Godzilla
Directed by Gareth Edwards6.476%66%6.4
Following the 1999 Janjira nuclear disaster that claimed his wife Sandra, Joe Brody seeks answers. His Navy officer son Ford accompanies him to Japan, where they discover the devastating truth and see ancient monsters emerge.
- PapaHamzehMarch 6, 2025Alas, what could have been. What is it that Americans dont understand about Godzilla? Is it our ego-centrism that inhibits our ability to understand what makes people afraid? Is it our constant surroundings of the fantastical-made-real that forces us to make other things so over-the-top? Is it our lack of empathy that shames us into trying to make human stories in inhuman worlds, and ultimately failing to accomplish the task?
- ShaydeknightJanuary 16, 2026Godzilla is a masterclass in how to misunderstand your own premise. This is a monster movie that seems actively embarrassed by monsters. The film withholds fights, obscures them in darkness, smoke, rain, and cutaways, and repeatedly abandons moments of potential spectacle to check in on humans we barely know and quickly stop caring about. When monsters finally clash, the camera ducks away as if the audience has asked for something licentious. That choice alone sinks the film. The human story is the other major failure. Bryan Cranston's character has a clear emotional wound, but his obsession is inconsequential, and once he exits the film, that narrative loses what little spine it had. Ken Watanabe speaks in reverent half-mythology without ever grounding Monarch's purpose or logic, leaving the organization to be vague and inert. Most of the supporting cast drift through the plot reacting to events rather than driving them, which creates a persistent sense that things are happening simply because the script needs them to. David Strathairn is the exception. He plays the only character who behaves rationally, understands the situation, and seems aware of the genre he's in. Everyone else appears lost in a fog of unclear motivation and underwritten purpose. The family storyline is a misfire from start to finish. It asks for emotional investment it never earns and competes directly with the very thing the audience came to see. The film wants you to care about them during a global monster crisis, and it never justifies that demand. Similarly, Monarch's machinations are dull here, especially frustrating given how much better they are developed in later entries. The cast is good. The direction is competent. The tone is serious to a fault. But the film is mostly boring, visually frustrating, and structurally timid. A Godzilla movie should not be afraid to show monsters fighting, and this one is afraid again and again. The movie is too visually dark, too slow plot-wise, too centred on humans we couldn't care less about, and far too stingy with the monster fights.
- ZokkiieFebruary 6, 2026I love the MonsterVerse, so I might be a bit biased — the movie takes its time setting up the world and the human story, which makes Godzilla’s appearances feel huge and impactful. The scale and effects are amazing, and the tension builds nicely, even if the monster action is a bit slow to start. It’s definitely a thrilling way to kick off the MonsterVerse.
- Kevin WardJuly 2, 2025My niece and nephew were in town for easter and my nephew Eli really wanted to watch this Godzilla. Honestly this was way better than I remember it being. I think my biggest complaints on my first watch were that Brian Cranston and Godzilla both weren’t in the movie enough. Watching it this time though, they were in it way more than I had remembered. Funny how memory works sometimes. Still really love the sense of scale Gareth Edwards infuses into the picture by using lots of low angle shots. HALO jump still rules.
Watch Godzilla Videos
Godzilla Trivia
Godzilla was released on May 14, 2014.
Godzilla was directed by Gareth Edwards.
Godzilla has a runtime of 2h 3m.
Godzilla was produced by Brian Rogers, Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull, Mary Parent.
Following the 1999 Janjira nuclear disaster that claimed his wife Sandra, Joe Brody seeks answers. His Navy officer son Ford accompanies him to Japan, where they discover the devastating truth and see ancient monsters emerge.
The key characters in Godzilla are Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Elle Brody (Elizabeth Olsen), Sandra Brody (Juliette Binoche).
Godzilla is rated PG-13.
Godzilla is a Science Fiction, Action, Adventure film.
Godzilla has an audience rating of 6.6 out of 10.
Godzilla had a budget of $160M.
Godzilla has made $525M at the box office.