Rating: 
Summary: Godzilla Returns
Review: I can't find my old review on this movie so I'm writing a quick new one. As with the new cycle of Godzilla movies in 1984, all previous movies except for the original 1954 one are ignored. It's great to see someone try to bring Godzilla movies back to the big screen in the US, but I wish they could just leave them as the director originally intended it. This movie was editted (or censored) for its American release. (Even the first Pokemon movie was censored for its release here.) I don't care for the editting of some of the scenes in this movie. In many action scenes, the same angle is used for too long. Simple changing the view more often during a fighting or military scene would have helped the pacing of these moments. There are also too many wide shots of Godzilla. There should have been more close-ups. It felt like Toho had to repeatedly show off the full kaiju costume - rather than simply make it an element of the movie. I hate to compare it to a movie not available in the US yet, but Gamera 3 was released 9 months before Godzilla 2000 in Japan. In G3, the scenes were editted as they should have been which kept the few action scenes moving along. This director directed Godzilla 2002 too (released in Japan on the day I'm writing this based on info in the trailer from the Japanese web site). The Godzilla movies should be improving their production values in future releases. I just wish TriStar wasn't handling the import process of these movies. The dubbing here is better than TriStar's straight to video Godzilla movies. I started listening to the commentary for this DVD. The commentary is actually by the guy responsible for the dubbing and censorship. I could not listen to more than a few minutes of this and proves that TriStar might not be the best studio for handling this. He actually says that Godzilla movies are for kids. (Watch an uncensored copy of Terror of Mechagodzilla where a character commits suicide and tell me if that's for kids.) No one importing a movie should be assuming what audience the movie is intended for. (Something like Pokemon could be an exception.) All of the newer Godzilla movies are more mature than the original set of movies. Godzilla 2000 is not a kids' movie in my opinion. This reminds me of most Americans' assumption that anything animated is for kids. (All of those parents taking their kids to see Princess Mononoke even though it was rated PG-13. I don't know if any parents have tried taking kids to see Vampire Hunter D which is rated R.) He also admits to changing the dialog. I'm one of those people who want to see a movie (any movie) in its original form and feel that any translation should be faithful to the original. I didn't want to know that new lines had replaced some of the original dialog simply to explain something not described in the original Japanese. Overall, the movie is OK, but seems to move along too slow at points. Some lines are too cheesy, and there is no easy way to tell if those lines came from the original Japanese or not. (Anyone who assumes these movies always have this type of dialog - just look at the new Gamera movies - the first movie of the series is available in the US.) The commentary made things worse for me. True Godzilla fans should still enjoy this movie. For anyone watching the series for the first time, you might want to see the 1956 version first. (The 1954 version is not available in the US. You can only get the 1956 edition with Raymond Burr scenes added.) As you have probably noticed, I don't like how Toho has handled exporting its movies to the US. You can find letterboxed and subtitled editions of old Gamera movies (not fansubs), but none of Godzilla.
Rating:
Summary: Godzilla 2000 - Toho's revenge for that american stinker
Review: This movie starts out a little strange and has several moments in it that pokes fun at that bloated stinker of a movie with the simpson cast members and matthew brodrick. I am surprised that the american film critics thought that Toho was paying homage to that stinker instead of making fun of it. This movie is a little slow in places and little Godzilla who we last saw standing over Godzilla's 'grave' (in Godzilla vs Destroyer) is back. He has mutated a little and is a lot more of a mean tempered monster using his fire breath more then his 'father' did. I like that fact that Toho has shown us when Godzilla is going to let loose with a Fire blast by showing the energy gathering around Godzilla's mouth instead of cuttng to a back or side scene showing Godzilla's back and fins lighting up before the blast. The monster that Godzilla goes up against starts off as a big grey rock. That mutates into a silly looking monster who tries to eat Godzilla. The movie has some funny moments but is bogged down with a little too much dialoge. Godzilla is show as a force of nature and proves it by wreaking havoc just for the hell of it. The fight scenes with the flying rock/mutated monster and Godzilla is pretty good but I couldn't buy the fact that Godzilla would just stand there and let a monster swallow him whole without putting up some sort of resistence.
Rating: 
Summary: All hail the once and future King!
