Godzilla (2014)

God of Blockbuster Action or King of the Tease?

Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Released: 2014
Staring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olson, Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Sally Hawkins, & Juliette Binoche
Rated: PG-13

  No doubt exists in my mind that the marketing team behind the newest reboot of cinema's most iconic, foreign fiend deserve an award. The art of the tease can make or break a film; with all the anticipation that can develop, if a film doesn't deliver you're going to have several unsatisfied customers. Godzilla has been teasing us since it's first trailer release and continued to throughout the actual film.

  Of all the big blockbuster movies to be released in the Summer of 2014, Godzilla was the one I was most excited to see. Not because I had an preexisting attachment to the Monster, or a particular fondness for any of the talented actors in the cast; it was because of the trailer. That FIRST trailer was (still is) brilliant. The bone chilling suspense created in the ambiguity until the very end didn't only leave me wanting more, it had me talking. How could you NOT want to see that movie after a trailer like THAT? Emotional Bryan Cranston, Phillip Glass-esque music, and that roar...that trailer had everything to make the skin crawl...Goosebumps from start to finish. I just want you all to take the time and appreciate a finely constructed trailer, and the response it can generate. My response, I need to see that movie as soon as possible. All subsequent trailers followed a similar design, showing audiences just enough of The King of The Monsters but never revealing what we were truly up against. Smart marketing; it gets people excited, it gets butts in the seats. So the all-important question of the teasing and hype, did it pay off?

This Monster is a little camera-shy
Godzilla (2014)

  Yes, yes it did....and...no...

 Despite top billing, Godzilla isn't the film's focus. Overall, Godzilla was a highly entertaining, action-packed disaster movie. I say disaster movie because the movie isn't so much about the monsters causing the destruction, but the people caught in the middle and how they deal with it. If you are expecting lengthy, Pacific-Rim style fights, you're going to be slightly disappointed. The monster-on-monster action is there, BUT I was left wanting MORE. Like the movie's trailer, the audience is constantly teased, but never reward with any solid, lasting battles. I was (and still am) thrilled with the alluring mystery the trailer created, but I'm here now, in the theater, I WANT TO SEE GODZILLA KICK SOME ASS. Any monster action that takes place occurs either on screens (TVs/surveillance cameras/computers) or in short, interrupted snippets. Those snippets we did get to see were amazing, awesome...cool animation and theater rattling sound that will have audiences cowering in their seats. Stop me if I'm wrong, but I know I'm not, in a Godzilla film I'd expect to see the King of Monsters for longer than 20 minutes and earlier than 45 minutes into the picture.

Finally, a good look at the big guy
Godzilla (2014)

  The sparse time in which Godzilla is on screen however, is so reminiscent of the original films one can't help but cheer in their seat. This Godzilla is certainly the largest we've ever seen therefore the destruction he causes is beyond devastating; it's awesome. The design of this Godzilla is also a return to the classic 50's Monster design, disassociating the Island Iguana disaster that appeared on screen in the 1998 bomb. Not only is Godzilla's classic silhouette back but also (hold for applause) THE ATOMIC FIRE BREATH! Godzilla, engages in several quick romps with some fierce nuclear powered monsters and the monster-on-monster, LED attacks are everything the audiences go to action movies for. Loud, intense and cheer-worthy...I just wish these nail-biting assaults would have lasted...The journey of a nuclear bomb from city to harbor is not important to me, what's important is the brawl going on down the street and 500 feet in the air.
 

Bryan Cranston hunts for the truth
Godzilla (2014)

In truth this is the movie's only substantial flaw and my only real complaint. In any action picture (specifically those released in the summer months) the story is complied of cliche, sappy characters and predictable outcomes; Godzilla is no exception. That being said I didn't mind these done and done characters because that's not what I'm going to the theater to see. I came to see intense action, a bad-ass Dino-Monster destroying the city, and the brilliant Bryan Cranston. I got about 2 1/2 of the 3.
Speaking of Bryan Cranston he, just like the movie's title monster, makes an appearance that is brilliant but limited. Cranston's influence in pop culture and with potential audience members is huge! What did I tell my Mom to convince her to come to Godzilla? "It has WALTER WHITE" All it takes in Cranston's name on a poster and an heart-wrentching excerpt in the trailer to draw in those Breaking Bad/Cranston addicts. Again, smart market but lacking a fulfilling payoff. Cranston is there; he's brilliant, he's engaging. His undisputed talent shines through in this role, but is snuffed out far too soon. Parallel to the movie's monster, I wanted to more of Cranston's quality performance. His character the potential to lead Godzilla or least get him into the second act. Cranston not only understands how to portray human emotion but also how to connect with audiences'.

