as a life long godzilla fan i was delighted with this film, edwards has done an amazing job in creating a visually stunning and balanced picture people complaining about the muto's receiving more screen time must understand that in most of the sixties and seventies toho films godzilla would only turn up either half way through or at the end of the film to clean house, with the main focus being on the antagonist creature and the destruction wrought upon mankind, and i think this latest incarnation appreciates and celebrates that to some degree
I agree completely with you. I thought the MUTOs were so strange and totally believable. The fact that they and Godzilla never dominate the film, yet when they all have their epic city devastating battle it does take your breath away. Gareth Edwards does love his Godzilla lore.
I thought it was a great film. After hearing mixed reviews I went in sceptical, and thank god those negative reviews were clueless ramblings as I loved it by the end. Good job Gareth Edwards.
Big, BIG ups for Kermode bringing up specifically, about the 2006 BFI release of the 1954 Gojira. I never understood why there has never really been anymore Godzilla films of the series released in the UK on DVD/ Blu-Ray, except for only the ones that I can think of which are King Kong Vs Godzilla and the 1998 film.
I actually felt Aaron Taylor Johnson was the biggest problem the film had. He was in it a lot but his performance felt flat, and I think the human element of the film would've been better if the focus was on Elisabeth Olsen (who does a great job with what little she's been given.) What I really liked was how Godzilla and the Muto fights were teased throughout the films. Yes, some of the sudden cutaways were irritating at the time but I think if the audience saw Godzilla fight the monsters over and over and over again it would've been repetitive and boring. As it is the final 20-30 minutes of the film are outstanding and wouldn't have worked if the filmmakers hadn't kept something in reserve for the final act of the movie.
I agree with you on the fighting bit. They went all out when you see the final fight. Not to mention that you could probably guess that Godzilla wouldn't kill the baddies until the end. For Aarons performance... well it could be better but he is also a soldier, you would think that they would turn off some emotions while doing their jobs, some do it further than others.
It was pretty enjoyable but a bit of a mess. It couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be an all-out military film or something with a humanistic family element. Unfortunately, the latter felt very shoehorned in and I don't think it's incorrect to say that Olsen's character could have been ousted from the film with no change to the plot at all. At first, I assumed she would be Aaron Johnson's motivation but that was simply not true. Instead, it just seemed to emphasise the campy nature of the military scenes. Nothing wrong with being camp - heck, Pacific Rim nailed that, but you can't try and bring a realistic family story into it without it clashing with the cheese that came before. While the film was strong towards its beginnings and its final scenes were wonderful, there was a 20 minute section in the middle that felt incredibly overdrawn with little to no plot progression at all. Johnson's character begging to get on the train with the military, the military getting destroyed with him being the only survivor. It didn't really establish _anything_. You could have cut that and lost nothing of importance. Yes, it's meant to establish Johnson as a capable military man and show the kaiju off but there's ways of doing that that actually serve to progress the movie onwards. Despite those heavy flaws, it's a good watch. Cranston and Johnson walking through the quarantine zone looked like something straight out of _The Last of Us_, it was wonderful! Same can be said of the halo jump scene that was an absolute highlight of the film. Litegi's haunting music in the background worked far better than the original score for the film. Really made that scene absolutely the greatest moment of the entire movie. While I do agree that there was too heavy a focus on the other kaiju rather than Godzilla, they were all done wonderfully. The sound design was absolutely impeccable. From the roars and screeches, it was flawless. CGI was top notch and I won't lie, I got all giddy when Godzilla breathed fire for the first time and tale whipped the other kaiju into the building. I certainly didn't come away regretting my watch but I definitely expected more after Gareth Edwards' first effort. A heavily flawed film but a good watch.
I couldn't agree with your review more. You hit on exactly how I felt about the film. Flawed but still a good watch. The shot from the airport window was worth the admission alone and Godzilla's roar still managed to send a shiver up my spine.
Good review Mark... just come back from the IMAX having seen this and all I can say is THANK YOU Gareth Edwards... at last a proper big-budget Godzilla movie and even better, he has the courage to hold back on Godzilla for as long as possible until the finale, where we get some of the best Special Effects I have ever seen. The story was solid enough, the acting strong.... I really couldn't wish for much more. Can't wait to see this again.
Although it loses its way slightly at times, its still a really enjoyable film, Edwards knows how to direct action, and you can clearly see a spielbergian influence in it. Characters do get lost amidst all the building smashing and they often seem a little bland, but the most underpraised element of the whole film is the suspense, particularly in scenes you'd describe as set-pieces. Some scenes are masterfully directed, like the Muto escape, the monorail sequence and the train track scene. They all remind me of spielbergs style, slow build up and intrigue, creative shots and a big payoff, that's obviously high praise. Edwards is an extremely talented director, I'd trust him to direct just about anything.
The monster setpieces are absolutely astounding. There is this scene where Godzilla gives out a roar that just goes on and on and on and ON and it's so terrific that I want to see the movie again just for that!
