Godzilla (2014) Rewrite

I have defended this movie and I will keep defending it to the end of time, Godzilla is an awesome epic story that should be appreciated as a perfect introduction to the King of the Monsters. However that doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge its flaws, and there’s a time where I think that a few things could have been changed in Gareth’s script which might have improved it. So I begin summarizing how an alternate plot might look like, and if it’s better.

[Spoilers Ahead]

Here is a probable version of the story if Bryan Cranston was the main character:

-          The prologue with Serizawa and Graham’s scene of them discovering the fossil at the Philippine mines should be kept as it is.

In Japan, Sandra Brody is busy preparing herself for an inspection on the Janjira nuclear power plant, concentrating at the seismic anomalies that’s been approaching the area. Her husband, Joseph Brody, is a recently retired General Officer of the USS army, who agrees to accompany his wife to the plant in order to hide a birthday surprise he’s been concocting behind Sandra for the evening day. During the inspection, the two chat through their walkie-talkies regarding their married life and whether or not they’re going to consider having a child. Sandra vaguely disagreed but promised to reveal something she has hid from him. Suddenly, earthquakes hit the site and violently broke the reactor causing leakage to spread through the corridor. The nuclear plant collapses.

-          The scene of Joseph locking the door and seeing his wife through the small window should be kept but with a twisted version. Instead of Sandra telling Joseph to take care of their son Ford, she should instead be saying these cryptic final words: “Joe, I’m sorry I lied to you. Please find my sister. She’ll tell you everything. Find her.” And the doors close.

Fifteen years later, Joseph Brody has rejoined the military, he has been deeply fixated around the secrecy it took to shroud the quarantine of Janjira, and is frustrated at the fact that his peers would not involve him at this top secret situation. Throughout the years he has found numerous pieces of data which clues to what it might be. Returning to Japan, he learns of a covert operation that would be happening sometime soon, which propels him to infiltrate the Q-Zone along with a lieutenant (A new original character) who has lived closely with him for years.

-          Joseph visits his ruined house in order to check the radiation levels, and discovering that they’re non-existent. He probes around solemnly reminded of the birthday party he was never able to have with Sandra.

Eventually Joseph and his partner were caught and brought to the facility which houses a giant cocoon. Joseph is interrogated and reveals his findings regarding the weird EMP phenomenon that has been pooling around the site, Ishiro Serizawa suspects General Brody's information might be useful. After an experimental error the MUTO is freed, delivering a gasping revelation to Joseph on what was actually responsible for the destruction of the nuclear plant and the death of his wife.

Because of the secrecy exposed, Serizawa invites Joseph and his lieutenant partner on the mission to stop the MUTOs at the USS Saratoga, and the relevant fact that there exists another form of creature that has roamed the oceans for millions of years. An apex predator that rises to hunt monsters that threaten nature’s sacred balance. Joseph imparts all of his research of his past ten years, and the strange echolocations which has been rippled back and forth. Joseph was sure that there was even more relevant data in his cache, and arranged a meeting with an officer at the Honolulu’s airport in Hawaii. Before they could meet however, the island suffers a blackout, and a MUTO attacks, as well as Godzilla rising from the sea and causing mayhem, roaring angrily to face his enemy.

-          This scene does not cut away, but instead returns to focus on Joseph not far from the battle. He saves a few people in the train, and then calls his friend in order to find him and retrieve his data cache while the monstrous battle of Godzilla and the male MUTO goes on around him. Joseph finds his friend and received his flash drive. Then the scene is switched to a news broadcasting how the fight between Godzilla and the MUTO ended inconclusively as both return to sea.

At the aftermath of the Hawaiian disaster, Joseph begins studying the data that was handed to him, unfolding another frightful revelation. Joseph contacts Serizawa, telling him on his findings as the Doctor hurries to check the sources, confirming him of his worst fears. Serizawa warns Admiral William Stenz that the male MUTO has been in contact with the female, and they will soon convene to reproduce.

-          The scene of the military finding out that the Female MUTO has left the containment site and attacking Las Vegas is kept. The military plans to destroy the MUTOs and Godzilla using powerful nuclear weapons after luring them hundreds of miles from the West Coast.

Joseph is contacted by Sandra’s sister, he discovers that he had a son with his wife all this time, and that she had kept the child away from him as she feared she would not be a proper mother with Joseph constantly on duty. Determined, Brody promises the sister to return to San Francisco and meet his son. With this surprising twist, Joseph and his partner are transported to the mainland, both deciding to join a team that is delivering nuclear bombs away from the female MUTOs rampaging through California.

