by jellydonut25 » Tue May 13, 2014 12:30 am
Ok...so if you want a lengthier but still spoiler free (as spoiler free as I feel I can possibly be in a lengthier format) review:
For starters, I loved it. All those complaints about not enough monster action and too much teasing...I don't really agree with them. There's "not enough monster action" in the same way that Pacific Rim had "not enough monster action" a lot of the early monster action is just shown through some pretty unique ways so that you never feel like you're getting the same shots of battles over and over.
The complaints about the acting are justified, but only at their most notable when one of the weaker performers is paired with Bryan Cranston and Cranston's CRUSHING it and the other person is just kinda...there. And not all of the "notable" human characters are given enough to do, so I wonder if some stuff was left on the cutting room floor (and honestly, probably for the better).
Godzilla is SO COOL in this. He's got some flashes of genuine personality, he's got some cool moves, and they TOTALLY TREAT HIM 100% CORRECTLY. He may not be on-screen every second, but his PRESENCE is always felt. In that way (and perhaps that way alone) it felt rather Gojira-esque. Even when Godzilla's not on-screen, everything is about him and the tension around his (or his enemies') eventual appearance.
Either MUTO for me could stand alongside any of Godzilla's rogues gallery. They are more than welcome additions to the family, and I'd easily put them above some Toho kaiju without a second thought.
If I had to pick ONE and only ONE Godzilla movie this reminds me of the most, it'd probably be Godzilla 2000. The tone feels about right for me to say that, and well, some other stuff too that I don't wanna ruin.
One little not very spoilery detail but y'know MAYBE you'd consider this spoilery but probably not...is that I LOVED how casually they name Godzilla in this. Watanabe is like, "It's Gojira" and then every character presumably mis-hears him and for the rest of the movie is just like "Godzilla" they don't make it a big deal or fumble with it awkwardly AT ALL.
There's not much of a chance it displaces Mothra vs. Godzilla or Gojira atop my list but repeat viewings may well find this in the future of my top 5 Godzilla films. I'm hesitant to give it a rating with it all being so FRESH right now but I'll say a SOLID 4 outta 5...and if it holds up, 4.5.
BTW, the 3D is not worth it....like, AT ALL. Glad this was free, because aside from the opening credits, you won't feel much of that 3D at all.