Cranston & Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Godzilla (2014)

  This Godzilla boast more than a handful of compelling characters, any one of them could have been
the movie's focal point; sadly, writers chose to focus on the weakest of the bunch. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is an adequate leading man and his lesser known status works in his favor. Taylor-Johnson has had his fair-share of leading and supporting roles, but he has yet to become a house-hold name. Had the role gone to a more well known, young hunk {Channing Tatum for example} the character could have gone even more banal than written. Casting an unknown or lesser known gives action movie, dare I say, a more prestigious feel. Taylor-Johnson feels (like this reboot is meant to be) fresh and new. The same can be said for his on screen wife, Elizabeth Olsen. Godzilla's script doesn't offer it's actors much to work with, but the cast gets the job done without reducing their performances to cheese. As I wrote before, hardly ever to I enter a summer blockbuster expecting a groundbreaking plot and oscar worthy script. These films are meant to provide exciting entertainment, which in the end, Godzilla does!

  Equally fresh director Gareth Edwards truly understands quality action, building suspense, and delivering adrenaline pumping sequences...even if the majority of them don't feature the movie's main monster. He's more understated than the likes of Michael Bay (heaven knows that's not very hard) and I can't wait to see what this relatively young director has to offer the action-movie genre.

  Nit-picking and cliches aside, Godzilla offers American audiences a solid piece of entertainment reminiscent of the 1954 classic. It's leagues beyond the Ronald Emmerich 1998 flop; bigger, badder, and smarter. The movie's base plot is nothing special nor are the characters, but when audiences are treated with God-sized smack downs, they are oh-so sweet! This Godzilla is a MUST SEE on the big screen. The high quality graphics and bone-rattling sound can only be fully appreciated at the theater. 2014's Godzilla will have you simultaneously cheering and cringing in your seats; you'll leave the cinema wanting more, and by the way the box-office is turning over, we'll have a sequel confirmation before the year is out.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Despite the substantial amount of fluff, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 boast some impressive action sequences and beautifully unique special effects.

Directed by: Marc Webb

Released: 2013

Staring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHann, & Sally Field 

Rated: PG-13

  In a world of premature reboots developed solely for finical gain, non was more premature than that the Spider-Man franchise. Sam Rami's first adaptation of the popular comic book series was a fun time, but it's subsequent sequels too often repeated the first or, in the case of the third installment, became painfully laughable as a seriously action movie. A miscast Tobey Maguire managed to awkwards (as verb) his way through three films and Kristen Dunst gives what can only be described as her worst series of performances. For the series numerous faults, the first was a fun, exciting action movie; highly enjoyable until followed by a mopey second, and absurd third. One must ask was the utter failure of the third movie really enough to warrant a complete series reboot five short years later? The answer is an obvious no; however, money is money and money speaks louder than any small blogger's opinion. 

  While I didn't think the reboot SHOULD have happened I am happy it did. Marc Webb knows how create thrilling action sequences and although Andrew Garfield is about a decade too old for the role of high school/high school gradate Peter Parker, he plays the role very well. The Amazing Spider-Man did what it's predecessor couldn't, made Spider-Man cool. Rewatching Rami's adaption I realize how dull and uncompelling Maguire was in the role. Andrew Garfield, currently 30 years old, portrays a realistic, believable young teen. He has fun playing this character, in turn making it fun for the audience to watch.

Even I can't say this doesn't look cool.

  Following the 2012 reboot I had high hopes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and despite a slightly misleading trailer the movie definitely delivers crowd pleasing action sequences and impressively unique special effects. I note the misleading trailer because it truly is...this is not Spiderman vs. Electro vs. Rhino vs. Green Goblin...the later two have a combined screen time of about 20 minutes.  Don't let the trailers deceive you, Paul Giomattee is hardly in the movie but when he is he's incomprehensible. Definitely the most disappointing performance in the movie. Is the majority of this film set up for The Sinister Six? Yes. Does that bother me? Slightly...

  Jamie Foxx's character had the potential to be such an emotionally complex character and I feel as if some of those character possibilities were sidelined to make room for the numerous subplots that clutter this movie. If there's one thing this movie has it's an abundance of subplots. Behind Peter Parker's parents death, girlfriend Gwen Stacey' problems, Harry Osborn's medical condition, the public's opinion of Spider-Man, Aunt May striving to make end's meet, and oh ya...ELECTRO, this is on pack plot and the reason the movie's running time almost exceeds 2 1/2 hours. To be honest, an absurdly huge portion of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is fluff; fluff with brilliant action and glimmers of interesting character's squeezed in-between. Discovering what happened to Peter Parker's parents is nice, but not necessary. What we learned from the closure of that mystery is something the audience is already being told throughout the last and current movie. Oscorp Bad. Got it. Had it since the last movie. Didn't need that extra 20-30 minutes of angsty, and teary-eyed Peter Parker to discover that. 

