Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2.5/4
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Monster Action Violence and Destruction, and for Some Language
In all honesty, I'm really getting tired of this constant obsession in Hollywood of needing to be bigger than the last movie. Sure, epic battles and explosions and noise are fun, but it doesn't have much of an impact when you don't care about the story or anyone in it. Such is the double-edged sword of a movie like "Godzilla: King of the Monsters:" the action scenes are exciting (if unspectacular) but I just didn't care.
After Godzilla struck in 2014, the world is deciding how to prevent another attack. Some believe that they should all be destroyed. Others like Dr. Emma Russell (Farmiga) believe they serve an important purpose. She has found a way to communicate with the monsters. And it isn't long before her technology gets into the hands of Jonah Alan (Dance), a soldier turned eco-terrorist who believes that the monsters should destroy the world so humanity can rebuild.
The problem isn't that the idea is bad (just unoriginal). It's that there's no depth. The characters are too thin to be called "types," so it's difficult to care about what happens to the people in it. Or even the world. The film is so filled with explosions and special effects that they drown out any reason to get invested in the story.
If the characters work, it's because co-writer/director Michael Daugherty had the good sense to cast actors with talent. Just look at the names he brought aboard: Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang (whatever happened to her?), Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch, O'Shea Jackson, David Strathairn. Those are big names, and they have the talent to back it up. I just wish they had the chance to show why they became such big names in the first place, but there's no time or material for them to do so. To be fair, Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga add depth and feeling to the meager characters they have been given. Farmiga in particular deserves special mention, creating a complex woman out of such a thin part. Then again, it's impossible to imagine her doing otherwise. Respected Asian performers Ken Watanabe and Ziyi Zhang aren't up to their usual standard, but that may be a language barrier (although Zhang has the film's best line). And "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown is at ease in front of the camera.
Michael Daugherty became a director to watch with his horror anthology "Trick 'r Treat." His next film, "Krampus," was even better. He has big talent, and I wish they had let him do his thing instead of forcing him to make the safest movie possible. But that's what happens with a lot of indie directors gobbled up by the big studios: they want the name and the talent with no risk. It's a shame.
Ultimately the film's biggest shortcoming is that there is no reason to care. The actors do their best and the special effects are impressive, but neither the people nor the plot engage us. It's just a lot of noise. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" may sell, but everyone will forget about it as soon as they leave the theater. Or if you're like me, sooner than that.
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Monster Action Violence and Destruction, and for Some Language
In all honesty, I'm really getting tired of this constant obsession in Hollywood of needing to be bigger than the last movie. Sure, epic battles and explosions and noise are fun, but it doesn't have much of an impact when you don't care about the story or anyone in it. Such is the double-edged sword of a movie like "Godzilla: King of the Monsters:" the action scenes are exciting (if unspectacular) but I just didn't care.
After Godzilla struck in 2014, the world is deciding how to prevent another attack. Some believe that they should all be destroyed. Others like Dr. Emma Russell (Farmiga) believe they serve an important purpose. She has found a way to communicate with the monsters. And it isn't long before her technology gets into the hands of Jonah Alan (Dance), a soldier turned eco-terrorist who believes that the monsters should destroy the world so humanity can rebuild.
The problem isn't that the idea is bad (just unoriginal). It's that there's no depth. The characters are too thin to be called "types," so it's difficult to care about what happens to the people in it. Or even the world. The film is so filled with explosions and special effects that they drown out any reason to get invested in the story.
If the characters work, it's because co-writer/director Michael Daugherty had the good sense to cast actors with talent. Just look at the names he brought aboard: Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang (whatever happened to her?), Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch, O'Shea Jackson, David Strathairn. Those are big names, and they have the talent to back it up. I just wish they had the chance to show why they became such big names in the first place, but there's no time or material for them to do so. To be fair, Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga add depth and feeling to the meager characters they have been given. Farmiga in particular deserves special mention, creating a complex woman out of such a thin part. Then again, it's impossible to imagine her doing otherwise. Respected Asian performers Ken Watanabe and Ziyi Zhang aren't up to their usual standard, but that may be a language barrier (although Zhang has the film's best line). And "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown is at ease in front of the camera.
Michael Daugherty became a director to watch with his horror anthology "Trick 'r Treat." His next film, "Krampus," was even better. He has big talent, and I wish they had let him do his thing instead of forcing him to make the safest movie possible. But that's what happens with a lot of indie directors gobbled up by the big studios: they want the name and the talent with no risk. It's a shame.
Ultimately the film's biggest shortcoming is that there is no reason to care. The actors do their best and the special effects are impressive, but neither the people nor the plot engage us. It's just a lot of noise. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" may sell, but everyone will forget about it as soon as they leave the theater. Or if you're like me, sooner than that.
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