The sensory overload that is “Godzilla” is a mashup of human drama and delightful monster action that tries to be two things at once, but still stays true to the essence of Godzilla.

The latest in a long line of reboots of the classic movie monster Godzilla, the 2014 film is an attempt to return to the gritty, realistic original. The 1954 version of “Godzilla” showed the monster as a terrifying and unstoppable force of nature, starkly different from the majority of the franchise.

The new “Godzilla” aspires to recapture this feeling, but this goal is unattainable. The original movie came a mere nine years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was conceived in Japan at the perfect time to establish the dark allegory of nuclear holocaust. The American remake today cannot capture this emotion, and the movie suffers because of this.

Featuring Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody, a nuclear physicist looking for answers, and his son Lieutenant Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) the film establishes a personal drama that felt largely like a sideshow when juxtaposed to the action scenes.

The movie depicts the events following a catastrophe at a Japanese nuclear power plant, including Cranston’s attempts to uncover the truth of the disaster. It jumps to different locales including Hawaii, Las Vegas and San Francisco as the tension builds with humanity facing down destructive forces beyond their control.

The core of the movie is ultimately the impressive visuals and the monsters. Anything else deviates from the truly entertaining elements of the movie.

The movie delivers when it gets away from attempting to establish itself as a drama with human connections. From the first minute it never de-escalates, ramping up the suspense by veiling the reveal of the monsters. The action sequences are incredibly gratifying, and the reveal of the monster is undoubtedly jaw-dropping.

The cast is overflowing with talent but not one of them delivers a great performance. They are there, running from the massive monsters and attempting to save the city, but are forgotten as soon as they leave the screen.

One bright spot of the cast is Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, a researcher who finds himself in the middle and who helps to create a sense of awe in the audience as he reveres the force of nature that is Godzilla.

Director Gareth Edwards’ intent was to honor the brilliance of the original title, and while it falls short in a few aspects, this goal helped to drive what made the movie definitively “Godzilla”.

The monster that trods on our cities and smashes our pagodas year after year is back in a good way in the latest installment of “Godzilla.” The stunning visual effects and well-constructed action sequences create a thrilling and entertaining movie experience.

Unfortunately, the movie attempted to establish a personal drama that was not there, and the writing and the plot suffered as a result.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have already confirmed a sequel to the movie, which is a good sign for any fan of giant lizards this side of the Pacific.