Godzilla is a 2014 American science fiction monster film directed by Gareth Edwards. It is a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise and retells the origins of Godzilla in contemporary times as a "terrifying force of nature". The film is set in the present day, fifteen years after the unearthing of two chrysalises in a mine in the Philippines. From the pods come two giant radiation-eating creatures, known as "MUTOs", which cause great damage in Japan, Hawaii and the western United States. Their awakening also stirs a much larger, destructive, ancient alpha predator known as "Godzilla", whose existence has been kept secret by the U.S. government since 1954. It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Bryan Cranston. The screenplay is credited to Max Borenstein but includes contributions from David Callaham, David S. Goyer, Drew Pearce, and Frank Darabont.
The film is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was distributed by Warner Bros. worldwide, except in Japan where it was distributed by Toho. It is the second Godzilla film to be fully filmed and produced by an American studio, the first being the 1998 film of the same name.The project initially began in 2004 and was originally intended to be an IMAX short film titled, Godzilla 3D: To the Max, to be directed by Yoshimitsu Banno, director of Godzilla vs. Hedorah. After several years in development, the production was transferred to Legendary for development as a feature film. Producers Kenji Okuhira, Brian Rogers and director Banno were retained by Legendary. Shortly before filming began, several producers were dismissed from the production and a court case is ongoing between themselves and Legendary. The movie was filmed in the United States and Canada in 2013.
Godzilla was released worldwide in 2D, 3D and IMAX on May 15, 2014; in North America on May 16; with releases in China on June 13 and Japan on July 25, 2014. Critical reception for the film has been positive, with some praising the film for its slow pace and dramatic build-up, while others criticized the length of time before the titular character's appearance, as well as its on-screen duration and lacking as the film's primary focus; however, the direction, visual effects, music, and creature designs were positively received.
Godzilla became an immediate box office success upon its release, earning $93.2 million during its U.S. premiere release and a worldwide estimate of $200 million on its opening weekend, the fourth highest for a 2014 film so far and one of the best late-night openings for a non-sequel. Godzilla has so far earned a total of $518,369,590 as of August 24, 2014 (domestic totals) and August 17, 2014 (International totals). Its box office success has prompted Legendary to proceed with sequels with Edwards confirmed to return as director for a planned trilogy, with the sequel targeted for a June 8, 2018 release.
Plot:
In 1954, the United States Armed Forces are assembled to witness a secret nuclear test. A hydrogen bomb, decorated with a monster insignia, is detonated when a giant creature emerges from the ocean. In 1999, Project Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham investigate a colossal skeleton in a collapsed mine in the Philippines. They find two egg-shaped pods; one dormant, one broken open, and whatever hatched has made a trail through the forest to the sea. In Japan, the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant experiences unusual seismic activity. Joe Brody, the plant's supervisor, sends his wife Sandra and a team of technicians into the reactor. While the team is inside, the reactor is breached, releasing radioactive steam. Sandra and her team are unable to escape and the plant collapses into ruin.
Fifteen years later, Joe's son Ford is a US Navy explosive ordinance disposal officer, living in San Francisco with his wife Elle and son Sam. After Joe is detained for trespassing in the Janjira quarantine zone, Ford returns to Japan. Convinced of a cover-up of the cause of the disaster, Joe convinces Ford to help him retrieve vital data at their old home. They find the zone is not contaminated, but after recovering the data, soldiers detain them in a secret facility within the plant's ruins. Inside, a giant winged creature emerges from a massive chrysalis and escapes, destroying the facility. Joe is injured and later dies. The incident is reported as an earthquake.
Serizawa, Graham and Ford join a US Navy task force led by Admiral William Stenz on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga to search for the creature, dubbed "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism," or "MUTO." To Ford, the scientists reveal how a 1954 deep sea expedition triggered the appearance of Godzilla, a prehistoric alpha predator; how early nuclear tests were really attempts to kill it; that Project Monarch was formed secretly to study Godzilla; and that the MUTO caused the Janjira destruction. Ford reveals that Joe had monitored echolocation signals that indicated the MUTO was communicating with something.
The MUTO is found feeding off the wreckage of a Russian nuclear submarine it deposited in a forest in Hawaii. The military attacks and the battle shifts to Honolulu airport where Ford is waiting for a flight home. Godzilla arrives, causing a tsunami that devastates Waikiki. After briefly fighting Godzilla, the MUTO flies away, and Honolulu is left in ruin. Meanwhile, at a Nevada nuclear waste facility, a second, larger and wingless MUTO, emerges and devastates Las Vegas. The scientists deduce that the second MUTO is female, the two were communicating and will meet to breed.
The task force follows Godzilla, projecting that the monsters will meet in San Francisco Bay. Stenz approves the use of a nuclear explosion to kill the monsters, over the scientists' objections. Ford returns with the military to California and joins a team delivering warheads to San Francisco by train. The female MUTO destroys the train and devours one of the warheads. The remaining warhead is airlifted to San Francisco and activated. It is taken by the MUTOs who construct a nest around it in the downtown area.
People are evacuating across the Golden Gate Bridge when Godzilla arrives. A stray missile is deflected by Godzilla, saving people on the bridge before Godzilla itself destroys a span. Accepting Serizawa's advice, Stenz orders the military to allow the monsters to fight. While Godzilla battles both MUTOs, a team of soldiers, including Ford, enter the city by HALO jump to find and disarm the warhead. Unable to disarm the warhead, they put it on a boat for disposal at sea. Ford incinerates the nest, causing the female to leave the battle. Godzilla then uses its tail to kill the male, crushing him against a building. The female finds and kills the team on the boat. Ford is saved when Godzilla kills the female MUTO by firing atomic breath down her throat, decapitating her. Godzilla then collapses from injury and exhaustion. Ford pilots the boat out to sea, and is rescued before the warhead detonates.