Really liked it because they made Godzilla the protagonist. Holding back on the carnage was good, the photography in the city battle scenes was amazing. Turning the city into a battle ground and taking human peril out of it let Godzilla have his story. Ken Wattanabes character was literally laughed at in the cinema he was like a South Park character aside from one scene when they shoe in the original narrative. Shows love but I didn't care. The dog comparison Mark makes is spot on.
I had heard somewhere that Akira Kurosawa wanted to do a Godzilla film. It just made my head spin the thought of what he might have done with the genre and really uped the ante instead of the oftentimes silly movies (Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack, etc.) that were prodeuced in the series. For me the original will always be the best, but as much as the Japanese version is the purer I really prefer the opening to the American version with that slow tracking shot of Tokyo in ruins with the grim music on the soundtrack. From the get go we know right what this movie is about: the atomic bomb and Hiroshima. The Japanese version is just the fishermen attacked by an of screen Godzilla and the flash of light. I can without all the Raymond Burr footage, but I love that his character is "Steve Martin". I think the scariest aspect of Godzilla in the original was that he was not fast moving but rather a large, lumbering , unstoppable nightmare. This was not an action movie as seems to be the virus that American movies cannot rid itself of. No one attacks truly terrified of these events happening in front of them rather they just move like a herd of extras in a movie. There are some geniunely creepy moments in the original and the effects are still very impressive at times. Even some of the "newer" Godzilla movies that were made in the 90's were not bad. Godzilla vs Destoryah had a very interesting twist of the character.
I agree that's it's close to being great, but I wouldn't say it's flaws ruin it. Cranston cranked his performance up to 11 and acted everyone else off the screen and I really missed him in the second half. Everyone else was a bit colourless in comparison (except Olsen, who was great, but utterly wasted.) And I get the point about not enough Godzilla - maybe it was more to do with him lacking personality next to the loving rendered MUTO's. But the spectacle was spectacular and the whole thing was made with real heart. What can I say, I really enjoyed it in spite of it's problems.
I like to understand those who say there is not enough Godzilla and fighting, haven't we all gone trough the experience of seeing millions costing boring CGI, going on and on (Fransformers, King Kong), maybe you guys weren't bored? I loved the introduction for example of the dinosaurs in Jurrasic Park, step by step, making it special.
I'm really surprised by this review. Like a lot of action films being released at the moment, the first third sets up a potentially interesting story, then the film resorts to things crashing through buildings on such an epic scale it is totally impossible to relate to. We are led to believe these creatures are nigh on indestructible, yet (i'll try to avoid spoilers) their demise is too simplistic. I feel Mark has lowered his standards here due to his (albeit worthy) favourable attitude towards Edwards. Yes Edwards has managed an ownership of the film, but it is slight and doesn't make the movie different to the other garbage that is being churned out in the action genre.
I loved it, I do agree a few characters get side tracked a bit. But I think that was it's only *slight* problem. I've not seen a blockbuster film, that is such a juggling act, that pulls it off. Along with the great MUTO designs, very strange and weird, and not the thing I was expecting, and like Monsters it does showcase Gareth Edwards great talent.
I saw the film last night, and as a person who grew up watching late night Godzilla movies on TNT (Turner Network Television) I thoroughly enjoyed Gareth Evans's Godzilla. The only problems I had were the fact that the filmmakers decided to kill the two best actors in the first half hour, and stick the viewer with some very anemic leading roles. I could understand if Evans wanted to shock the audience Psycho style by killing off the most recognizable actors early on, but what we are left with are a collection of characters who barely even qualify as characters. Watching the film I thought I had to apologize to Charlie Hunnam for regarding his performance in Pacific Rim as bland. Godzilla had so may nondescript white guys I found it hard keeping telling one from another. I'm sure there must be a lot more deleted material focusing on the characters. Also one thing that wasn't as bad as I would have expected but was still distracting was the filmmakers complete lack of knowledge about nuclear radiation. I have many friends who are nuclear engineers and nuclear experts, some of whom were featured in the nuclear power documentary Pandora's Promise. Much like how a cop can point out all the things wrong about cop movies, I could point out all the things wrong in Godzilla. The only way a dosimeter will read a level of 0.00 is if it were off. The radiation from a nuclear power plant or a nuclear submarine is too weak to be detected by the radiation monitors at the EPA, let alone under several layers of rock and seabed by any MUTO. And the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain does exist, it has been built, but to this day it has never been used.
Was I the only one who like the last version. It was alright and a goodnight at the flicks. There loads of analysis about Godzilla but to me its essentially a man verse monster story. I think I will like this one.
