Why should this excite you? Well, while it’s always fun to see stalwarts such as Gamera and Rodan grace the stage, a completely new creation spells a new chapter in the Godzilla legacy. While we would still welcome the fan-favorites with open arms into the new franchise, this move suggests Legendary Pictures have confidence in their abilities to stay true to what makes Godzilla as popular as it is, as well as to breathe new life – sweet, monstrous life – into his bones. It’s a move that shows they’re not afraid to take a leap of faith into the unknown, and proves the creative team possess a pair of cajones as big as Godzilla himself.
And it is the talent of these filmmakers, in fact, that really boosts this film’s chances of being the American Godzilla we thought we’d never see. Leading the project is sophomore director, Gareth Edwards, a far-cry from personalities such as Guillermo Del Toro who had been considered for the job. Edwards may not have as much experience as other filmmakers, but a retrospective look at his debut film, Monsters, is proof enough of the man’s endurable talent and determination to the cause.
Despite the title suggesting a typical monster movie, Monsters is unique in the sense it diverts away from the chaos and destruction of a fictional D-Day scenario and places the central characters in a world where these creatures have calmed their rampant initialization, and are now ingrained in the lives of the humans with whom they share the world. The scenario allows Edwards to really get under the skin of the situation and present a film that stands on the strong emotional performances from its two leads, rather than special effects. Mind you, the visual effects work is another beast entirely when you take the budget into account – Edwards labored away on his own computer to create the finished product, using nothing more than store-bought editing software.
With a production crew amounting to a mere five people, Edwards had to really squeeze the project hard to produce the results the film would eventually yield. From filming in locations without prior permission; to throwing everything and everyone into the same van for transportation, Monsters was a movie that not only put Edwards across as a quality filmmaker, but a true work-horse of the business, willing to go to any lengths to get the best out of his film. If he could stretch such a tiny budget this far, just imagine what he could do with the sizeable $160 million invested in Godzilla.
That being said, you should still expect the passion and human element that co-existed with the beasts in Monsters. With heavy-hitters like Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston (who proved he can harness anger alongside calm as chemistry-turned-meth cook Walter White) and Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins involved, Godzilla will undoubtedly be a film anchored with strong dramatic performances. Take into consideration the addition of Kick Ass’ Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing Cranston’s on-screen son, and we should expect a tense family dynamic running throughout and, hopefully, executed with conviction by the two stars.