The next day, Ford is reunited with his wife, and his son Sam. Godzilla, thought to be dead, suddenly awakens and returns to the ocean, as survivors cheer.
The film is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was distributed by Warner Bros. worldwide, except in Japan where it was distributed by Toho. It is the second Godzilla film to be fully filmed and produced by an American studio, the first being the 1998 film of the same name.The project initially began in 2004 and was originally intended to be an IMAX short film titled, Godzilla 3D: To the Max, to be directed by Yoshimitsu Banno, director of Godzilla vs. Hedorah. After several years in development, the production was transferred to Legendary for development as a feature film. Producers Kenji Okuhira, Brian Rogers and director Banno were retained by Legendary. Shortly before filming began, several producers were dismissed from the production and a court case is ongoing between themselves and Legendary. The movie was filmed in the United States and Canada in 2013.
Godzilla was released worldwide in 2D, 3D and IMAX on May 15, 2014; in North America on May 16; with releases in China on June 13 and Japan on July 25, 2014. Critical reception for the film has been positive, with some praising the film for its slow pace and dramatic build-up, while others criticized the length of time before the titular character's appearance, as well as its on-screen duration and lacking as the film's primary focus; however, the direction, visual effects, music, and creature designs were positively received.
Godzilla became an immediate box office success upon its release, earning $93.2 million during its U.S. premiere release and a worldwide estimate of $200 million on its opening weekend, the fourth highest for a 2014 film so far and one of the best late-night openings for a non-sequel. Godzilla has so far earned a total of $518,369,590 as of August 24, 2014 (domestic totals) and August 17, 2014 (International totals). Its box office success has prompted Legendary to proceed with sequels with Edwards confirmed to return as director for a planned trilogy, with the sequel targeted for a June 8, 2018 release.
Plot:
In 1954, the United States Armed Forces are assembled to witness a secret nuclear test. A hydrogen bomb, decorated with a monster insignia, is detonated when a giant creature emerges from the ocean. In 1999, Project Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham investigate a colossal skeleton in a collapsed mine in the Philippines. They find two egg-shaped pods; one dormant, one broken open, and whatever hatched has made a trail through the forest to the sea. In Japan, the Janjira Nuclear Power Plant experiences unusual seismic activity. Joe Brody, the plant's supervisor, sends his wife Sandra and a team of technicians into the reactor. While the team is inside, the reactor is breached, releasing radioactive steam. Sandra and her team are unable to escape and the plant collapses into ruin.
Fifteen years later, Joe's son Ford is a US Navy explosive ordinance disposal officer, living in San Francisco with his wife Elle and son Sam. After Joe is detained for trespassing in the Janjira quarantine zone, Ford returns to Japan. Convinced of a cover-up of the cause of the disaster, Joe convinces Ford to help him retrieve vital data at their old home. They find the zone is not contaminated, but after recovering the data, soldiers detain them in a secret facility within the plant's ruins. Inside, a giant winged creature emerges from a massive chrysalis and escapes, destroying the facility. Joe is injured and later dies. The incident is reported as an earthquake.
Serizawa, Graham and Ford join a US Navy task force led by Admiral William Stenz on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga to search for the creature, dubbed "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism," or "MUTO." To Ford, the scientists reveal how a 1954 deep sea expedition triggered the appearance of Godzilla, a prehistoric alpha predator; how early nuclear tests were really attempts to kill it; that Project Monarch was formed secretly to study Godzilla; and that the MUTO caused the Janjira destruction. Ford reveals that Joe had monitored echolocation signals that indicated the MUTO was communicating with something.
The MUTO is found feeding off the wreckage of a Russian nuclear submarine it deposited in a forest in Hawaii. The military attacks and the battle shifts to Honolulu airport where Ford is waiting for a flight home. Godzilla arrives, causing a tsunami that devastates Waikiki. After briefly fighting Godzilla, the MUTO flies away, and Honolulu is left in ruin. Meanwhile, at a Nevada nuclear waste facility, a second, larger and wingless MUTO, emerges and devastates Las Vegas. The scientists deduce that the second MUTO is female, the two were communicating and will meet to breed.
The task force follows Godzilla, projecting that the monsters will meet in San Francisco Bay. Stenz approves the use of a nuclear explosion to kill the monsters, over the scientists' objections. Ford returns with the military to California and joins a team delivering warheads to San Francisco by train. The female MUTO destroys the train and devours one of the warheads. The remaining warhead is airlifted to San Francisco and activated. It is taken by the MUTOs who construct a nest around it in the downtown area.
People are evacuating across the Golden Gate Bridge when Godzilla arrives. A stray missile is deflected by Godzilla, saving people on the bridge before Godzilla itself destroys a span. Accepting Serizawa's advice, Stenz orders the military to allow the monsters to fight. While Godzilla battles both MUTOs, a team of soldiers, including Ford, enter the city by HALO jump to find and disarm the warhead. Unable to disarm the warhead, they put it on a boat for disposal at sea. Ford incinerates the nest, causing the female to leave the battle. Godzilla then uses its tail to kill the male, crushing him against a building. The female finds and kills the team on the boat. Ford is saved when Godzilla kills the female MUTO by firing atomic breath down her throat, decapitating her. Godzilla then collapses from injury and exhaustion. Ford pilots the boat out to sea, and is rescued before the warhead detonates.
The next day, Ford is reunited with his wife, and his son Sam. Godzilla, thought to be dead, suddenly awakens and returns to the ocean, as survivors cheer.
