla resurfaces to face off with two rogue beasts who feed off radiation and can harness electricity as a weapon. Their reliance on and control of energy threatens to render modern technology useless and wipe out the world as we know it. As the monsters surface to do battle, Lt. Ford Brody (Taylor-Johnson) is thrown into the fray whilst trying to get back to his wife Elle (Olsen) and son Sam (Bolde). Brody joins forces with a group of scientists and the military to combat the two new monsters, but the world will need Godzilla's help if mankind is to be saved.

The dramatic approach to this film is refreshing after the last American version of Godzilla sixteen years ago. While the characters suffer a great deal and are given far more consideration, the film also relies on a great amount of visual effects, which look marvelous and are not overdone. This monster movie succeeds where last year's Pacific Rim failed - it entertains without sacrificing the story at hand. Instead of ridiculous cliches, cringeworthy dialogue and a wooden lead performance, it features solid writing and good performances from an all-star cast. Alexandre Desplat's booming score provides the amp, and Seamus McGarvey continues to display his talents as cinematographer. Gareth Edwards has made a straightforward, no nonsense blockbuster, which succeeds where so many monster movies fail.

Oscar Potential: Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects