Wednesday 12 November 2014

Godzilla: Hmmm … 

12th November, 2014.

You know, it has to be said: bagging a job has left me wanting to spend money I’ve already spent.

On the perfectly reasonable assumption that — as yet — I haven’t actually done anything with it.

Or earned it.

Yet.

Which sounds bloody odd, now I come to write it down … 

Hmmm … 

I could possibly re-state that, couldn’t I … 

Yes.   I could … 

~≈®≈~
Here’s how.

Hello.

I’m Paul.

Occasionally called all sorts of thing.   But many in my home town will know me as Nik Nak: long story, there.

And I … 

Well, I’m a few things.

Ex-pub quiz master.   Blogger.   Non-drinker.   Science-fiction fan.   Dr Who fan.

Oh … and movie watcher.

And … ?

And, until recently?   An un-employed movie watcher.

My new job — in a local fast food place — is due to start, this coming Monday.

I’ve tons of stuff to do, before then.

One of which … ?

Was catch a film: with some of the iTunes credit I’d scrimped and saved for, other the past few months.

Right at the moment?

Right at the moment, I’m trying to work out if the film I’ve eventually rented — the recently released on iTunes 2014 version of Godzilla — was worth the money.

~≈®≈~

Directed by Gareth Edwards, the modern retelling of Godzilla opens in 1999: some 15 years ago.

And shows us the nuclear power plant in Janjira, in Japan: a plant — much like the one in Fukushima — troubled by increasing seismic activity.

Activity that according to the plant’s US chief engineer — Joe Brody, played by Bryan Cranston — is both strange … 

And increasing.

What the staff at the plant don’t realise?

Is that the Drs Serizawa and Graham — Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins, respectively — have found something nasty in the Philippines.

Nasty … 

Fossilized … 

And attracted to radiation.

Whatever it is, it seems to have left a trail: heading straight for Janjira.

It’s only after Joe sends his wife to the reactor core to investigate that the deaths start.

And only some fifteen years later, when his son, Ford, has grown up and joined the navy, that the truth comes to life.

Monsters exist … 

~≈®≈~

Now … 

Was I impressed with this version of Godzilla?

Well … ?

No.

Granted, the film is well directed*, competently acted and nicely written.

And granted, updating old franchises is proving popular.

But … ?

I personally, found I couldn’t take Godzilla seriously: the concept’s 1950s, post-war origin are very obvious to me: and date the thing, incredibly.

On top of this, I felt Pacific Rim — and, indeed, Edwards’ own Monsters — to be far more entertaining movies.

Movies whose creatures were scarier than this … 


And the actors even more believable than the Chewits.

Oh, don’t get me wrong: this version of Godzilla is entertaining.

It’s just I think there’s better films out there: ones that ARE worth the cash.
Godzilla.

★☆☆☆











*        Gareth Edwards’ first effort, Monsters, made a very good impression on me.

No comments: