It’s a monster mash
I knew from the get-go this movie would get flack for being either too action heavy or not engaging or some other complaint that usually goes with blockbuster type films. Saying that when the credits rolled all I could think about is how much my partners family (including her) were going to enjoy it. Which brings me to the main idea for this review; it was made for fans by fans and it was almost certainly a homage to the original film (I would even go as far as to say it is almost a remake).
The story this time around is pretty simple, Monarch are under investigation as people think they’re hiding monsters/titans. Millie Bobby Brown’s mother works for Monarch in making a device that will help control the monsters. When Mothra decides to wake up a environmental terrorist (Charles Dance) takes the two of them hostage in an attempt to release all the monsters and wipe out man kind for the greater good. Millie Bobby Brown’s character’s dad (Kyle Chandler) joins Monarch in the search for his missing family and the device, with the help of Godzilla…sounds like a great buddy cop film to me.
If I had to be honest, its 50% homage, 40% one-liners and 10% touching moments and character development. The original filmmakers; the Toho Co, made these films not just for entertainment but for a message and this movie carries that as well. It may be a monster mash, but it does have underlying important messages that don’t feel ham-fisted if you’re aware of where they originated. I can’t say more on this idea as I believe it is a spoiler, but I do implore you to find out more about the idea and history behind why Godzilla is always attacking, as I honestly believe its fascinating. Enough rambling though; I’ll get on with the review.
The acting was actually decent from everyone, Kyle Chandler, Ken Watanabe and Millie Bobby Brown especially, and I feel like most were committing; which was nice, but the script, as I mentioned before, had a Godzilla sized amount of one-liners which sometimes drew me out of the film. It was as if it was trying to be the Guardians of the Galaxy of the monster mashing universe. That being said, this is a disaster movie and I feel like it must be in Hollywood’s contract somewhere that there is a quota we have to meet before the film is made. Aside from that, the story has some emotional moments, and sometimes from “characters” you wouldn’t quite expect, with some hit harder than others.
The CGI was great and the monsters were fantastic, Godzilla has never looked better and with the addition of King Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan this movie was a sight to behold, which I feel is the movies strong point and I want to make this clear for the people in the back…
We go see these disaster monster movies, for the disaster and the monsters!
It’s nice when we get emotion and touching story, but if this movie fumbles, that’s okay because I know at some point Godzilla is going to suplex something and that’s all I really need and deep down, isn’t that what we all really need? Yes the actors manage to do a lot with the small number of emotional scenes given, it can sometimes feel shoehorned in but it does help to show how humans and these monsters have to exist together, can’t actually just have a Godzilla alone film.
This movie was fun, and I honestly enjoyed it a great amount. I can (only barely) see why maybe it’s not getting 10/10 reviews but that’s fine because the film wasn’t made for everyone. If the trailers appeal to you, you’ll love it. If the idea of giant monsters fighting appeals to you, you’ll love it. If you want another blockbuster that ties into a shared movie universe (that’s actually working), you’re going to love it. Frankly, I did, and I even loved its flaws. See you next year for Godzilla Vs Kong, the Captain America: Civil War of this universe?