‘Godzilla’: Big Fun for Special Effects Fans

In “Godzilla,” a skyscraper-tall amphibian with fiery breath emerges from the water and ravages Manhattan. Matthew Broderick is the wide-eyed scientist who learns that Godzilla is ready to have babies as the military prepares to attack it. Rated PG-13.

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Most kids love Godzilla. They love its whippy tail, its spiky back, its teeth the size of a Cadillac hood.

Youngsters, especially the smallest ones, were so taken with the mutant lizard during a recent screening in Fullerton that they conveniently overlooked the movie’s silly plot and paint-by-numbers acting. When it comes to flicks such as “Godzilla,” special effects rule.

Hugh Gibbs, 7, of Fullerton, was so impressed by the monster, sort of a T. Rex times 10, he was speechless. Prodded, the boy said, “He is great and scary!”

The technology that created Godzilla makes for some startling moments. The monster butts heads with large boats and knocks down immense structures, such as the Chrysler Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. Godzilla swings its muscle-bound tail, and rows of tenements are sliced through.

When Godzilla decides it’s time to build a nest for its hundreds of soon-to-hatch eggs (the monster is asexual), it takes over Madison Square Garden by shoving its way through a back wall. And when the lizard wants to hide (not an easy thing), it burrows into the city’s subway system.

Michael Espinosa, 13, of Tustin thought it was all very cool. “It seemed very real. It was amazing how he just wrecked that city.”

Some teens looked beyond the movie’s sensational effects. Given close scrutiny, “Godzilla” came up lame in plot and character development.

Ann Reid, 15, of Fullerton thought the romance between Broderick’s character and a spunky journalist (Maria Pitillo) was cliched and annoying. “They just stuck them together [because] they think we need to see some love or something,” Ann groused. “It was boring.”

Sixteen-year-old Yorba Linda resident Mark Purvin agreed: “That was stupid. A lot of the movie was stupid, [but] I still had fun when Godzilla was around.”

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PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE: No blood is spilled in “Godzilla,” just the suggestion of it as the beast stomps around New York City, squashing taxi after taxi and everything else in its path. Diane Gibbs, mother of Hugh, appreciated the picture’s relative restraint, although she did think very young children might be unnerved by the intense visuals.

Gibbs’ main criticism centered on how slow “Godzilla” is when the monster is out of the picture and several poorly conceived characters are emphasized.

“There were long gaps where I found myself wandering,” she said. “That’s not a good sign, for an adult or anybody.”