This was one of the most disappointing films I can remember. Importantly I must say that to me it being disappointing does not mean bad. It is not bad by a long shot. The first half of character development was great, it mixed it great tension (the most tense scene in the film being the nuclear plant at the start) with glimpses of carnage. But for some reason when the big guy finally shows up, the camera slowly panning up to get his full size in, for some reason it just didn't fully grab me. I've no idea why. As other people have commented, the cutting away from his first fight with the MUTO as soon as they lock horns just seems insane. And then they do it again with Olsen's character looking on as the bunker doors shut. I'm not sure if by the time we get the full on fights that I'd just lost my patience and become deadened to the sights on screen but it all just felt meh by the end. This feeling of averageness may have been compounded by the fact that once certain character strands are chucked to the wayside midway through you are left with a bland human protagonist chatting about military strategies and observations about devastation without actually seeing any. This film, to me, is the exact opposite of Pacific Rim: Pacific Rim had great actions scenes, but wooden characters who could've been played for B-movie fun harder but instead got dragged on and on. Godzilla on the other hand has great characters (for the first half anyway) but mediocre, albeit incredibly detailed and well filmed action which just failed to get my pulse going. Again, not a bad movie just one that didn't grab me.
Thank you Mark, great review. The scene in Hawaii where Godzilla makes the first appearance got me...I felt eleven again ( laughing) So yes, I loved it and for those who didn't ...well there is always Michael Bay This was a work of respect ( and yes,perhaps love) for the oringal Gojira Peace
I hate to say it...but i just saw this tonight, more of less enjoyed all the mayhem, sat through the obligatory "family drama" stuff ok....but strangely it's already slipping out of my mind. Similarly to other giant cgi monster blockbusters (Pacific Rim comes to mind) it's impressive as you watch the action but somehow completely un-memorable. strange phenomena.
I think the Ken Watanabe quote about humans thinking they are in control of nature sums up what I took away from this film. A true disaster piece which displays the futility of man in such a situation, and the disaster is hella entertaining
I was enjoying this until, in the early stages, a certain very good actor dies. After that I was literally falling asleep. A bit shocked at how quickly things plunged into ridiculousness when the first 25 minutes had actually done a good job of making things seem (relatively) plausible.
I just recently wrote a review for the film and am happy to hear you touch on the same things! This is why you're the only film critic that I really agree with, because you still love movies after all these years..
Just got back from seeing it, biggest let down of the year. Clever marketing though, making you think Cranston and Godzilla were heavily featured in the film only to barely be in it!
I totally disagree with your comment that some characters got "lost in the mix". Sally Hawkins did great with her part and it was well developed. Watanabe's character was the lead scientist so, of course, you would not be seeing much of Sally Hawkin's character. I didn't think the monsters were more interesting than the characters. I put myself into the character's place so that made me interested in them.
I really enjoyed it, perhaps there wasn't enough Godzilla in the film but I enjoyed it none the less. Both him and the MUTO's were terrifying which is how a monster film should be. Also worth adding the scene near the end of the film with the halo jump was so intense and amazing, Edwards done good.
Overall the film was enjoyable but not without its flaws. Bryan Cranston was sorely misused and the actual protagonist failed to match that level of performance. Another issue was the marketing built up expectations of a serious tone (one does not use Oppenheimer lightly) and the end product had a lot more in common with Toho's 1960s monster mash features than Honda's original. Go see Godzilla: Resurgence (Shin Gojira) when it's released here - feels a lot more like the seriousness of the 1954 and 1984 takes.
Seriously though, this and Interstellar are the two blockbuster's I'm actually going to make an effort to see in the cinema this year. Noah I'd like to, but nobody else seems to want to see it with me. I enjoyed Monsters, but Godzilla should be a step up and I hope this is at least a step up from that film. Not really going to compare it with the 90's version, but will see how loyal it is to the 50's Honda original. Let's go! Also, perhaps they could use the same cast if they do a sequel...then we could see more of Hawkins etc? I dunno, I haven't seen the film yet. Purely pre-speculating!
I found the main characters really unconvincing and flat, the monsters and Bryan Cranston had some real depth, the whole theme of nuclear panic and natural disasters was pretty good. The whole US military thing got tiresome, needed more time on character development.
Godzilla wasn't a mess, but it was stunningly boring. There was nothing interesting about this movie at all. I nearly fell asleep. Characters: Aaron Taylor-Johnson was a boring character, yet the movie was built around him being in situations were he had no plausible reason to be in. Bryan Cranston's character was the only one with any interesting motives, actions or beliefs. The movie was really miss-sold by featuring his dialogue in the trailer. It's the only interesting dialogue in the entire movie. The rest is entirely cliche. General plot: It made enough sense for a movie about big monsters who live underground but again nothing at all compelling. The original Godzilla movies apparently tapped into some anxiety and fascination with nuclear power that doesn't really exist anymore. They failed to make Godzilla relevant to this day and age. This film is just about big monsters destroying urban centers, which is kinda boring.
Very good film I thought. Good story and the action scenes were epic. It was quite sparing with the monsters in parts but I think that was down to a limited budget. Evans done well despite this and the monster v monster action was great. Hopefully the sequel gets a bigger budget so we can get more monster fights. I didn't find it boring, I like how they took time to establish the story and characters before the monsters get introduced. Cranston was brilliant as well. Great performance.
