Film review: Godzilla (7 out of 10)

Having produced a superb sci-fi movie, back in 2010 with Monsters, director Gareth Edwards was given a sackful of cash for Godzilla - and he has done a pretty decent job.

While the big beast himself is pretty convincing, the human beings are the weakest link.

The story starts in Japan 15 years ago and Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston, fresh from his success in acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad), and his wife Sandra work at a nuclear power station.

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However, something is rumbling in the deep earth and the station is laid waste.

Move on to the present and Joe doesn’t believe the official line.

What he thinks, though, becomes irrelevant as a big beastie surfaces and runs riot.

Godzilla is also lurking around and soon we have massive destruction and countless bodies.

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Aaron Taylor-Johnson, formerly of Kick Ass and lined up for Fifty Shades of Grey, plays Joe’s son, Ford, an army officer.

However, this role just doesn’t work very well and seems a bit forced - the soldier ready to help save the world and be reunited with his family, his wife being actress Elizabeth Olsen who will play Taylor-Johnson’s brother in the next Avengers movie.

Rather wasted in brief roles are Sally Hawkins as a scientist and Juliette Binoche as Joe’s wife.

The special effects are very good and this is a movie that really excels on the IMAX screen, with its big sound as well as enormous screen.

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Edwards uses the 3D with skill, posting people in the foreground to mKe full use of the effect.

He also has a nice touch, mixing the big (and I mean big) scenes with more pared back images.

This version of Godzilla stays within shouting distance of the many versions down the years.

But while I enjoyed this film, I can see many will see it as just another movie with lots of destruction and nothing to test the brain.

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And by the way, a sequel is apparently already in the pipeline.

Film details: Godzilla (12A) 123mins

Director: Gareth Edwards

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston

Screening courtesy of Cineworld Crawley

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