Directed by:
Roland EmmerichCinematography:
Ueli SteigerCast:
Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Harry Shearer, Arabella Field, Doug Savant, Malcolm Danare (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
A blinding flash of white light fills the sky above the French Polynesian islands. Giant footsteps plow an ominous path through miles of Panamanian forests and beaches. Ships off the U.S. coast capsize, dragged into a rolling sea where they are instantly demolished. This incessant, inexplicable destruction is heading toward New York. Far away, nuclear scientist Nick Tatopoulos is called upon for the greatest project of his life--to help the United States track the beast behind these mysterious disasters. As Nick begins his investigation, the enormous creature descends upon New York City, causing complete chaos. The army mobilizes its troops to attack, but the monster disappears. Phillipe Roche, an insurance investigator, leads the team assessing the destruction left in the creature's wake. While the two teams have their own agendas, they find they must join forces to unravel the mystery behind the incredible creature and stop him before it is too late. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
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.
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I actually enjoy Emmerich's much-maligned "Zilla." As a kid, I was obsessed with this film, and even though that obsession has waned, it's still a fun kaiju flick I like to revisit every now and then. Despite the long runtime, the movie moves along well, with an engaging plot, decent effects, and likable characters. It's the perfect movie for a laid-back Sunday afternoon. No brainpower required.
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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.
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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.
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Roland Emmerich disregards the basic rule of kaiju films and immediately presents us with the monster in the first few minutes. He loses out on a strong weapon this way, which unfortunately falters over time, even with moments that are quite intense. This could still be overlooked if it weren't just nonsense with a big monster, where most scenes don't make much sense and are piled on top of each other just because of the writers. Godzilla from 2014 isn't brilliant, but it understands the genre much better and updates it for the modern era.
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Gallery (72)
Photo © 1998 Tristar Pictures
![Godzilla - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/158/583/158583040_2289bf.jpg)
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