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Godzilla 2000

Godzilla 2000

List Price: $9.95
Your Price: $9.95
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: UFO 2000 (with special appearance by Godzilla)
Review: The above title for my review is what this movie should have been named. I have been watching Godzilla movies all my life and would not easily be bothered with any of the technical flaws in this movie (i.e. cheesy special effects and bad dubbing). Actually I was looking forward to them. It was excitement enough to get to see the first G-film to be released theatrically in the USA in fifteen years (I wisely did not patronise the theatres during the 1998 release of Devlin and Emmerich's disasterous concoction). And before I go into what disappointed me with Godzilla 2000, let me say that it is of unquestionably higher quality than the 1998 american version, which proves that you can have a guy in a rubber suit smashing miniature buildings and tanks, and it come out looking better than a CGI-happy, big-budget flop. But even while Godzilla 2000 delivers the goods in a way that Emmerich couldn't, director Takao Okawara also injects his story with many visual similarities to Emmerich that come off as a severe mistake. Such visual similarities include an all too present UFO space craft that immediately reminds the audience of those in Independence day, and an uncanny sequence where the space craft hovers over a tall skyscraper and blows it to pieces, just like the aliens did to the Empire State Building in ID4. Now, getting off of the similarities between Emmerich's films and Okawara's, I was secondly disappointed that Godzilla had hardly any screen time in this film. He shows up at the beginning, towards the middle where he just stands around getting hit by rockets, and reappears at the end for a final confrontation with the UFO ship.

What I went to the theatre hoping for was to see Godzilla smash buildings, kick tanks across the screen, and blow up fighter jets with his radioactive breath. I was going to leave my brain at the front door and think of the human characters and plot as dismissive side pieces, which is how every Godzilla movie should be approached (perhaps excepting the 1954 original). Instead, attempts at plot and characters is what I got stuck with for most of the film. And they were rather strained attempts. I did like some scenes where the characters interact, and the acting is actually quite good. There was also some successful tries at humor while others fell flat, but than there is also the usual banal dialogue and some plot devices that don't make any since or are not fully explained. Godzilla 2000 seems like a film with a side (human) story, but without the main attraction.

The Godzilla suit, as well as the miniature sets and scenes where the people are shown next to the big guy are the best and most well rendered out of the whole series. The new Godzilla bears a very close resembelance to the 50's version. But Okawara dampens the effectivness of these scenes in favor of showing us long, endless shots of the spacecraft (which, by the way is computer generated). Okawara seems to be trying to capture the audience's attention by saying "look! look! Toho is actually using CGI effects in a Godzilla movie!", but the over-emphasis kills the idea and makes it dull. On top of that, the spacecraft lacks any realistic detail and is not very well rendered. It looks more like a liquid that didn't finish solidifying. The concept of using Extra-Terrestrials as a Godzilla movie's primary characteristic has become nothing short of repititious. But since this movie is only using Ishiro Honda's 1954 original and The Return of Godzilla (a.k.a Godzilla 1985) as references to past incidents involving the monster, the filmmakers must have been hoping that I would have been no more aware of a UFO's involvement then any of the on-screen characters.

The climactic sequences where Godzilla runs-a-muck in Tokyo and battles the UFO help bring the movie out of its preceeding self-induced boredom, and when the end credits started rolling, I began thinking that Godzilla 2000 was not quite as good enough an effort that things couldn't improve with future films. Therefor, I would readily run out to see another Godzilla movie if it arrived in American theatres... if they agree to ditch the UFO plot line. And for a film that works at redeeming the image nearly ruined by Devlin and Emmerich, Godzilla 2000 heartily succeeds.

This film's greatest asset is the exceptional score by Takayuki Hattori.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The King Lives!
Review: Godzilla 2000 effectively erases all the bad memories of the ill-conceived US version, remember that? All that was missing in the Emmerich/Devlin stinker is flowing over in this production from Godzilla's home studio: reverence for the King of the Monsters, the beautiful minature work, the required Suitmation, and, most importantly, Godzilla's theme! The plot? Godzilla is back and stomping everything in his path flatter than a pancake. Meanwhile scientists discover a meteorite that becomes sentient when exposed to sunlight. The UFO uses some of Godzilla's regenerative cells to create a monster to take over the world. The two titans duke it out in downtown Tokyo. It is a joy to behold. Not the best in the series, but a far cry from the worst. See it, by all means see it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Finally, Godzilla the way it's supposed to be
Review: Yahoo! Toho finally gets together another real Godzilla movie! Forget that stinkin 1998 version,this is as it should be.A guy in a suit smashing toys is the only way to do it.Sure this one has the same plot as the previous 25,but so what.Godzilla always starts out the bad guy until something worse comes along,and then it's like,"Stop killing him so he can save us." That's not the piont though,it's the effects,not cheesy but a definite style all thier own.The only way to have so much violence and mayhem and still get a kid audience is to show us the seams.These are primarily for kids after all,with the junior grade writing,acting and especially dubbing. But that,to me is the whole piont,and if you wanna see it in a theater,HURRY because I dont think it'll last very long,and it's most definitely worth it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is the Godzilla movie to see!
Review: The one true King of the Monsters has returned once again to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting Tokyo in this incredibly artistic and truly well-crafted film. Godzilla faces off against a new alien/monster known as Orga (which I noticed somewhat resembled the computerized American Godzilla that terrorized movie theatres back in 1998). The fun and excitement never stops for a moment in this rollercoaster-ride of a film! While the special effects of this film do not exactly stand on the same level as, say Star Wars Episode I, they are truly stunning and, in many cases, awe-inspiring. If you are a fan of this genre, or even new to the Godzilla universe, you will absolutely love this film from start to finish! Long live the King of the Monsters!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: godzilla is the best
Review: i think the old and new are all good

