Star Wars Spin-Off: 10 Lessons Gareth Edwards Must Learn From Godzilla

4. Don't Underuse The Actors

Whether you liked Godzilla or not, everyone can agree that the underuse of Bryan Cranston was near criminal, especially after the advertising portrayed him as a character of greater significance. He brought such emotion and gravitas to the film that his leaving a third of the way through drained the film of its emotional resonance. It is a perfect example of what a great actor can bring to a film, and what happens when their role is cut short. This point extends beyond Cranston, as pretty much every actor in Godzilla is a top talent given little to do. Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Elizabeth Olsen, and Juliette Binoche are all fantastic actors, and while their presence does elevate the material somewhat, it never goes beyond that because they're never able to flex their acting muscles. Perhaps it isn't fair to bring this point up, as it is more of a script issue than the fault of Gareth Edwards, but hopefully he at least noticed the reaction and took it as a lesson learned. If you've got an actor of high caliber that you feel contributes to the film to the point where there is a visceral sense of loss when they are under-utilised, keep them around and give them proper emotional depth. If the characters of Godzilla had been given greater depth beyond their role in the plot, the cast would have turned in powerful performances, and the film would have been more powerful as a result. Given past experience, we can expect Gareth to obtain another stellar cast for the Star Wars spin-off. Whomever he casts, he and the scriptwriter need to collaborate so as to give them the material with which they can shine. Star Wars will be all the better for it, and Gareth will improve as a director. Everybody wins. We also need...