Godzilla (2014) - - Part 11

[ares834]

- Action: the 3rd act spectacle that was built up from the beginning was a let down because it was too dark to see anything clearly. Goodness. If you thought it was hard seeing the Pacific Rim fights clearly, wait for the 3rd act battle.

The final fight is dark? Well, that's a shame.

 

[redhawk23]

Most "fans" really don't know what they want. That's all it boils down to. They have some imaginary movie, filled with a checklist of "iconic moments" they want to see-with no real thoughts about the actual story.

Unfortunately that's a description of this movie. The film has a series of moments and locations in mind and the characters just get shifted around in order to include them.

 

[Par Avion]

Unfortunately that's a description of this movie. The film has a series of moments and locations in mind and the characters just get shifted around in order to include them.

Shame to hear that. Is the "lack of story" comparable to the Amazing Spider-Man 2?

 

[redhawk23]

I haven't seen ASM2 so I can't compare.

What is frustrating with the direction it goes is that it starts with a solid foundation for the human story, with Cranston and such but just kind of writes it off.

 

[SpideyZERO]

I thought this movie was much better than ASM2, Godzilla had a more focused plot

 

[Schlosser85]

Do we get any explanation of what Godzilla is and why he awakens, and why he fights the MUTOs?

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Saw this last night, loved it.

 

[redhawk23]

Do we get any explanation of what Godzilla is and why he awakens, and why he fights the MUTOs?

Kind of.

Its pretty much exactly the same as the description from the toy boxes.

Spoiler

Godzilla is part of an ancient species that lived in a time when the surface radiation of the planet was many times more than now. When the radiation decreased, ancient beast took refuge in the bottoms of the oceans or underground, feeding on radiation from the core. (Is the core radioactive(? The MUTO's are parasite species that fed on Godzilla's species. The film opens with a mining team discovering dormant MUTO spores still living within the skeleton remains of an even bigger relative of Godzilla.

Godzilla himself was dormant in the ocean for millions of years. In 1954 the first nuclear sub explored an underwater trench and the radiation awoke Godzilla...to more or less no consequence. Bearzilla is pretty chill, doesn't destroy many things.

 

[GremlinZilla89]

Saw this last night, loved it.

 

[weezerspider]

Weezerspider is so correct about this movie. If the story resolved around Godzilla, his limited screentime would be justified.

This movie is about the villains, Godzilla simply arises because he's a Predator.

Yeah exactly. All of the plot is driven by the MUTOs. Almost all of the character's decisions are driven by the MUTOs. Godzilla is just there. The more I think about this movie, the less I like it.

 

[Mister J]

Had a blast with this last night. The crowd was really into rooting for Godzilla. That first screech got a huge applause. t:

Big G could have been featured a bit more (for me), but the surrounding story was interesting enough to pass time. A huge presence and impact when he did show though. Some plot holes (to be expected), but a good time all around.

Do we get any explanation of what Godzilla is and why he awakens, and why he fights the MUTOs?

Not a full explanation, but more than enough attention to be plausible IMO. It's very respectful to the Toho original.

 

[redhawk23]

For the record, I don't want to be so down on the movie. I did like it quite a bit but there are some really odd choices.

I just think its ridiculous for people that haven't seen the film to write off criticisms as "fans just not getting it" or just being disappointed by the slow burn or whatever.

 

[GremlinZilla89]

Yeah exactly. All of the plot is driven by the MUTOs. Almost all of the character's decisions are driven by the MUTOs. Godzilla is just there. The more I think about this movie, the less I like it.

Kinda like Godzilla vs. Mothra or Ghidra the Three-Headed Monster or Invasion of the Astro Monster or Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah or Godzilla vs Biollante or Destroy All Monsters...Godzilla is often not the main focus of many of his films.

 

[redhawk23]

Yeah exactly. All of the plot is driven by the MUTOs. Almost all of the character's decisions are driven by the MUTOs. Godzilla is just there. The more I think about this movie, the less I like it.

