Godzilla (2014)

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

When I realised that I had missed the chance to see the newest Godzilla movie in cinemas I was rather upset. In fact, upset is putting it mildly: In reality, I felt like rampaging through a whole city like the titular monster himself.

So, imagine my excitement when I realised that it would still be in Japanese theatres during my trip. It was perfect; I could celebrate the latest addition to the series in its birthplace. Even if technically it is an American remake/reboot.

My anticipation was rather inflated too, as most people I’ve talked to have been raving about the film. Often this praise came from the people I wouldn't expect to have enjoyed a monster movie. It sounded amazing, something rather fresh and new in a genre that is often a bit samey. Also, let’s face it; the film can’t be any worse than the Godzilla film made in 1998. That version is always being panned, although it holds a soft spot in my heart.

So, there I was in a Japanese cinema watching the opening scene, almost shaking with excitement. I imagined how reality and fantasy could combine, here in Japan and that Godzilla will burst through the screen at me during a climactic scene. It turns out there would be no fear of that happening. As the majority of the film is set in America. Although by the end of the film you won’t be able to recognise it from the rubble. I don’t know when the film became which tower will topple next, but by the end you’ll wonder whether stopping the big bad bomb would make any difference.

That's an awful lot of fish 1998 Godzilla!

To say I was disappointed coming out of the screen is an understatement. I’m not sure how people have been able to praise this film so highly. Firstly the story is just cliché, which to be honest isn’t the problem. After all when dealing with a monster film there isn’t exactly much ground that hasn’t already been trodden by massive claws. The problem is that often cliché can be accepted as we don’t go for the story; we go to see monsters. Pacific Rim understood this, what little story it tried to impart was just there to explain the next encounter.

Godzilla has it backwards to the point where the monster is fitted around the story. Often the monster fights are reserved to news updates the characters are watching. Most of the film seems to be trying to make an ethical point with its story. There is the underlining message that man has messed about with nature too much, as our dependence on nuclear power is what creates Muto and it's up to Godzilla (as nature's champion) to restore balance. It's a worthwhile message to have I guess, but it just doesn't fit in a Godzilla movie. Firstly, because Godzilla is meant to represent destruction, he started as an analogy for Hiroshima. So it seems more than a little disrespectful for an American studio to take that concept and make him karma's avatar. Secondly, if Muto's origin is how I understand, then it too is natural and existed the same time as Godzilla. Humanity's intervention merely reignited their spark of life. I won't keep picking minute flaws in its story, it's not what I went to see the film for. I wanted to see monsters duking it out, but even then I didn't get this. All I got was a cliched story about a heroic soldier trying to make his way home.

Again, the story of the returning hero is well-used, but if we care about them then it's worth being retold. Unfortunately the characters in Godzilla aren’t memorable either. Ken Watanabe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s characters are so basic that they could be any other marine or researcher from any other film. They have no individual personality and nothing that ties them to this one film. I honestly think I could have copied some of their scenes into the newest Transformers and they would have fitted just as well. Worse is Elizabeth Olsen, who spent the film hoping her husband would save her. Talk about your passive female character. With the amount of time the film focuses on her it could quite easily have set her up as a better heroine, someone we could care about. She didn't have military training, she was a medic and she had their young son to care for whilst all hell breaks loose around her. Imagine the tense scenes possible as she tries to survive, help relief efforts and seek shelter. But no. She just ran and hid in a subway station, stopping only briefly to send her son off onto a bus with a random friend. No wonder I kept hearing Bryan Cranston’s character, he’s the only colour in amongst the shades of bland. The opening scene is rather tragic and we can believe he is a man who can't get over losing despite how much time has passed. If planned properly, a story could have written itself about whether his search for truth was merely a figment of a guilty mind. But, because we know full well something bad went down that wasn't his fault, any payoff or suspense is lost.

Somewhere along the lines he forgot to evolve a neck.

What really annoys me is how Taylor-Johnson manages to not only be around during every significant attack, but also how he comes out unscathed. Not only is it unbelievable but the absurd level it gets to is cringe worthy. I honestly expected a scene where he rides in on top of Godzilla to punch a stars and stripes shaped hole into the Muto threat. What did happen was much worse as he ends up connecting with both Muto and Godzilla, the former glaring at him in the knowledge that Johnson has just fried its eggs (although in amongst all the destruction how could it have known?). The second time when both he and Godzilla are flat out on their backs in a scene that screams, lowest point of the hero's tale, they both share a bro-nod and get up to fight again. He’s practically Captain Scarlet, why didn’t the military just let him fight Muto?

Godzilla himself wasn’t too bad, and I like the retro design. However, this just makes it more of an insult that the story is so Americanized. His look and finishing move are about the only fragments of his past that remain. Japanese cinema was eager to dismiss their Godzilla from the 1998 beast and I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again. I can also see why he’s been dubbed ‘Fatzilla’, clearly at 60 his metabolism has slowed to a crawl. Muto looked okay, although a bit too sleek and polished to seem like it would occur in nature even in pre-history. It looked more like a robot with all its curves and piano black finish, a bit like what I imagine a PlayStation 5 will look like. Which it could be argued fits in with the message that Muto is a product of our meddling with nature. But, as I pointed out, Muto existed before we got here and I can't imagine how evolution could have developed that shade of glowing neon eyes. He's just too perfect.

After finally getting a chance to see the film I felt rather let down. I hear there is a sequel being released by 2018. This news made me feel like toppling a tower or two.


Godzilla image from io9, Godzilla 1998 image from cameronlaventureblog.