Godzilla (2014) - - - Part 12

[DarthSkywalker]

Godzilla meant nothing to Cranston's character. Why was it a "missed opportunity"?

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Seems like people like me who aren't that crazy about this movie are in the minority. I went in to this movie wanting to love it as the hype and reviews were good. But like I said in my impressions, besides Bryan Cranston the humans are flat and uninteresting and take up entirely too much screen time for a Godzilla movie.


Like someone else said, if Bryan Cranston was in the entire movie then it would have helped sell a lot more people on the idea of a slow burn/ less is more approach with Godzilla. It's possible to have interesting human characters in a creature spectacle movie. The perfect example is Juassic Park 1. The humans are just as interesting as the dinosaurs. Not once did I look at my watch and go " man when is the T Rex, Raptors etc coming back on screen?" Here I was doing that once Bryan Cranston's character died.

And seriously, I am not trying to be a *****e be Godzilla only has like 15 mins of screen time. My friend who saw it early yesterday morning timed it he said he has approximately 13 mins of screen time. The movies only 2 hours and 3 mins. Not sure where some people claiming Godzilla is in the movie for 25 mins as that's certainly not the case. But again, I feel this movie is more for the hardcore Godzilla fans more than the average movie goer looking for a monster fight movie.

 

[Godzilla2000]

Anyone warm to the idea of Cranston's character having his death faked because his knowledge is more useful to the government if utilized in secrecy without any outside interference?

 

[Kansiov]

I feel like many of the dialogues in between the acts were cut shorter than they were intended. They all seemed so rushed and under explained, making the acts feel completely disjointed. It's almost as if I was watching three separate movies cut into one, with Aaron Johnson-Taylor being the convenient recurring character.

 

[terry78]

I do feel Cranston should have stuck around to actually see Godzilla because he was so certain he was the one that caused his wife's death unless it was a Muto. And him being so torn about letting him be the city's savior and what not.

 

[AnneFan]

Everything you said here was how I felt about the movie. I wanted to love it, even whilst watching it I was really trying to stay interested. It had some nice moments though. If anyone had to die it should've been Taylor-Johnson's character.

The opening segments I was into - the plot with Cranston, his obsession about returning to his old home and the mystery inside the reactor. But the longer it went, I felt there wasn't a real payoff to it all, either in the main body of the film or at the end. The main body consisted of little cut-aways to television screens, then more military talks, rinse repeat.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I do feel Cranston should have stuck around to actually see Godzilla because he was so certain he was the one that caused his wife's death unless it was a Muto. And him being so torn about letting him be the city's savior and what not.

Godzilla had nothing to do with Cranston's wife. It was the Muto and Cranston knew this. Remember, the Muto was "talking", looking for its mate.

 

[TheIrishAvenger]

The first hour is really good, but after the first Godzilla reveal, the pacing becomes plodding and the dullness of the human characters becomes more and more apparent. Olsen and Hawkins are wasted while Watanabe and Strathairn do good for their mediocre material. Oh and the final twenty minutes are a delight, even if the ending is a bit odd. So, overall, a mixed but enjoyable bag. I'm looking forward to the future and want this film to succeed. C+

 

[ssj wolverine]

I enjoyed the movie but too many human scenes that were boring. None of them had any personality. Took forever for Godzilla to be shown on screen. Funny you would think a movie named Godzilla it would appear more than 5-10 minutes but once Godzilla was on it kicked ass. This completely should erase that piece of garbage Matthew Broderick movie. Since it did great Box office hopefully another movie can be made and hopefully Godzilla would appear a lot more? One could hope. Gave it 7.5.

 

[Dispatch Ninja]

The

Spoiler

bomb at the end still has me confused. How did a bomb as huge as they described not annihilate everyone?

 

[jmc]

$92-94 million predicted for the US, currently $42 million overseas.

 

[DA_Champion]

$92-94 million predicted for the US, currently $42 million overseas.

Did you post a review?

 

[jmc]

Last Godzilla (Part 11) thread.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The

Spoiler

bomb at the end still has me confused. How did a bomb as huge as they described not annihilate everyone?

