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Godzilla
Nuclear lizard in New York, with some time to kill...

Starring Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria...  View more >

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[--- See Now! ---] [--- Good ---] [--- Wait for Rental ---] [--- Stay Away! ---]

Reviews Summary


Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzillia is a stinker folks! Not much plot, not much acting, not much personality. The special effects will leave you wondering where all the money went. If you liked the fuzzy, unreal looking special effects of Jumanji then you'll think Godzilla is great... Mathew Broderick has aged before his time. What happened to that man? His skin looks like hell and his acting is strictly for children and I don't even think children will enjoy Godzilla... He moves way too fast for a lizard and you never really get a good look at him. Forget the story, forget the acting, forget the special effects. This summer looks like a bomb for big budget flicks. Take a hike Godzilla! You've got no heart...

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzilla.... so many questions.... what do i dislike about it? what is good about it? did dean or roland ever hear of creativity? ugh.... THIS MOVIE WAS NOT ONLY PAINFUL TO WATCH BUT ALSO TO THINK ABOUT. let's go with the 'good-bad' approach...

GOOD:
* the movie ended
* if you havent seen lost world, or jurassic park then you dont need to after this
* trailers...
* no glaring editing mistakes
* people got stepped on
* no dogs were saved

BAD:
* the movie started
* Jeff Goldblum? oh it's just Mathew broderick acting like jeff godblum...
* action does not mean acting
* jokes run into the ground
* ebert... chuckle the first time.... anger and rage the 5th time....
* nice guys finish last... but dont realy die...
* characters?
* is science just a word?
* NO CREATIVITY
* godzilla.... i wish it were just some guy in a rubber suit
* please tell me that whoever directed this didn't really think people were that stupid
* if i wanted to see a bad love story i would see titanic
* how many days did the movie cover? 1... maybe 2... think about it
* WHO WAS THE BAD GUY??

IMPOSSIBLE!!!
* super cab that can outrun godzilla!!
* babies that are already to attack anything and everything
* THE FACT THAT BRODERICK'S CHARACTER WOULD GO BACK TO THE EX....
* did the rest of the world just not care?
* why was the garden so easily destroyed? and how did that one egg survive?
* helicopters, last i checked are able to fly up and over buildings....
* do you really think godzilla will walk into central park with all those lights?
* HIGH BEAMS BLIND GODZILLA???
* godzilla chases the one cab around the city...
* army guy figures out why broderic threw that cab thing at him...
* that anyone would believe the ex could be a real news reporter...

CHANGES I WISH I COULD MAKE:
* have patrick ewing show up to fight the babies...
* have 'john hammond' show up in a helicopter to save everyone
* have godzilla fall into a steel mill and turn into mecha-godzilla
* rewrite the script

overall... this movie may be the worse movie i have ever seen in a theater... i'll have to watch showgirls and mortal kombat 2 again just to make sure...

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
"Godzilla" is an enjoyable movie, with very good special effects. Of course, the special effects make the movie in this case. There's not much to speak of other than that. Unlike a couple of recent movies, there's enough special effects to keep you on the edge of your seat. There's only one segment of about 30-40 minutes where the pace of the movie falls flat. I don't know how anyone else will feel about this but I felt the acting was atrocious (especially in the case of Matthew Broderick). I certainly expected more of Broderick than the performance he gave. It almost seemed like he was too busy trying to remember his lines and say the exact words, rather than just acting the character. Another criticism: I've never seen a movie with so much rain. Godzilla is seen best in broad daylight, but too bad thats only during the first of the movie. The rest of the movie is either at night or in torrential downpours. This movie does have its faults, so if you go see this movie, don't expect to see one deserving for Oscars. Go for the special effects. ***1/2 out of *****.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I really thought this movie would be MUCH better than it was....and it probably could have been, but it was just plain stupid. Some of the dumbest one-liners from the cast, and the characters were not very deep at all. Definitely not worth the $6 or whatever to see it!! Godzilla looked sort of cool and so did the scenery, but there was really no point to the movie.

