"Godzilla" (2014)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I'd need a full review to properly describe this one, so consider this the abridged version. :)
Most of the time, I'm against American remakes, but I think, considering what a betrayal the last American Godzilla was, they really didn't have a choice with this one. And thankfully, this movie completely blows the 1998 version out of the water, creating an affectionate tribute to the whole franchise. (I'm guessing; I've only seen the original, and my knowledge of the rest of the series comes from Cinemassacre's Godzillathon.) For example, they mention that Godzilla and other monsters have been feeding and growing on radiation, which presumably refers to the other monsters in the series. It never forgets, however, that Godzilla will leave destruction in his wake.
The human characters are boring, and they take up so much of the movie that that can be a little disappointing. But the story, and the plan they devise, still consistently held my interest.
But the final monster battle was definitely the highlight. :) In particular, when Godzilla actually unleashes his trademark atomic breath, it was all I could do to keep from crying out, "YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
I didn't like how Godzilla's head looks disproportionately small – which could be where all this "bloated Godzilla" stuff came from.
In short, while I could have used a little more focus on the monsters, I was still more than satisfied with what I got. Just don't let the trailer fool you: it's nowhere near as grim and serious as the original.

My rating: 80%