Godzilla (The Review)

Godzilla can be considered as a timeless pop culture icon. Since a version was released in the 90’s, out of sheer nostalgia, I decided to see this reboot as the second of my four must-see films this month. In reference to the first one, I had high hopes for this. And having expectations, in more ways than one, could mean having disappointments.

Movie had a slow build up. There were exhaustively long chitchats about their version of Godzilla’s origin expressed in an over-sized nat-geo kind of way. Blah Blah Blah. Ok, we get it. Show Godzilla already! 

Here are the 3 D’s to expect in the movie:

Destruction. Where Godzilla is, this will surely follow. A giant reptile wrestling with gargantuan parasites won’t definitely leave a skyscraper standing. Prepare for a lot of brick-breaking action.

Darkness. For the sake of realistic effects, somewhat similar to what happened in Pacific Rim, a lot of scenes were set at night and under the rain.

Drama. There was a generous amount of crying and human interest palaver (not a good thing).

(Actually there’s one more D that I’d rather not spill out. *wink)

If you’re the type of goer who’s fond of guessing outcomes and resolutions, you’re in for a treat. Movie is very predictable. Everything that you’d expect to happen will happen, one way or the other.

What does Daenerys Stormborn and Godzilla have in common? They are both powerful and interesting but they have the least screen-time. It’s as if, even halfway through the film, they would keep you on-the-edge and wanting more only to realize you weren't getting any. And during the time that he would actually occupy the entirety of the screen,  there was an obvious emphasis on theatrics for added impact and points for redemption.  However, the good scenes doesn't even come close to the iconic fishing dock and “eye-opening” scenes of the first version.

MF Says: Considering the hype of my excitement and expectations, the movie fell short – almost there. If you want to satisfy your craving for some colossal reptilian action, better grab your cable guide and check out the next screen time of the 90’s edition – even Jurassic Park would suffice.

PS. At least the brief exposure of the Philippines was somewhat accurate. We have greedy, power hungry reptiles right here indeed. (I wonder if the reference was intentional. Enlighten me.)