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With some pacing issues and a runtime over two hours, the latest Godzilla film stalls out occasionally, but it still delivers compelling character drama and massive monster battles. While things do start off with a bang, it’s actually quite some time before the action starts up again. The story drags a little bit here, but the characters and the plot are interesting enough to keep you invested. The film struggles the most in the final act, as it seems to take a few big time-outs before moving on to the huge kaiju fight that the movie has been building up to. (It should also be noted the Godzilla barely appears in this movie, so that makes the wait for the climax feel like it takes even longer.) That climactic battle, and the special effects overall are solid, despite some of the green screen shots sticking out too much. Like the previous film in this franchise, they do a fantastic job of exploring the toll on humans caught in the crossfire of angry skyscraper-sized monsters.
*** out of *****