Humanity accidentally awakened a giant ancient creature with dire consequences.
4k movies reviews
May 7, 2014, Moscow. Snow falls in flakes. Tanks are passing along Novy Arbat, bombers and fighters are in the sky. No, this is a dress rehearsal for the Victory Day Parade, and not an advertising campaign on the occasion of the press screening of the new film “Godzilla†by British director Gareth Edwards at the Oktyabr CF.
Another return to the screens of the legendary Japanese monster, timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the release of the original film, perhaps, may cause skepticism not only among fans of the franchise, but also among less sophisticated viewers. I immediately recall Roland Emmerich’s unsuccessful attempt to Americanize the ancient monster in 1998, after which the Japanese still call his painting simply “Zilla”. However, this time the production was taken up by Warner and Legendary studios (by the way, this is their last collaboration), which presented the world with Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Pacific Rim and Man of Steel. Their tandem gives the viewer hope that after a ten-year break, the majestic lizard will once again appear on the big screens in all its glory.
After the opening scenes in 1954, the action of the film is transferred to Japan in 1999 and focuses on the accident at a nuclear power plant, which leads to the evacuation of one of the neighborhoods of Tokyo and causes a tragedy in the family of American physicist Joe Brody. Fifteen years later, he is still trying to figure out what happened, but his obsession with finding answers does nothing to build a relationship with his son Ford, a Navy lieutenant who recently returned from another mission. The plot of the film is a kind of quest, a chain of cause-and-effect relationships, thanks to which the viewer with bated breath follows what is happening in Japan, then in Panama, then in San Francisco.
The main idea of ​​the film is not at all a confrontation between Godzilla and humanity. Although Godzilla cannot be fully called the main character (you will understand why), he personifies the power of nature, over which humanity has mocked for so long, siphoning resources from it and giving practically nothing in return. And now nature is taking revenge. Godzilla is a nuclear threat, and after the Fukushima tragedy in March 2011, the film ceases to be a “popcorn blockbuster” and becomes relevant and topical, really making people think about what they have done.
As it turned out, the impressive trailers and teasers gave the viewer not only a very rough idea of ​​the plot of the upcoming film, but also of the scope of the special effects. Jim Reigel, special effects supervisor for The Lord of the Rings, has achieved maximum realism of what is happening on the screen, allowing you to fully enjoy the drama, suspense and action scenes in the film. Perhaps the most memorable moment, which we saw back in the trailer, is the dizzying jump of soldiers with parachutes into darkness and unknown. But even he does not compare with the appearance on the screen of Godzilla, this hundred-meter lizard – the tallest in the entire franchise. Massive, majestic, with a bumpy skin and bony plates on the back, it makes an indelible impression, which is only intensified by the reddish fog and the general atmosphere of mystery and horror that surrounds it.
I like the actors. Very good Brian Cranston, better known as Walter White in the series “Breaking Bad”. Together with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, he perfectly portrays the complex father-son relationship. In the latter, perhaps, this is one of the most significant roles – we are no longer innocent Kick-Ass in green tights and not corny Vronsky from Anna Karenina. Ford is tough, courageous and ready to protect his family and fulfill his duty. The female roles, unfortunately, are not as good as we would like. The heroine Juliette Binoche is given criminally little screen time, and Elizabeth Olsen cannot fully prove herself in view of the too simple role of a caring mother; which is especially offensive when you remember her impressive performance in the bonus scene to the recent sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger.
Godzilla has appeared in 28 films since his 1954 debut and has his own star on the Walk of Fame. The new film about the ancient lizard turned out to be stylish, dark and memorable. After watching, some viewers have a desire to watch all the films of the famous franchise, while others get a heavy sigh: “It’s a pity that Godzilla won’t come to Russia – the climate is not the same.” The film will be released on May 15, and I do not recommend that you miss this event.
Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Thai.
