You need to watch the most thrilling monster movie before it leaves HBO Max this week

Mention Godzilla to an American audience, and you’re likely to see recognition but not reverence.

It’s not terribly surprising, given the famed kaiju series’ history in America.

The 1954 original was heavily edited for American audiences, removing references to the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan and contaminating oceans with nuclear tests.

Dozens of Godzilla movies have been released in Japan from the ‘50s to the present day, but they remain little known in the U.S., depriving audiences of the kaiju’s context.

Moviegoers expecting a nonstop kaiju battle from Edwards’ Godzilla may have been surprised to see the focus so firmly placed on the puny humans in the monster’s path.

On the other hand, the on-the-ground plot isn’t the most original, somewhat wasting the talents of skilled actors like Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, and Bryan Cranston.

Despite being underwritten, Godzilla’s human characters make the toll of its kaiju attacks clear — which is more poignant given that human activity directly led to their awakening, as in the original film.

Godzilla cleverly frames out or obscures the action so often it’s almost a running joke, but even that enhances the moments when kaiju take center stage.