Godzilla movie review

As a kid, I remember seeing Roland Emmerich's GODZILLA and thinking it was pretty good, especially the whole scene with the military destroying more of New York City than Godzilla ever did. Explosions and destruction can make any young boy happy. Now that I'm older, I look back at that Jay Leno'ed Godzilla and realize my immaturity at the time. Not only did it ruin the majesty of the monster, but it also ruined Maria Patillo's career. Don't believe me? Go on to IMDB and see if she has been in a movie in this century.

Let's get back to this century's American-ized Godzilla. This time directed by Gareth Edwards, Godzilla starts off in the Philippines, the year is 1999. There's a gigantic sinkhole and a team is sent to investigate. What they find amazes them. As well, they find a hole where whatever was down there escapes. Next, the film takes us to Japan where tragedy strikes the country and the Brody family consisting of Joe (Bryan Cranston), Sandra (Juliette Binoche), and Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
For the first 45 minutes of the movie, we see how the crisis of 1999 affects the present day Brody family and Japan. So, yes, it takes a while to see some monster action, but it's worth it. When the monsters do come into play, the spectacle is pretty amazing. WETA Digital did great as always with their special effects. Once the first monster, called a MUTO, starts moving so does the movie. If you find back story and family stuff boring, this film may bore you for a bit.

When Godzilla finally appears on screen you can't help but feel small. Much of the action is filmed far and wide to get a good perspective of how big (or how small and insignificant) everything is. As the end draws near and Godzilla is fighting the MUTO, you want to cheer for him. But, like Ken Watanabe's character in Godzilla implies, nature has no villains or heroes.
Overall, the movie is great even though it's aspirations to be much more than your typical summer blockbuster leaves something to be desired as the family dynamic comes off a little bland and two-dimensional. Trust me. Go see it. I want more Godzilla monster action down the line.

0-100 rating: 79