Review: Here is an addendum to my previous G2K review. With G2K, Toho has taken a big step forward both in terms of spfx technology and in bringing Godzilla to stunning life. Answering the naysaying Gamera supporters, Toho includes a number of cgi effects, some of which are not entirely effective, a great number of low angle shots which increase the illusion of giant creatures come to life, and many scenes of the Big G interracting with the human characters. This is a big leap up from the Heisei series, which, despite some criticisms of late, was a well done and exciting series. The story also takes place in a more realistic Japan, greatly adding to its realism. Though humor is scattered throughout the movie, it is not overused (a common malady of current blockbusters). The new G design is great. The Big Guy looks meaner and, despite his decrease in size (down to 50m from the Heisei's 100m version) he looks very powerful. The cast is good, thankfully free of any of the bizzare or annoying characters which have become all too prevalent in today's sci-fi. All in all, a great G film and an entertaining sci-fi/fantasy adventure. The changes that Tri-Star made to this film are mostly unforgivable. As was expected, they camped up the dialogue, muddled the script and really screwed up the dubbing. Reviewers jumped onto these elements of the film like gorillas attacking a banana. To them, I have this to say: If an American film was released in Italy, dubbed into Italian, had about 20% of the footage removed and some of the remainder rearranged, was peppered with jokes that only someone from Italy would understand, and had some of the soundtrack replaced with polka music, would it be fair to fault the film's creators for these shortcomings? Wouldn't it be the fault of the Italian distributor and not the American filmmakers and actors? So why is it then that the Japanese film industry constantly faces ridicule for the mistakes of the US distributor? Think about it. See G2K, despite the idiotic changes Tri-Star made to the film. The real Big G deserves our support.. that way no one will ever be bothered by anymore silly pretenders to the throne!
Rating:
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: 
Summary: "theres a little godzilla in all of us"
Review: When this movie started, the theatre had maybe 30-50 people in it. When this movie finished, there were only four of us. I guess everybody thought it was a sequel to that ... Matthew Broderick affair (really...Godzilla laying eggs? Wasn't that scary like 20 years ago, when it was in Alien?). Good news for Godzilla cultists--right? Except one thing, on the video version I bought the endings missing...there was supposed to be a "The End" with a question mark growing larger underneath the text as Godzilla blows up whats left of Tokyo. THAT-- o evil American distributor--THAT is why I take it down a star. Really, why chop it up? It's like those radio versions of Iron Butterfly's Ana Gadda Da Veda...the little things are so important. Everything should be...just so.
Rating:
Summary: The long-awited return of the big guy
Review: Godzilla 2000 is an exciting, fun film, with plenty of colorful action, and a stunning new design for Godzilla. The film has a nice blend of old-school rubber monsters & cardboard models enhanced by modern CGI effects, giving us the best of both worlds. The audio commentary by the producers of the American release is both informative and very humorous. Listening to the the discussion, you can tell that these were people who really enjoyed having the opportunity to work on the film and bring it to a U.S. audience.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh so much promise....
Review: This movie was a real let down. The characters were weak and cartoon like and the plot got really stupid. I found myself wondering why I was wasting my time watching this movie and not cutting my toenails or something.
Rating:
Summary: One Godzilla sandwich hold the cheese!
Review: When you order up some Japanese Godzilla (such as King Kong Versus Godzilla) you expect them to pile on the cheese. Goofy visuals and sound effects, outrageous dubbed dialogue and a rediculous storyline. So why is Godzilla 2000 so deliciously different? It's good! The Japanese filmmakers have upped the ante on their homegrown lizard epics. The "BIG G" is better than I've ever seen him. There is excitement to spare! Bright, eye-catching visuals and awesome sound effects and music. Lots of suspenseful scenes. In many ways G2000 is better than the Matthew Brodrick, American made Godzilla. Cheaper effects mean more for less money. It really shows on the screen! The pyrotechnics are particularly good. I loved it when the fire would "collect" around Godzilla's mouth before spewing forward. Nicely done! I'll admit I was a little disappointed that there wasn't the usual stuff to poke fun at in Godzilla 2000. It was too good. Get the DVD for interesting commentary from the producers of the American release of Godzilla 2000. I rented mine but will buy it next time I want seconds! Hold the cheese!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the american movie
Review: I have loved godzilla for years and this is one of the best, though as usual the dubbing could use some work. Although the American godzilla movie was not as bad as most people say, it still can not hold a match to this film.
Rating:
Summary: The King has returned, baby!
Review: This isn't a perfect movie and it's far from the best Godzilla movie, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained. This Godzilla put Devlin's Notzilla to complete and utter shame. GODZILLA destroys the city, not some trigger-happy bonehead GIs missing a target 200 feet tall. The plot was good (although near the middle it got a LITTLE long) and the characters were fine (sketched well and staying in the background BEHIND Godzilla.) Godzilla and Oruga sort of looked like Godzilla '98s iguanasaurus, but they were intimidating and scary. The ending was hilarious, too. If you're not a Godzilla fan this is kind of a gamble, but if you're a Godzilla fan, this will entertain or at least amuse you, and it'll wash the taste of G98 from your mouth nicely.
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