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A Rebalancing Blue Roar

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Admiral Stenz, Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, Dr. Serizawa, Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Brody, Ford Brody, General Comments, Godzilla (2014) – movie review, High Moderate to Low Strong Movie Recommendation, Japan, Joe Brody, Juliette Binoche, Jurassic Park, Kaiju, Ken Watanabe, Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms, Movie Reviews, MUTOs, Reviews, Sally Hawkins, San Francisco, Sandra Brody, Vivienne Graham on October 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Godzilla” (2014) – movie review
Today’s review is for the reboot of the iconic kaiju franchise: “Godzilla” (2014), starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ford Brody (a naval bomb disposal expert and reluctant hero), Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody (a conspiracy-minded scientist haunted by personal loss and father of Ford), Juliette Binoche as Sandra Brody (Joe’s wife who dies early in the film), Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody (Ford’s wife and a nurse caught in the chaos), Ken Watanabe as Dr. Serizawa (a scientist who understands the deeper mythos of the monsters), and Sally Hawkins as Vivienne Graham (Serizawa’s colleague and fellow researcher). The film also features David Strathairn as Admiral Stenz, commanding the military response to the unfolding crisis.

Background: I’ve seen multiple iterations of Godzilla over the years — from the original 1954 Japanese classics to the 1998 “Jurassic Park” take-off / American version (reviewed yesterday). This 2014 reboot promised a return to lumbering, scale, and thematic weight. I bought this film for streaming hoping for something more than just CGI destruction. I wanted to see a “King Kong / Godzilla” universe develop to complement the comic book universes of DC and Marvel.

Plot: The film opens with a nuclear plant disaster in Japan, witnessed by Joe Brody and his wife Sandra. Years later, Joe is still obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the incident, believing it wasn’t a natural accident. His son Ford, now a soldier, is reluctantly pulled into the mystery. As ancient creatures called MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) awaken and wreak havoc, Godzilla emerges — not as a villain, but as nature’s corrective force to confront the MUTOs. The climax unfolds in San Francisco, where Godzilla battles the MUTOs in a city-leveling showdown.

So, is this movie any good? How’s the acting? The filming / FX? Any problems? And, did I enjoy the film? Short answers: Yes; mostly solid; excellent F/X; a few; yes.

Acting: Bryan Cranston delivers the film’s most dramatic performance — his grief and paranoia feel earned from the opening scenes / wife’s death. Unfortunately, he’s gone too early in the film. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is serviceable (at best). Elizabeth Olsen does what she can (not much) with limited screen time. Ken Watanabe brings cinematic gravitas, but his dialogue is mostly exposition. The supporting cast is fine, but the real star is the monster — and the mood.

Filming / FX: Visually, the film is terrific. Godzilla is often glimpsed through smoke, debris, or distant camera angles, which builds suspense, tension and eventually awe. The destruction is cinematic but not gratuitous. Godzilla’s roar is iconic! The FX are mostly top-tier, with the MUTOs rendered as (mostly) believable threats. The final battle is satisfying, with Godzilla’s atomic breath used sparingly but effectively.

Problems: Several. The pacing is uneven — the early arc is compelling, but the middle drags until the big fight finally starts. Ford Brody’s character journey feels coincidental / accidental rather than natural. The film teases Godzilla for a bit too long; some viewers may find the restraint frustrating. The MUTOs are interesting but not memorable. They are flying “bugs”, but there is a lack of any sense of speed in their flight. They lumber – even in the air. And, of course, the BIG problem is they (the director and the film) can’t decide how big Godzilla (or the MUTOs) are. In one scene they (the monsters) are “maybe” 20 stories tall and in the next they look like they are 40-50 stories. This is a common “problem” across this entire “Kong / Godzilla” universe. The MUTOs come in two sizes, but all three “monsters” suffer from this size variability issue / problem.

Did I enjoy the film? Yes. It’s a reboot that respects the legacy of Godzilla while updating the visuals and tone for modern audiences. It’s not a monster-mash (fight) from start to finish — it’s a slow burn with moments of grandeur. The final scene, with Godzilla returning to the ocean, felt deserved and oddly noble. He’s not just a monster — he’s a mythic force.

Final Recommendation: High moderate to low strong recommendation. “Godzilla” is a visually ambitious reboot. It’s not a “great” movie — some characters are underwritten, and the pacing slows in parts — but it delivers on atmosphere, spectacle, and reverence for its source material. Is this film a “better” version than the 1998 version – no. Not really. It’s just different and much closer to the Kaiju version I knew as a child. I recommend both…

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