• Home
  • Meetings
  • Events
  • Blog
  • E-Board
  • Around Boston
NUFEC
.

Mike Muse on Godzilla (2014)

5/16/2014

0 Comments

 
MINOR/MEDIUM SPOILERS FOLLOW

It’s story time, dear readers. Many winters ago, in a faraway land called Ludlow, Massachusetts, lived a pale, spritely lad named Mike Muse. This freckled youth bonded with his best mate over a mutual love for the Toho Godzilla franchise. Fast forward 15 years and these two friends, now ruggedly handsome, uncomfortably attractive burly men, are shaking with excitement like little girls, their voices in a far higher octave than normal, as the theater lights dim and the screen comes alive to show Gareth Edward’s new take on Godzilla. I preface my review with this personal tale so that you know that however objective I tried to be, I am no doubt in some way subconsciously biased toward this film/franchise. Or… perhaps more qualified? In any case, I’m here to tell you that Godzilla (2014) is awesome. It embodies that over-used descriptor better than anything in recent memory.
Picture
Godzilla veiled in destruction dust or a dog on a normal day in Beijing? See the movie to find out.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have a few gripes with this new iteration, but I did walk away with an utter sense of satisfaction. Godzilla follows the story of Ford Brody, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, an explosive ordinance disposal specialist for the navy as he travels to Japan to bail his father out of some trouble, played by the magnificent Bryan Cranston. When enormous creatures start to wreak havoc on the world, Ford struggles to make it back to his family in San Francisco.

As has always been the case with the Godzilla franchise, and movies like it, it is very difficult to create a human story that is as interesting as the events happening around them. Godzilla isn’t concerned with anything as small as one human, so how do you tie a few characters story with that of the big green guy himself? Gareth Edwards is more successful in this endeavor than not, but isn’t able to completely weave the two together without it feeling slightly disjointed. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a serviceable lead, doing what he needs to do when he needs to do it, but felt a little stiff. He is never unlikable though. Elizabeth Olsen is very talented, but isn’t given a lot to do here as Johnson’s wife. Bryan Cranston is the shining radioactive gem of the cast, and it is his character that proves to be the most interesting. Ultimately, for a blockbuster like this, all that matters is that the story between the action sequences is engaging enough to tide you over, and it most certainly is here.

One aspect of the film that is bound to be divisive is the pacing. Some viewers may not be so happy with the amount of screen time the titular monster gets in the first two acts. There is a lot of teasing and build-up, which ends up being very true to form for the Godzilla franchise. However you may feel about the amount of build-up, though, one thing we will all agree on is that the payoff is ridiculously worth it. Once the big guy is on full display in the final act, we see a lot of him, and I can’t emphasize enough how awesome it is. Sorry, there’s that word again. It’s just so fitting.

From a filmmaking and technical viewpoint, this film is astounding. The visual effects are absolutely top notch throughout. The creature designs are well thought out and the destruction is realistic and glorious, as well as feeling deserved. It doesn’t feel like destruction for destruction’s sake, which was a problem I had with, say, Man of Steel. Perhaps the greatest success is the sense of scale. Edwards employs a plethora of clever and intelligent cinematic tricks to relay to the viewer just how big these creatures are. One cannot help but be in awe. When things aren’t exploding, Edwards uses strong colors and interesting camera movement to add some style to the quieter moments. Your eyes will never be bored or overwhelmed. As far as the 3D goes, it is obvious this film was not made with it in mind (which is great in my opinion). It isn’t bad, but it doesn’t really add anything to what you’re seeing. Save your money and see it in 2D.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Godzilla series like me, or someone who actually went outside and talked to people, I’ll be damned if you don’t walk out of the theater with the goofiest and giddiest grin on your face. Though the middle of the film may lull a little, the strong opening and closing acts help create a truly satisfying cinematic adventure. It doesn’t hurt there are a lot of sly nods to the films that came before, which I couldn’t help but smile knowingly at when I caught them. Almost no film has had a better sense of massive action. Those of you with a history of heart problems might want to steer clear of this one. Everyone else? Go see it. You won’t be disappointed.

Grade: A-
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    AJ Martin
    Andy Robinson
    Anime
    Anthony Formicola
    Anu Gulati
    Arjun Agarwal
    Arzu Martinez
    Ben Garbow
    Brandon Isaacson
    Brian Hamilton
    Carter Sigl
    Dan Simeone
    Discussion
    Elizabeth Johnson Wilson
    Eliza Rosenberry
    Emily Fisler
    Erick Sanchez
    Eric Tatar
    Essays
    Festivals
    Gabrielle Ulubay
    Grace Phalon
    Haley Emerson
    Here's Some Movies
    Ian Wolff
    IFF Boston
    IFFBoston 2015
    Interviews
    Isaac Feldberg
    Kunal Asarsa
    Library
    Lists
    Marguerite Darcy
    Marissa Marchese
    Marli Dorn
    Mary Tobin
    Meghan Murphy
    Mike Muse
    Mitch Macro
    Neel Shah
    Netflix Instant Watch
    Parth Parekh
    Patrick Roos
    Profiles
    Reviews
    Short Films
    Television
    This Week In Movies
    Tyler Rosini

    Want to Write for Us?

    Contact NUFEC at [email protected] if you're interested in writing for this blog!

    Archives

    October 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    April 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.