Godzilla

Godzilla
PG-13
Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston.

Synopsis: The powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.

Review: For more than a decade after Roland Emmerich's disastrous if not campy attempt at bringing Toho's legendary icon to American audiences, the world is finally ready for another round of reboot featuring the King of Monsters. To kick things off, Warner Bros' Godzilla is a terrific movie boasting an equally balanced dosage of drama, action and destruction. Sure, movie-goers may be irked by frequent intercuts between the monster and humans in regards to revealing Godzilla bit by bit to its glorious form, but it's in such way that the element of suspense builds itself up with extreme anticipation for the final act. Realistic CG effects (a staple of every summer blockbuster) aside, Bryan Cranston's portrayal of a family man in distress evokes much poignancy and emotions (the heartfelt plant meltdown scene nearly got me in tears). Furthermore, on-screen husband and wife duo Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen (both soon to be seen as brother-sister superhero duo Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the upcoming 'The Avengers: Age of Utron'.) has delivered solid emotions and engaging actions in the wake of a monster attack. Making his Hollywood debut, director Gareth Edwards (the genius behind 2010's low-budget indie horror 'Monsters') has shown no qualm of handling such big budget blockbuster. His realistic take on Godzilla is definitely the main highlight of the film. The only setback seems to be titular creature's overweight appearance, thus sparking all sorts of comments and controversies of how Godzilla was getting Americanized (Oh so that explains why the monster is acting and responding so slow and blunt..). Nevertheless, go watch this in IMAX! Godzilla is born for such cinematic experience.

Rating: 4/5 Stars