GODZILLA

Basically…

Determined to prove his wife died in vein, Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) continues to research the scientific reason for his loss. But when human naivety subsequently creates creatures that live off radiation, it takes something a lot bigger and stronger than mankind to defeat them.

In other words…

The myth meets its match 

The main men and leading ladies…

Aaron Taylor Johnson is a far cry from his teen heartthrob symbol in Angus, Thongs - forget the floppy locks and baby cheeks, it’s all about the gun show these days. He takes his superhero status in Kick-Ass one step further and helps save the world for real this time. Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Brian Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen also star (she’s the oldest sister by the way, even though she looks like their triplet).

In the chair…

Gareth Edwards was chosen to direct Godzilla because of the work he did on Monsters – another film about the people who are affected by, well, monsters (funnily enough). He did that one on a budget of half a million dollars and managed to pull it off so creators naturally got a bit excited at the thought of what the visual effects master could do with a decent budget.

So…?

Family blockbuster season is upon us now the summer months are getting into full swing – but you don’t need superheros, explosions and special powers to tick the boxes. Monsters, destruction and all things big should be enough to seal the deal. And you don’t really get bigger than Japan’s very own Nessie. It’s enjoyable and consistent, with an even blend of human interest and brain dead action. A good use of framing puts the size of people in proportion to the creatures, but not enough wide shots allow you to put it all into context with the overall landscape. We learn the complexity of the main characters fairly quickly, but with the main body of the plot being set over such a short period of time, a lack of personality is given to the monsters themselves.

Worth the money?

If you like Jurassic Park then this'll be right up your street.