Godzilla | What to Watch

With Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the hero, cinema's legendary fire-breathing giant reptile goes on the rampage again

With Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the hero, cinema's legendary fire-breathing giant reptile goes on the rampage again.

Hollywood's second crack at remaking the classic 1950s Japanese monster movie is a much better attempt than 1998's lumbering effort. The special effects are awesome, albeit lacking the cheesy charm of the original's man in a rubber suit, and prove that British director Gareth Edwards can handle a blockbuster budget after the paltry resources of his inventive 2010 debut Monsters.

However, the story's human drama fails to match the monster mayhem. Too much time is spent with Taylor-Johnson's US navy bomb disposal expert and the gargantuan acting talents of the impressive supporting cast - Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, David Straithairn and Sally Hawkins - largely goes to waste.