Too much focus on the MUTOs as opposed to Godzilla, family scenes were kind of pointless, a certain point in the film in the span of about 30 minutes where not much happens, and Bryan Cranston's character was great and far more interesting than his son, yet he dies, and his death overall felt pointless and abrupt. Other than that, it was great.
Hating good films is just the latest Internet meme, so just ignore the fools. I mean, if they actually watched it they would see plenty of action and Godzilla.
HE1NZ i dont think he's biased toward birtish directors ive seen him rip some of them a new one. i think however he is sometimes against most movies that are a bit manly. and always goes out of his way to mention that element within said films.
Much look others here it found it to be a mess. As soon as there is any monster action it diverts to the usual grey, rainy, washed out look which is so tedious. The historical themes are there at the start and there are some great ideas with the quarantine zone which should have been incredibly suspenseful and thought provoking but were wasted. Bit of a boring mess and bit of a shame. It’s a Gareth Edwards movie so Kermode will rate it highly regardless..
I didn't like how little Bryan Cranston is in it and I didn't like that Aaron Taylor Johnson is so flat that you can turn him sideways and he'd disappear from view
The monsters were brilliantly done, but everything which involved humans in the film was horrendous. I mean everything. But unlike the Legend of Hercules it didn't have hilarious results. So I'm not sure which one is the worst seriously-made film I've ever seen. I'd suggest watching this one with friends and just talking over every part which doesn't have a monster on screen.
I thought it was quite boring and just a bit rubbish overall. The best thing about the film was Bryan Cranston but they stupidly killed him off. Didn't care for the characters, the acting was average, the writing was average. The military stuff was really boring. It really felt like nothing had happened until the final fight, the fight was good but not great. I mean, it's worth a watch but it's one of those films were you've seen it before. Quite an average movie in my opinion. 4/10.
Nope, watched it, was very bored. Didn't care for the characters at all and there wasn't enough monster fighting... This film is overrated because it's a 'Godzilla' film, I much prefer Pacific Rim, both for it's story and its fight scenes!
Seen it yesterday, very disappointed. I could rant for ages if I wanted to but ultimately it's biggest problem is pacing, and that after the first 45 mins it's just an utter slog. It also says alot that people were laughing at a number of moments during the film as well =/
The problem I had with this movie is that it seemed to take an almost perverse delight in frustrating the audience. At several points the movie builds up to a huge tension, only to immediately follow it with something completely flat, dull, and anticlimactic. This pattern became more and more glaring as the movie went on. Any time an interesting character or shot or idea appears, it's quickly discarded. I described it afterwards as "Blue Balls: the Movie" and was not alone in that assessment.
I just didn't think the human story worked. Too many coincedences, conveniences and impossible survival, and our main character just isn't that likeable. The monsters themselves were good but not Pacific Rim good
His first film Monsters, isn't about monsters…………Godzilla IS about Godzilla but more importantly about human relationships……..which is what Monsters is about
I loved this one. The monster was big and the people were smaller than it.
as a life long godzilla fan i was delighted with this film, edwards has done an amazing job in creating a visually stunning and balanced picture
people complaining about the muto's receiving more screen time must understand that in most of the sixties and seventies toho films godzilla would only turn up either half way through or at the end of the film to clean house, with the main focus being on the antagonist creature and the destruction wrought upon mankind, and i think this latest incarnation appreciates and celebrates that to some degree
I agree completely with you. I thought the MUTOs were so strange and totally believable. The fact that they and Godzilla never dominate the film, yet when they all have their epic city devastating battle it does take your breath away.
Gareth Edwards does love his Godzilla lore.
spot on!
I thought it was a great film. After hearing mixed reviews I went in sceptical, and thank god those negative reviews were clueless ramblings as I loved it by the end. Good job Gareth Edwards.
Big, BIG ups for Kermode bringing up specifically, about the 2006 BFI release of the 1954 Gojira. I never understood why there has never really been anymore Godzilla films of the series released in the UK on DVD/ Blu-Ray, except for only the ones that I can think of which are King Kong Vs Godzilla and the 1998 film.
I actually felt Aaron Taylor Johnson was the biggest problem the film had. He was in it a lot but his performance felt flat, and I think the human element of the film would've been better if the focus was on Elisabeth Olsen (who does a great job with what little she's been given.)
What I really liked was how Godzilla and the Muto fights were teased throughout the films. Yes, some of the sudden cutaways were irritating at the time but I think if the audience saw Godzilla fight the monsters over and over and over again it would've been repetitive and boring. As it is the final 20-30 minutes of the film are outstanding and wouldn't have worked if the filmmakers hadn't kept something in reserve for the final act of the movie.
