Godzilla

'The arrogance of man is that they think nature is under our control and not the other way round.’

With the assumption, that thirty minutes of trailers would mean I would be on time for the start of the hotly anticipated new Godzilla flick - apparently I was unusually incorrect and unfortunately missed the first 8 minutes (I believe) however it appeared to make no difference to my understanding of the plot.

True to the nuclear nature of the Godzilla franchise, 2014's contribution was no exception with a moderately political stance on the dangers of nuclear power made evident from the outset - the Japanese setting immediately reflects the ancestry of the Godzilla films, but also makes delicate reference to the horrors of Hiroshima (and more recently Fukushima), which is directly mentioned once in the film.

Juliette Binoche, Bryan Cranston and child represent the stereotypical family unit with regards to the over used stock character of the overworked father; obsessed with one’s career, apparently unable to balance the role he has as a parent and a man with a job -  able to forget his own birthday.

The marriage portrayed however is, my softness may need to be excused, quite endearing and pushes the theme of love very much to the forefront of the narrative. Which we see embodied through man and nuclear beast.

Was a shame to see so little of Binoche, but her exit nonetheless pulled a heart string or two, and left Cranston to take the lead as it were. However, not to expose the plot too ridiculously, we unfortunately loose the company of Cranston rather earlier than expected, which in all honesty was shocking and rather a shame as his passion very much carried the first twenty minutes of the film.

The image of a gas masked Cranston resonated - a rather blatant, for the knowledgeable, yet elusive visual reference to Breaking Bad, which was rather humorous without the actual intention of being comical as a part of the film.

The audience is then left in the assumed capability of our protagonist- a military man (the child referred to previously). Aaron Taylor Johnson plays this role, and appears to have been truly ‘kicking ass’ in the gym since we last saw him on the big screen.

True to the nature of the ‘American Dino Disaster’ film narrative  the military hero saves the day, is stern yet compassionate, and will - in the true American way - sacrifice for his country which he will inevitably have the opportunity to do. Godzilla does not deviate from the usual convention and the story line does of course become pretty obvious early on. Though some attempt at foreshadowing is apparent “It’s not the end of the world”, not necessarily needed in this case. But, would one expect different from a film titled ‘Godzilla’.

When thinking about what role a certain amount of patriotism has in such narratives, I cannot help but refer to the very visual symbolism apparent- military men free falling to the ‘pit of hell’, red flares in hand against a serene back drop of a blue sky and pristine white clouds. Red, white, blue…What could that connote, one can only wonder?

With a large popcorn in hand, of course, I was expecting more moments in which some popcorn ends up making contact with the floor. However, there was little opportunity for one to jump, though it did unexpectedly occur, shockingly this was not by any sort of nuclear enhanced/ powered being, a seagull managed it. Yes, a seagull flying into a school bus window was too much for me to handle.

The acoustics in the cinema chosen to view this film did not do the monstrous call of the beast much justice, saying that, it was nevertheless quite powerful and though I was left in anticipation of Godzilla’s appearance for a bit too long. When he did appear it was quite obvious since previous Godzilla incarnations special effects have drastically evolved as well as the beasts sheer mass.

There were some stereotypical, but effective scenes that added some suspense to the narrative; though I must say it felt slightly Jurassic Park-esque at times- deathly silence, the sound of rain hammering on the tin car roof, the look of bewilderment and terror as ‘dino’ noises are heard in the distance slowly but surely approaching.

Overall, it was moderately entertaining but did not necessarily fulfill the expectations of the trailer and marketed promises.  Though with respect to the previous iterations, Godzilla 2014 visually exceeded its predecessors and for those true fans of Godzilla that would appreciate some vintage cinema beasts being brought back to life it would more than likely impress. For those looking for a rebooted narrative, that isn’t predictable- it may not necessarily be for you. Although if you've never seen a Godzilla film before this may be a good place to start.

Final Verdict: 3 out of 5

‘The greed of man demonstrates they don't know when a franchise is over.’