Monsters Ball
Film: Godzilla
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Duration: 2 hrs
Rating: * * *
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Duration: 2 hrs
Rating: * * *
Since Hollywood had made Godzilla in the 90’s this version
initially came as a surprise. But
suffice to say that director Gareth Edwards, who made the indie film Monsters,
has done a good job and the film comes out on top, thanks to the execution.
There is only so much you can do if you are going to make film like Godzilla and Edwards vision is as good as it can get.
Rather than stick to the standard narrative, the story gives it a bit of a twist. Godzilla is not the giant who destroys everything that comes in his way, instead he plays the superhero who helps mankind. Move over Spiderman, Godzilla is here.
The background is quickly dispelled off in an impressive montage during the opening credits. Bryan Cranston plays a scientist working at nuclear power plant in Japan when a disaster happens even though the root cause for the same is not known.
Several years later, against all odds, he is still trying to get to the bottom it. His son (Aaron Taylor Johnson) an explosive expert working for the U.S. Navy also lands up in Japan when a monstrous winged parasite that feeds on radiation takes off from the facility. Called as MUTO (or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), it turns out he is not the only one and there is another one in a nuclear waste facility in the U.S that as escaped. Ken Watanabe plays a scientist and he must be a very good one because he rightly predicts how and what the animals are going to do.
There is only so much you can do if you are going to make film like Godzilla and Edwards vision is as good as it can get.
Rather than stick to the standard narrative, the story gives it a bit of a twist. Godzilla is not the giant who destroys everything that comes in his way, instead he plays the superhero who helps mankind. Move over Spiderman, Godzilla is here.
The background is quickly dispelled off in an impressive montage during the opening credits. Bryan Cranston plays a scientist working at nuclear power plant in Japan when a disaster happens even though the root cause for the same is not known.
Several years later, against all odds, he is still trying to get to the bottom it. His son (Aaron Taylor Johnson) an explosive expert working for the U.S. Navy also lands up in Japan when a monstrous winged parasite that feeds on radiation takes off from the facility. Called as MUTO (or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), it turns out he is not the only one and there is another one in a nuclear waste facility in the U.S that as escaped. Ken Watanabe plays a scientist and he must be a very good one because he rightly predicts how and what the animals are going to do.
While the navy guys are putting in a plan to save the city
from destruction, enter Godzilla, who takes on the MUTO’s which was actually a
bit like the Aliens vs Predator franchise. Barring a few standard operational scenes (which I wish they
had edited out) Edwards direction is impressive and he seems to be on the
money.
The idea of giving Godzilla a bit of a tweak to fight in favor of humans
is a noble one and perhaps one of the few, if not the only way to make the
movie different from what we have already seen over the years. Edwards also comes closer to making everything look real
rather that only computer generated like a mindless Michael Bay film.
Alexandre Desplat's music score is also one of the
highlights of film, it has been a while since we heard the music score have
such an impact. As a Godzilla film, it gives you enough bangs for your
bucks.
Published in The Navhind Times on 18th May 2014
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