Gareth Edwards' new take on the Godzilla film-legend will appeal to fans of disaster epics and monster-horror films. Its power lies, mostly, in the power of suggestion because we don't get too many really good glimpses of the title beast until about two thirds of the way through it. Most of the shock, awe and horror comes in the reactions we get from average, everyday citizens of the cities where Godzilla and MUTOs wreak their havoc. This is the key to what makes the movie effective on a visceral, emotional level.
When we do get to see the great beast, it is truly a thrill. The CGI makes the monster a sight to behold and we immediately recognize the advances that have been made since the days of a Japanese guy in a rubber suit. The roar that Godzilla emits is breathtaking and powerful. The scenes where we actually get to see the destruction of the monsters are the highlights of the film.
The problems with the film are the human protagonists themselves who are never really developed into anything full-blooded or multidimensional. Brain Cranston spends a lot of time looking forlorn and worried and his character's son isn't very charismatic to be the lead character in the film. Furthermore, the whole backstory of nuclear radiation, the radiation-eating monsters (MUTOs), and the multiple locales makes the story confusing and less clear-cut than it should be.
Overall, we are left with a film that has some great thrills and special effects but falls short on the character development angle. It is probably worth seeing in theatres for its epic FX and the sheer magnitude of the spectacle. It just won't be the same on the small screen.
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