I agree with you on the fighting bit. They went all out when you see the final fight. Not to mention that you could probably guess that Godzilla wouldn't kill the baddies until the end. For Aarons performance... well it could be better but he is also a soldier, you would think that they would turn off some emotions while doing their jobs, some do it further than others.
The irony is I definitely prefer Aaron Taylor Johnson’s character to the other characters that would appear later in the Monsterverse…
It was pretty enjoyable but a bit of a mess. It couldn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be an all-out military film or something with a humanistic family element. Unfortunately, the latter felt very shoehorned in and I don't think it's incorrect to say that Olsen's character could have been ousted from the film with no change to the plot at all. At first, I assumed she would be Aaron Johnson's motivation but that was simply not true. Instead, it just seemed to emphasise the campy nature of the military scenes. Nothing wrong with being camp - heck, Pacific Rim nailed that, but you can't try and bring a realistic family story into it without it clashing with the cheese that came before.
While the film was strong towards its beginnings and its final scenes were wonderful, there was a 20 minute section in the middle that felt incredibly overdrawn with little to no plot progression at all. Johnson's character begging to get on the train with the military, the military getting destroyed with him being the only survivor. It didn't really establish _anything_. You could have cut that and lost nothing of importance. Yes, it's meant to establish Johnson as a capable military man and show the kaiju off but there's ways of doing that that actually serve to progress the movie onwards.
Despite those heavy flaws, it's a good watch. Cranston and Johnson walking through the quarantine zone looked like something straight out of _The Last of Us_, it was wonderful! Same can be said of the halo jump scene that was an absolute highlight of the film. Litegi's haunting music in the background worked far better than the original score for the film. Really made that scene absolutely the greatest moment of the entire movie.
While I do agree that there was too heavy a focus on the other kaiju rather than Godzilla, they were all done wonderfully. The sound design was absolutely impeccable. From the roars and screeches, it was flawless. CGI was top notch and I won't lie, I got all giddy when Godzilla breathed fire for the first time and tale whipped the other kaiju into the building.
I certainly didn't come away regretting my watch but I definitely expected more after Gareth Edwards' first effort. A heavily flawed film but a good watch.
I couldn't agree with your review more. You hit on exactly how I felt about the film. Flawed but still a good watch. The shot from the airport window was worth the admission alone and Godzilla's roar still managed to send a shiver up my spine.
***** Fire...atomic breath...whatever. Don't be so pedantic.
***** Don't understand how you were trying to convey that with your little comment but sure, okay pal.
Good review Mark... just come back from the IMAX having seen this and all I can say is THANK YOU Gareth Edwards... at last a proper big-budget Godzilla movie and even better, he has the courage to hold back on Godzilla for as long as possible until the finale, where we get some of the best Special Effects I have ever seen. The story was solid enough, the acting strong.... I really couldn't wish for much more. Can't wait to see this again.
Was expecting a classic rant, actually sounds rather good
That's what I was expecting. He normally hates big brash explosive movies. If he likes it, it must be great.
Although it loses its way slightly at times, its still a really enjoyable film, Edwards knows how to direct action, and you can clearly see a spielbergian influence in it. Characters do get lost amidst all the building smashing and they often seem a little bland, but the most underpraised element of the whole film is the suspense, particularly in scenes you'd describe as set-pieces. Some scenes are masterfully directed, like the Muto escape, the monorail sequence and the train track scene. They all remind me of spielbergs style, slow build up and intrigue, creative shots and a big payoff, that's obviously high praise. Edwards is an extremely talented director, I'd trust him to direct just about anything.
The monster setpieces are absolutely astounding. There is this scene where Godzilla gives out a roar that just goes on and on and on and ON and it's so terrific that I want to see the movie again just for that!
Really liked it because they made Godzilla the protagonist. Holding back on the carnage was good, the photography in the city battle scenes was amazing. Turning the city into a battle ground and taking human peril out of it let Godzilla have his story. Ken Wattanabes character was literally laughed at in the cinema he was like a South Park character aside from one scene when they shoe in the original narrative. Shows love but I didn't care. The dog comparison Mark makes is spot on.
I had heard somewhere that Akira Kurosawa wanted to do a Godzilla film. It just made my head spin the thought of what he might have done with the genre and really uped the ante instead of the oftentimes silly movies (Son of Godzilla, All Monsters Attack, etc.) that were prodeuced in the series. For me the original will always be the best, but as much as the Japanese version is the purer I really prefer the opening to the American version with that slow tracking shot of Tokyo in ruins with the grim music on the soundtrack. From the get go we know right what this movie is about: the atomic bomb and Hiroshima. The Japanese version is just the fishermen attacked by an of screen Godzilla and the flash of light. I can without all the Raymond Burr footage, but I love that his character is "Steve Martin". I think the scariest aspect of Godzilla in the original was that he was not fast moving but rather a large, lumbering , unstoppable nightmare. This was not an action movie as seems to be the virus that American movies cannot rid itself of. No one attacks truly terrified of these events happening in front of them rather they just move like a herd of extras in a movie. There are some geniunely creepy moments in the original and the effects are still very impressive at times. Even some of the "newer" Godzilla movies that were made in the 90's were not bad. Godzilla vs Destoryah had a very interesting twist of the character.
