Godzilla

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

We finally get to see the iconic Japanese Kaiju back on the big screen and simply put, it was one of the most rewarding monster movies I've watched so far, perhaps even topping Pacific Rim.

Godzilla hits all the right notes. I could really tell that the director Gareth Edwards took a lot of effort in ensuring that the beast and the story stay true to its roots and not repeat Roland Emmerich's 1998 Godzilla flop. The result was a well-balanced, well-written and well-paced monster movie with enough intensity, emotion and action to keep the audiences' adrenaline pumping. 

One of the great treats from the film was the introduction of a few other Kaijus to the story which opens up more possibilities to which the story can go. Unlike Spider-Man's villains, the law of diminishing marginal returns do not really apply here. The additional Kaijus actually helped enhance the story, leading to a great and fulfilling conclusion.

When it comes to acting, Bryan Cranston's stellar performance in the first act of the film really set the bar for standards which the subsequent lead actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson struggled to maintain. I am a little disappointed the Bryan Cranston did not have the amount of screen-time I expect him to have, but he delivered a strong performance nonetheless. Elizabeth Olsen and Ken Watanabe were also good but unfortunately movies like these do not offer much character development and interactions. 

In all, Godzilla is a fantastic re-imagination of the famous genre that is not only able to honour the legacy this beloved monster but also bring it to the modern age. It is definitely a film viewers would enjoy and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a great summer blockbuster movie.