Film Review: Godzilla (2014) (12A) (U.S.A/Japan 2014) (Director: Gareth Edwards),  The Filmhouse Cinema Screen One, Edinburgh, Sunday 13.07.2014, 20:30

I don't know much about Godzilla and only recently saw the original in the cinema. I enjoyed the original, thought it was well acted and impressively inventive when considering how old it is. I have only seen snippets of the version from '98, the one which Japan disowned and refused to acknowledge as Godzilla, of which I rather liked what I saw. The most I know of Godzilla comes from the cartoons that were on t.v. when I was a whippersnapper. 

In regards to this new version...Firstly there were other monsters, which I had not known about. This in itself is not an issue. The issue I have is that Godzilla is now being portrayed as the benign creature who actually saves San Francisco from the other monsters. 

What sort of message does this send. With the original, Godzilla was meant as a warning of what could happen if people were not careful with their use of nuclear power. Now we have a creature who survived an attempt to destroy it with the use of nuclear weapons (those so-called ocean based nuclear tests in the '50's) who now is happy trying to defend those who tried to destroy it. So kids, those evil baddies of the future, if we try to destroy them, they will either die or they will turn and help those who were just trying to destroy it. Because children, that's how the world works, Doh! 

Secondly there was the staggeringly obvious such as, a bus of schoolchildren being driven over the golden gate bridge while it was under attack. Of course they survive, and I chuckled at the heavy-handedness of it all. 

The other issue I have is Arron Taylor Johnston. As a leading man he is about as expressionless as it is possible to be. Less emotion and we would have been reaching to diagnose as catatonic. The fact he was twined off with Elizabeth Olsen, who can act, just through into sharp focus even more, how truly awful he is as an actor.   

Sadly I found the film to be tediously dull without a shred of suspense, though not as annoying as the horrendous 'The Amazing Spiderman 2'. On a more positive note, Gareth Edwards first film, 'Monsters' (2010) is far more inventive and engaging with people you actively give a toss about rather than just recognise from the latest t.v. fad. 

Bring Back Godzookie, all is forgiven!

Rating: 03/10.