The 2014 version of Godzilla was not great, but this 2019 take, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, is superb. Many wonderful moments, with some strokes of genius.
I know what you're thinking. "Genius" may be an overused and often incorrectly used term, like "epic," but I can't think of a better way to describe how the filmmakers gave the three different heads of King Ghidorah their own unique personalities. Ghidorah is the big scary kaiju of the movie, and Godzilla's eternal rival, but he's not just a simple, mindless hydra: the middle head is dominant, the right head is no-nonsense and follows orders, and the left head is something of a ditz, who needs to be put in place. The different personalities is a wonderful quality to give to Ghidorah because it complements his personality and his design. (And, it also makes me think of the three-headed giant from Monty Python's Holy Grail.) The presentation of the monsters is also done with wonderful care, and many sequences, like Rodan waking, and Godzilla arriving with the military (and the girl smiling when seeing him), were excellent.
The 2014 Godzilla movie suffered because the movie focused on a bland human and his bland family instead of, you know: the titanic beasts walking the Earth. This 2019 film is far superior because the humans add to the experience rather than get in the way. The cast is generally very good and Charles Dance is here, who is a supreme actor, and his post-credits scene is perfectly delivered.
There is one scene that I especially loved: when the humans lure Rodan towards King Ghidorah, and the screen turns black, only for it to flash white, showing Ghidorah in all his serpentine glory, and white light flashing on the Chinese scientist's shocked face. I loved that moment. When I think of this film in the future that moment will be the first of the first images that come to mind. It's moments like these that we go to the movies, and stay with you long after.
That said, the humans still sort of get in the way of the action. It's wonderful seeing the monsters; everything, in fact, about the monsters: seeing them appear, seeing their eyes, seeing them fight- even watching them move around is a treat: but the humans get in the way at times, which can annoy. In the climactic battle at the end, the camera is focused on the family more often that I liked, but the battles are all still engrossing and satisfying. Godzilla going nuclear and totalling Ghidorah was great, and he is ushered in via a very tough-cool line, delivered by a human: "Long live the king."
There's also a scene that irked me: a statue of a soldier falling down. It was very quick, but unpleasant all the same, given the tension around statues of soldiers and historical figures in cities now. However, this film does a good job giving credit to soldiers. The soldiers in this film are competent, hardworking, and brave, and also human: they crack jokes, and one even blesses himself. Also, there's a nice scene between Ken Watanabe, a Japanese actor, and Ziyi Zhang, a Chinese actress, where their characters hug in an emotional and meaningful way. Given the history between their two countries, this moment of peace was especially nice.
I love, love, love Godzilla and the whole genre of kaiju movies. I still consider Pacific Rim the absolute finest kaiju film ever made, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters comes second. It's nice to leave the cinema with a smile on my face: I guess not everyone in Hollywood is a twisted pervert with a political agenda (we can only hope). I'm grateful I live in a time where kaiju movies are so well done. "Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these."
I know what you're thinking. "Genius" may be an overused and often incorrectly used term, like "epic," but I can't think of a better way to describe how the filmmakers gave the three different heads of King Ghidorah their own unique personalities. Ghidorah is the big scary kaiju of the movie, and Godzilla's eternal rival, but he's not just a simple, mindless hydra: the middle head is dominant, the right head is no-nonsense and follows orders, and the left head is something of a ditz, who needs to be put in place. The different personalities is a wonderful quality to give to Ghidorah because it complements his personality and his design. (And, it also makes me think of the three-headed giant from Monty Python's Holy Grail.) The presentation of the monsters is also done with wonderful care, and many sequences, like Rodan waking, and Godzilla arriving with the military (and the girl smiling when seeing him), were excellent.
The 2014 Godzilla movie suffered because the movie focused on a bland human and his bland family instead of, you know: the titanic beasts walking the Earth. This 2019 film is far superior because the humans add to the experience rather than get in the way. The cast is generally very good and Charles Dance is here, who is a supreme actor, and his post-credits scene is perfectly delivered.
There is one scene that I especially loved: when the humans lure Rodan towards King Ghidorah, and the screen turns black, only for it to flash white, showing Ghidorah in all his serpentine glory, and white light flashing on the Chinese scientist's shocked face. I loved that moment. When I think of this film in the future that moment will be the first of the first images that come to mind. It's moments like these that we go to the movies, and stay with you long after.
That said, the humans still sort of get in the way of the action. It's wonderful seeing the monsters; everything, in fact, about the monsters: seeing them appear, seeing their eyes, seeing them fight- even watching them move around is a treat: but the humans get in the way at times, which can annoy. In the climactic battle at the end, the camera is focused on the family more often that I liked, but the battles are all still engrossing and satisfying. Godzilla going nuclear and totalling Ghidorah was great, and he is ushered in via a very tough-cool line, delivered by a human: "Long live the king."
There's also a scene that irked me: a statue of a soldier falling down. It was very quick, but unpleasant all the same, given the tension around statues of soldiers and historical figures in cities now. However, this film does a good job giving credit to soldiers. The soldiers in this film are competent, hardworking, and brave, and also human: they crack jokes, and one even blesses himself. Also, there's a nice scene between Ken Watanabe, a Japanese actor, and Ziyi Zhang, a Chinese actress, where their characters hug in an emotional and meaningful way. Given the history between their two countries, this moment of peace was especially nice.
I love, love, love Godzilla and the whole genre of kaiju movies. I still consider Pacific Rim the absolute finest kaiju film ever made, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters comes second. It's nice to leave the cinema with a smile on my face: I guess not everyone in Hollywood is a twisted pervert with a political agenda (we can only hope). I'm grateful I live in a time where kaiju movies are so well done. "Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these."