Film Snail

5.6

Godzilla

PG-13·1998·138m

Science Fiction

Action

Thriller

Science Fiction

Action

Thriller

Summary

French nuclear tests irradiate an iguana into a giant monster that viciously attacks freighter ships in the Pacific Ocean. A team of experts, including Niko Tatopoulos, conclude that the oversized reptile is the culprit. Before long, the giant lizard is loose in Manhattan as the US military races to destroy the monster before it reproduces and it's spawn takes over the world.

Cast

Matthew Broderick

Dr. Niko Tatopoulos

Jean Reno

Philippe Roaché

Maria Pitillo

Audrey Timmonds

Hank Azaria

Victor 'Animal' Palotti

Kevin Dunn

Colonel Hicks

Michael Lerner

Mayor Ebert

Harry Shearer

Charles Caiman

Arabella Field

Lucy Palotti

Vicki Lewis

Dr. Elsie Chapman

Doug Savant

Sergeant O'Neal

Malcolm Danare

Dr. Mendel Craven

Lorry Goldman

Gene, Mayor's Aide

Christian Aubert

Jean-Luc

Philippe Bergeron

Jean-Claude

Frank Bruynbroek

Jean-Pierre

François Giroday

Jean-Philippe

Nicholas J. Giangiulio

Robert Lesser

Murray

Ralph Manza

Old Fisherman

Greg Callahan

the Governor

Chris Ellis

General Anderson

Nancy Cartwright

Caiman's Secretary

Richard Gant

Admiral Phelps

Jack Moore

Leonard

Steve Giannelli

Jules

Brian Farabaugh

Arthur

Stephen Xavier Lee

Lt. Anderson

Bodhi Elfman

Freddie

Rich Grosso

Jimmy

Lloyd Kino

Japanese Tanker Cook

Toshi Toda

Japanese Tanker Captain

Clyde Kusatsu

Japanese Tanker Skipper

Masaya Katô

Japanese Tanker Crew Member

Glenn Morshower

Kyle Terrington

Lola Pashalinski

Pharmacist

Rob Fukuzaki

WIDF Co-Anchor

Dale Harimoto

WKXI Anchor

Gary W. Cruz

WFKK Anchor

Derek Webster

Utah Captain

Stuart Fratkin

Utah Ensign

Frank Cilberg

Utah Sailor

Jason Edward Jones

Utah Sailor

Roger McIntyre

Utah Sailor

David Pressman

Anchorage Captain

Robert Faltisco

Anchorage Ensign

Christopher Darius Maleki

Anchorage Ensign

Scott Lusby

Anchorage Ensign

Ali Afshar

Anchorage Sailor

Terence Paul Winter

Apache Pilot

Kirk Geiger

Apache Pilot

Pat Mastroianni

Apache Pilot

Eric Saiet

Apache Pilot

Burt Bulos

Apache Pilot

Robert Floyd

Apache Pilot

Seth Peterson

Apache Pilot

Jamison Yang

F-18 Pilot

Nathan Anderson

F-18 Pilot

Mark Munafo

F-18 Pilot

Dwight Schmidt

F-18 Pilot

Dwayne Swingler

Raven Pilot #2

Lawton Paseka

Officier

Greg Collins

Soldier on the Bridge

James Black

Soldier

Thomas Giuseppe Giantonelli

Soldier

Paul Ware

Soldier

Montae Russell

Soldier on Plane

Christopher Carruthers

Radio Technician

Daniel Pearce

Radio Technician

Mark Fite

Radio Operator

Craig 'Radio Man' Castaldo

Radio Man

Eric Paskel

Rodgers

Lee Weaver

Homeless Guy

Leonard Termo

Homeless Guy

Joshua Taylor

Spotter

Al Sapienza

Taxi Cab Driver

Stoney Westmoreland

Tunnel Guard

Gary Warner

Gun Technician

Ed Wheeler

New York Cop

Bill Hoag

New Jersey Cop

Joseph Badalucco Jr.

Forklift Driver

Jonathan Dienst

Field Reporter

Benjamin Baird

Reporters

Madeline McFadden

Reporter

Julian M. Phillips

Reporter

Raymond Ramos

Reporter

Gary A. Hecker

Creature Vocals (voice)

Frank Welker

Creature Vocals (voice)

Al Leong

Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman

Ed Godziszewski

Bridge Onlooker (uncredited)

Steven Ho

Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

George Cheung

Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

John Koyama

Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Al Goto

Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Norman Fessler

WIDF News Worker in Elevator (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay, Story

Roland Emmerich

Screenplay, Story

Dean Devlin

Story

Ted Elliott

Story

Terry Rossio

Reviews

tmdb27219454

August 3, 2019

***HERE THERE BE SPOILERS***

This version of Godzilla is a difficult one to give a simple overall rating. Honestly, if Hollywood had just made this into a generic monster movie, kind of the way they did with Cloverfield, it would have easily been an above average movie, possibly even breaking into 4 star territory. The acting is above average (including the must-have flavor of the month, Jean Reno), the F/X are excellent for 1998 and the plot actually makes sense.

Nevertheless, the failure for this movie is that it was made by people not familiar with the franchise and/or what Godzilla means to his fanbase. Godzilla is to the people of Japan what Batman and Superman are to Americans, what Dr. Who and James Bond are to the British and what Shaft and the Black Panther are to the Black Community.

The demotion of Godzilla to that of nothing more than an over-sized animal working wholly upon instinct instead of the more humanistic level of intelligence that we in the fandom have come to know and expect was a slap in the face. Furthermore, the final scene where Godzilla is killed (a blasphemy only seen two other times in his 60 year history (Gojira (1954) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), the later being the planned end to the franchise in its entirety) by only three F/18s and a total of 6 missiles when entire armies have done nothing more than irritate the King of Monsters was beyond belief. For those not familiar with Godzilla's accomplishments and reputation, imagine the outrage that would come from the respective communities if James Bond was taken out by a mall cop or Superman was killed by 3 six-year-old brats with baseball bats. Now you understand why Japanese movie-goers were storming the box-offices DEMANDING a full refund for this insult and why Toho quickly resurrected their dearly departed Kaiju less than one year later for probably one of the best movies in the entire franchise, Godzilla 1999 (Godzilla 2000 here in the United States).

All in all, as a monster movie, Godzilla gets 3.75 stars. However, for a Godzilla movie, it gets a 1 star rating. I'll cut the difference and meet them somewhere around the middle with a 2.5 star final score.