This is something I still don't get either. Especially considering how they described it and how little time that was left.

 

[terry78]

Guess you'll have to wait for the DVD commentary unless Edwards answers some questions online and someone springs it on him.

 

[DeadPresident]

Well the built the parallel between Johnson's character and Cranston's, right down to the "lost wife". Cranston kind of had to be gone.

Yeah I get what you mean. I just feel like Cranston's character was the archetypal wizened man everybody thought was crazy, it would have been nice to have him around to A) witness his theory being proven correct and B) To see Godzilla and realize what he was studying was just the tip of the iceberg.

I thought it was such a missed opportunity he never got to see Godzilla at all, just the MUTOS.

Yeah, I feel like him and Serizawa both seeing Godzilla would have been a cool moment, two old men coming to terms with just how tenuous humanity's safety really is, or something.

Godzilla meant nothing to Cranston's character. Why was it a "missed opportunity"?

Godzilla maybe not, but Godzilla being superior to the MUTO's Cranston's character was so obsessed with would have been an even bigger discovery for him. He was studying the beta predator and all of a sudden the alpha rocks up, I think considering his character was a scientist he would have been interested.

I also feel like having Cranston/ATJ/Watanabe's characters form a pseudo-team for the whole movie would have been way more effective at keeping the audience engaged with the human aspect, and would have made it more real. In these kinds of movies whenever there's a team together in the back of my mind I'm always wondering "Ok...which one here may be killed, how are they going to stay safe, are they going to be split up?". Having that play on the audience's mind could make it more satisfying at the end if everyone survives, it's like whew...they made it.

If the writers did that I think people would have a bit more of an investment in the characters, but maybe that's just me. I'm partial to that teamwork angle and everyone getting out fine at the end, irrevocably changed and with a new outlook, but alive.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Can anyone tell me a list of deleted scenes? I know of two of them, just wondering if anyone had anymore.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

There is scene that was in a trailer and it wasn't in the film, but now I forget what it was.

I could have sworn someone said a couple months ago on this forum that the Halo jump had been cut.

 

[Dispatch Ninja]

There is scene that was in a trailer and it wasn't in the film, but now I forget what it was.

I could have sworn someone said a couple months ago on this forum that the Halo jump had been cut.

It's the speech leading up to the halo jump that was cut.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

There is scene that was in a trailer and it wasn't in the film, but now I forget what it was.

"Can you kill it?" was one, the speech, and the cameo from Akira Takarada was about all I have.

 

[grand-I-am]

I actually liked the way they did the character. Instead of showing him in full view like some transformer crap. In this movie they made Godzilla mysterious which I liked. It was a different take.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I kinda got weirded out when I realized that the husband and wife will play brother and sister next year.

 

[Hush]

So I saw this last night and I have to say it was literally mesmerizing. I loved it. Just awesome. I have some of the same problems I have seen popping up online, one of them being that maybe the human element wasn't handled well but man was Godzilla handled well. I about **** a brick when he first showed up and full faced the camera, that's another thing that this movie did was it ellicited a response from the audience in my theater there were cheers, clapping and shouts of joy at the savagery of Godzilla. One particular Blue scene blew the whole theaters mind and quite honestly pushed this to a 9/10 for me.

I'm curious what the plot will be for the second one but I do love how Edwards did this movie. Such a great representation of character and Mythos. This just needed more Cranston.

 

[Godzilla2000]

The

Spoiler

bomb at the end still has me confused. How did a bomb as huge as they described not annihilate everyone?

It was my understanding the MUTOs ate them like Pixie Sticks.

 

[hammerhedd11]

Godzilla had nothing to do with Cranston's wife. It was the Muto and Cranston knew this. Remember, the Muto was "talking", looking for its mate.

Yeah, I don't understand the assertion that Cranston would've made more sense as the main character. I don't understand what purpose Cranston would've served beyond what he already did in the movie. He sees what kills his wife and his obsession turns out to be warranted, and he is killed by it as well. What else would he have done in the rest of the movie other than run away? His son at least had the goal to get to his family, and as a plot device to be useful for the army. Cranston would've been much more of the 'passive' character that they accuse Johnson of.