10. Keep Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards is a fantastic visual storyteller. Monsters proved that Edwards knows how to frame and compose beautiful shots, and Godzilla only further proved this, showing that given enough money this talent is magnified a thousand fold. There are moments of sheer breathtaking visual poetry in Godzilla; a sense of scale and awe. Edwards knows how to film action so that you never lose the sense that these beasts dwarf us, and that goes a long way into making the situation feel real and immediate. Not once do you ever forget that the monsters are 300 feet tall. Not a frame is wasted. Despite the size of everything, you never lose sense of who is who or what is going on. The entire Hawaii sequence from beginning to end is a perfectly directed piece of suspense and action; something we rarely see in modern summer blockbusters. The fact is that all the successful elements of the film can be contributed to Gareth Edwards' direction. His influence is what elevates the average story and script into something special. It would be a huge mistake to drop him as director for the sequel. Yes, his tendency to lean towards teasing the audience irritates towards the end of the film, but this is a minor criticism considering what he accomplished as a whole. He needs to stay on as director for the sequel, especially considering his enthusiasm for doing so. As long as he takes the criticisms to heart, he will do a great job. With that being said...