The expectations for the new Godzilla film are at peak levels to say the least. After a not-so-triumphant romp around downtown in 1998's horrific effort, Gareth Edward's reboot of the series has its work cut out for it. Not only to overcome that previous film's bad taste left in the mouths of viewers, but to reach out to the audience who embraced the classic monster long before it became an Americanized property. Thankfully, Edwards manages to do this and then some, bringing forth a classic re-introduction of the character envoking all the right notes, while not oversaturing us with the creature, but instead leaving us hungry to devour his next cinematic meal.
To be perfectly up front and honest about what to go in expecting, while this is a Godzilla film, he is not the most centralized character in which the film revolves around. He is definitely the highlight of the movie, but the primary protagonists are in the form of us puny humans, portrayed by Walter White himself (Bryan Cranston) and a buffer-than-normal version of Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). This father and son pairing are introduced to audiences from the onset of the film, and after an initial earth-shaking tragedy occurs, we continue to follow their familial adventures throughout the story as their tale of desperation and survival is the emotional weight that anchors the piece. Wannabe Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) plays Dr. Serizawa, and lends some scientific credence to the adventure. His pronounciation of "Godzilla" is the stuff of legend, and his character serves as the strongest proponent for the idea that Godzilla exists more as a force for balance in nature than in direct opposition to the human race's existence.
The events that bring Godzilla to light are best kept secret and for the viewer to experience on their own, but once the ball gets rolling, and all hades breaks loose, it is one of the best roller coaster rides in a theatre I have had in a long time. The CGI utilized on Godzilla is literally second-to-none, and more than ever he's able to be brought to life in a belieavably frightening way. He is prone to wanton destruction, and that's exactly the way it should be. The sound engineers on the film alone should get some crazy praise if for his roar alone. The first time it is belted out on screen, the audience I was with exploded in applause, excited to see this cinematic monster coming back to life in a big way.
One thing to caution some fans about is that this is not a Saturday morning Tom & Jerry episode of non-stop fighting from start to finish. What makes this new iteration work so well is the carefully executed slow-burn development that leads up to Godzilla's reveal. There are enough sneak peeks and teases woven throughout that absolutely kept me engaged, and I believe that the payout towards the latter half of the film is earned, and not simply wasted by showing all the cards on the table up front. In hindsight, I prefer the way it was done as opposed to unveiling the monster in his full glory in the first 30 minutes. The exposure he gets in the third act is so phenomenly orchestrated that you immediately forget about how much of the first part is spent with just character beats and snippets of what's to come.
I cannot say that I was the greatest Godzilla fan that walked the face of the earth prior to seeing the film, but what I can say is that everything I hope for in a cinematic experience is to be found here, and my interest in where this series goes is now turned up to 11. There is depth, emotion, excitement, terror, but most of all...fun. This picture reminds us that it's great to go to the movies with a group of friends and just get pumped up watching the big, scaled monster go bananas on some skyscrapers and not feel bad about it. It's a great time to be had, so get out there and enjoy this, especially if IMAX is a possibility for you. So worth it.
Grade: A