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I thought Godzilla was a lizard, not a stinking dinosaur! I thought I was watching a rerun of Jurassic Park! I have been waiting for a year and this is all I got???!!!

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Someone shoot me in the head. NOW!

It seems that "Spice World" certainly has some competition for the worst movie ever made. "Godzilla" is so trashy and contrived it makes "Lost In Space" look like "Boogie Nights." I gave a B- to "Deep Rising" in January!

"Size Does Matter"? What the hell? Are the filmmakers talking about the size of their budget, their ad campaign, their special effects, their heads? I plopped down five dollars and sat in a nearly empty theatre for this garbage, and nowhere on the screen did I feel "Size Does Matter" got any justice. The special effects were lousy ($120 million dollars? I never saw ye!), the sound was harsh, the acting was atrocious, and, well, I don't even need to tell you how bad the story is. It's May. Do the math.

The plot: A big hermaphroditic radioactive lizard storms out of Japan and goes to New York to lay eggs, some 200, I believe. It's up to a worm scientist (Matthew Broderick) and a bunch of army men to stop them. No, I'm not making this up!

I shouldn't even ask how Godzilla got from Japan to New York without plowing through the United States. He/she just shows up in New York, somehow. And I'm not going to list every single flaw, I have Darthraidr to congradulate for that. Every flaw he listed, I found in one sitting!

Why do I even bother anymore? Why do I even go to blockbuster films anymore? I've completely lost it after seeing "Godzilla". I wish I saw the movie with some big guy in front of me, some idiotice Gen-X couple talking about their car behind me, and a couple of six year old kids running past my chair fifteen times going to the bathroom. That would have been more fun. Because I wouldn't have been ableto watch the movie.

Grade: F

Tech Review:

Pic: 2 A disgusting picture with grain all over the place. It looks like 16mm, honestly. The picture quality of "Chasing Amy" was WAY better than this one.

Sound: 2.5 An awful Dolby Digital mix; sure it had split surrounds, lots of them, but the soundtrack had no power, no bass. Possibly it was the theatre, but, ah, who cares.

Photography: 3 It's in Super 35, but with all this obviously matted photography, director Roland Emmerich might as well be shooting in flat. PS. You never ever see ALL of Godzilla, just parts of him in every shot.

Length: 139 (painful) minutes. Tri-Star. jwhyte2@hotmail.com. ICQ- 4339199

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I went into this movie wondering if Japan had anything to worry about. I mean, Godzilla was theirs and nobody else's. I still remember the first time I saw the original. It was on t.v., but added to my fertile imagination, the effects were outstanding. I thought with the technology that moviemakers have today, all this movie would need would be a new twist here and there and America would be Godzilla's new home. Instead, I saw little competition for the original. In fact, this Godzilla movie continued to follow the trend set in Japan after the first Godzilla movie. It just got worse and worse. I have only walked out of two movies in my life, and this was almost the third.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzilla

First, let's consider some stats:

-400 feet tall-Approximately 200 tons
-Can run 200 miles an hour
-Can spew radioactive-plasma-fire breath at supersonic speed (now, that'll toast your jammies!)

I agree with the other reviews I have read (this isn't the Godzilla we have known and love) but this movie is still awfully impressive. The scenes finding the big lizard stomping around in New York are certainly something to see, even if they are a bit implausible and inconsistent at times (the pavement popping footsteps are a special favorite!)

The story isn't a strong point of the movie, and some of it is downright contrived, stolen (a-la Jurassic Park), silly or simply pointless (the love interest). The American military comes off as totally idiotic (I have to wonder why they just didn't poison the fish?).

Acting isn't a strong point of the movie either (the animation is truly the most believable thing). Characters facing certain destruction seem way, way too calm. Almost bored. Yet, there is a pretty strong sense of humor. Some may find it annoying and flippant, but I rather enjoyed it. It seems to fit THIS particular film, and kind of saves it, in a way.