versons of godzilla to wach all

the old videos and the new movie

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Godzilla movie in a long time!
Review: Produced by Toho as a "take that" to the awful American remake from 1998, I thought this Godzilla movie was really great! I also found it much better than the bloated Series 2 (1984-1995) films, and to be as fun as any of the Series 1 (1954-1975) films! The story was intriguing, the characters were likeable (and thankfully fewer characters, unlike the Byzantine Series 2 characters), the special effects are impressive (almost to the level of the new Gamera movies, and it even uses some CGI!), there was actually more hardcore monster action (as opposed to the in-your-face laser light shows of the recent films), Takayuki Hattori's music was well done for a non-Akira Ifukube score, and the movie doesn't take itself too seriously! Godzilla here looks his best yet, and the Millennian/Orga is one of Godzilla's more bizarre adversaries!

Although the public response to this film was surprisingly positive, I was rather discouraged to hear the same words that US critics used to describe Japanese SF films past, such as "cheesy" and "campy." Although I don't mind poking fun at Japanese SPFX, I just wish they weren't so meanspirited. Besides, old fashioned suitamation FX has been improving in Japanese films, especially with the aid of CGI! You have to give them credit.

I was very happy to see this film in the theater (I saw the Japanese version later on), and that Tri-Star brought this film to the US, partially to apologize to the US fans for that American monstrosity! I think it's time for the US to appreciate Japanese SPFX, and maintain its fandom in the US.

In short, I reccommend this movie! Look for it, especially on DVD!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "bad language"
Review: this movie would have been great if it weren't for the swares. i rated it 2 stars for the "sware free" scenes with godzilla and i would have put in "5" but i think swearing shouldn't be in any movie. in the "a-ok" scenes godzilla looks more like a dinosaur & gets a new color for his fire! and he rampages on! until some guys from the "crisis control intellegence" (cci.) find a strange rock underwater which they decide to take to the suface.and it surfaces itself!!!!! (after the help of some baloons.) and on the surface it "follows" the sun.and then it starts flying! because it's really an alien spaceship.and tries to defeat godzilla! and then later godzilla surfaces and attacks the ship! and when godzilla's stuck in rubble (momentarily) the alien comes out.but he sure isn't small.because he's actually another monster from space!it's name......orga.godzilla rises and it starts!and i can't tell the rest.(if you rent/buy it just fast forward to the end!)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Okay...
Review: Godzilla 2000 was a let down. The dialogue is cornier than it should be. Not only was it dumb to begin with, a lot of it was Tristar's fault. In the Japanese version, there's a part where a man says "Look!" when the UFO lands on the building. Instead, the man says "Great Caesar's Ghost!" The special effects are actually bad. The only thing improved from the nineties films is the heat beam Godzilla spews from his mouth. The suit on Godzilla, despite its cool look, just wasn't given the mobility or quality that it got in movies like "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II". The arms are barely able to lift and the head is relatively immovable with the minor exception up and down and opening the maw. The enemy monster, Orga, suit is increbily fake-looking. Its arms can't really move because of the big size of the hands and the mouth on the monster can not move. It just looks like an improved halloween costume. The story barely makes sense. Again, it ignores everything from previous outings except the first one. A Godzilla Prediction Network has been created. Godzilla attacks a city in which a good portion includes a stupid scene with a car getting right next to Godzilla's face and almost getting destroyed. And a strange rock is found under the sea. It rises up and then starts to fly towards Japan. Godzilla has come up again and fights the military in a fairly impressive fight scene involving jets, choppers, tanks, and water mines. Godzilla confronts the rock and blows off a part of the rock revealing a UFO. Stupidly, the UFO's laser weapon knocks Godzilla back into the sea in one shot. The story drags and the UFO ends up in Tokyo where it trys to steal information from all the computers when Godzilla rises out of the sea and runs, apparently fast, to where the UFO is. There's a fight and then a monster comes out of the UFO. A fight that's mediocre happens. Strangely, before dying the alien monster has a sort of flower-like jaw increase and attempts to swallow Godzilla whole. Then he gets blown in half. Godzilla starts to burn down Tokyo with his fire. But then the stupidest thing happens, a "The End" appears with a huge pink question mark in the middle of it. If you're a Godzilla fan, you'll like this but not love it. If you just like the good Godzilla movies, don't get this. Being a Godzilla fanatic, I had to give this an extra star. But if it's any consolation, this paved the way for the Godzilla movies that Toho is continuing to make. They are much more promising.

(**Side Note**: Strangely, if it wasn't for the big joke of the American Iguanazilla, Toho wouldn't have reacted by making another movie and more after this one. Or at least for a while)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not The Best Godzilla Movie
Review: While this movie is a step up from Godzilla Tokyo SOS, it is still not as good as Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II or Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. Let's face it, most of us watch these movies to see Godzilla stomp on Tokyo and for the great monster battle scenes. Unfortunately that seems to be lacking in this movie. Godzilla battles a UFO that shots plant vines or something at him and at some point turns into an Alien. But the battles are not that good and they take place about an hour into the movie. There just aren't that many good visuals in this movie and there is a lot of BAAAAD CGI work that looks like it was done on somebody's home computer. So for these reasons I give it 3 stars.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Godzilla looks corny again!
Review: Even though he looks a little more realistic here than in the previous Japanese films he still is too much a man in the monster suit. And he walks upright again! It was discovered by scientists, less than 40 years ago, that dinosaurs like tyrannosaurus rex didn't walk upright In the 1998 TriStar film he moved much more realistically and looked more terrifying. The cornball and again upright appearance of Big G in the 2000 film threatens the credibility of the movie. I like the film better when he isn't in it.


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