Yeah.

The thing is, had it just been an original film, just called MUTO or something, it would actually be pretty great. The MUTOs were really interesting and it was great seeing their life cycle play out. They aren't actively malevolent, they're just trying to breed.

 

[MahvelBaby!]

Had a blast with this last night. The crowd was really into rooting for Godzilla. That first screech got a huge applause. t:

Big G could have been featured a bit more (for me), but the surrounding story was interesting enough to pass time. A huge presence and impact when he did show though. Some plot holes (to be expected), but a good time all around.

Not a full explanation, but more than enough attention to be plausible IMO. It's very respectful to the Toho original.

Seeing it tonight! Btw you from Miami? Or just a heat fan?

 

[redhawk23]

Kinda like Godzilla vs. Mothra or Ghidra the Three-Headed Monster or Invasion of the Astro Monster or Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah or Godzilla vs Biollante or Destroy All Monsters...Godzilla is often not the main focus of many of his films.

None of which are just titled "Godzilla" or were supposed to be the start of a series.

 

[Mister J]

Yeah.

The thing is, had it just been an original film, just called MUTO or something, it would actually be pretty great. The MUTOs were really interesting and it was great seeing their life cycle play out. They aren't actively malevolent, they're just trying to breed.

The MUTOs did get more expository than I imagined, which I appreciated. Interesting story in setting the backdrop there.

Seeing it tonight! Btw you from Miami? Or just a heat fan?

Both.

 

[bapi]

I know nothing about the Godzilla universe so after all those brilliant trailers... yes, I'm dissapointed.

 

[Schlosser85]

Seeing this at ten tonight.

 

[Schlosser85]

The backstory for Godzilla sounds fine to me...but did he wake up in 1954 and...just go back to bed?

 

[Alchemyst]

So far, I like what I'm hearing about the film so far. I'm waiting for my brother to hurry up and get off work so we can go check it out. He's more stoked than I am which is awesome because we normally don't go see any films together.

 

[GoblinWhirlwind]

The backstory for Godzilla sounds fine to me...but did he wake up in 1954 and...just go back to bed?

That he was woken from his slumber makes him sound like a Lovecraftian god, which is great. For a creature with the life span he must have, decades to us are probably a few short years to him. I would guess he was deep in the ocean feeding and doing whatever it is he does.

 

[redhawk23]

The backstory for Godzilla sounds fine to me...but did he wake up in 1954 and...just go back to bed?

Yeah...we bombed him a bit but....yeah not much was said.

 

[Liam_H]

The final battle does happen at night but I didn't have a huge issue with it because everything was still pretty clear to me. Only annoyance is when [BLACKOUT]it keeps cutting to what Ford and his group were doing.[/BLACKOUT] However, when the [BLACKOUT]atomic breath happens it looked great in the darkness. [/BLACKOUT]

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Saw this movie yesterday and needed the time to digest it. Starting with a ominous opening credits and maintaining a secretive tone throughout most of its first hour or so, it's clear that this movie has a different direction from other modern blockbusters. Yet it never manage to lose interest and it's a testament to Edwards' direction, assisted by McGarvey's detailed cinematography, which is confident and focused, with the latter being an asset for the movie as it shifts through different characters and locations. In related manner, it helps that the cast is solid and while some characters feels a bit minor compare to others, they at the very least successfully ground this extraordinary tale.

I must highlight that using POV shots for the movie was a brilliant choice as it not only gives it an emotional weight but it also emphasizing the breathtaking scale of these creatures. I was simply awestruck by the HALO jump sequence from the trailer and I'd say it's one of the high-points of the movie. And now, we come to the titular character. Seeing brief glimpses of him throughout was enough to satisfy me until the next scenes but it was nothing compare to the sheer utter delight in seeing Godzilla in his full size and hearing him roar.

Though not a flawless movie by any means, it's overall an engaging and highly entertaining blockbuster, easily one of the best this summer.

4/5