So this movie just showed up on TV and I decided to watch it for what must be my 4th time now and was spurred on to make this topic after it ended.
As someone who was excited for Godzilla 2014 before it's arrival I don't think I was alone in being eager to see Bryan Cranston play a major role in the human-side of the film. The flashback moments and early on in the present with him are great with the only spoiling coming from the inclusion of the son character played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Dude just doesn't match up to what Cranston brings to the table not even really only acting wise but in regards to the script. The entire movie is further soiled once Cranston dies. The bland character that Taylor-Johnson plays is forced into a lead role and there seemingly is nothing to this dude on the page amplified by Taylor-Johnson's sandpaper dry performance. Hell it's possible to make a strong silent type character that is interesting but the character is given none of that depth.
It doesn't help that he genuinely feels so "inactive" during the film. He makes a conscious effort to help out the young boy and join the Anti-Muto forces but afterwards he essentially blends into the darkly lit mass of soldiers save to the end. To the point where they might as well have just made a Kaiju version of Battle LA
I know some will say "Why complain about the humans in a monster movie?" But my rebuttal would be that they shouldn't include a significant human cast if they don't want me to care about them.The film does succeed at giving some life to everyone around the MC but spared none for the MC himself.
As someone who was excited for Godzilla 2014 before it's arrival I don't think I was alone in being eager to see Bryan Cranston play a major role in the human-side of the film. The flashback moments and early on in the present with him are great with the only spoiling coming from the inclusion of the son character played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Dude just doesn't match up to what Cranston brings to the table not even really only acting wise but in regards to the script. The entire movie is further soiled once Cranston dies. The bland character that Taylor-Johnson plays is forced into a lead role and there seemingly is nothing to this dude on the page amplified by Taylor-Johnson's sandpaper dry performance. Hell it's possible to make a strong silent type character that is interesting but the character is given none of that depth.
It doesn't help that he genuinely feels so "inactive" during the film. He makes a conscious effort to help out the young boy and join the Anti-Muto forces but afterwards he essentially blends into the darkly lit mass of soldiers save to the end. To the point where they might as well have just made a Kaiju version of Battle LA
I know some will say "Why complain about the humans in a monster movie?" But my rebuttal would be that they shouldn't include a significant human cast if they don't want me to care about them.The film does succeed at giving some life to everyone around the MC but spared none for the MC himself.
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