The film begins with a montage of archival footage showing nuclear tests in the 1950s, which are revealed to be attempts to kill a giant creature. In 1999, scientists Joe Brody and his wife Sandra work at the Janjira nuclear plant in Japan. A mysterious seismic activity causes a reactor breach, leading to Sandra’s death and the evacuation of the plant. The area is subsequently quarantined.

Fifteen years later, Joe’s son, Ford Brody, now a Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer, returns to San Francisco after a tour of duty. He is called to Japan to bail out his estranged father, who has been trespassing in the quarantine zone, obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the disaster. Joe believes the event was not a natural disaster but a cover-up for something more sinister.

Joe and Ford discover that the area is not radioactive as claimed, and they retrieve data from the plant. They are arrested and taken to a facility inside the plant ruins where a giant winged creature, referred to as a MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), is being studied. The MUTO escapes, causing destruction, and Joe is critically injured and later dies.

The MUTO travels to the United States, wreaking havoc and feeding on radiation. Another MUTO, this one larger and female, is discovered in Nevada. Meanwhile, ancient alpha predator Godzilla emerges from the ocean, tracking the MUTOs. Monarch, a secret organization, reveals that Godzilla is an ancient creature that has been around for millions of years and that the MUTOs are parasitic creatures that feed on radiation.

Godzilla and the MUTOs converge on San Francisco. Ford joins a military team to disarm a nuclear bomb that the MUTOs have taken, intending to use it to reproduce. Godzilla battles both MUTOs in a massive confrontation. Despite being overwhelmed, Godzilla manages to kill both creatures, saving the city from further destruction. Ford successfully removes the bomb, preventing a nuclear catastrophe.

After the battle, Godzilla, believed to be dead, awakens and returns to the ocean. The media hails Godzilla as a hero, the “King of the Monsters,” who restored balance to nature. Ford reunites with his wife and son, relieved that the immediate threat has passed.

“Godzilla” (2014) reimagines the classic monster’s story, focusing on humanity’s struggle to coexist with nature’s most powerful forces and the emergence of Godzilla as a protector against other colossal threats.