Godzilla

Rating:
Summary: Let's get a couple of things straight...
Review: First, this is not a Godzilla film. I don't state that because I'm some sort of traditional Toho Godzilla zealot, I say it because this film really has nothing in it that connects it in any way to the Godzilla franchise. The creature in this film is a slender, fleet-footed lizard that doesn't have atomic breath, doesn't fight a monster adversary, and doesn't try to cause destruction. It's just a dinosaur-creature. I think that these facts explain why a lot of traditional Godzilla fans were, to put it mildly, very disappointed. This film is not at all geared toward Godzilla fans, which raises the question of why it uses the name "Godzilla" at all. I mean, if the film doesn't appeal to them, and if the name is going to turn away people who don't like the traditional Godzilla movies, then what's the purpose of calling it Godzilla instead of establishing a new franchise? Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but I can suggest the following: Had the film been a success, it could have spawned a Hollywood Godzilla franchise separate from the Toho one. Traditional Godzilla fans may be glad that didn't happen, but they must recognize that Toho did it. I mean, some people love the original Godzilla but despise the goofy series of movies in the late 1960s that included, e.g., "Godzilla vs. Megalon". And with regard to adhering to Godzilla traditions, remember how Godzilla was able to fly using his atomic breath as propulsion in his battle with Hedorah the smog monster? The bottom line is that there is a Toho Godzilla film for every type of traditional Godzilla fan to hate. With that said, I think the producers of this film may be guilty of arrogance and condescension in rejecting every feature of the Toho Godzilla films, but that doesn't mean that the end product can't be a great addition to the Godzilla legacy.

Okay, so I said in my above title that I wanted to get a couple of things straight. The first was that this film isn't in any way related to traditional Godzilla films, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's terrible. The critical second thing to get straight is that this movie does happen to be very bad. I can only believe that the positive reviews listed with this review must have been written by people connected to the producers because I have yet to meet anyone who strongly liked it. Most, like me, think it's a maudlin story about unappealing characters with occasional special effects exercises involving a big lizard. In fact, many people found it insultingly patronizing: The exploitation of the Godzilla name, the pandering (and awkward) inclusion of the Jean Reno character once it was decided that it would debut at Cannes, the rip-off of Jurassic Park at the end, the sickly and manipulative relationships between Broderick and just about every other character (including the lizard), and most of all the deviation between the heavily promoted nature of the film and the actual film itself. It really is a very bad movie.

Rating:
Summary: A huge contemptable dud
Review: A noisy confused mess of picture. Nobody can act, the special effects are lazy at best(the beast seems to be able to change size at will) and the story seems to be some half assed viet-nam allegory: A French problem that will overrun the earth unless they can somehow get the beast into the open where the air force can destroy it.
Yes it's just a Monster movie but Monster moives have rules as rigid as those of grand opera, if you voilate them you'd better have a reason. This film doesn't. For example:
1. Monsters must be big and fierce (the Jaws rule)
I don't know who designed the creature in this film but the big dumb lower jaw makes it look like it's deformed. Add that it eats fish like a cat out of a bowl and spends a lot of time running away and hiding and you tend to undercut the menace of the creature.
2. Obnxious people must be killed (the Jurassic Park rule).
It's part of the guilty pleasures of monster movies that creeps get killed in horrible ways. Didn't happen here. You wait and wait and no. Nothing.
3. The Monster is the star (the King Kong Rule)
We spend far to much time seeing the stupid romance between Mr. Broderick (who is awful) and the female lead (who is worse). who cares.
A final note - if you are going to rip of a film sequence like this moive did with the baby Godzillas don't rip off a film that everybody already saw the year before (Jurassic Park II) (the odessa steps rule)
The film fails because of it's contempt for the viewer. Just a crass attempt to make money off of stupid monster movie fans. Judging by the contempt this film has generated from the fans (sony had to shut down the chat room for this picture) and that there will be no sequel ever, it may be the fans were smarter then they thought.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good movie..........but not Godzilla
Review: I think this movie would have been better accepted under a different title. While the monster is very well done and the action and special FX are great, its just not Godzilla. Fans of the "real" Gojilla will most likely be disapointed but all in all a pretty enjoyable film.

