Godzilla
Movie, 2014, Discovery, Set in 2014
Godzilla is #1 of 7 in release order and #2 of 7 in chronological order in the MonsterVerse.
The story
Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when an ancient alpha predator arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.
Godzilla recap
In 1999, an incident at a Japanese nuclear plant kills Sandra Brody, wife of the plant's engineer Joe. Fifteen years later Joe is still obsessed with the cover-up, and his son Ford, a Navy bomb disposal officer, flies to Japan to bail him out. In the quarantine zone they find that Monarch has been studying a chrysalis that feeds on radiation. It hatches into a winged creature, a MUTO, and Joe is killed. Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham explain that an ancient predator, Godzilla, has been hidden since 1954, when atomic tests were really attempts to kill him. A second, larger female MUTO awakens in Nevada, and the two head to San Francisco to breed, while Godzilla rises to hunt them. The military plans to lure them with a nuclear warhead, and Ford joins the mission.
Godzilla ending explained
Godzilla fights the MUTOs in San Francisco. Ford burns their nest and gets the warhead onto a boat out of the city before it detonates, while Godzilla kills the male and finishes the female by blasting his atomic breath down her throat. Godzilla collapses, then wakes and returns to the sea. Ford reunites with his wife and son, and the news hails Godzilla as the savior of the city.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Godzilla
Godzilla is streaming on fuboTV and Paramount+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 76%
Where it fits
- Release order: first, before Kong: Skull Island.
- Chronological order: after Kong: Skull Island, before Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
What to watch before Godzilla
Nothing. Godzilla is the first of the MonsterVerse essentials, so it's the place to start.
Cast
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ford Brody
- Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody
- Juliette Binoche as Sandra Brody
- Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody
- Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
- Sally Hawkins as Dr. Vivienne Graham
- Al Sapienza as Huddleston
- David Strathairn as Admiral William Stenz
- James Pizzinato as HALO Jumper
- CJ Adams as Young Ford
- Richard T. Jones as Captain Russell Hampton
- Victor Rasuk as Tre Morales
Directed by Gareth Edwards.