Godzilla

The 393rd film I have seen in theaters…

Nuclear testing awakened a gigantic beast from the depths of the Ocean 60 years ago. It lived down there for decades, the military thinking it dead. In 1999, the discovery of a hive of another ancient monster leads to a nuclear meltdown in Japan as an egg burrows into the plant to feed off of radiation. Decades later, the egg hatches and begins a rampage across the Pacific to find it’s mate, and birth a new race of “Mutos” which will destroy civilization. Godzilla rises from the depths to defeat these creatures and restore balance to the Earth. Now THAT is the plot of a fucking Godzilla movie.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the lead in this film, the son of the Nuclear scientist who is trying to uncover the conspiracy of the monster egg. He does a good job. It was not until I made it home that I realized that this was the kid from Kick Ass. Typical leading man action role with no weight or real growth. He is playing Quicksilver in Avengers 2. Good actor.

Elizabeth Olsen plays Johnson’s wife. Small role, nothing really meaty. She is playing Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2- sister of Quicksilver. How nuts is that? Damn good actress.

Ken Watanabe is the Japanese scientist that is studying the Muto Egg.  He is the only one that thinks Godzilla is a force for good, not evil. Exposition character. Damn good actor.

David Strathairn plays the General who must destroy the monsters. That’s about it. Damn good actor. Noticing a trend?

Bryan Cranston is the scientist who run a Nuclear power plant that melts down. His wife is killed in the accident. He spends the next 15 years trying to find the truth of that day. Amazingly good actor.

This movie was awesome and is easily one of the better Godzilla movies. The human stories are useless though. Cranston and company bring their A game, but there is nothing to use it on. A waste of such great talent, but this series was never about the humans. What on the Monsters?

The Mutos are amazingly well rendered. We are supposed to root against them, but at the same time we understand and pity them.

Godzilla is the hero of the film. By the end, even the people are cheering him on. Perfect interpretation of the character. Flawed film, but still awesome. Just needs more Godzilla. I think the sequel will be more comfortable with using him.

Moment of zen… BLUE ATOMIC FIRE. I nearly cried.