By far the most legitimate criticism of the new Godzilla is how flat and mediocre the human characters are. While they aren't completely stupid or annoying, they are forgettable and offer nothing new or interesting. The performances from the main cast aren't bad, but the script doesn't give them anything to do. Some have argued that this is the point, which is an intriguing argument, but one that doesn't hold much water given how much the cast and story had been elevated prior to release. It is clear Gareth Edwards wants you to care about the characters, it just doesn't really work. With the sequel comes the chance to rectify this mistake and give us a human cast that the audience can truly care about. Most would agree that an entirely new cast is needed, with the exception of Dr. Serizawa, who is the most interesting character and needs to be explored more. The sequel should delve more into his past, which we only got a hint at. Clearly he has some connection to Godzilla, so the next movie should explain that. And if they insist on keeping the same core cast for the sequel, then the writers really have to step up their game and give more depth to them. The more we care about the people involved, the more impact the catastrophic events of the story will have on the audience. This doesn't mean that they necessarily have to be heroic or be of any consequence to the monsters, but that we just have to care. While the venom thrown at the characters borders on the hyperbolic, the fact is that we were promised compelling characters and the film failed to live up to that promise. It doesn't make the film terrible because everything else about it is so good, but there is no doubt that had the cast lived up to expectations, this Godzilla would be universally loved. For the sequel, whether the cast is old or new, attention needs to be paid towards developing people with the depth and charisma found in the best of blockbusters. What do you think should be in the Godzilla sequel? Let us know in the comments.