The one special effect I really was looking forward to, the plasma-fire breath, we get to see only twice-and the effect is pretty lame, considering. Godzilla used to breathe on everything, winding up for it by making the ridges on his back glow just before sparking the flame. But now that's gone, all gone.

I did like the opening credits. Actually, considering traditional Godzilla history, it's an actual work of art. If they could've just kept that up…

Hollywood might have taken any one of the previous Godzilla movies screenplays (pick one, any one), used it verbatim, and had a better script. I know that's niave, but I can dream can't I?

In spite of all the weak points, I still liked this movie. For a fabulous smashing of Manhattan, and an experience in sheer fantastic scale (albeit, a sliding scale), it can't be beat. It's a good movie, but not a great movie. If your a fan of Godzilla and/or special effects, it's worth seeing on the big screen, if not, wait for the video.



[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Well, having seen what a lot of other people have said about the movie, I won't belabor the poor acting, but if you are looking for acting and dramatic films in May, I have a news flash... it ain't gonna happen.

Regarding the effects, I thought they were reasonably good. I think if anything this movie will suffer from the hype and high expectations. Having seen most of old Godzilla films from the wind up toy tank days, I thought that this film stuck with the ideas and feel of the old films despite the upgrade in the technology of the effects.

I enjoyed the movie, as did my cousin who speaks zero english and understands only a little bit. The movie in his opinion was a good film in that the pictures made the film understandable, and enjoyable.



[--- See Now! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
GODZILLA (1998)

I've only seen two of the original Godzilla movies, and the main difference between the old and the new is the special effects. They are incredible. Godzilla's rampage near the beginning was too much like "Independence Day" (Not surprising, since the same writer and director made it) and the scenes in Madison Square Gardens were reminiscent of the kitchen scene of "Jurassic Park." Dialogue is a bit lame, and there isn't much character development. There were a few unrealistic parts, (Yes, I know it's science fiction, but still,) like when forty or fifty Longbow Apache helicopters chased Godzilla between buildings in Manhattan. Other than that, I think you should see it. It is a good movie.

-Billy O'Hara

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Imagine they made a monster and nobody came? Ok...well...some did come, not the Jurassic size that was expected, but Godzilla and Sony managed to take in 55 million dollars, not coming close to last year's Memorial Day weekend gross scored by The Lost World ($90 million). I had a lot of hope for Godzilla. The effects were fantastic.. this was the monster that movie goers wanted to see. Big and menacing. Too bad the filmmakers can't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. They had the fierce looking creature, they had the Big Apple, but all we paying patrons got were lemons wrapped in a pretty package. You can't blame Toho Productions, creaters of the original Godzilla, they thought the monster was impressive enough to lend its name to this film. You can't put the blame on the cast, they read their lines well and did what they could with an inane script. The blame should go on director Roland Emmerlich and producer Dean Devlin, the two Einstein's who were the main screenwriters of Godawful...er..zilla. This dynamic duo insulted our intelligence with the mind numbing Independence Day, another film loaded with amazing images but dialogue fitting for a 5 year old (sorry if I insulted any 5 year olds.) And that is the main problem I have with a film like Godzilla and Independence Day. Both pictures had such great promise! But after all the big bangs and the jawdropping effects, all we are left with is Emmerlich and Devlin's pathetic story. At least when Godzilla comes out on video, you can control the fast forward button on the VCR... Now if only Devlin and Emmerlich made pictures in the silent era, their brilliance may have been appreciated!

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
If you are a boy between the age of 7 and 13, this is a great movie. Otherwise, see ANYTHING ELSE! Stupid plot, bad acting and all the special effects were stolen from Jurasic Park. See it for $2 bucks at the value cinima, if you must.

This is one movie were subtitles would of helped!

