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IPFS News Link • Entertainment: Movies

Film Review: ‘Godzilla’

• http://variety.com, Peter Debruge

ï»Someone should tell Warner Bros. that when theyve got a presence as big as Godzilla, they dont need movie stars, because frankly, who remembers the characters in a rampaging-kaiju movie anyway? Still, just to be safe,В the studio has stuffed Gareth Edwards deafening, effects-driven reboot with an Oscar winner (Juliette Binoche), three Oscar nominees (Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and David Strathairn), an Emmy winner (Bryan Cranston) and an Olsen sister, leaving scarcely enough screen time for the monster itself. Worldwide B.O. will be massive when "Godzilla" stomps into theaters beginning May 14, bound to crush the $379 million earned by Sonys underwhelming 1998 version.

As risky decisions go, entrusting microbudget "Monsters" director Edwards to helm a $160 million tentpole —В Warners first Godzilla pic since acquiring the character rights from Toho in 2010 —В looks downright sensible in retrospect, as the filmmaker makes good on his ability to conjure enormous scope and scale via clever staging and visual effects. If anything, it was "Monsters" stilted live-action bits that left something to be desired, which might explain why Edwards has overcompensated so drastically when it comes to the human performances this time around.


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