Rating:
Summary: Size Does Matter in this highly underrated film!
Review: It's been almost five years since this film came out back in 1998. I can remember the very first TV Spot on television around New Years. As a HUGE Godzilla fan I was excited to say the least. And I must tell you, when I saw it when it finally came out I wasn't dissapointed, and to this day I still feel the same way.

It's a darn shame that this film gets blasted like it does. It shows me that the majority of the people (and Godzilla fans) that take the time to write reviews for films probably don't know what they are talking about when they talk of America's "Godzilla".

There are a couple of main issues critics and Godzilla fans have with the film. The story and the monster itself, 'Godzilla'.

If you look back at all of the original Japanese Godzilla flicks, you aren't going to find a great (not to mention BELIEVABLE) story or plot. I realize this, even being a fan of all things Godzilla. Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich's 'Godzilla' atleast, in my opinion, had the audience believing what was going on up on the screen. And if the story was slightly dull to some of you, you should let it pass. Remember what 'Godzilla' is about, afterall.

And what was wrong with the monster itself, Godzilla? Nothing. If you get two action figures, one being a model of the original Godzilla from the Japanese series and a model of the new American Godzilla you will find differences but both are remarkably alike in alot of ways. They both have the spikes, gigantic size, and famous roar. The major differences being the skin color, face, and longer legs. I loath it when people bring up how they shouldn't have changed Godzilla's looks. I mean, I love the old Godzilla look, it may be silly to some, but to me it's still cool. But it would NOT have worked for this film at ALL. If they had made the American version with a creature that had big 'googily' eyes and flying around on his tail kicking monsters, it would have ended up being a laugh-fest at the theaters.

What the American 'Godzilla' brings us is a believable monster that has the spirit and characteristics of the original, that satisfies the audience. It was just more realistic. Shouldn't we have expected that? Devlin and Emmerich came up with a monster that was realistic. Something the creators of the original attempted at doing but were limited to rubber suits. Something the Japanese audience accepts, but the American audience will not. It's sad that most Godzilla fans and critics do not understand this.

I personally believe that the majority of the general audience ENJOYED this film. It's just the critical blasting from G Fans and Critics that got alot of attention, unfortunately, and therefore this gets labeled as a 'bad' film. It's sad really that people can't enjoy this film.

This is one of my favorite DVD's to plug in. It's Big, Loud, and Fun. And although we've had lots of great films with tons of Special Effects, there's nothing quite like it.

So take a look at it, be open and I'm sure you will enjoy the fantastic pop-corn entertainment known as "GODZILLA".

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother buying it without a torch in hand.
Review: They should've left the king of monsters to the Japanese. Atleast they could convince a guy to burn up in a hot suit while giving one [heck] of a show. The only times I liked the movie was when Broderick was nose to nose with Godzilla and when Godzilla jumped onto a building and did a classic roar to the skies.

Bottom line, read the review title. And the only reason I posted 1 star is cuz I couldn't leave it blank.

Rating:
Summary: ¿ú¿{ Godzilla ¿¿s much better...
Review: I don't know where to begin...Hollywood strikes again. The powers that be decided to "improve" the appearance of an already aesthetically pleasing icon. Then, for months and months, the media made us endure hours of "this is not your daddy's Godzilla. This is new and improved."

I was disappointed to see the result...a giant iguana!

The "instant Godzilla" comes across like, "sugar, butter and artificial, instant junk food" recipes. (Compared to products that have real ingredients and where the process is just as important as the results).

What a waste of film. I saw the 2000 movie from Japan. Not the best but still a sigh of relief.

I hope Hollywood did a better job when they remade "The Ring."

Rating:
Summary: PooPooers are missing the point
Review: This movie is a hoot. Anyone who claims it takes away from the original needs to have their head examined.

