Godzilla (2014)

Every time Godzilla is about to throw a punch, the movie cuts to a TV in somebody’s living room. That’s the whole experience. Gareth Edwards shoots the monster like a weather system, huge and slow and gorgeous, then hides him behind smoke, doors and news footage like he’s saving him for later. The humans are the real problem. Bryan Cranston is the only one with a pulse, all panic and conspiracy corkboard, and then the lead goes to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays a bomb expert like he’s been told not to move his face. Elizabeth Olsen and Ken Watanabe mostly stare at the sky. When the big guy finally gets the screen to himself, it’s glorious, and the parachute jump into the city is the best shot in the film. It made $525 million worldwide on a reported $160 million budget. A 5.6 because two great scenes don’t make a movie. $3,828 says you fast-forward through every human on a rewatch and miss nothing.

What works: The sheer scale of the monster shots, the parachute jump sequence, and Bryan Cranston’s frantic energy early on.

What doesn’t: Godzilla barely appears, the lead human is a blank, and the movie keeps cutting away from fights right when they start.

Who it’s for: Monster fans with patience, and anyone who likes a disaster movie that looks like a painting.