-          Around here we see more backstory of Serizawa, and his relationship with his father who lost his parents during the Hiroshima bombing. Giving him a stopwatch on his deathbed which was handed down since his great-grandfather.

The train is attacked by the female MUTO and managing to devour one of the bombs in the cargo, Joseph delivers a plan which manages to lure the female far enough to distract her from the other weapon hiding under the mud from the collapsed train. By morning break, the military arrives and retrieves the last nuke as the few survivors are brought to an encampment in Oakland where they strategize their next move. The military commanders plan to evacuate San Francisco but fear that it is too late.

-          Godzilla attacks the Golden Gate (Ford’s son is not in the school bus). The male MUTO captures the retrieved nuclear weapon and delivers it as a trophy to the female in their meeting.

After losing the last nuclear warhead, Admiral Stenz and General Brody convene a final plan for a HALO jump and retrieve the nuke at the downtown area before it detonates. Brody and Serizawa discuss one last time on the shocking facts they uncovered, that the MUTOs that have awakened aren’t the only ones. More throughout the world are quietly stirring. “You’re saying I should tell them?” Says Joseph. “No. You have a lot on your mind. I will brief it myself after this is over.” Replies Ishiro.

-          Meanwhile Godzilla rises to face the male MUTO. A woman calls desperately for her son as the battle clashes and buildings fall apart all around them, killing hundreds of onlookers and panicked citizens.

-          Joseph and his partner, along with the survivors of the Bridge Attack prepare themselves for the HALO jump as the battle roars furiously in the hellish city. Joseph looks at a picture of his wife one last time, for a son waiting for him.

Landing safely, the squad approaches the MUTO nest and uncovered hundreds of eggs while Godzilla continues to battle the male MUTO until he is ambushed by the female. Both of them delivered explosive EMP blasts on his body, painfully pinning him on the ground. The group removed the bomb out of the nest while Joseph destroys it by erupting a tank of gasoline. With the female distracted, Godzilla pins the male MUTO, immobile and screeching on the ground.

Eventually, Joseph finds that his group are mercilessly killed carrying the bomb to safety, as well as his partner, he suddenly realizes that the timer was set too soon to detonate and would give off in a matter of minutes, which would not be enough time to bring it anywhere far away from the city. Brody desperately contacts Sandra’s sister so that he could hear his son’s voice for the first and last time. After a short brief innocent talk, he hangs up. Awaiting beside the bomb for the end.

The female MUTO now turns her attention towards Joseph, suspecting him of being the one responsible for the destruction of her nest, as Brody simply looks on calmly, Godzilla kneels down on the ground and ate the bomb beside him. Joseph stared ludicrously as Godzilla hovers above him with an atom warhead in its body just seconds away from detonation. The timer ticks down to zero and a bright red light emerged from Godzilla’s spines but slowly wanes. Godzilla steps back a few, clearly taken aback by the sheer blast inside him, after an emotionless standoff the fins begin glowing blue one by one as Godzilla rapidly regains his strength and blasts an atomic breath at the female MUTO at full force.

The female is weakened, the male arrives to help and distracts Godzilla from the female. The female turns her attention towards Joseph and attempts to attack him as he runs from her towards the docks. Godzilla kills the male by slamming him on the building and collapsing the skyscraper on top of it. Joseph gets on a boat and starting it with little success, he could not bring it away far until the female catches up and finally corners him. However, Godzilla’s rapid intervention saves Brody from his imminent demise, blasting the female’s throat with a kiss of death using his remaining breath. He roars triumphantly.

Joseph looks on from the boat as Godzilla collapses in exhaustion and weakness. (A nuclear weapon exploded inside him for crying out loud)

-          The next morning, Joseph awaits in a stadium trying desperately to find his wife’s sister, but afraid that she did not survive the attack. In a struck of fortune they meet, and an 11 year old boy hugs his father.

-          Ishiro Serizawa looks at a seemingly dead Godzilla, and stared at nature’s sheer might. But Godzilla awakens and slowly walks back to the sea with the world in awe of the existence of an impossible animal.

“The world beholds the King of the Monsters. A savior or destroyer? I do not know, we can only be grateful that Mother Earth has spared us of her fury today. Nature unleashed her greatest wonder. But we are yet to be tested. He is her warning to us.” – Ishiro Serizawa narrating the ending.