The world's most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
It's all fun in its own (by now) very far-fetched way but reinforces the sense that Godzilla movies will never fully be able to transcend their own innate, cheesy preposterousness.
Predictable and two-dimensional, Godzilla is still not without moments of beauty.
Edwards’ film boasts great filmmaking, noble intentions and cracking monster action. Yet it never reconciles its B-movie origins — preposterous premise, clichéd characters — with its solemn, Nolanised tone. This Godzilla stomps but very rarely romps.
That rare breed of blockbuster that emphasises character over spectacle and slow-burn tension over relentless action sequences, Godzilla rewards patience with strong performances and sparing, spine-tingling set-pieces.
Its tale is familiar, yes, and its strokes broad, but the hugely satisfying Godzilla is a work of uniquely poetic craft and visual imagination. It’s a masterful monster made with real creative care.
After a gripping start, the picture becomes, well, just another monster movie.
Edwards has also chosen wisely in the his crew with some beautiful cinematography from Seamus McGarvey and solid performances all round from a cast who play their parts in the bigger picture, all too aware that there can only be one star in a Godzilla film and that’s the big scary monster.
As a film, Godzilla is big and unruly, but it’s also a noble attempt to do something interesting, and for all its occasionally clumsy missteps, the pay-off is a final monster smackdown that’s more than worthy of the “King of the Monsters.”
This version of Godzilla is way better than the 1998 flop starring Matthew Broderick, but still falls some way short of a triumph, except perhaps a triumph of special effects over personality.
The monsters, it must be said, are awesome. But they have tiny pre-mammalian brains and only the most basic, instinctive motivations. So when they are your film's most interesting characters, even the most spectacle-hungry viewer is going to get bored.
It’s in the imaginative visuals that Godzilla really scores.
It all gets very tiresome, with dispiriting hints of Pacific Rim and the lumbering Transformers movies.
There was probably no way Godzilla could live up to its hype. What’s depressing is how this bloated dino-bore falls short of being even solid summer escapism.
Astonishing.
My advice would be to seek out the biggest, loudest Imax auditorium available and allow the movie to roar majestically right in your face, peeling away any niggling uncertainties with the icy fire of its thunderous breath.
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General release. Check local listings for show times.
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday July 11, 2014, until Wednesday July 16, 2014. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
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