Godzilla

The one that started it all, Godzilla details the chaos after an enormous, malevolent creature emerges from the sea to wreak havoc on nearby Tokyo. Though it kicks off with a compelling (and surprisingly contemporary) opening credits sequence, Godzilla quickly (and perhaps inevitably) segues into a terminally erratic narrative that’s more dull than engrossing – with filmmaker Ishirô Honda’s inability to offer up even a single compelling human character certainly ranking high on the movie’s list of failings. It’s consequently impossible to work up any real interest in or enthusiasm for the film’s many non-monster sequences, while the movie’s final half hour, which revolves almost entirely around the efforts to ready a weapon that could destroy Godzilla, is nothing short of disastrous in its execution (ie it’s just thunderously boring). Godzilla‘s heavy emphasis on long, dull scenes of expository chatter ensures that it never builds up any momentum, and it goes without saying, as a result, that the film’s final attack by the titular creature comes off as anticlimactic and pointless. It’s ultimately rather difficult to discern why Godzilla has amassed a reputation as a classic of the genre, as the film is entirely lacking in elements designed to capture and hold the viewer’s ongoing attention.

*1/2 out of ****