Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla is a 2014 American science fiction monster film directed by Gareth Edwards and a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise. It is the 30th film in the Godzilla franchise, the first film in Legendary's Godzilla-Kong cinematic universe, and the second Godzilla film to be completely filmed and produced by a Hollywood studio, the first being the 1998 film of the same name. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Bryan Cranston. The screenplay is credited to Max Borenstein but includes contributions from David Callaham, David S. Goyer,Drew Pearce, and Frank Darabont.

The film is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, with the latter also distributing the film worldwide, except in Japan where it was distributed by Toho. The project initially began in 2004 and was originally intended to be an IMAX short film but was later transferred to Legendary for development as a feature film. Principal photography took place in the United States and Canada in 2013.

Godzilla was released worldwide in 2D, 3D and IMAX on May 15, 2014 to positive reviews from critics and fans and was an immediate box office success, earning a worldwide total of $529 million at the end of its theatrical run. The film's success prompted Legendary to proceed with sequels and a shared cinematic franchise, with the second Godzilla film set to be released on June 8, 2018, while a cross-over film with King Kong is targeted for a 2020 release date.

Storyline

In 1999, the Janjira nuclear plant was mysteriously destroyed with most hands lost including supervisor Joe Brody's colleague and wife, Sandra. Years later, Joe's son, Ford, a US Navy ordnance disposal officer, must go to Japan to help his estranged father who obsessively searches for the truth of the incident. In doing so, father and son discover the disaster's secret cause on the wreck's very grounds. This enables them to witness the reawakening of a terrible threat to all of Humanity, which is made all the worse with a second secret revival elsewhere. Against this cataclysm, the only hope for the world may be Godzilla, but the challenge for the King of the Monsters will be great even as Humanity struggles to understand the destructive ally they have.

Plot

In 1954, a nuclear bomb is detonated at the moment a giant creature emerges from the ocean. In 1999, Project Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) investigate a colossal skeleton unearthed in a collapsed mine in the Philippines. They find two spores; one dormant and one hatched that made a trail into the sea. In Japan, the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant experiences unusual seismic activity; and Supervisor Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) sends his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) and a team of technicians into the reactor. A tremor breaches the reactor, leaving Sandra and her team unable to escape while the plant collapses.

Fifteen years later, Joe's son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a U.S. Navy ordnance disposal officer, returns from a tour of duty to his family in San Francisco but has to immediately depart for Japan after Joe is detained for trespassing in the Janjira quarantine zone. Joe persuades Ford to accompany him to their old home in the quarantine zone to retrieve vital data. They successfully retrieve the data but are discovered by soldiers and taken to a secret facility in the power plant's ruins. After several power failures, a giant winged creature emerges and escapes, destroying the facility. Joe is severely wounded and dies after being evacuated by helicopter to the U.S.S. Saratoga. The incident is reported around the world as an earthquake.

Serizawa, Graham, and Ford join a U.S. Navy task force led by Admiral William Stenz (David Strathairn) to search for the creature, called "MUTO" (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism). Serizawa and Graham reveal to Ford that a 1954 deep sea expedition triggered the appearance of Godzilla, an ancient alpha predator, how nuclear tests in the 1950s were really attempts to kill him, how they have been secretly studying Godzilla, how the MUTO caused the Janjira meltdown, and how Godzilla and the MUTO are connected with each other. Ford reveals that Joe had monitored echolocation signals that indicated the winged MUTO was communicating with something.

The MUTO attacks a Russian submarine dropping it in Hawaii, on land. Godzilla arrives, causing a tsunami in Honolulu and briefly engages the MUTO in battle, before it flees. Meanwhile, a second, larger, wingless MUTO emerges in Nevada and devastates Las Vegas. The scientists deduce that the second MUTO is female, that the female was the one the male was communicating with, and that the two MUTOs will meet to breed in San Francisco. Over the scientists' objections, Stenz approves a plan to use nuclear warheads to lure and destroy the monsters. Ford joins a team delivering the warheads by train. The female MUTO intercepts the train and devours most of the warheads. The single remaining warhead is airlifted to San Francisco and activated after Godzilla arrives. The male MUTO steals the warhead and takes it to the female, who forms a nest around it in the Chinatown area.

While Godzilla and the MUTOs battle, a strike team, including Ford, enters the city by HALO jump to find and disarm the warhead. Unable to access the timer, the team sets the warhead on a boat for disposal at sea while Ford blows up the MUTO nest. The MUTOs initially get the upper hand, but Godzilla emerges victorious in the end and collapses on the shore. Ford is rescued and reunites with his family at an emergency shelter the following morning. Godzilla awakens and returns to sea with the media hailing him as "King of the Monsters - savior of our city?"

Cast

• Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ford Brody
• Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
• Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody
• Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody
• Sally Hawkins as Dr. Vivienne Graham,
• Juliette Binoche as Sandra Brody
• David Strathairn as Rear Admiral William Stenz, USN
• Carson Bolde as Sam Brody
• Richard T. Jones as Captain Russell Hampton, USN
• Victor Rasuk as Sergeant Tre Morales, USAF

User Review

This isn't the usual kind of disaster action movie. It's a bit more serious and the disaster scenes aren't rushed. It's better to see this on a big screen because some of it is in the dark or under dusky skies.

Effects are good not dizzying or overdone. The assorted monsters move naturally and are relatively realistic. The various locations from Japan to Hawaii are nicely done too though SanFrancisco could have been a bit brighter during the destruction. The Golden Gate and other landmarks aren't that precise but I get that things had to be spread out to accommodate the monsters.

The basic plot isn't needlessly complicated though I got a bit lost in the details with the tactics to kill the monsters and the nuclear link to the monsters. The story about the people is secondary to the monsters which is good as it doesn't intrude.

The main character played by a sensitive looking Aaron Taylor Johnson isn't some superhero type saving the day. He is more a in the thick of things observer which is refreshing for a change. No way out bravado here.

Elisabeth Olsen isn't a drop dead gorgeous love interest, more every day ordinary. Her screen time isn't that much. Bryan Cranston (why didn't he age?) and Juliette Binoche (who did her hair?) also lend solid support.

Ken Watanabe looks right for his part but his diction isn't clear enough for relaying the plot through dialog.

Overall it's a good solid and well made big screen action disaster monster movie that deserves a big screen watch.