Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Godzilla (2014)'

Written by Scott Edwards

Covering something up can end up costing you in the long run. As individuals, there are certain things that we never want to have found out about ourselves that we try to deflect from prying eyes, but when the truth is uncovered, it becomes more of a problem than when the situation started. The government has been accused of many cover ups over the years, including Area 51, the Kennedy assassination and anything to do with aliens. When these files get declassified however, the truth comes out and someone is to blame for all of the mishaps that has taken place.

At the Bikini Atoll nuclear bomb testing site in 1954, classified video footage shows a large creature with jagged spikes rising from the sea as a bomb detonates. This footage has never been made public, but scientists know that there is something much greater than humans on this planet that can cause much more harm than good. Trying to destroy this massive creature and writing it up as a ‘test’ of the weapons capabilities, a branch of government scientists are created to police monsters that still may be inhabiting the earth and they work hard to keep their existence from the general population. 

In 1999, Joe Brody receives a call from the nuclear power plant he is supervising in Japan. Moving his family out of the country, Joe only wants to do right by them and when reports of power outages start to arise and are becoming more frequent, he has to ensure the safety of the surrounding area, along with his family. As he arrives at the plant, he sends his wife to the lower levels of the station to investigate, but when the power outages along with tremors start to become more substantial, he knows that a mistake has been made. Trying to shut down the reactor before a breach occurs is his safest bet, but it does not happen fast enough as the latest jolt has ruptured the containment area. Losing his wife as the nuclear plant falls to the ground, Joe has his mind set on exposing the truth of what happened on that day and will not take no for an answer as he will keep on searching.

---

Fifteen years later, Ford Brody is returning home after fourteen months out at sea. With his wife and son awaiting his long return, they do not want him to ever leave again. Receiving a call from the Japanese police, Ford finds out that his father, Joe, is in jail and he needs to leave once again to bail him out. Arriving at his father's home, Ford sees that Joe has not been able to let the past go as he was picked up for trespassing in the quarantined area that was his former home before the disaster years ago. With news clippings plastering his walls, Ford sees that his father will never be well and needs help and offers to take him back to America to be with his family. Joe will not agree to this, until he is able to explain what happened to the power plant and convinces his son to go with him, in search of his old research disks. Ford goes along for the ride and the two discover that there is no nuclear fallout or radiation surrounding the area, but are picked up by the police and taken to a research facility that is growing something much bigger than anyone alive has ever seen before.

Godzilla is not just a story about the monster that terrorizes the world, but the people that are affected by his kind, along with the government trying to cover up their mistakes. Since the scientists are trying to nurture and grow something in the concealed confines of the area where the disaster took place many years ago, they find out that a specimen they located feeds primarily off of radiation and this is the perfect place to keep track of its progress. When the new creature comes to life however, the scientists have no way of stopping it and although they have to resort to things they never thought imaginable, they are no match for a monster that can harness the power of an EMP. Looking for a way to defeat the beast, they notice there is another call coming from the sea and with it could possibly be their salvation. A great beast called Godzilla that could realign the balance and hunt down and destroy the creature the scientists have brought to life. But when a third creature is discovered, the government has to take over and devise a plan to keep the battle away from populated areas to keep the civilian casualties to a minimum, but the great monsters are moving towards San Francisco and there is nothing that can stop them.

Talk about a movie event for the ages, Godzilla has brought the excitement that has disappeared over the years back to the franchise. Greatest movie ever? I would not go that far, but I will say that it was larger than life. Walking through cities and just taking out buildings without even thinking about it was just nuts and not what you have seen in the previous films. Things I could see as problems in this film are few, but I have some complaints. After Godzilla is named our savior, why on earth would our military shoot at him, for any reason? Just goes to show you that there are some people that are higher up than me that come up with the decisions that might cause more people to lose their lives than needed. Is it always foggy in San Francisco? I guess that is a given, but is there a reason why the fog and smoke only moves in when you want to see the beasts? Last one, was there a reason why we could not witness the entire battle of the monsters? Pulling away, making them disappear in the fog/smoke and losing sight of the epic fights between the huge beasts is something that might leave some people feeling a little bit shorted. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this movie, if I didn’t, I would not have complaints about little things. Even though Godzilla might be a little overweight these days, he is still the King of the Monsters in my book and I just hope, they are able to come up with a strong follow up to the film that features a giant robot. It’s good to be the king.  Happy viewing.

---