'Godzilla: King of the Monsters': Powerful women, deadly protagonist and great action make this a true blockbuster
'Godzilla: King of Monsters' is all set to release on May 31 and, as anticipations soar, it looks like this could be the best 'Godzilla' movie made in the US.
The upcoming movie is the third installment in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s MonsterVerse following 2014’s 'Godzilla' and 2017’s 'Kong: Skull Island.'
While the earlier versions had their share of shortcomings, the upcoming installment seems to hit the nail on the head.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) talked to the cast members and realized the film has all the right ingredients for a blockbuster.
Powerful women leads, check. A deadly protagonist, check. Action packed, check. A-list cast, check!
Natalie Shaheen, Elizabeth Ludlow and Aisha Hinds agree that the movie boasts "kickass" women with powerful roles and are totally "taking the reins on this one."
Shaheen plays Lieutenant Bottin who is a "badass", in her own words.
Ludlow addresses her role of the First Lieutenant Griffin as "the pilot for the G-team who is strong and in charge." "I love the women empowerment," she adds.
Speaking about her role as Colonel Diane Foste, Aisha Hinds says, "The funny thing is the role that I play is the role that is reflective of something that does not exist in the world yet. A woman serving as a special forces officer, a green beret. There are a lot of women who have been able to go through the training process but they haven't been called to serve or given permission to serve, yet."
"So I think it is beautiful that we have taken the opportunity to put that thing on screen and make it tangible for the world. It is inspirational," the 43-year-old actress adds.
While women empowerment is a prominent theme in the film, the cast believes there are other factors that make the film great such as great cinematography and the metaphor behind the monster.
"The film obviously is epic and dangerous and exciting," says Shaheen, but her favorite part is how the film makes it relatable. "All the characters are really fleshed out and really easy to love and there's so much going on but I love the balance between it all. That's what Godzilla stands for right? Balance," explains Shaheen.
However, for Hinds, Alabama is the Godzilla of the real world today. Her comment comes after Alabama passed a bill making abortions illegal. "Godzilla is reflective of this idea, monster versus man, but when you think of the larger conversation in the world, who is the monster?" she asks, before answers "Alabama."
Millie Bobby Brown, who watched Godzilla two years ago, says that she and her team had "worked so hard" for the film and hopes the effort pays off. "I feel emotional," says the 'Stranger Things' star.
Ken Watanabe, the veteran Japanese actor who has been integral to the 'Godzilla' franchise since 2014, said this Godzilla is different than its predecessors, mainly because of the "mystery" this film entails. "The difference of this Godzilla movie is that it is so mysterious. My character cannot understand his feelings. We cannot believe, we cannot address, but we need to give to protect the humankind. It's so important," he concludes.
When Thomas Middleditch was asked why this film would be a "big summer blockbuster" and why this is the "best one" yet, he simply responded, "It's got Middleditch in there."
Those who watched the early screenings of the movie have not stopped raving about it. Numerous critics have hailed the film with JoBlo’s Paul Shirey calling the movie the "modern day Godzilla movie you’ve been waiting for."
"It’s everything the 2014 ‘Godzilla’ isn’t, while still retaining the best elements of that film and elevating them x 100. Monstrous action that rattles the theater," he tweeted.
Den of Geek’s David Crow called it "the craziest, most entertaining American kaiju movie in existence."