Godzilla review

Godzilla sees the return of the 'king' of monsters to the big screen in a triumphant and satisfying film. Directed by Gareth Edwards, credited with the making of the indie hit Monsters, the film contains breathtaking action, staggering destruction and real human emotion. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston, Edwards keeps the human story the focus of this movie with the titular creature kept mostly in the background and not appearing until a good way through the film. This serves the film well though as it builds anticipation making the appearance of Godzilla even more spectacular.

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Joe and Ford Brody

The film bases around one family, the Brody's, and provides ample room for human drama amidst all the action. Joe Brody (Cranston) is consumed in his search for the truth around an accident at a nuclear plant he used to work for. While his son Ford (Taylor-Johnson) seeks to move on from this past and live happily with his family. In one of his first roles since the hit show Breaking Bad, Cranston hits the mark once again finding real emotional resonance in Joe Brody and delivering some truly stirring and impressive monologues, although he is very much a supporting role in this film.The star of the film is Taylor-Johnson who does just enough to supplement the action and CGI with human drama despite coming off a little too stoic in some scenes. Most of the other characters in the film have little to do and struggle to make an impact.

Its a testament to the writing that the human story remains front and centre in this movie and isn't overshadowed by the enormous monsters and battles. Credit must also be given to the script as the film is paced perfectly. While some have criticized the slow start, it gives the arrival of these monsters some context and allows for some great acting by Cranston. The running time doesn't feel overextended and the switching of locales keeps the plot moving along nicely. When it comes to monsters, this film succeeds tremendously. Godzilla is as he was intended: a force of nature. The impact of the battling between Godzilla and the other monsters is incredible to behold and a type of action that feels like its been missing from the big screen for a while.

King of the Monsters

Gareth Edwards work in this movie has been described by some critics as Spielberg-esque and this is well earned. The slow build towards the reveal of something extraordinary or terrifying yet always spectacular is reminiscent of old films such as Jurassic Park and Jaws which is high praise indeed as those films are held up as an example of how to make great movies. Godzilla and the other monsters have such a sense of scale and awe that you can't help but be mesmerized by them as an audience. Despite similarities to Spielberg's work this film certainly feels like Edwards' own and the decision to trust him with such a large budget with his limited works was well worth the risk. Compared to the 90's Godzilla film this one is much more successful and impactful.

Only a slightly dull main character keeps Godzilla from becoming a truly amazing film and earning five stars. Incredible special effects and an interesting and entertaining plot keep the film ticking along nicely while emotional gravitas is found in spades with Cranston's performance.

What did you think of Godzilla? Let me know in the comments below.

My 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2014

2014 is shaping up to be a great year for movies. Although some films have already been pushed to next year, there are still plenty of hyped up blockbusters coming our way as well as I'm sure, some under the radar hits. Here's my top 5 list (so far):

1) X-Men: Days of Future Past

I'm a big X-men fan and have enjoyed to varying degrees each installment of the franchise so far. Bryan Singer is back in the director's chair for this one after leaving the franchise following X-2. The film is toting a massive cast mixing both the cast of First Class and the original trilogy. The likes of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry and Jennifer Lawrence are just some of the big names returning to this one. The film will also feature new characters such as Quicksilver, Bishop and Blink. The plot will follow the X-men in both a dystopian future and the past, as they try to fix their future timeline in the past using time travel. It remains to be seen whether Signer will be able to reach the critical acclaim of his own X-2 and First Class or disappoint fans with another X-3 by Ratner. However, early impressions of this one look good.

70's? Check.

2) Godzilla

I wasn't massively aware of this film until rather recently. Starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick Ass) the film will follow, well, Godzilla as he wreaks havoc through cities. Its a story that's been told many times now, but this take promises to offer something fresh while going back to the original from the 50's. It's still early but with a May release coming up this is one to keep an eye on. Not convinced? Check out this trailer...

3) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The second installment of the Captain America films, this latest Marvel foray into it's First Avenger's escapades promises something different to the first. Playing out more like a conspiratorial/political thriller, Cap must team up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to face the Winter Soldier. The film will also surely address Captain America's adjustment to modern life and the fallout from The Avengers while also teasing for the next Marvel films.

Chris Evans as Captain America and Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow

4) The Amazing Spiderman 2

I wasn't a huge fan of the first Amazing Spiderman film. The Raimi films had done a good job of setting up the character and his origin, something that I felt didn't need to be rehashed again while I found the Lizard to be a lesser villain than those shown in the previous films. However, this sequel promises more action, more villains and greater stakes for Spiderman. It looks like Sony Entertainment Pictures is taking a leaf out of Marvel's books and trying to form their own Spidey universe, with a Sinister Six title already green lighted as well as future Spidey titles. I'm interested to see where this goes and I hope Marc Webb can pull it off.

Andrew Garfield as Spiderman/Peter Parker

5) Interstellar

My final pick is Interstellar. I'm a huge fan of Christopher Nolan's work from Memento to the Dark Knight trilogy to Inception. He has a great sense of story and knows how to craft a great plot. The fact that little is known about Interstellar is making me even more excited as Nolan is not only capable of making great films but also great blockbuster films that not only entertain but make money. The fact that this is an original film is greatly exciting. This sci-fi flick about black holes and the exploration of space will star Matthew McConaughey and will release later this year.

So those are my top 5 anticipated picks for movies (so far) this year. Tell me yours in the comments below? Any of these films feature on your top 5?

If you missed my top 5 most anticipated games for 2014, you can check that out here: My 5 Most Anticipated Games of 2014