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Godzilla

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Metascore
 48 reviews
6.8
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 1744 ratings

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Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Dave Callaham David S. Goyer Frank Darabont Max Borenstein
Production: Legendary Pictures
Movie Details: The world’s most revered monster is reborn in a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation
The world’s most revered monster is reborn in a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless. [Warner Bros. Pictures]
Genre(s): Action Adventure Sci-Fi Thriller Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Production: Legendary Pictures
Runtime: 123 min
Home Release Date: Sep 16, 2014
Official Site: http://www.godzillamovie.com/
Countries: USA Japan
Languages: English Japanese
Director: Gareth Edwards
Writer: Dave Callaham David S. Goyer Frank Darabont Max Borenstein
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Critic Reviews
(48)
62
Metascore Generally favorable reviews
26 Positive Ratings 54%
21 Mixed Ratings 43%
1 Negative Ratings 2%
Based on 48 Critic Reviews View All
90
Salon
Andrew O'Hehir | May 16, 2014
"This is a movie of tremendous visual daring, magnificent special-effects work and surprising moral gravity. " ... Read full review
83
Hitfix
Drew McWeeny | May 11, 2014
"This could easily be ground zero for a whole new series of films, but if it remains a stand-alone single movie, Edwards told an entire story, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, it feels like Godzilla actually matters." ... Read full review
75
Miami Herald
Rene Rodriguez | May 15, 2014
"Here, finally, is a giant monster movie made in the anything-goes CGI era still capable of making your jaw drop." ... Read full review
63
Washington Post
Michael O'Sullivan | May 15, 2014
"Fortunately, the monsters are actually kind of a kick. And isn’t that why you go to see a movie like this anyway?" ... Read full review
60
Time Out
Tom Huddleston | May 11, 2014
"It’s always fun to watch scaly, skyscraper-size behemoths lay waste to civilization, but a bit more human drama wouldn’t have gone amiss." ... Read full review
50
The New Yorker
Anthony Lane | May 19, 2014
"Skip Godzilla the movie. Watch the trailer." ... Read full review
30
Time
Richard Corliss | May 11, 2014
"Edwards’ Godzilla dawdles toward its Doomsday climax; the movie could win a prize for Least Stuff Happening in the First Two-Thirds of an Action Film... It’s a concept lacking a magnetic story, a package without a product." ... Read full review
Critic Reviews
User Reviews
(512)
6.8
User Score Generally favorable reviews
1,096 Positive Ratings 62%
441 Mixed Ratings 25%
207 Negative Ratings 11%
Based on 1744 Ratings and 512 Reviews View All
10
TheOnlineGamer
May 16, 2014
To all the people who complain there wasn't enough Godzilla in this movie: Have you ever seen the original Gojira (1954)? Or ever heard of aTo all the people who complain there wasn't enough Godzilla in this movie: Have you ever seen the original Gojira (1954)? Or ever heard of a thing called 'tension-building'? Surely not.

This film was everything I hoped it would be and thensome! The characters were all great, there isn't a single bad performance - everyone treats this with respect and add an appropriately serious tone to the film. Ford Brody is my favourite as his strict code of honour and morals was put to the test by malevolent creatures, which created some brilliant dilemmas and great duo scenes with his father (played brilliantly by Bryan Cranston). Themes were perfectly adapted from the original Gojira, which makes this 10x more dark and gritty, but it doesn't come off as stale or half-assed.

Godzilla himself is a majestic beast, and one I don't think audiences will forget about in the near future, as well as the MUTOs who are perfect adversaries for Godzilla. This isn't Pacific Rim, you actually care about these Monsters fighting and look forward to the outcome.

In conclusion, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla is a magnificent monster movie full of heart and soul with wonderful direction and spectacular visual effects.

Even better than the original, IMO! (10/10)… Expand
9
eGary
May 16, 2014
I really liked most of this film. It maybe had some too slow moments for a movie about the King of Monsters, but it didn't ruin the experienceI really liked most of this film. It maybe had some too slow moments for a movie about the King of Monsters, but it didn't ruin the experience for me at all. All of the background information was awesome and made the story much more interesting. As for these slow scenes - it's just that people (including me) probably went to the movie to see more of Godzilla himself and him fighting than it was shown. But when it was shown - it was epic. It's probably the best Godzilla movie (of course it's almost impossible to compare it to the oldest films, but it was definitely better than the previous 1998 American version).… Expand
8
MasterZoken
May 18, 2014
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was very excited fro Godzilla to come up in cinemas, I even wanted to buy the posters. Though they do not sell the posters which saddens

Anyways, first off, I love Bryan Cranston's acting. He was perfect at his role. It was unfortunate that he had to die early in the movie. On the other hand, Aaron Johnson was alright. To be honest, I do not like the part of him saving his family and all. Still, Ken Wanatabe was quite good at his acting. A quiet character who believe in Godzilla saving the world. The weird part was when he brought up the bombing of Hiroshima. I might not understand what significant of that reminder, but yeah.

