"Godzilla (1998)" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Spideyzilla]

Size Does Matter



Philippe Roache: "What did you see, old man?"
Japanese Sailor: "Gojira... Gojira.... Gojira!"

Release Date: May 20th, 1998
Studio: Centropolis Films productions, Columbia Tristar
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Harry Shearer, Arabella Field, Vicki Lewis, Doug Savant
Plot Summary: Nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean by France fifty years ago has taken its toll. A marine iguana has mutated from the radiation into a gigantic monster: Godzilla. When Godzilla comes to New York, all havoc breaks loose. Only Dr. Nick Tatopolous with the combined might of the army and his former love Audrey Timmonds can save New York. However, Nick discovers a terrible secret: Godzilla has just given birth to hundreds of babies! With the combined might, Godzilla's species will continue to grow, taking over the world!

View the trailers here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120685/trailers

Comments?

[mr.happy]

A somewhat entertaining monster movie and unfairly labeled box office flop, considering that it made more money than a movie like Batman Begins, even before we adjust for inflation. I'd take Godzilla any day over Cloverfield.

[GregX]

'NUFF SAID!

The Id4 crew succeeded at another cinematic abortion.

[bronzetar]

godzilla 1998 is rip off of toho 's godzilla - i glad see real godzilla is back for miiliuem movies

[Spideyzilla]

godzilla 1998 is rip off of toho 's godzilla - i glad see real godzilla is back for miiliuem movies

It's only a rumor, Toho might have ended Godzilla,but I doubt it.

[Bloody Marquis]

Well, I thought it was dull beyond belief. But still, I just think that the Godzilla fanboys are being too harsh. It's an Emmerich-Devlin film with advertising that focused solely on Zilla's size, there was no way it would meet anybody's expectations. If you don't like it, don't watch it.

[Chiptooth]

IMO the Fox cartoon was better; the producers of that show did just about everything right that Emmerlich and Devlin did wrong.

[GregX]

IMO the Fox cartoon was better.

I have seen exactly one episode of that show. While I didn't like it, I still agree with you.

[Spideyzilla]

I have seen exactly one episode of that show. While I didn't like it, I still agree with you.

Give it a chance, it's a great show, with a lot of fun. It's sort of like Toho Godzilla in Zilla's body. My brother hates cartoons, and he likes the show.

[Ishtar]

Release Date: May 20th, 2008

I think you mean May 20th, 1998. Otherwise this movie would have been released earlier this year...

[Michael24]

Awful movie. While I wasn't expecting greatness, I was nevertheless hugely disappointed. From the Jurassic Park and King Kong rip-offs to the nerve-grating Maria Pitillo (heck, even Matthew Broderick was terribly miscast), this was just an awful awful movie. Okay, the opening credits looked cool with the old news reel footage, but that was it.

[Baltofan]

*** stars worth.

10 years nostalgic.

[Spideyzilla]

Here are some comparisons (I don't know why, just want some opinions)

Godzilla Toho












Sony Godzilla








And the cartoon:





1998 Godzilla looks nothing like Godzilla, but is still VERY VERY VERY COOL!

[Darklordavaitor]

Boy, do you remember all that fish? Wasn't that exciting?

[soundmonkey44]

Theres only ONE real Godzilla & thats the TOHO Godzilla, But the U.S. movie was still pretty good...To bad Ideas for a sequel got canned. Frankly i think "Zillas" (us godzillas) best work is when he gets killed by the real big G in like 5 seconds in Godzilla final wars! LOL!

[The Weed Of Cri]

I didn't really mind that the Emmerichs' Godzilla didn't look like Toho's Godzilla. After all, Toho made a new Godzilla suit every two or three films (all that latex and foam rubber doesn't store well) and as a result, Godzilla's appearance has changed more over the last half-century than James Bond.

But that is about the only thing about this movie that I can forgive. For me, it failed on just about every other level: from the lack of menace (this Godzilla was much less durable than the original) to the stupid plot holes (such as Matthew Broderick's character finding a pharmacy to buy 20 pregnancy tests in the middle of the night in the middle of city that had just been EVACUATED), to the strip mining of stupid action-film cliches, to the fact that neither the director nor anyone in the cast seem interested in treating the source material as anything other than a big smirky joke.

To me, this version will always be GINO: Godzilla In Name Only.

[Spideyzilla]

I didn't really mind that the Emmerichs' Godzilla didn't look like Toho's Godzilla. After all, Toho made a new Godzilla suit every two or three films (all that latex and foam rubber doesn't store well) and as a result, Godzilla's appearance has changed more over the last half-century than James Bond.

But that is about the only thing about this movie that I can forgive. For me, it failed on just about every other level: from the lack of menace (this Godzilla was much less durable than the original) to the stupid plot holes (such as Matthew Broderick's character finding a pharmacy to buy 20 pregnancy tests in the middle of the night in the middle of city that had just been EVACUATED), to the strip mining of stupid action-film cliches, to the fact that neither the director nor anyone in the cast seem interested in treating the source material as anything other than a big smirky joke.

To me, this version will always be GINO: Godzilla In Name Only.

He bought the tests in New Jersey, which did not seem to be evacuated, but the mood WAS rather light. Also, how could he have known Godzilla was pregnant?

[DarthGonzo]

But that is about the only thing about this movie that I can forgive. For me, it failed on just about every other level: from the lack of menace (this Godzilla was much less durable than the original) to the stupid plot holes (such as Matthew Broderick's character finding a pharmacy to buy 20 pregnancy tests in the middle of the night in the middle of city that had just been EVACUATED), to the strip mining of stupid action-film cliches, to the fact that neither the director nor anyone in the cast seem interested in treating the source material as anything other than a big smirky joke.

I'd post, but this pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly.

[John Pannozzi]

To me, this version will always be GINO: Godzilla In Name Only.

I say, don't use the name "GINO", use the Toho-approved "Zilla" (which, perhaps appropriatly rhymes with "vanilla").

[AdamYJ]

1998 Godzilla looks nothing like Godzilla, but is still VERY VERY VERY COOL!

True, especially when you consider that traditional Godzilla is kind of a pear-shaped creature that dragged its tail. I respect the classics and all, but there are flaws in the design.

The thing that folks have to understand is that, when Hollywood people make an adaptation of something with a big name, but a niche following, not everything that the fans think is important will be kept because Hollywood producers are not fans. For example, someone told me that one of the big things with Godzilla is that he doesn't back down. In the movies where he's the villian, he doesn't stop until he's destroyed everything. In the movies where he fights other monsters, he doesn't stop until he wins or is killed. Now, here's the thing, I know Godzilla by name, I've watched a few of his movies. However, I can guarantee you that when I was 9-years-old and stumbled on a Godzilla movie on cable, I did not put that much thought into it. I just thought "Giant monster. Cool." Same goes for movie executives. They're aiming for people who are not fans or followers. They're aiming for people who will look at the movie and just say "Giant monster. Cool." and recognize the name.

It sucks, but it's true. This way of making movies can even result in films that some consider to be classics. For instance, I'm a pretty big Tarzan fan. I've read the first four books (which are basically the only ones that have any consistent story flowing between them). And I will tell you that Tarzan does not talk in monosyllabic, broken English, that he does not have a pet chimp named Cheetah, that Jane is not British and that his son is named Korak, not "Boy". And yet, my dad thinks otherwise. That's because he grew up watching the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies on TV, as did about a few hundred other people who grew up in the '50s.

Sometimes you just have to face that people aren't making movies for the preexisting fans.