The japanese Godzilla movies are just plain awful. Even the camp was bad.

This movie is all around silly fun action with some pretty good special effects and a great send up of lots of action/monster movies of the past.

Granted the Godzilla monster needed to be more cumbersome (actuallly the baby zillas were better proportioned).

The cast performs well and has fairly good comedic timing and the movie keeps rolling with little if any dead air.

This is no English Patient (now that was a dull boring lifeless film), nor is it Gone with the Wind. But it is not supposed to be.

Frankly it is better than Episode 1.

Yes it is not the man in rubber suit and cheap polystyrene buildings of the Japanese Godzilla films (thank God) but frankly no Japanese Godzilla was ever worthy of adoration.

It is a reinterpratation of shlock movies and as such it is leaps and bounds better than what it is based on.

Make sure you bring lots of popcorn and check your brain and hangups at the door.

Rating:
Summary: T' was commercialism that killed the beast !
Review: This is not Godziila, perhaps a giant lizard attacking NYC, but those are two different things.
I love the campiness, bad dubbing, and low tech effects of the early (real) Godzilla flicks but most of all I love the SPIRIT that those films were made with.
This high-tech 1998 mis-named Godzilla movie is just a long string of computer effects, corporate sponsors and overall emptiness. No spirit or purpose (other than $$$) whatsoever.
A product for the indiscriminate masses.

Rating:
Summary: THIS MOVIE RUINED MY LIFE!
Review: My tale is a tragic one. Back in 1997, I was putting in my final year as film critic for our high-school newspaper,The Apple Valley Sunshine Times. With exams looming and only a few short weeks to go in my stint as a high-school senior, I would soon be off pursuing my dream of becoming the world's foremost collector of antique rubber snakes. Before that, though, I owed the paper one more review. That review of course, was for "GODZILLA," the big "event" picture of 1997. Naturally,

being "press," I was going to the "sneak," and my classmates, while understandably envious, were still eager to hear my verdict on the summer's "big bopper." As you might expect, the theater was jammed to capacity, with a surprising number of females in attendance; I hadn't anticipated a movie about a "giant lizard" appealing to the fairer sex. Anyhow, with popcorn and soda in hand, I settled into my customary back-row, center seat, heart-pumping as this hype-heavy, special-effects extravaganza began unspooling before my eyes...and THAT's where it all went wrong. Almost immediately I realized WHY there were so many women in the audience - this wasn't a movie about a giant, [angry] lizard terrorizing the Big Apple, it was some "chick flick" starring Sandra Bullock - I was in the WRONG theater!
Frantically, all sorts of scenarios began playing out in my head. Remember, I had a column due, and I had to deliver. Because of my situation, I ill-advisedly decided to review the lizard picture sight-unseen; with all the hype, how could this film possibly miss? Immediately my typewriter began birthing quick, incisive catchphrases like, "GIGANTIC FUN!," and "Bigger Than JAWS and ORCA combined!" I truly thought I had pulled my fat from the fire. Then, while I was still busy patting myself on the back, tragedy struck...
It was the Monday after my column ran. Based on my glowing enthusiasm for this new, improved GODZILLA, hundreds of my classmates had taken in the film over the weekend. For those final weeks of my high school life, I was kicked, punched, and thrashed unmercifully by the other students. Even members of the PTA, some of whom had accompanied their children to the see the film, beat me senseless. Blaming me for wasting their allowances, many demanded, (and some more than once), that I refund the cost of their tickets, warning, "We know where you live..."
That, in a nutshell, is why I say this movie ruined my life. To this day, I still find myself looking over my shoulder, agonizing over the possibility that someone saw GODZILLA on my recommendation and is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to

Rating:
Summary: LIGHTEN UP - YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT!
Review: That's right - this film isn't a classic, and it was never meant to be. View this as a high-tech, modern day version of the 1950's sci-fi productions and you will not be disappointed. The cheesy dialogue, simple minded plot and wooden performances fit right in with that genre. So sit back, grab some popcorn and a beer, and enjoy the show!