I was a super big fan when the first installment in this remake of the Godzilla franchise came out back in 2014. I loved that one so much because of how it blended together the typical monster movie with a tight connection to individual characters and it actually did it well. Going into this, I was seriously concerned they wouldn’t pull that off or just abandon it altogether.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised because the movie opens by introducing the audience to a family who lost their firstborn in the 2014 attacks by the Mutos and Godzilla. The problem was that it did it a lot worse. It doesn’t get into the effect of the characters and instead turns it into a kinda animal rights sorta thing.
Which like, animal rights are great and all, but I don’t need that when I’m looking at a 200-foot lizard stomp down skyscrapers.
The CGI is a lot better in this one and you get to see a lot more of the monsters than in the 40 seconds with the first movie. Outside of that, it crumbles.
The acting is fine and so is the camera work but the writing is just atrocious. I could barely follow what was happening, much less why or how it affected the characters other than BIG MONSTER EAT FRIEND?!?
It felt underwhelming and disregarded everything that made the first movie such a success, instead leaning towards a plot driven entirely by massive explosions and fight scenes.
But on the other hand, MONSTER GO SMASH THINGS!
Rating: Burnt to a Crisp Golden Corral Sirloin