EctoCooler

You think Cranston's Walter White is uninteresting and overacted??


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Abob Teff

How did this not open in Japan first?

Abob Teff

There were times, yes. At times I saw much of the same style in both. I still enjoyed both.

DaveyJoe

Gotcha, I don't think overacting is out of place in a giant monster movie, that type of performance can be fun in the right setting. I just think that character would have worn out its welcome if it stayed beyond the first act.

Solid Snake

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taffer

I just watched this today. I don't get the high reviews at all. I absolutely hated this movie. I hated it so much, I didn't even bother finishing it. I quit shortly after the bridge scene about an hour and half or so into it. At that point, I realized I was so bored that I kept daydreaming about other things instead of being focused on the movie. All the characters are boring, and I don't give a shit about them. I don't even recall the main character's name, that is how boring I found it.

GoldenJCJ

I enjoyed this when I saw it in the theater at the beginning of Summer but once I thought about it for awhile I realized just how forgettable I found the whole movie to be. The characters were completely one dimensional and the Godzilla action was far too sparse to make up for it.

I didn't hate it but seeing it once was definitely enough for me.

RocShemp

Finally got around to watching it. Great audio, great CGI, and great score.

Unfortunately, the positives end there. The movie has the most boring look (seriously, it's a master class in how NOT to make gigantic monsters fighting look at all impressive), uninteresting characters, lethargic pace, and boring one-note acting. Well, save for Bryan Cranston. He was so ridiculously over-the-top in his commitment to chew on every piece of scenery he could sink his teeth into. I can't believe it but I was actually glad he left the movie before the hour mark. Which is bizarre because the movie actually has a very solid cast.

And don't get me started on the pitiful fight at the end. It might have been worth it (barely) if not for all the cock teases posing as setup throughout the bulk of the movie. Build up is a wonderful tool in the filmmaker's arsenal but it's for naught without payoff. And the director seemed mostly content with endless buildup with little in the way of payoff.

Hokeyboy

I was being ENTIRELY too kind giving this movie 3 stars. 2-1/2 is about right, and that's being charitable.

hanshotfirst1138

I like Ken Watanabe, I think he's a good actor, but he really doesn't get to do anything in the movie except look confused.

RocShemp

Yeah. He looked like he forgot his glasses and couldn't see a damned thing. Everything and everyone he looked at consisted of his glaring wide eyed as if he had no idea who or what he was seeing.

My gut instinct was to give it a 2. I still think that's what I'll end up rating it.

mndtrp

They could have saved a bunch of money by using a cardboard cutout and achieved the same thing. He seemed pretty useless here.

RocShemp

The same goes for the rest of the cast.

hanshotfirst1138

Like I said, I think he's a good actor, I just think that it's symptomatic of the problem you were talking about which is that every human character basically exists as a plot device. Hawkins and Watanabe babble exposition, Ford knows how to disarm bombs so he'll wind up with the nuke (and Taylor-Johnson severely lacks charisma), Cranston is a conspiracy theorist who knows the truth man, Olsen is thanklessly nothing except the wife to go home to, etc. Edwards was on the BBC film show I listen to, and a nicer person I haven't heard, and his argument was of course that he wanted to build up the world to make you care before the fireworks. Of itself, this is an admirable goal, and the inherent problem isn't that there's not enough Godzilla. The problem is that the human drama frankly isn't interesting enough.

I think that the idea of having the nuclear stuff woven into the narrative thematically is also a good idea, but again, it falls flatter in execution. Most of it sounds like ooga-booga "this is what happens when man tampers with nature" 1950s material. That may just be inherent to what Godzilla is, which is basically what the character is a byproduct of and is difficult to apply to contemporary thoughts, but having Watanabe say "This is my dad's watch and he was at Hiroshima" doesn't constitute going into the theme in any actual depth.

Also, and I realize this is a personal thing, but Edwards basically said the same thing Matthew Vaughn said when Elvis Mitchell had him on as he talked about Spielberg and the 80s films he loved. I'm getting an uncomfortable feeling that this generation of filmmakers knowledge of cinema begins with Spielberg and Lucas and ends with the blockbusters that followed in their wake, and you're winding up with photocopies of photocopies. Edwards also talks about wanting to go back to the darkness of the Honda original, but the big monster battles feel more like true sillier sequels. Either approach is a valid one, but I think the film winds up suck between the two, ponderous when it should be fun and not serous enough to support the thematic stuff. But apparently there were lots of rewrites too, so I think it might have Blockbuster Syndrome too.

RocShemp

I agree with you that Watanabe is normally a solid actor. In fact, the same goes for the rest of the cast. The problem is one of shitty direction. The same issue happened with the cast of the Star Wars prequels. Most of them have done solid work before and since. But when the director simply sees them as props, their talents go wasted. Or, in the case of Watanabe, it could be a case of misguided direction since it reminded me so much of the boneheaded approach Peter Jackson had for Jack Black in King Kong.

Solid Snake

I'd go with more of script than the direction.

Hokeyboy

Most of this movie seemed to be, "Here's something that's almost really cool and interesting, wait for it... PSYCHE! More of Aaron Taylor-Johnson staring listlessly at nothing with Godzilla's toenail in the background."

RocShemp

Pretty much. Hell, there's even a shot of Aaron Taylor-Johnson staring at Big-G's mug only to have Godzilla suddenly swallowed up by the worst CGI smoke ever. The whole movie was a string of cockteases whenever Godzilla showed up.

But the worst part was the retarded ending with everyone praising Godzilla as their hero. I kept hoping he'd turn around and slaughter everyone. Of course, if that were to happen, the movie would suddenly cut to black.

Hokeyboy

Posting a photo of some 19th century twit masturbating over a sleeping horse is not helping you out, son.

hanshotfirst1138

This is the Internet, is that not the purpose of the Internet?

That's sort of what I though too. If this is the return to evil "force of nature" Godzilla, having him heroically save us isn't dovetailng with that. And an hour before, he smashed a bunch of stuff on his way there to destroy the MUTOs anyway.

I didn't think that looked like that until you said something. Thanks for that.

I like Jackson's movie in spite of its flaws, I think it kind has the opposite problem, which is too much of a good thing. Black was wildly miscast, but at least he looked like he was actually awake. Evans direction is very stylish-the flares lighting up the jump, Godzilla lighting up in the fog-and the cinematography is stuff, I just think that it doesn't feel like it's in the service of a narrative which is of enough interest.

RocShemp

Yeah, he smashed into stuff and even cause a tsunami. My other issue is that they kept referring to Godzilla an alpha predator. Since he was clearly not eating the Mutos and it was established that both Godzilla and the Mutos consume radiation, I am surprised that Godzilla didn't chase after the bomb or go after the nearest nuclear power plant.

The reason I mention Jack Black in King Kong is because Peter Jackson had him never blink in that movie. Ken Watanabe's pygmy tarsier impression throughout Godzilla reminded me of Jack Black in King Kong. That's why I feel the director is at fault rather than the actors.

Giantrobo

Meh, I still liked it. Even after a 2nd viewing.

DaveyJoe

Yeah, me too, and I'm itching to watch it a 3rd time.

Trevor

I've always considered myself a huge Godzilla fan, so much so that I sort of enjoy the 98 remake, but somehow put off watching this until a free rental the other day.

I was positive that I'd buy the 3D BD once it was discounted enough, but now I'm not so sure. Worst of the entire franchise for me.

JumpCutz

Worst of the entire franchise?

You liked the 98 version better than this?