I thought Godzilla was to be the only monster in the movie, but it got better. In this movie, Godzilla is not the destroyer, but the savior. It was very nice of him to save the world from MUTO. My favorite part was when Godzilla decided to use his laser beam towards his enemies. It was AMAZING. I love it. There were some anti climax in the movie. When Godzilla was about to fight for the first time, it was shown in a TV which also skipped some part of the battle. Still, it was nice and I was happy that Godzilla did not die at the end.

I recommend this movie. It was nice to watch, especially at the end. Go Gojira!… Expand
7
walkabout_88
Dec 1, 2014
In keeping up with Pacific Rim (which propelled the blockbuster revival of non-existentialist entertainment), Godzilla mostly deliver pureIn keeping up with Pacific Rim (which propelled the blockbuster revival of non-existentialist entertainment), Godzilla mostly deliver pure spectacle. Though it lacks humour, abounding as it is in dark tones, the feature find itself drafting a storyline and some decently written characters only with purpose of building up the wait for mayhem and big fights. It's not a coincidence that Gojira is likely the most interesting character here, the only one impossible to be easily defined and accordingly labeled. But the bleak show this film offers is realistic, well-crafted, relatable and full of suggestive, beautifully shot disaster.… Expand
6
SoulWarfare
Mar 30, 2021
In anticipation of Godzilla vs Kong, I've decided to rewatch all the previous Monsterverse movies. I've watched this when it first came out inIn anticipation of Godzilla vs Kong, I've decided to rewatch all the previous Monsterverse movies. I've watched this when it first came out in Cinemas and I came out slightly disappointed. Now that I decided to finally rewatch it after 7 years, I wonder if my opinions will change or not? The premise is "Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe (Bryan Cranston). Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when Godzilla, King of the Monsters, arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco". So is it actually better than I thought or is still as disappointing as I remember it?

Firstly, I actually really like the tone of this movie. After watching all the new Monsterverse movies and now going back, I think the serious and grounded nature are wonderful. It shows these Titans from the perspective of humans and makes them seem more fearsome and majestic. The original Japanese Godzilla portrayed the titular character as a force of nature and Gareth Evans (the director) perfectly captures this as well. I also really like the cinematography by Seamus McGarvey. The more tame colours really work in the movies favour by really giving it a war-like and disaster style feel to the movie. Additionally, there are some gorgeous shots in the movie and some stunning visual spectacles. The score by Alexandre Desplat is actually pretty good and at some parts such as the HALO jump is where the score really stands out. The final climax is also very thrilling to watch even though it is kind of dark though.

The biggest complaint I had with this movie is the severe lack of Godzilla. He is the titular character but is barely even in it. Heck, the villain monster, the MUTOs, appear more than him. I think what is really jarring is that when Godzilla appears they then cutaway to something else. For example, when Godzilla arrives near the airport and about to fight a MUTO but it then cutaways to some boring human characters who see it on TV. It felt quite insulting that they wouldn't show these fights and instead just telling us the conclusion from some human characters. I was screaming internally throughout the movie, "Let Them Fight". On that note, the human characters really suck. I think all the actors do a fine job although Aaron Taylor-Johnson who plays the main lead, Ford Brody, is quite lacking in a lot of personality in most of his scenes. Not entirely his fault as the character is written to be quite boring. Elle Brody (Elizabeth Olsen) is just playing the trope of wife and mother character, Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) is a monster expert, Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) is monster expert right-hand person. This is literally their personality and nothing else which makes all the characters very uninteresting. There is one interesting character Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) who is the father of the main lead who also lost his wife due to unusual seismic activity and is trying to determine the cause of the meltdown that killed his wife. This screams main character as there is a backstory that is making us root for him. Plus he is played phenomenally by Bryan in every scene. However, they decide to kill him 30 minutes into the movie and replace him with his boring son. What a waste of a character and there was no real reason to kill him so early.

Overall, it's an all right movie. I don't agree with a lot of the decisions made in terms of story and characters but it nails the tone, atmosphere and visuals completely. It's a good monster movie and also a good start to the "Monsterverse".… Expand
5
CinemaSins
May 8, 2015
There is a moment in Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla in which two creatures — M.U.T.O.s in the film’s parlance — start nuzzling. Given the director’sThere is a moment in Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla in which two creatures — M.U.T.O.s in the film’s parlance — start nuzzling. Given the director’s startling lo-fi debut Monsters gave us full-on creature rutting, you might fear that this is a daring director being shackled by a rating-conscious studio. Happily, the Brit director’s take on the Toho studio icon gives full reign to his ability to create compelling imagery and a knockout monster mash. It’s a shame, then, that the movie gets caught between honouring the character’s B-movie conceit AND delivering a let’s-take-everything-super-seriously approach de rigueur in post-Dark Knight blockbusterdom. If any film needed a sense of levity, it is one about a 355-foot lizard hitting stuff.