I wish I could have been MORE annoyed with their drawn out relationship
but it really does play well on screen.

  Andrew Garfield and his leading lady/real life girlfriend Emma Stone have brilliant chemistry and are seemly a perfect couple, but once again, their melodramatic subplot was one that took up far too much screen time. They are adorable and I understand why so much time was devoted to their relationship...building emotional connections...but their scenes went past "aww cute" and entered distracting in length. I loved seeing these two actors play off each other but this relationship and it's drama was frustratingly long...

 Back to the film's main villain, Jamie Foxx gives a slightly exaggerated performance to make up for the lack of screen time and as I said before I feel so much could have been done with his character (psychologically) before & after he's transformed...had Foxx been given more dialog and more screen time he could have stepped up and made this villain into something more than a cool FX opportunity. Special Effects in question, the look of Electro is reason enough to see this movie. Foxx's look was generated with a unique combination of make-up and CGI ingenuity. Watching Electro's face and energies surrounding his physical body is fascinating. The subtleties of the current colors and and sparks of light are entrancing to watch on the big screen.

Jamie Foxx on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man 2
On the left, Make-up before added special effects

Great collaboration of make-up and fx

   Including Electro, the CGI action sequences are AMAZING. The detail put into each action sequence is spectacular and as a long time activist against the inappropriate use of CGI I can honesty say not only was it's use appropriate, but it actually ENHANCED the film. This movie is a testament to the benefits of well done CGI. It's evident time and energy were put into this project and the results are truly thrilling. Usually I find myself distracted by the unrealistic qualities of CGI, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn't have that flat, over or under saturated look; it feels alive, it feels real.

   I touched on villain Jamie Foxx, as well as leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, whose real life chemistry MAKE the relationship. Filling out the supporting cast is King Joffery look-a-like Dane Dehaan whose hair resembles Emo-Donald Trump combover. But honestly, despite being 28, Dehaan looks like an ice-eyed preteen. I shouldn't joke, like Garfield, Dane Dehaan was perfect in this role and knows exactly how to play the character. Harry Osborn, the product of a dysfunctional, wealthy family should act spoiled, have the occasional temper tantrum, and except to always receive what he asks for. Dehaan does all of this while also playing into some of the more sublet and emotional aspects of the character. Surprisingly I throughly enjoyed watching him on screen and wish, as with Jamie Foxx's Electro, his character could have found a more central place in the movie.

Again, that's where The Amazing Spider-Man 2 falls short. There are so many good things in this universe the writers attempted to feature all of them in one movie, resulting any extended run time and bloated plot.

Dane Dehaan's Harry Osborn isn't happy when Spidey won't give him what he wants...BLOOD!

  Adding to the electric atmosphere of the film was it's soundtrack, scored by the great Hanz Zimmer and The Magnificent Six...including Pharrell Williams? I guess now that he's taken over producing and performing music the logical next step would be to enter the movie business. The soundtrack is truly fascinating...it's blend of Zimmer's classical, dramatic motifs, paranoid chanting, and dub step

 ...I guess Zimmer's well known "BWAHS" (think Inception) are the perfect match for dub steps bass dropping...It works with the theme surrounding the film and Electro's character of course. Here's a track from the movie that really stood out to me...the underlying creepy chanting really got under my skin, as I'm sure it was intended to, and elicited a physical response from me. But BRAVO because I LOVE when music, especially in film, does this. Music is not something majority of movie-goers notice or react to. Most of the time music's purpose is to simply accompany the film; but in Spider-Man the music is as much apart of the design of the movie as the visual effects. The score was evidently written to sync with specific moments in the action sequences as well as be a part of Electro's subconscious. The result is a bizarre, yet strong piece that completes the film. *{Apologies for this appearance of this paragraph, we're experiences some technical difficulty}*

  All in all The Amazing Spider-Man 2, despite it's flaws and pack plot, is a good time. The movie is exactly what a Summer blockbuster should be. It's action, it's romance, it's fun. Easy to nit-pick and quite obvious in it's intentions (set up for the next film) it's best if audience members just sit back and enjoy the spectacle. Performances, like the film itself were FUN...it's fun to see Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone playing off each other, Jamie Foxx's obsessive/before Electro character is over-acted but fun! Summer is a difficult season for critiquing film and movies...Summer Blockbuster criteria is completely different than Awards Season and each season's features are enjoyable for different reasons. For reasons of Summer Blockbuster, action-ness The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an excellent start and one you should check out IN THEATERS.