By Brett Blake There are few cinematic monsters as iconic as Godzilla. Even if you’ve never seen one of the older Japanese films, chances are you’re still very much aware of him, his distinctive look, and his penchant for unleashing destruction upon the citizens of Japan. He’s part of a universal cultural fabric. Per the original 1954 film’s American ad campaign, Godzilla is the “King of the Monsters,” and he more than lives up to that title in director Gareth Edwards’ new interpretation of the creature, which is a stylish, intense, and compelling blockbuster that makes the wonderfully old-fashioned choice to invest time in building up a sense of grand mystery before paying that off in spectacular fashion. The story kicks off with a devastating disaster at a nuclear power plant in Japan, the aftermath of which sets into motion a chain of events that eventually culminate in the appearance of a giant monster menace which threatens the world. Into this picture, then, arrives Godzilla himself (that’s right, he’s not the only monster in this film, though I don’t consider that a spoiler, as the advertising has revealed as much), which sets the stage for a major clash. Against this gigantic backdrop is the story of the Brody family, embodied by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston. Also integral to the proceedings (and the lone Japanese representative in the cast) is Dr. Serizawa, portrayed by Ken Watanabe. The likes of Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, and David Strathairn (Oscar nominees, all) are also along for the journey as a pair of scientists and a military man, respectively. Chiefly, the movie unfolds for most of its first half with the feeling that there’s some kind of huge mystery unfolding; it resembles Steven Spielberg’s CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND in the way it takes a ground-level, human-scale approach to a massive paranormal event unfolding on a global scale. Characters are constantly attempting to piece together the meaning of what’s happening, which effectively draws the audience in and helps them to invest in the goings-on. Director Edwards demonstrates a remarkable understanding of how to build suspense and then pay that off. There’s palpable awe and wonder (and even terror) in the way Edwards handles the introductions of each of the creatures in the film (Godzilla’s first up-close appearance is particularly, spine-tinglingly great), and the staging of the various action setpieces is incredibly impressive; each scene builds and grows in satisfying and exciting ways. Edwards uses shadows, smoke, reflections, and objects/creatures that are just-barely-in or just-barely-out of the frame, a style that grabs the audience’s attention and makes them desperately want to see more. He wants our curiosity and our imaginations to be ignited, something that makes us more active participants in the movie as a whole than we would be if we were simply assaulted by nonstop mayhem and noise. Edwards is playing an old-school game, here, one not necessarily designed for our attention-deficit culture. The movie’s not quite a slow burn - there are many thrilling and/or suspenseful sequences that appear at fairly regular intervals, including one at a Hawaiian airport which is a masterpiece of tension and leads up to an incredible reveal - but it clearly has no interest in peaking too early, as many contemporary action films do. GODZILLA truly saves its most spectacular moments for its final act, and it sends us out of the theater on a very high note. Some might be put off by the fact that Godzilla himself isn’t really in the film a tremendous amount (he’s not unlike the shark in Spielberg’s other great 1970s movie, JAWS, in that respect; he’s felt as a presence more than he’s actually onscreen), or that the movie constantly teases the audience with the promise of Godzilla battling his foes only to (more or less) save that for the climax, but it’s more than worth the wait. I’ve already brought up Spielberg twice, so I want to say something that I hope director Edwards would take as high praise. The movie feels like 1970s/1980s-era Steven Spielberg directed it (with a bit of JURASSIC PARK and WAR OF THE WORLDS flavoring tossed in), from the inventive staging to the memorable beats and bits of business that are peppered throughout almost every big scene. I know it doesn’t really do any justice to the unique idiosyncrasies that Gareth Edwards brings to the table, and he’s certainly not aping or ripping-off Spielberg in any way; in any case, I mean it as the highest compliment. If this film is any indication, Edwards has an incredibly exciting career ahead of him. The acting is uniformly good. Aaron Taylor-Johson makes for a capable leading man, and he’s matched by Ken Watanabe, who seems to bring a natural gravitas to every role he plays. Watanabe’s particularly effective in this, and he’s the voice of the movie’s sociological/ecological/political thesis: that Godzilla may be a kind of agent of nature itself, coming forth from the depths to restore perceived imbalances. Bryan Cranston also delivers the goods, and he’s key in helping the audience form bonds with both his character and Taylor-Johnson’s. Elizabeth Olsen and Sally Hawkins are both good, though their roles are on the verge of being somewhat thankless. Still, it’s great to have actors of their caliber (and of Binoche’s and Strathairn’s) to lend credibility to what is, ostensibly, a movie in which giant monsters beat the hell out of each other. Speaking of those monsters, the computer effects - while occasionally less than fully convincing - imbue them (Godzilla, particularly) with a great deal of personality. These are not stock movie monsters; they actually emote, and when they collide in a fight, it’s great. Godzilla has some great moments (in terms of his fighting style) that recall the man-in-suit origins of the character, and rather than feeling campy or silly, these moments hit just the right tone of being fun without turning the movie into a goofy cartoon. The effects are aided by Academy Awards-worthy sound design, which adds yet another layer of personality to the monsters, especially Godzilla’s foes. And all of this is underpinned by Alexandre Desplat’s huge, in-your-face score that feels gloriously old-fashioned. It's currently the score of the year. As a total package GODZILLA is everything I hoped it would be, and then some. Could a person nitpick the thing to death? Maybe, but why would you want to do that to a film this effective, this thrilling, and this satisfying? It’s a movie lightyears better than it could have been (see 1998’s misfire Godzilla flick for proof of that), and it immediately takes its place in the pantheon of the great giant monster movies… admittedly, that’s not really saying much, but I mean it in the best way possible. Assuming the movie's successful enough to warrant further adventures, I can’t wait to see where Edwards and company take us from here.
1 Comment
Tim
5/17/2014 02:34:32 am
I don't think the significance of the sound in this movie can be understated; it really made the size and weight of the monsters more convincing and exciting. I do wish that there was _maybe_ a little bit more monster fighting, but as you suggested, maybe that was the point.
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