Kaiju Dreaming

With Pacific Rim (2013) completely capturing my full attention of late, I can only tell you that I have high standards, high hopes and high expectations to be filled for the latest attempt at Godzilla. My hope is to be as equally enthusiastic about director Gareth Edwards' Godzilla (2014) next summer after seeing it as I have been for Pacific Rim.  I don't think that's unfair or too much to ask.

Outside of Japan they just haven't got the BIG G right and hopefully they will have learned a few things from director Guillermo del Toro's approach to kaiju cinema as a fan of these pictures.  Equally so, one would imagine Edwards has learned from the massive mistakes made on Roland Emmerich's Godzilla (1998) as well - for example, at the very least look a bit like the classic monster.

At the very least Edwards needs to come up much bigger than Monsters (2010).  After all, this is THE monster.  Still, if Edwards can deliver the beast, the story, premium effects and the kind of deliberate attention to internal character drama that highlighted Monsters he should be able to come up big.  We'll find out.  It will be here before you know it and I am optimistic.  How could you not be optimistic with a film to also see the appearance of Akira Takarada.  Takarada appeared in plenty of Godzilla pictures including the 1954 original.  What about the fact Ken Watanabe and Bryan Cranston are among the names set to star?  What about the surprising fact that Yoshimitsu Banno is set to be an executive producer?  Banno wrote and directed his one feature Godzilla Vs. Hedora (1971).  What about the fact Gareth Edwards looks like a fan and a kid who ate paste in your Sunday School class while pinning glued popcorn on lamb drawings?  Yes, there's a lot to be excited about.

And then maybe we can get back to Pacific Rim 2: Atlantic Rim for 2015.  My son came up with that one.  I know that's setting my sites a little too optimistically at this point.  Better yet, will there be a sequel?  Well, Pacific Rim cost 190 million dollars.  As of this writing the film has generated a global gross of 185 million dollars.  This is indeed a good sign with the film still in theatres and receiving solid reviews ... and thus a man can dream.