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I like this movie. Since everyone knows what Godzilla is and has probably seen at least one of the old movies I won't go into a lengthy discussion. It is obvious that this movie takes it cue from "Jurasic Park". The baby Godzillas even look and act like the Velociraptors. But I found the movie exciting. I also thought Matthew Broderick gave a good performance as "worm guy". Although, I agree this film will not earn him an Oscar nomination. But I didn't go to this film expecting "Good Will Hunting". Maybe my expectations of this movie was not as high as most other people. I sure didn't buy into the advertising hype. But I did get what I paid for which I feel is the bottom line for any movie. I do think it is worth seeing in the theaters.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I have never before left a movie and asked the cashier for both my four fifty and two hours of my life back. Godzilla was truely awful. Here's the plot... Humans test nuclear bombs in South Pacific. Iguanas get exposed. Iguanas grow to be big and destructive (but only because of their size). Giant iguana lays eggs in New York. Everything gets blown up. Very shallow love interest. The end. I'd rather stay at home and watch tv.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Many people will say Godzilla sucks, because it has a very thin storyline and the acting is rediculous. But that is not why most people will go to see it. They do not want extremely good acting, or a deep plot, they just want awesome special effects, and lots of things getting blown up. That is what Godzilla is all about. While I was watching, I did not care if Mathew Broderick sucked, I just wanted to see Godzilla stomp another taxi cab, or eat a few helicopters. In that sense, Godzilla fulfills it's purpose. the special effects are good, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I experienced pure joy as I watched fifty or sixty helicopters chase Godzilla down the streets of Manhatan, while guys on the ground with missile launchers missed thier mark, and blew up the Crysler building. For all you critics out there of his movie 1) It's May, what do you expect, and 2) you did have fun, didn't you? So go see Godzilla. I don't think you will be dissapointed.

three out of four stars

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
This movie was pure special efects which were very good , but it needs help with a plot and stuff. It was just a big lizard running around smashing stuff. It isnt worth the price of a ticket. So wait for the rental.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Ehhh, it's Godzilla, not brain surgery. I've seen better effects... on cereal boxes... but this is worth seeing in a theatre for the MegaLoudSurroundSound effects. Bring aspirin, though -- in the few quiet moments, the soundtrack from the *next* auditorium will be shaking you right through the wall. I think I lost a filling...

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
OK, so I live in "THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS" and am totally hyped to see a immensive lizard totally trash it. I'm reading all kind of articles like it will surpass the lost world's 90 MIL and the intimidating "SIZE DOES MATTER" slogan. So when i pay my five fifty I don't want no romance plot or Big Story, I want to see Godzilla mess up New York, and that is exactely what it did.Although Mathew Broderick is by far the worst actor ever the big lizards rampage makes up for that.This movie rocked. If broderick would've kept out I probably would've enjoyed it more.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I agree with all the negative reviews about the film. The logic of the plot, the acting, the story...they all added up to a big mess of a movie packaged up and marketed as THE event movie to see. Sorry folks, this isn't it. it angered me that Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin thought we, the generalaudience, would not care if the plot had more holes than a mouse infested house. They did not care if the actors and actresses looked like they might as well be reading off cue cards. They cared about their f/x. All thirty or so minutes of them. Is that where all the money went? Or did it go into all the advertising? The trailers were more exciting than the movie, for Christ's sake! Stay away if you like movies, go if you like garabage.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Boy! This movie is awful. It is a big rip off of Jurassic Park and The Lost World. I think the Godzilla is small then the old B movies. The other thing is wrong with this film, The Godzilla die easy. They just shot him with one hit, then he die. That just crap.

A really big disapointment for Godzilla movie fans.

Is the movie over yet??

Rating:No Stars

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzilla: Acting was pretty pathetic. The romance was pure corn. But what did everyone go to this movie expecting? This isn't a love story. It's just a lot of fun! And when a movie is this much fun, you don't pay much attention to these little things, some people do, they're called critics, they go to any movie not to enjoy it, to criticise it.

This movie is not one to drop everything and see, but if you've got a few spare hours, make sure you see this one before it leaves the cinemas.

This movie is going to be panned by most critics, and some hotheads out there like to think they're "very sophisticated" because they think "Look at all these pathetic people who like this movie". Life is about fun. Enjoy the movie!

