May 17, 2014 -- As I said on a radio podcast last week. I'd never seen a good movie with the word “Godzilla” in the title. Now, I have. The new 2014 American-made “Godzilla” is a well-made film that captures the spirit of the original 1954 film, and some others in the series, which includes more than 30 Godzilla films.

I'm obviously not part of the Godzilla cult, fans who like the earlier Godzilla films in the “cult film” tradition, for whatever reasons. I never really understood the whole cult film thing or fan mentality in general. So I don't even pretend to speak for fans of the Godzilla movies. I approach this film, all films, as an outsider, a non-fan, a non-joiner of cults. I do like Japanese films, particularly Samurai films, and some anime as well, but those strange Godzilla films with cute Japanese girls singing songs to Mothra, I never really got the appeal of that.

The inspiration for the original Godzilla film came from the atomic bombs we dropped on Japan at the end of World War II and the worries about the Hydrogen bomb tests we did in the Pacific. What kinds of mutations would be created by this radiation? What kinds of ancient monsters might be awakened by these bombs? Numerous science fiction films in the 1950s and 1960s were based on atomic threats. As recently as “X-Men: First Class” in 2011, the spectre of atomic radiation-related mutations were still being used in science fiction plot lines.

This new Godzilla movie goes back to the atomic well again, featuring both nuclear power plants and hydrogen bombs. In this story, the hydrogen bomb tests in the Pacific are repurposed. These explosions were meant to destroy Godzilla, and the truth was covered up. An earthquake in Japan and a nuclear power disaster? Another cover-up and another monster. A scientist (played by Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad”) who knows the truth about the power plant disaster is marginalized and forgotten, until a new menace arises in Japan.

Years later, this same scientist, Joe Brody, appears again, and is arrested for trespassing in contaminated area around the nuclear power plant in Japan where he used to work. His son, Ford Brody, a bomb disposal expert (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) reluctantly goes to Japan to bail his father out of jail (who he thinks is a nut case) only to find himself drawn into a war with monsters.

The relationships between Ford Brody, his wife, Elle (Elizabeth Olsen of “Kill Your Darlings”) their son, Sam (Carson Bolde) Ford's father, Joe, and his mother, Sandra (Juliette Binoche of “Chocolat”) are sketched into the plot thinly. None of these characters resonate and none are really fleshed out, even though the main characters get plenty of screen time.

This is primarily a military drama with soldiers, mainly Ford Brody, front and center. Admiral William Stenz (David Strathairn of “Good Night, and Good Luck”) is in charge of the largely futile task of killing huge, invulnerable monsters, while scientists Dr. Ichiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe of “The Last Samurai”) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins of “Blue Jasmine”) are largely ignored. The actors do a good job, given the limitations of the characters they play.

Director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) choses to introduce the monsters into the story slowly, like the shark in “Jaws.” We mostly see hints and glances until the film's mid-point, when Godzilla starts rampaging through San Francisco, battling with other monsters. While Godzilla is a destructor, he is also a hero in an “enemy of my enemy” kind of way. This is in keeping with the Godzilla movie tradition.

The spectacle is big, as you would expect from this super-sized monster. The 3D effects are good, as are the monsters, rendered in impressive computer animation fashion. Since the story is told mosly from the point of view of the human characters, the scale of the giant monsters is made more impressive. Unsurprisingly the story leaves lots of room for a sequel. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2014 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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