SPOT ON REVIEW!
best Kermode review I've seen in a while
I agree that's it's close to being great, but I wouldn't say it's flaws ruin it. Cranston cranked his performance up to 11 and acted everyone else off the screen and I really missed him in the second half. Everyone else was a bit colourless in comparison (except Olsen, who was great, but utterly wasted.) And I get the point about not enough Godzilla - maybe it was more to do with him lacking personality next to the loving rendered MUTO's. But the spectacle was spectacular and the whole thing was made with real heart. What can I say, I really enjoyed it in spite of it's problems.
Very well made movie.
When kids think a movie is boring, critics usually give it thumbs up :)
Okay, Kermode likes this, this means I have to see it.
+gun1987gunn It's terrible
That it isn't another summer blockbuster with a 2hrs 30m plus running time is reason enough to celebrate as far as I'm concerned...
I like to understand those who say there is not enough Godzilla and fighting, haven't we all gone trough the experience of seeing millions costing boring CGI, going on and on (Fransformers, King Kong), maybe you guys weren't bored? I loved the introduction for example of the dinosaurs in Jurrasic Park, step by step, making it special.
"BLIMEY CHARLIE"
SOLD!
I'm really surprised by this review. Like a lot of action films being released at the moment, the first third sets up a potentially interesting story, then the film resorts to things crashing through buildings on such an epic scale it is totally impossible to relate to. We are led to believe these creatures are nigh on indestructible, yet (i'll try to avoid spoilers) their demise is too simplistic. I feel Mark has lowered his standards here due to his (albeit worthy) favourable attitude towards Edwards. Yes Edwards has managed an ownership of the film, but it is slight and doesn't make the movie different to the other garbage that is being churned out in the action genre.
I loved it, I do agree a few characters get side tracked a bit. But I think that was it's only *slight* problem. I've not seen a blockbuster film, that is such a juggling act, that pulls it off.
Along with the great MUTO designs, very strange and weird, and not the thing I was expecting, and like Monsters it does showcase Gareth Edwards great talent.
Can't wait to hear that roar in Dolby Surround. ^_^ ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!
You have no idea how good it is yet. It will make you soil your pants. I did and I'd go again with another pair of pants to do it again.
God I love this movie
I saw the film last night, and as a person who grew up watching late night Godzilla movies on TNT (Turner Network Television) I thoroughly enjoyed Gareth Evans's Godzilla. The only problems I had were the fact that the filmmakers decided to kill the two best actors in the first half hour, and stick the viewer with some very anemic leading roles. I could understand if Evans wanted to shock the audience Psycho style by killing off the most recognizable actors early on, but what we are left with are a collection of characters who barely even qualify as characters. Watching the film I thought I had to apologize to Charlie Hunnam for regarding his performance in Pacific Rim as bland. Godzilla had so may nondescript white guys I found it hard keeping telling one from another. I'm sure there must be a lot more deleted material focusing on the characters.
Also one thing that wasn't as bad as I would have expected but was still distracting was the filmmakers complete lack of knowledge about nuclear radiation. I have many friends who are nuclear engineers and nuclear experts, some of whom were featured in the nuclear power documentary Pandora's Promise. Much like how a cop can point out all the things wrong about cop movies, I could point out all the things wrong in Godzilla. The only way a dosimeter will read a level of 0.00 is if it were off. The radiation from a nuclear power plant or a nuclear submarine is too weak to be detected by the radiation monitors at the EPA, let alone under several layers of rock and seabed by any MUTO. And the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain does exist, it has been built, but to this day it has never been used.
Thanks for the spoilers... :-\
Great film, agreed with Kermode on almost everything.
Heard a bunch of average reviews at first, but along with this I've read a number of more positive reviews. Looking forward to it...
Was I the only one who like the last version. It was alright and a goodnight at the flicks. There loads of analysis about Godzilla but to me its essentially a man verse monster story.
I think I will like this one.
It was too teasing for me. That worked a treat in Monsters; Godzilla has to be front and centre.
Brian Cranston character was killed off way too soon.....
review seventh seal please lol
This was one of the most disappointing films I can remember. Importantly I must say that to me it being disappointing does not mean bad. It is not bad by a long shot. The first half of character development was great, it mixed it great tension (the most tense scene in the film being the nuclear plant at the start) with glimpses of carnage.
But for some reason when the big guy finally shows up, the camera slowly panning up to get his full size in, for some reason it just didn't fully grab me. I've no idea why.
As other people have commented, the cutting away from his first fight with the MUTO as soon as they lock horns just seems insane. And then they do it again with Olsen's character looking on as the bunker doors shut. I'm not sure if by the time we get the full on fights that I'd just lost my patience and become deadened to the sights on screen but it all just felt meh by the end.
