TheReviewMonk
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16 May 2014English123 min

Godzilla

6.217 reviews
CriticsMixed

Bayesian avg · 17 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

8.03 ratings
Users

User Score · avg of 3 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

The world's most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence. In the film, Godzilla, an ancient creature, is a "terrifying force of nature", depicted in a style faithful to the Toho series of Godzilla films.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Godzilla is largely positive, with most reviewers appreciating director Gareth Edwards' restrained and visually immersive approach to the monster movie reboot. Critics frequently praised the scale, CGI detail, and awe-inspiring cinematography, particularly in IMAX. The most common criticism centres on the human characters, who several reviewers found underdeveloped or given insufficient time to feel convincing, and some noted that Godzilla's limited screen time and the film's slow burn pacing may disappoint viewers expecting relentless action.

17 reviews · 9 positive · 2 mixed

Praised: large-scale visuals and spectacleCriticised: thin, underdeveloped human characters

AI-generated summary of 17 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (17)

Anupama ChopraTop Critic· Hindustan Times
5.0
"Godzilla himself has weight, literally and figuratively. Can someone give this force of nature the film he deserves?"
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"Those who have seen previous avatars of this scaly beast will immediately reconnect with that sense of speechlessness and rapt awe they felt when they saw Godzilla in their childhood. Godzilla's roar is not for the faint-hearted. This is a fantastic homage to monster movies of yore and is bound to go down as a modern classic. Go Godzilla!"
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Mihir Fadnavis· Mid Day
8.0
"The battle scenes are terrific. The scale is massive, the CGI is super detailed and the Kaiju artwork is really fucking cool. The 3D isn't the best, but the super wide shots are superbly choreographed to show how puny humans are, and you'll get the best experience in 2D."
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Rashid Irani· Hindustan Times
8.0
"Viewers looking for wall-to-wall mayhem along the lines of Roland Emmerich's bloated 1998 version will be disappointed. But those who savour an immersive visual spectacle will likely go ooh-aah in the presence of the freshly-minted Godzilla."
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Sukanya Verma· Rediff
7.0
"Director Gareth Edwards delivers a satisfactory reboot of the iconic monster movie!"
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7.0
"Godzilla is a smashing summer blockbuster and it holds not qualms about playing up that card."
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Divya Pal· IBNLive
6.0
"If you are an ardent fan of Godzilla, you wouldn't mind dropping everything to see him roar and annihilate his foes."
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Troy Ribeiro· NowRunning
6.0
"Giftwrapped in an emotional father-son and family bonding story that hooks you on the sensitivity graph, "Godzilla" doesn't give anybody time to be endearing or sarcastic or human in any way. It is a conundrum of a techno-thriller and a fabled nightmare put together."
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Saumya Sharma· BookMyShow
6.0
"A film that is about Godzilla needs no more reasons. Watch it for the reboot and the changes that have been brought in the film, and the resized monster."
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Sachin Chatte· The Navhind Times
6.0
"There is only so much you can do if you are going to make film like Godzilla and Edwards vision is as good as it can get. As a Godzilla film, it gives you enough bangs for your bucks."
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Danish Bagdadi· Desimartini
5.0
"Fans of the original (the 1954 one and the Japanese iterations) will find much to enjoy and appreciate about how many elements this movie manages to sneak in from there. However those new to ride, might be left scratching their heads as to all the hoopla. It's a handsomely mounted spectacle filled with visceral razzle-dazzle but lacking cohesion and logic."
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Shalini Langer· Indian Express
5.0
"...a film whose only redeeming feature is that Binoche and Cranston shoulder part of its acting line-up – but just partly. Taylor-Johnson and Olsen cringingly pale before the big man, and that is despite the fact that Godzilla is nowhere in the picture (literally) in the first half."
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Rachit Gupta· Filmfare
"You've got a film about a giant mutated lizard walking on twos and supposedly this biped super reptilian is to fight EMP firing monsters to save the day for humanity. A film with that story can't take itself so seriously."
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Hindustan Times· Hindustan Times
"While the predictable sequel has not yet been confirmed, one thing is clear: Edwards' version of Godzilla remains the ultimate monster movie. The legacy has been upheld."
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Deccan Chronicle Team· Deccan Chronicle
"We're not bombarded with excessive CGI here. Godzilla isn't oversold, although for some, his lack of screentime won't be satisfying enough. However, the balance between the family-focused story line and intense action sequences is bound to please others."
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Nandini Ramnath· LiveMint
"Strikingly shot by Seamus McGarvey to maximize the movie's Imax potential (it's hard to imagine the scale and depth of the gritty visuals on anything smaller), Godzilla demands, and often achieves, a sense of awe."
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Nikhil Subramaniam· Firstpost
"Godzilla has long deserved a movie like this Godzilla. It's not a typical monster movie and is possibly the best of its kind in recent times. But don't go in expecting all-out action. If you are willing to enjoy the tension, the slow burning build-up before the action-packed climax and are willing to see a fresher take on the subject, you will want to watch this one, possibly more than once."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
16 May 2014
Runtime
123 min
Language
English

User Ratings & Reviews

Users8.03 ratings

3 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (2)

SAMay 2014

Godzilla. If you loved Godzilla version of 1998, then this Godzilla will tell you loved a fake Godzilla. In this 2014 version, Godzilla returns in its pure ancient form where he is quite distant in size and behavior from lost race of dinosaurs. This movie works because it's a sincere cocktail of monstrous beasts, their fights, illusion of humans that they can control the nature, heroism of Godzilla, right amount of suspense, drama and emotional connect through well etched characters. First half is a bit slow, takes its time to create the felling of danger but second half makes sure that you do not blink your eyes otherwise you can miss the finest CGI effects done for a monster movie. The noisy roar mixed with emotionless eyes of Godzilla helps establishing Godzilla as the ruthless hunter. I am going with fantastic 8 out of 10 for Godzilla. If you are already fan of this monster then you can't afford to miss it. If you are first timer then you would end up being a fan.

DEJun 2014

Rather its more real than pacific rim while the fun part is less. CG is pretty good and acting part is alright. Gareth Edwards' Godzilla satisfyingly restores the franchise's fire-breathing glory.Drama part is better and doesn't lose its pace.

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