P.S. I don't know what the New York Times said about this movie, but a reminder on what they said about the love story in Titanic "This is where the movie fails miserably".

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
In 1956 Toho Productions put out the ultimate Japanese expression that literally personified the culture's feelings about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The original Godzilla was an impersonal and utterly malevolent force that was implacable in its annihilating momentum. The fact that it breathed radioactive fire served to underscore the "King of the Monsters" as a metaphor for Fat Man and Little Boy.

Now comes Godzilla, 1998, and gone are all the metaphors. I'm not sure what we have in its place but the transcendent storm-like fury of the original is all but gone. This wouldn't be necessarily disappointing had the film had a purposeful plot with well-sketched characters to propel the viewer's interest along. Even bad cartoons have that much. All this Godzilla has is technological wizardry which, admittedly enough, is worth a look. Special effects afficionados are bound to appreciate the film's purely technical artistry on the big screen. But dedicated movie goers looking for a story should best stay away from this film, even on video.

Godzilla itself leaves something wanting. Not sure whether to call it "Turbozilla", because when he (she? It?) takes off through Manhattan the motor is really running and its supercharged. Strangely enough though it can't even catch a taxi; very very peculiar in a city like the Big Apple. And when the secret of this lantern-jawed giant iguana finally comes out (or hatches), the beastly Godzilla-icon makes an awkward transition to that of a velociraptor in need of diet pills. I found myself throwing my hands up in the air and shrugging "who cares?"

Come to think of it, maybe it should be called "Tribblezilla." Oh, well, maybe Roland Emmerich, the director, can find a way to improve the story by the time "Godzilla II" comes out. That is, if he can find new ways to wreck New York.

Jan 25, 2000
Look who's coming to town! He's big, he breathes fire and he's not very nice to the locals.

Starring Matthew Broderick as Niko Tatopoulos, a scientist involved in the study of the side effects of radioactivity on animals and Maria Pitillo as Audrey Timmonds, a news reporter and former girlfriend. But we can't leave out the star of the film, a large reptilian creature who becomes known to Americans as "Godzilla".

The plot is poor and the acting matches it. Basically, large reptile comes to New York. People try to kill reptile. Lots of death and destruction in between.

The reason I rate this movie as a "See Now", is that this is the most use of split surrounds I've ever heard in a movie. I saw this film in an SDDS equipped theater, and was amazed at the amount of sound coming from the surrounds throughout the movie. The sound designers for this film outdid themselves on this one.

I went into this movie expecting next to nothing, since I had heard all sorts of bad reports about it. With my expectations low, I wasn't as disappointed as I could have been, if I had gone in expecting something on the same level as Jurassic Park.

Speaking of Jurassic Park, Godzilla steals quite a bit from this film. While Godzilla may have been trying to remain true to the actions of the beast in older Godzilla movies, people will remember Jurassic Park better, and compare the two movies.

Obviously Jurassic Park was better. In my opinion, Matthew Broderick just can't cut it in a leading role. He was good way back in "Wargames", and was fine in "Addicted to Love", but doesn't seem to have what it takes to carry a film.

Jean Reno as Philippe Roche, in an excellent supporting role, plays his character well. Very believable.

Bottom line, if you wanted to see it, go see it. BUT, don't have high expectations and ONLY see it in a digitally equipped theater that's showing it in one of the three digital sound formats, SDDS preferred. You won't be disappointed with the sound.