This feeling of averageness may have been compounded by the fact that once certain character strands are chucked to the wayside midway through you are left with a bland human protagonist chatting about military strategies and observations about devastation without actually seeing any.
This film, to me, is the exact opposite of Pacific Rim: Pacific Rim had great actions scenes, but wooden characters who could've been played for B-movie fun harder but instead got dragged on and on. Godzilla on the other hand has great characters (for the first half anyway) but mediocre, albeit incredibly detailed and well filmed action which just failed to get my pulse going.
Again, not a bad movie just one that didn't grab me.
Funny that Elizabeth Olsen and Aron Taylor Johnson play brother and sister in the second Avengers film
Great Review Mark, seeing this on Sunday!
Thank you Mark, great review.
The scene in Hawaii where Godzilla makes the first appearance got me...I felt eleven again ( laughing)
So yes, I loved it and for those who didn't ...well there is always Michael Bay
This was a work of respect ( and
yes,perhaps love) for the oringal
Gojira
Peace
I saw this last night and I am not going to lie; I thought it was boring.
Agreed!
I hate to say it...but i just saw this tonight, more of less enjoyed all the mayhem, sat through the obligatory "family drama" stuff ok....but strangely it's already slipping out of my mind. Similarly to other giant cgi monster blockbusters (Pacific Rim comes to mind) it's impressive as you watch the action but somehow completely un-memorable. strange phenomena.
This movie reminded me of Rise of the Planet of the Apes in that the humans were very uninteresting.
I watched it yesterday. It wasn't great. It wasn't terrible. Just very average in my opinion.
I think the Ken Watanabe quote about humans thinking they are in control of nature sums up what I took away from this film. A true disaster piece which displays the futility of man in such a situation, and the disaster is hella entertaining
I was enjoying this until, in the early stages, a certain very good actor dies. After that I was literally falling asleep. A bit shocked at how quickly things plunged into ridiculousness when the first 25 minutes had actually done a good job of making things seem (relatively) plausible.
I just recently wrote a review for the film and am happy to hear you touch on the same things! This is why you're the only film critic that I really agree with, because you still love movies after all these years..
Just got back from seeing it, biggest let down of the year. Clever marketing though, making you think Cranston and Godzilla were heavily featured in the film only to barely be in it!
I totally disagree with your comment that some characters got "lost in the mix". Sally Hawkins did great with her part and it was well developed. Watanabe's character was the lead scientist so, of course, you would not be seeing much of Sally Hawkin's character. I didn't think the monsters were more interesting than the characters. I put myself into the character's place so that made me interested in them.
I really enjoyed it, perhaps there wasn't enough Godzilla in the film but I enjoyed it none the less. Both him and the MUTO's were terrifying which is how a monster film should be. Also worth adding the scene near the end of the film with the halo jump was so intense and amazing, Edwards done good.
Bane Hardly there wasn’t enough fight scenes which was really disappointing but I actually liked the film.
Overall the film was enjoyable but not without its flaws. Bryan Cranston was sorely misused and the actual protagonist failed to match that level of performance.
Another issue was the marketing built up expectations of a serious tone (one does not use Oppenheimer lightly) and the end product had a lot more in common with Toho's 1960s monster mash features than Honda's original.
Go see Godzilla: Resurgence (Shin Gojira) when it's released here - feels a lot more like the seriousness of the 1954 and 1984 takes.
great thrilling film
ummm... haha..??
Seriously though, this and Interstellar are the two blockbuster's I'm actually going to make an effort to see in the cinema this year. Noah I'd like to, but nobody else seems to want to see it with me. I enjoyed Monsters, but Godzilla should be a step up and I hope this is at least a step up from that film. Not really going to compare it with the 90's version, but will see how loyal it is to the 50's Honda original. Let's go!
Also, perhaps they could use the same cast if they do a sequel...then we could see more of Hawkins etc? I dunno, I haven't seen the film yet. Purely pre-speculating!
'Monsters' was boring and slightly racist.
I found the main characters really unconvincing and flat, the monsters and Bryan Cranston had some real depth, the whole theme of nuclear panic and natural disasters was pretty good. The whole US military thing got tiresome, needed more time on character development.
Godzilla wasn't a mess, but it was stunningly boring. There was nothing interesting about this movie at all. I nearly fell asleep.
Characters: Aaron Taylor-Johnson was a boring character, yet the movie was built around him being in situations were he had no plausible reason to be in. Bryan Cranston's character was the only one with any interesting motives, actions or beliefs. The movie was really miss-sold by featuring his dialogue in the trailer. It's the only interesting dialogue in the entire movie. The rest is entirely cliche.
General plot: It made enough sense for a movie about big monsters who live underground but again nothing at all compelling. The original Godzilla movies apparently tapped into some anxiety and fascination with nuclear power that doesn't really exist anymore. They failed to make Godzilla relevant to this day and age. This film is just about big monsters destroying urban centers, which is kinda boring.