The movie gets off to a cracking start, a title sequence depicting nuclear tests, Darwinian theory, sea monster illustrations and redacted information all to Alexandre Desplat’s flash-and-thunder score. Yet, unlike 99.9 per cent of recent blockbusters, the film then admirably slows down to set up story strands of (chillingly mounted) family tragedy, anomalous seismic activity, frustrated interrogations, perplexed scientists and all-round conspiracy.

Edwards and credited writer Max Borenstein try their darnedest to legitimise the potentially hokey conceit, smartly respecting the creature’s atomic age roots by imagining the ’50s nuclear tests as attempts to kill off the subterranean creatures and peppering the movie with post-War On Terrorism reference points: jets plummeting out of the sky, carnage playing out on 24-hour rolling news, helicopter shots of refugees escaping to safety, the displaced seeking out loved ones in huge stadia. There is definitely no place for Godzooky in this world.

Yet underneath the patina of realism, Godzilla doesn’t have the story smarts to pull you through. Much of the drama set up in the first 30 minutes bears little consequence later on. The scene work suffers from logic lapses (where does Watanabe get his preternatural understanding of Godzilla’s motives?) or feels just plain fudged — a plan involving a nuclear bomb is unclear and unthrilling.

Edwards creates evocative moments, both small — a slug crawls over a toy tank — and huge — a submarine dangles from a tree — but he has less of a sense of keying it into a narrative imperative. The HALO jumping that everyone loved in the trailer remains fantastic but makes little sense when it appears the army can simply drive into the danger zone. If the movie had a different, more playful tone — Independence Day, for example — all this would be less problematic. But in the credible real world the film seems to want to set up, it just rings dumb.

While the characters may get time to breathe, they don’t emerge as a complex, memorable bunch. For all the great casting, the first-base writing never allows these people to emerge as anything but stock characters. Bryan Cranston is at his most Cranstonish as a man trying to prove a theory deemed crackpot, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a colourless, stoic soldier, a criminally under-utilised Elizabeth Olsen is a wife-mother-nurse permanently stuck on the end of a phone, Ken Watanabe is a noble Japanese scientist who spurts homilies about messing with nature, Sally Hawkins his exposition-clarifying assistant, and David Strathairn labours as a one-note military man. Given, as with most creature features, the humans are bystanders doing practically zilch to affect the outcome, it demanded a more rounded, engaging dramatis personae.

This lack of personality extends to the main monster. In certain respects the Lizard King struggles to register as the star of his own film. Not only does Edwards afford the evil M.U.T.O.s (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Objects) a better introduction — Godzilla’s entrance feels a bit thrown away — the malevolent, moth-like creatures also seem to get longer screen time and more characterful business.

Edwards’ film boasts great filmmaking, noble intentions and cracking monster action. Yet it never reconciles its B-movie origins — preposterous premise, clichéd characters — with its solemn, Nolanised tone. This Godzilla stomps but very rarely romps.… Expand
0
kaizidokiller
May 26, 2014
Slow burn is great but only if it's rewarding. Godzilla doesn't show up until 40 minutes into the movie. I expected this because GarethSlow burn is great but only if it's rewarding. Godzilla doesn't show up until 40 minutes into the movie. I expected this because Gareth Edwards's "Monsters" isn't really about monsters but at least it's a more ambitious movie with interesting characters. However, the characters in Godzilla are pretty one-dimensional.

Bryan Cranston delivers the best performance in the entire film and it's a shame he was given very little to do. Elizabeth Olsen also gives a solid performance but her character was poorly-written and she's the biggest victim of side-lining. Ken Watanabe is just exposition guy but the worst character was played by Aaron-Taylor Johnson. Johnson never gives the emotional performance needed for his character to be interesting and that's probably because his acting range is limited. Most of his films required him to be somewhat goofy, even in his more dramatic film "Nowhere Boy".

If you're looking for a mindless monster movie with great special effects, Godzilla certainly delivers but only if you're a patient viewer. Otherwise, you'll probably be disappointed that there wasn't enough Godzilla. Even though the best monster movies usually hold the monster back, the uninteresting characters and serviceable plot made me wish there was more Godzilla, or the movie to be 20 minutes shorter.

6/10 - For some reason, metacritic registered my score as 0 and I can't change it.… Expand
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