Copyright 1998 - Ron Higgins No unauthorized publication or distribution without the consent of Ron Higgins.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
After observing all of the negative comments, I really have to wonder what some people were expecting out of this film. It seems to me that a lot of you whose opinions I have read were expecting witness something of the calibur of "The Godfather" or "Lawrence of Arabia." Come on, don't even try to kid yourself. "Godzilla" isn't about Oscar-winning character portrayal or a plot that causes an epiphany in the viewer. It's about entertainment. Pure and simple. Not every film has to tug at one's heart or enblazen the soul. If that were the case, going to the cinema would become extremely boring. Every once in a while, we need a film that is just fun to watch. "Godzilla" is one of these films. It's not going to be remembered as a masterpiece, but that isn't it's purpose. If you keep this in mind, you will most likely enjoy the film. So, go see "Godzilla" and make up your own mind.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
If you are like I am, you were not too thrilled with Centropolis Entertainment's last effort "Independence Day". The hype that surrounded the movie was enormous, but the ensemble cast did not deliver. Godzilla is director Roland Emmerich's and producer Dean Devlin's latest summer blockbuster, and in my opinion, this one delivers. I have read many bad reviews for this movie, you may have also. Let me asure you that this movie has the goods. First off, the casting is very well done. Matthew Broderick and acclaimed French actor Jean Reno work very well together on-screen, as well as another impressive performance by Simpson's funny man Hank Azaria. The special effects are excellent, almost worth the price of a ticket alone. The movie moves fast and furious and follows Emmerich and Devlin's basic protagonist setup computer geek and military super soldier team up to kick, um, tail. Personally, I thought the movie had the sense of style, SFX, and comic relief to carry its own. The performance of Jean Reno is the real deal here. Playing a French agent(again), Reno brings the film real creditability in my mind. In conclusion, Emmerich and Devlin have put together the formula for science-fiction: Fact based events expanded by imagination. Go to this movie to sit back and have fun.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzilla has to be one of the most disappointing movies I have ever seen. The one thing that erks me the most is that I was tricked into seeing the movie by the previews. So I guess we can all learn something from this experience if you feel the same, DON'T ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE, previews LIE.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
This feature is a good movie for you if you liked Jurassic Park. The story is about a large lizard who survived an Atomic bomb test, causing him to become very large. A couple of years later, he decides to go to New York City and lay his eggs. The US Army gets involved and tries to shoot him down, but that fails. He eventually hides and lays his 100 or so eggs in Madison Square Garden. The eggs hatch and chase news reporters who found the nest. Very complicated.

The special effects were excellent, but that was the only thing to see in this movie. Size, Money wise, does matter.

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
If you remember the old Godzilla movies you will be very disappointed. Nothing beats the original.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
If you somehow missed the Jurassic Park films and wanted to see a giant reptile destroy stuff (in a movie of far less quality), then this is your movie. If you are between the ages of 3 and 7, this is your movie. If you were smart enough to detect a pattern of intellectual deficiency within the previously mentioned groups, THIS IS NOT YOUR MOVIE!!!

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
"Godzilla" starring Matthew Brodrick is a loud and dumb piece of film-making. It is also at times very entertaining. An iguana exposed to radioactive chemicals turns a normal iguana into.....Godzilla. The storyline is nothing special and neither are the performances. The special effects and entertainment value, however are the films strong point. Definately worth it to see on a big screen due to the visuals. Not a good summer film, but an entertaining one.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Darn, somehow I was expecting... less. The special effects are great. If only there weren't so many of them, and more story. What story existed left me somewhat empty, and the end was predictable. Still, if you like special effects, go see the lizard -- you won't be dissapointed. If you like story, you may want to avoid it.

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
Godzilla is a terrible movie. The plot is so confusing and the story is dull. The special effects were like Jurrasic Park and Lost World. This movie brings out the worst characteristics of these actors and actresses. This movie was a complete dud. The 3 funny parts and the special effects let this movie deserve 1 star out of 4.

