Godzilla - Resounding and that's all it is

Rating: 2.5/5

I always had the premonition that Godzilla is another dinosaur movie and is probably like Jurassic Park because I haven't watched or read about the previous editions. I assumed Godzilla to be a dinosaur, because of its appearance and the bumpy mountain like design on its back, and of course its reverberating roar.

I have seen people putting Godzilla in the same league as Jurassic Park. I love Jurassic Park and wanted to see Godzilla badly. As soon as I heard Godzilla is coming up for another edition, I was excited. When the movie got released, I wanted to watch it as soon as possible and I made it for a show the next morning. The credits rolled in, I was surprised to see that the first Godzilla was made years before Jurassic Park was made.

Being very critical about how movies are taken, I had high expectations. I didn't want it to be a letdown. Excited and thrilled to watch a monster movie after a long time, I sat on my seat with 3D glasses on, waiting for the screen to be lit up by GODZILLA from the very first scene. I, along with the rest of the audience, had a long wait. Here is my take on the movie.

Story and Writing

The story begins in a mine in Philippines where a party of people gather around viewing some fossil like structure. They want to get it destroyed. The story then moves a few years later to Japan, where Joe and his wife, both scientists working in a nuclear reactor in Janjira, are worried about certain readings which convey danger; Joe's wife goes down to investigate. Severe earthquakes occur, resulting in the meltdown of the reactor and the death of Joe's wife in front of his eyes. Joe is unable to move on. He has a weird feeling that those earthquakes aren't the reason for the meltdown and there is something big being hidden. Joe decides to get to the bottom of it. Years later, Joe's son Ford, who has a troubled relation with his father, gets to know about his father's findings at the time he goes to meet his father in Japan, when Joe gets arrested for trespassing the quarantine zone. In the course to find more proof, Ford and Joe goes to their old house, and get arrested again for trespassing. They are subsequently taken to the same nuclear reactor in Janjira where works for the restoration are going on. The readings similar to the one generated during the meltdown is picked up. That's when the MUTO,  a dangerous creature surviving on radioactive energy, rises for the first time, the reason for the earthquakes and meltdown. The entire story then revolves around how Godzilla destroys the MUTOs.

Nearly forty minutes into the movie, there is no sign of Godzilla. The first half is filled with too many scientific and technical details. Though these parts are really important to set the base for the movie, most of it goes above my head. Probably I would understand it better if I watch the movie again, which I doubt.

The story circles around many locations and at different timelines. This badly affects the flow of the story. Lots of portions are unclear and is left for the viewers to assume. With no clue as to what everyone are scared of, and with the expectations to see Godzilla every next minute, the moment when the MUTO enters the scene, most of them would have taken it to be the Godzilla, even though the creature looks nowhere near to it. Most of the story and the points put forwarded after are intermittent and imprecise. Thank God for a scene, where everything is explained again as part of a discussion. It clears most of the confusion created previously. Though explanation is given as to what type of creatures Godzilla and MUTOs are, a clear distinction is missing. Probably people who have had watched the previous movies of Godzilla would have understood it much better.

After a long wait, Godzilla arrives and it arrives in style. It ascends slowly out of the ocean and gives a mighty roar, creating a vibration and definitely increasing the heartbeat. This moment makes it very clear that the movie is about to take off now, and it does.

Yet the story is never clear till the end. What is MUTO, how is it being protected, who knows about it, how long is it been protected, from where the other MUTO suddenly arrives, aren’t shown clearly. The writing is definitely better in the second half, though with many questions still unanswered. The pace of the story and the crisp dialogues helps the movie gain momentum in the second half which was clearly not up to the mark in the first half. But the highlight of the second half is, without doubt, the clashes between Godzilla and the MUTOs.

The best part of the movie, at least for me, is one single line delivered by the Japanese scientist. He says how nature creates something to balance something else i.e. if there are two dangerous MUTOs outside, the only thing that can destroy it is the Godzilla and they have to leave it to Godzilla to complete the task. This actually puts Godzilla as the hero of the movie and summarizes the plot.

Characters

Coming to the characters, no character actually stands out. In fact, no character is actually given time to establish himself/herself. The character of Ford seems to be the central character but I felt the character of Joe had more scope than Ford. Having Joe investigate and take charge would have made things more interesting. Ford, on the other hand, looks helpless and uninterested by any of the proceedings. Dr. Serizawa, the current head of the Janjira nuclear reactor appears powerless and always in dismay. None of the performances stands out too.

Cinematography and Visual Effects

3D has taken a wave and every 3D movie is welcomed by the people due to its visual effects. Godzilla is no different. The first scene with the helicopter flying over the ocean, and the visuals of the mine, the 3D effects are remarkable. Another scene where there is a shootout against Godzilla by the cops over a bridge is wonderful. Yet when compared to recent movies like The Hobbit and Gravity, Godzilla doesn't reach those standards. Most of the scenes involving Godzilla and the MUTOs, which are the central parts of the movie, are shown in pitch darkness and it becomes very difficult to enjoy the scene as trying to figure out which is Godzilla, which are the MUTOs takes all the focus and time. It is actually annoying. The scene where the MUTO rises for the first time, I had no clue where to look; it was way too dark. This definitely distracts the attention of the viewers.

Godzilla - The Saviour

The one who saves the world and clearly the movie is The Godzilla. The sheer presence of it on the screen leaves the audience in awe. The roar certainly brings a shiver and chill. The huge stature easily creates fear. When the Godzilla blows blue fire into the mouth of the MUTO and destroys it at the end, the sense of victory could be felt by everyone. At the end, when it stands up and moves towards the ocean, there is a sense of happiness for the viewers, seeing the Godzilla move back peacefully to its home with the hope that it doesn’t get disturbed again.

Final Verdict

There are many flaws when it comes to the story and writing. Visual effects aren’t top class either. But Godzilla can be watched for the experience. There are small moments which keep you glued to it, like the scene where the Tsunami hits or the scene when a small boy gets separated from his parents. There are big moments like the rise of Godzilla and its roar and power. Watch it if you are a monster movie fan, especially a Godzilla one.