Godzilla2014

95/100 My first ever Kaiju movie, a formative force of my youth. Even after all these years and several sequels, it still holds up. First off, I'd like to point out how good the cinematography is here. While there is admittedly an overuse of dull black and gray, this is the movie where you can feel the size of the monsters the most, due to use of low angles and frame domination. In general, the monsters are handled very well. Godzilla's design here is really good, and I like the re-interpretation of him as this guardian-like figure, which provides a good explanation for his heroic nature while still allowing for the preservation of his stoic, more samurai-like personality from the older movies. The MUTOs also make for a great enemy. Their EMP ability, like most good Kaiju, represent a fear of the times, the failure or elimination of the advanced technology we rely on. I also like the concept of couple monsters who display sexual dimorphism, reminding me a lot of Seamons and Seagorath from Return of Ultraman. As for the human half, it's good for the most part. Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody carries the first half, but even when he's gone we have interesting characters like Ken Watanabe's Ishiro Serizawa. One particular character I liked was the Admiral, Stenz. I feel a weaker movie would've made him a strawman, eager to nuke the coast and easily called out by our protagonists, but he actually remains reasonable throughout, only using nukes out of necessity and willing to acknowledge the potential of working with Godzilla ("letting them fight", so to speak) once his plan goes south. The problem with the human half is our main character, Ford Brody. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's acting is great, and there is some thematic weight and parallel to his character, but the story doesn't give him enough of an emotional presence to make these feel earned. I get the idea that as a soldier, he's reacting to the nightmare around him by withdrawing behind the mask of the "cool soldier", and the parallels this creates with the stoic Godzilla, but that doesn't make it any less dull to watch. I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that the film's climax has Godzilla kill FeMUTO by prying her jaws apart and firing his Atomic Breath down her throat. It's the sickest thing ever and an automatic plus in my eyes. Overall, this movie is definitely still flawed, but it also succeeds in a lot of vital ways and definitely doesn't deserve the hate it gets nowadays. It's a great introduction to the franchise, and the introduction to Hollywood Godzilla needed, as well as a superb movie on the whole.