Godzilla: 13 Moments That Prove It's The Stupidest Great Film Of 2014

6. Won't Someone Think Of The Kids... Or The Dog?

The finest indication that Edwards' human element is never quite as well phrased as he probably aimed for comes in the sledge hammer heavy use of images of innocence to try and reinforce the terror of escalating situations. At no stage are we allowed to come to the conclusion that everything is getting a little bit serious, as instead the director chooses to try and transmit that sense through the children who stand like flagpoles in every tense scene. It apparently isn't enough for Ford to be in trouble, or Joe when he's still around, we have to truly believe that the monster romps will come at a human cost, and clearly the best way to translate that is in the doe-eyes of kids who are in no way related to the plot. Or a dog, tied up on a beach as the Godzilla swell approaches, but miraculously outruns the wave of death (probably only to be washed away a few seconds later.) The whole trend is indicative of Edwards' paint by numbers sentimentalism: he even adds a new character to the scene where a MUTO attacks a train carrying Ford home, because he clearly doesn't have the confidence that Ford's condition will be gripping enough. He has to literally borrow a child to amp the feeling up (unsuccessfully), and then as soon as the drama subsides, the kid disappears back to his parents.