Godzilla (2014) - Originally Written May 19, 2014

Godzilla (2014)

Watching the Movie: 

For me personally, it's a very fine line for monster movies. I never really got into the old Toho films enough to have even seen one of them start to finish; much less be an authoritative source on their legacy. But I do know this much....Godzilla (2014) is FREAKING FUN!
 
Quick; what's the most terrifying thing you can imagine? Okay, is it scarier than being forced to jump off a railroad bridge in a pitch black tunnel to avoid a flaming train that is carrying a massive nuclear weapon on it right next to a Giant Monster who is going to destroy humanity. Didn't think so. So that's now the most terrifying thing you can imagine...what about if said monster destroyed the bridge so now the flaming train carrying a nuclear weapon is now FOLLOWING you off the tracks into the river below? That's what Godzilla as a movie is; one terrifying event immediately following another. It won't let you catch your breath until the credits roll; It's an absolute blast.
 

Screening the film: 

Of course the Godzilla mythos is intact, so of course there are plenty of images of man vs nature (with a heavy emphasis on imagery involving dogs for some reason...it's very random) particularly as it relates to Nuclear Energy and Weaponry. There's a ton of imagery about man's folly; both as it relates to military tactics and reliance on technology ("Hey these things are walking EMP's, let's keep being surprised when our planes fall out of the sky and our trains crash as soon as we get close to them...but we don't have any other plans because we're taught technology and technology only as a solution to our problems) Ironically, as a film, the most interesting images might be those of the family unit. Both the elder and the younger Brody men are interesting case studies as Husbands, fathers, and stewards of their fellow man in general, but the cherry on top of the Sunday is the family dynamic between the two M.U.T.O monsters. Just really fascinating stuff. Also, because of Godzilla's unofficial role as Mother Earth's final arbiter of justice; there's a few religious images one could draw upon here as well.

Best Dialogue:

Admiral William Stenz: This alpha predator of yours, doctor, do you really think he has a chance?

Dr. Ichiro Serizawa: The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around. Let them fight.

The Bottom Line: 

Movie remakes are only justifiable when drastic cultural changes have so drastically changed the historical context that the story becomes so markedly different. One of the reasons most people hated the OTHER American Godzilla movie ('Godzilla" (1998)) is that the story was not even REMOTELY in the same stratosphere as the older versions; Godzilla in that film (retconned to be called just Zilla by Toho) is basically a raptor with spinal plates and the story had nothing to do with the original story. This story effectively conveyed who the king of the monsters is; what his ethos, pathos and mythos is; and most importantly entertained immensely me for 2 hours

4 out of 5

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