268. Godzilla - King Of The Monsters; movie review

GODZILLA - KING OF THE MONSTERS
Cert 12A
132 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate threat, violence, infrequent strong language

Did I miss a Godzilla movie in which the son of two scientists was killed?
On the face of it, Godzilla King Of The Monsters is a follow-up to the movie of 2014 in which Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins appear.
But I thought my mind was playing tricks when Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga are presented as the estranged husband and wife who have an intense back story with the monster.
Nope - a quick bit of reading revealed that the family at the centre of the previous film were completely different.
The bafflement over its context was just the beginning of my problem with Michael Dougherty's giant mess of a movie.
First of all, its characters are so shallow they are almost invisible.
The villains are crass, the heroes are pedestrian and half the cast are so thinly drawn it is obvious they are going to be expendable.
And don't get me on the fighting between the so-called bad monsters and the ones who are perceived as being on the side of humanity.
Godzilla was once a curiosity - his rubbery features dominating those old Japanese movies with lots of screaming and shouting.
He has been the bad guy for most of the time - even against King Kong (which is being remade!).
But here, again for reasons which are not too clear, he seems to have an understanding for humanity and takes up the cudgel against and altogether stronger foe.
Yep, Godzilla and man have to use their combined wit against a beast with several heads.
Dougherty's movie is big, brash and utterly charmless.
Buildings fall, cities are destroyed, indeterminate numbers of people are killed and yet we are led to believe the only importance is the already estranged Chandler/Farmiga family unit.
In addition, the outcome is utterly predictable.
It is one of the worst films of the year and I have little doubt it will remain so.

Reasons to watch: It's Godzilla
Reasons to avoid: It is an awful mess of a movie

Laughs: At it rather than with it
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 2.5/10

Did you know? Godzilla has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. His induction came in 2004 to commemorate his 50th birthday.

The final word. Michael Dougherty: "Shortly after Legendary offered me the job, my brain cells naturally went crazy, and I think my 10-year-old self took over. I then just brainstormed everything I wanted to see in a Godzilla movie. It was all done old school you know. Pen and paper. It all just kind of came out in bits and pieces."

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