Godzilla

Roland Emmerich's penchant for monstrous effects in films without any stable meaningful plot was already evident here with Godzilla. This movie is actually a lot of scenes that were done to suit the director regardless of whether or not they make sense. Virtually all of Godzilla is about decent visual and sound effects with enjoyable music. That's all I can see! The script and the actors ... let's be honest, this is not how solid movies should be. Perhaps the only excuse is that it was a blockbuster that eventually flopped so badly that no further sequels could be made. Too bad, the ending was really a gateway to the next installment. In short, a technically proficient film, but artistically rather bland. I still watch it once a year, though. (08/29/2010)

Roland Emmerich disregarded the basic rule of kaiju films and immediately presents us with a monster in the first few minutes. He prepares a strong weapon, which unfortunately also fails at times, including the characters that are often quite bad. This could still be overlooked if it wasn't just a nonsense with a giant monster, where most scenes don't make much sense and are only piled up thanks to the screenwriters. "Godzilla" from 2014 is not brilliant, but it understands the genre much better and translates it into a modern form. (05/29/2014)

I don't know if the film has matured, or if I have, either way, whatever qualms I had with Emmerich's Godzilla are gone. It's an excellent disaster comedy with consistently impressive visual effects that can be compared to Independence Day without exaggeration, thanks in part to Arnold's excellent score. (10/23/2009)

It's big, it's stupid, Roland Emmerich filmed it. No, I didn't pick that guy out, I didn't know who filmed it at first, but when I looked at this gentleman's filmography, everything was clear to me. What I don't know is how someone can spend that kind of money to promote a film in which "it's going to be big and it's going to stomp everything and sell like a plastic figurine on Uncle Donald's menu," was probably written in the script. Why Jean Reno plays in such a wretched role is a mystery to me, but then again, everyone needs to make a living... This Hollywood direction of "a lot of effects, not enough story" is an atrocity that I will avoid in the future. At least Peter Jackson and his King Kong will set a new standard. Roland, dear boy, you don’t have that much of a lack of talent to be funny like Ed Wood... You have a deficiency that bothers. (01/25/2004)

I like the hated "Zilla" by Emmerich here. As a little boy, I literally devoured this film, which is not entirely true anymore, but even after 20 years, it is still a fun kaiju flick that I like to watch from time to time. Despite the longer running time, the film flows smoothly, the plot is sufficiently engaging, the effects are decent, and the characters are likable. Such an ideal relaxing movie for a Sunday afternoon. No need to turn on your brain. (04/21/2018)