Review of Godzilla (2014) by Zack M — 24 Mar 2017

WHAT I LIKED: First and foremost, what makes 'Godzilla' is the set pieces, as they're actually really unique and undoubtedly receive great direction from Mr Gareth Edwards. Indeed there's a rare tangiability and an unusual sense of scale here, which allows you to feel trapped and engaged in it all whilst the camera looks at everything from different angles. It's not just the grounded aesthetic reality that hooks you though; it's also the matching of that with surprising charm and whiffs of Spielberg in the placement of the film's big moments and emotional pauses. That means that whilst you're teatering on the edge of your seat as some giant monster lunges out at you, you can equally find some joyous humanity to make you care.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Despite all, the script sadly lets it down because whenever charm or tension is built, a character has to open their damn mouth and turn it into some cheesy disaster moment. That means that when you're out of Gareth Edward's incredible sequences, any attempt at real characterisation feels forced and unnatural, and the plot ends up fairly weak and uninteresting too.

VERDICT: During its set pieces, Godzilla is impressive, charming and consequently engaging. Outside of that though, its script sadly lets it down.