I came in with low-to-moderate expectations, and they were marginally exceeded, which made for an all-in-all satisfying experience.

I disagree with you on the inclusion of the two girls in the movie. They served as human avatars for the monsters. MBB's character has unwavering faith in Godzilla, similarly with the deaf girl. They became emotional connections to the monsters, and I think they succeeded in that aspect.

To that point, I took my wife and kids to the movie, and it was the plot lines of those two girls that made the experience not suck for her.