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
If you enjoy cardboard stand ups, but want them to do more, there are plenty in this movie, they walk and talk as well. What I'm trying to say is that the characters in this movie are completely flat, they lack any characterization what so ever, and that's just one of the problems in "Godzilla"; the big bugdet, incompetent remake of the classic originals. The old movies embraced there stupidity, which doesn't make them as bad as you might think; this movie, however, falls into stupidity, thinking it's something better. From the guys who messed up "Independence Day", Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich deliver another script with big special effects but nothing else. At least "Indepedence Day" had some interesting characters and good laughs, I expected at least this much, but was disappointed. I was, however, entertained by the action scenes, which were all handled well, especially the last half hour which was nothing but action. The ending, though, was rather cruel, they could have done without that. The original Godzilla's had bad special effects, but at least they had some heart. I say rent the classic: "Destroy all Monsters." --------> ** out of ****

[--- Stay Away! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
PROLOGUE: Summer, 1997. A good friend and I wander into a movie theatre to see the summer's biggest hit, MEN IN BLACK. As the lights dimmed, I fully expected 10 minutes of ho-hum previews that I had already seen for movies like CONSPIRACY THEORY and EVENT HORIZON. Instead, I was treated to one of the greatest trailers I had ever seen. Occasionally, a trailer is so good that you wind up pissed that you have to watch the movie you paid for. After seeing the GODZILLA trailer, I didn't give a damn about MiB and made sure that I marked down Memorial Day, 1998 as the day when a really cool monster movie would be unleashed.

Now, as I write this review upon seeing the film, I can't blame myself for being so psyched. The previews did exactly what they were supposed to. They made a point to not show Matthew Broderick or Maria Patillo. They tried to include minimal dialogue. They did this for a reason. GODZILLA is a colassol disappointment.

The acting is the first thing to emerge as a major flaw. I have great difficulty naming a single cast member that didn't demonstrate Pamela Lee- caliber acting at best. The two leads, Patillo and Broderick, are so bad that when they were in a parilous situation where they appeared to be done for, the audience actually applauded! 'Nuff said.

Another problem is that this movie plagurizes the two JURASSIC PARK films horribly. One particular scene that was practically borrowed from JP had our heroes running from "baby Godzillas" (don't ask) in the wreckage formerly known as Madison Square Garden. My only hope is that viewers heed the advice of critics, causing this movie to disappoint Sony. I can't imagine how bad a sequel would be.

GRADE: D (5 out of 10)

[--- Wait for Rental ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
the other reviewers have covered pretty well. This movie is so bad, I wanted to put in my 2 cents worth.

Why would Godzilla come all the way to New York just to lay some eggs? These eggs looked big enough to hold three or four peolple, how on earth did 200 eggs fit inside Godzilla? These eggs hatched at the same time, so I think it's safe to say they were laid at the same time.

How come there is always one that gets away?

Would the U S Army be so reckless as to blast buildings apart? I don't think so.

I now know which car to use in a demolation derby. Apparently, a Chevy Caprice Classic is strong enough to survive the jaws of Godzilla. Thanks for the tip.

I thought Lost World was bad.

[--- Good ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
I heard a lot of things before seeing Godzilla. Despite that, I still enjoyed the movie. You have to take it in context. It is science fiction, not reality. When you watch the movie from that perspective, it is worth seeing. Lots of neat effects, some of which will remind you of Jurassic Park.

[--- See Now! ---]
by  
Jan 25, 2000
GODZILLA RULES! This was the best film I ever saw! It's 1# on my favorite movies list! But I have to say when those babies hatched and were running around eating people, I felt like I was watching a Jurassic Park movie. The special affects are awesome! I like the computer generated Godzilla more then the rubber Godzilla. There was non-stop action, a simply story and not a complicated one! Good actors and actresses. I'm glad Godzilla didn't have much cussing. And it didn't have any sex or nudity. (Like dumb Titanic did.) I think this is a good family movie. I went to see it with my family and we loved it. My sis isn't into this kind of movie. But she loved it! On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 20!

Jul 22, 2003
The 1998 American version of \"Godzilla\" is the only Godzilla movie that I like. Here we have a godzilla monster that does more than just crushing tiny buildings and blow smoke. Matthew Broadwick leads a strong cast as they battle the lizard before it destroys New York City. The only drawback are mayors who look like Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. I know they didn\'t like any of the movies Roland Emmerich directed. But for me at least we got a good Godzilla movie.

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