Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when an ancient alpha predator arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.
Direction
Edwards hides the monsters like Jaws—every glimpse feels earned.
Sound
That ROAR. Redesigned from the original, played through 100-year-old speakers.
Cinematography
Human-scale POV shots make 350 feet feel incomprehensibly vast.
Director
Gareth Edwards
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Ford Brody
Elizabeth Olsen
Elle Brody
Juliette Binoche
Sandra Brody
Bryan Cranston
Joe Brody
Ken Watanabe
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Sally Hawkins
Dr. Vivienne Graham
Al Sapienza
Huddleston
David Strathairn
Admiral William Stenz
James Pizzinato
HALO Jumper
CJ Adams
Young Ford
Richard T. Jones
Captain Russell Hampton
Victor Rasuk
Tre Morales
Patrick Sabongui
Master Sargeant Marcus Waltz
Carson Bolde
Sam Brody
Jared Keeso
Jump Master
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The HALO jump sequence was shot practically with real skydivers; the red smoke trails were added digitally to show spiraling air currents.
Toho approved this American reboot only after seeing Edwards' indie film Monsters, which proved he could do creature-feature restraint on a budget.
US
