In an age where most kids don't know who Godzilla is and most people associate the films with bad dubbing, guys in suits, and Saturday mornings, Godzilla 2014 has given us a reason to cheer for Godzilla again. In the capable hands of Gareth Edwards, Godzilla has risen from the ocean once again to stomp our favorite cities in an all out kaiju battle. But Edwards brings a human element to the story, one that works in tandem with Godzilla and brings the audience into a world where giant monsters roam.
*****Warning Spoilers*****
I will not go into a full synopsis of the movie as I want you to see it and judge for yourself. I would have to say the opening credits are entertaining and informative, explaining the origin of Godzilla and tying it to the original film. From there we move to the introduction of the main protagonists, Dr. Serizawa and the Brody family. Any fan of the series will recognize the name. Dr. Serizawa is a sympathetic character, working for Monarch and hunting Godzilla and discovering other MUTO's, or Mutated Unidentified Terrestrial Objects. His motivation is kept secret from us until a key moment when the heart of the original Godzilla movie comes through and we see that Edwards wants to pay homage to the reason Godzilla was created all those years ago. That is where Godzilla 1998 went wrong, never paying back the original movie it came from. Devlin created a new Godzilla, Edwards re-imaged the original. The Brody family is our window into this new world where giant monsters exist. More than a plot device, but still secondary to the title character himself. Edwards said he saw Spielberg as an inspiration and it shines brightly in the Brody's, an average family with problems and issues, but caught in the events unfolding before them. Think War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. Character development is key and what Edwards does is create characters we care about, have believable back stories, and become attached to, suffering with them during their downfalls and silently cheering when they succeed.
I also would like to congratulate Edwards on making this movie respectable. He does not try to out do other Godzilla movies, blow-up every scene with special effects, or even include unnecessary violence. What he has done is create a Godzilla adults, kids, and everyone in-between can enjoy. Godzilla causes damage, but unintentionally. People die. This is no exception in the new vision, but there are no gruesome deaths, no onscreen horrors, or objectionable material. No one uses profanity in the movie. No sex scenes or alcohol, illegal substances, or the like. Godzilla has been good, clean fun and still remains good, clean fun. The Showa era especially was designed for children, even Little Godzilla was created to market a kids TV show starring the bubbly little monster.
Plot was always a struggle in previous Godzilla movies and many used what would become cliche Godzilla plots. Godzilla 2014 takes one of these plots, fleshes it out, and what would be familiar is now new and unique. Godzilla is a titan, and inevitably, death goes where he goes. Both protagonists are looking for answer to questions they cannot answer and were the results of something much larger than them and directly affects family. I am trying to be vague so you see the movie. Why was the concept of plot a struggle in the previous generations of the series? Well, because of the title character. The movies is called Godzilla and he is the star. The humans were always just an entry point for the viewer so we could step into the world of Godzilla. Not so here, humans and Godzilla get plenty of screen time although I wish some of the fight scenes were not merely teases.
What we really want to see is Godzilla and his introduction into the movie is epic. Godzilla is bigger, badder, and familiar all at once. What Godzilla 1998 failed to do was bring us the character we all know and love. The character who in my childhood was a hero, someone we rooted for to win, who fought to the bitter end, never gave up, and left you cheering. There were many moments in the movie I was audibly cheering in the audience as Godzilla rose from the ocean and fought the MUTO's or used his famous radioactive beam weapon.Yes! It's back and bolder than ever. Godzilla, however, is treated more like an animal in Edwards version and I applaud him and give him a standing ovation for his interpretation of Godzilla, a force of nature. Godzilla fights with tooth, claw, and tail, and has some pretty spectacular scenes with the MUTO's. Even the MUTO creature design was different and fascinating and, most importantly, were believable. There is one things people must remember when watching a Godzilla movie, and that simple fact is, you are watching a Godzilla movie. You must suspend disbelief in order to enjoy, engage, and relish in the epic awesomeness that is giant monsters fighting. Edwards stayed true to the series and brought us the familiar in a novel way, much like Abrams did for Star Trek and Avatar has done for the stranger in the strange land theme.
But Godzilla is more than that in Edwards vision. He is a god, a creature who will correct the balance of Earth from unstoppable forces. As I've said before, Godzilla is just that, a force. He is neither good nor bad, wicked or saintly, but protecting the Earth he lives on and his territory. I would say though this Godzilla definitely leans towards good, which is fine by me. He has become the hero I remember from childhood and a monster for all ages.
