The Lizard King Is Back

   

    I remember on my thirteenth birthday I decided that instead of having a huge party I would much rather usher in my infamous teen years by going to the movies. The year was 1998 and in it we were blessed with such greats as "Saving Private Ryan", "American History X" and "Armageddon". To this day, if I'm flipping through the channels on TV and Michael Bay's asteroid disaster flick is playing, I gotta stop whatever I'm doing and watch. It doesn't even matter if it's in the middle or right at the end, I'll still have a tear in my eye as I grip my remote and exclaim, "Push the button Stamper!" Chills.

   However, I spent my birthday with friends and family watching a little film by disaster connoisseur Roland Emmerich called "Godzilla". To this day critics have hailed it as a flop, a cheesy, Jurrassic Park-esque take on the most well-known monster of our day. To avoid further rambling on this title, I'll just say that I liked the gigantic iguana in 1998 and I still like its cheesiness and velociraptor-like offspring chasing the likes of Broderick and Co. to this day. It's one of those "it's-so-bad-it's-good" movies.

   I think the main reason I liked it, and it's something I've come to realize over the last few years, is that back in the '90s the idea of going to the movies and watching whole cities being leveled by some greater force, (whether it be natural disasters or a benevolent lizard-incarnation) was somewhat new and awesome, thanks to the growing use of CGI. Nowadays it's almost expected, as if the over-use of CGI is the standard recipe of any and all summer blockbusters we love and enjoy; and you know, I'm okay with that. However, this weekend's release of Gareth Edward's "Godzilla" marks the 60th anniversary of the big behemoth and does so with some panache.

   What I loved the most about the lizard king's outing this time around was that, ironically enough, you don't see the big guy very much; as well as an under use, or maybe smarter use, of destruction and mayhem. Don't get me wrong, things break in this movie, but I'm not talking about tectonic plates separating or gigantic floating objects from space leveling cities and countless anonymous victims. There's a time and a place for nonstop destruction and I have no shame in admitting that I love sitting right in the middle of it, soaking it in with excitement, mingled with little giggles here and there.

   But 2014's "Godzilla" offers a much more human look into the story; a more grounded approach. Godzilla is not just some mindless beast. He's a creature on a mission: wiping the floor clean with any other monstrosity foolish enough to stumble onto his turf. The action and destruction is not too over the top and it's smart. Instead of smashing through new buildings, Godzilla, almost politely, wanders through previously destroyed areas. How thoughtful, right?! Plus, things don't get destroyed for the sake of titillating our subtle need to see things blow up. I found myself anxious for the big guy's arrival, looking forward to the awesomeness that would ensue.

   In a nutshell, "Godzilla" is a fun time. The story is engaging (which is sometimes hard to come by in a "disaster movie"), it's well acted (you can never go wrong with Bryan Cranston!), and as the credits begin to roll and you dust off the popcorn remnants from your shirt (happens to me every time) you'll have a renewed vigor and respect for the lizard king and his infamous reign over Hollywood and its monsters.

[Image via www.fandango.com]