When you say the name "Godzilla" to a movie fan, you usually get one of two reactions: a respectful nod to the Japanese original (1954) or a groan followed by the words, "That awful 1998 American one." For over two decades, Roland Emmerich窶冱 Godzilla has been the black sheep of the franchise窶蚤 film so divisive that Toho (the Japanese studio behind the real Godzilla) famously disowned it and renamed the creature "Zilla."
In their 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars , they included a scene where the "American Godzilla" (officially renamed ) attacks Sydney, Australia. The real Godzilla shows up, kills Zilla with a single blast of atomic breath, and destroys the Sydney Opera House in the process. The Japanese characters then remark: "I knew it. That thing wasn't Godzilla. It was just a lizard." Godzilla -1998-
But is the 1998 film really a bad monster movie , or is it simply a bad Godzilla movie ? Let窶冱 take an objective look back at the film that tried窶蚤nd largely failed窶杯o bring the King of the Monsters to the West. The idea of an American Godzilla film was a development hell classic. For over a decade, studios like Columbia TriStar (Sony) tried to get a version off the ground, with directors like Jan de Bont ( Speed ) attached at various points. De Bont窶冱 version, which never got made, allegedly featured a more traditional, ray-breathing Godzilla fighting a giant monster called "The Gryphon." When you say the name "Godzilla" to a
When Roland Emmerich ( Independence Day ) finally signed on, he made it clear he was doing things his way. He famously disliked the original Japanese concept, calling Godzilla "too fat" and preferring a more agile, animalistic creature. The result? A $130 million summer blockbuster that opened to massive hype on May 20, 1998. The plot is pure 90s disaster-flick: French nuclear tests in the Pacific mutate an iguana into a 200-foot-tall monster. The creature swims to New York, lays a nest of eggs in Madison Square Garden, and generally wreaks havoc on Manhattan. On the human side, we have Matthew Broderick as Dr. Niko "Nick" Tatopoulos窶蚤 nerdy scientist who studies worms (yes, worms). He窶冱 joined by a stereotypically sleazy reporter (Hank Azaria), a French secret agent (Jean Reno), and a love interest (Maria Pitillo) who mostly screams. That thing wasn't Godzilla
What do you think? Does the 1998 Godzilla deserve its bad reputation, or is it unfairly hated? Let me know in the comments.