Mark, I enjoy the show... but please cut down on the spoilers
A Gareth Edwards movie where the characters are absolutely terrible? What kind of world have I fallen into?
what's with Cranston's hair????
Very good film I thought. Good story and the action scenes were epic. It was quite sparing with the monsters in parts but I think that was down to a limited budget. Evans done well despite this and the monster v monster action was great. Hopefully the sequel gets a bigger budget so we can get more monster fights. I didn't find it boring, I like how they took time to establish the story and characters before the monsters get introduced. Cranston was brilliant as well. Great performance.
Too much focus on the MUTOs as opposed to Godzilla, family scenes were kind of pointless, a certain point in the film in the span of about 30 minutes where not much happens, and Bryan Cranston's character was great and far more interesting than his son, yet he dies, and his death overall felt pointless and abrupt. Other than that, it was great.
Hating good films is just the latest Internet meme, so just ignore the fools. I mean, if they actually watched it they would see plenty of action and Godzilla.
So, how is Andy Serkis "the king of motion capture"?
Gollum was nice, but King Kong wasn't anything special.
King Kong was rubbish.wonder what kong:skull island is like
He’s done much more than the two. Who else can you think of who’s as renowned for their MoCap work?
HE1NZ i dont think he's biased toward birtish directors ive seen him rip some of them a new one. i think however he is sometimes against most movies that are a bit manly. and always goes out of his way to mention that element within said films.
Great film. Wished Elizabeth Olsen was in it more though. Also, I saw it 3D but it didn't do much for me to be honest.
Much look others here it found it to be a mess.
As soon as there is any monster action it diverts to the usual grey, rainy, washed out look which is so tedious.
The historical themes are there at the start and there are some great ideas with the quarantine zone which should have been incredibly suspenseful and thought provoking but were wasted. Bit of a boring mess and bit of a shame. It’s a Gareth Edwards movie so Kermode will rate it highly regardless..
I didn't like how little Bryan Cranston is in it and I didn't like that Aaron Taylor Johnson is so flat that you can turn him sideways and he'd disappear from view
The monsters were brilliantly done, but everything which involved humans in the film was horrendous. I mean everything. But unlike the Legend of Hercules it didn't have hilarious results. So I'm not sure which one is the worst seriously-made film I've ever seen. I'd suggest watching this one with friends and just talking over every part which doesn't have a monster on screen.
I thought it was quite boring and just a bit rubbish overall. The best thing about the film was Bryan Cranston but they stupidly killed him off. Didn't care for the characters, the acting was average, the writing was average. The military stuff was really boring. It really felt like nothing had happened until the final fight, the fight was good but not great. I mean, it's worth a watch but it's one of those films were you've seen it before. Quite an average movie in my opinion. 4/10.
Nope, watched it, was very bored. Didn't care for the characters at all and there wasn't enough monster fighting... This film is overrated because it's a 'Godzilla' film, I much prefer Pacific Rim, both for it's story and its fight scenes!
Simon Mayo is soooooo jealous of Mark Kermode.
Didn't like it that much. The main character added nothing to the story and I don't rate him that highly as an actor.
Sorry but this review is boring! Mark I think you liked it, but I really can't be bothered to list to the whole review zzzz
Seen it yesterday, very disappointed. I could rant for ages if I wanted to but ultimately it's biggest problem is pacing, and that after the first 45 mins it's just an utter slog.
It also says alot that people were laughing at a number of moments during the film as well =/
Spoiler much
Yep, and then Edwards turned his back on the godzilla franchise to go work on Star Wars.
watched this last night & it was awful.....beyond garbage. An embaressment for Edwards. Taylor delivers 1 of the worst performances I've seen.
The problem I had with this movie is that it seemed to take an almost perverse delight in frustrating the audience. At several points the movie builds up to a huge tension, only to immediately follow it with something completely flat, dull, and anticlimactic. This pattern became more and more glaring as the movie went on. Any time an interesting character or shot or idea appears, it's quickly discarded. I described it afterwards as "Blue Balls: the Movie" and was not alone in that assessment.
I just didn't think the human story worked. Too many coincedences, conveniences and impossible survival, and our main character just isn't that likeable.
The monsters themselves were good but not Pacific Rim good
The special effects were amazing,but as others have reported as soon as u think your gonna get a decent fight it shows you something else grr
IT WAS DARK AND YOU COULD NOT SEE THE MONSTER AND ANYONE CAN MAKE A GOOD SCENE BY USING LIGETI'S GREAT MUSIC.
makes the 1998 Roland Emmerich Godzilla look like Gone with the Wind, Bryan Cranston couldn't even save this pile of Godzilla turd
Godzilla sucked.
Godzilla was horrible.
sounds like a big dumb movie just like Emmerich's vision from the 90s
His first film Monsters, isn't about monsters…………Godzilla IS about Godzilla but more importantly about human relationships……..which is what Monsters is about
This movie was awful and very very generic