No, try "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms."

And not even a good remake, at that.


I'd make it 0 stars if I could   November 17, 1998
This movie was terrible. There is no other way to put it. Broderick was stiff, the girl was just plain awful and the basic plot is: Army shoots at Godzilla, Godzilla ducks. The only bright spot, and it was not a huge one, was Jean Reno. He did a bang-up job in an awful flick.


Godzilla DVD sets a new reference in audio and video quality   November 17, 1998
With less than a stellar performance at the box office and bashed by both critics and moviegoers alike, Godzilla can finally find some redemptions on this outstanding DVD release. One that sets a new reference in both audio and video reproduction.

The Panavision scope picture is matted at 2.35:1 and also 16x9 enhanced for a flawless presentation. Images are exceptionally sharp and reveal no artifact whatsoever. A complaint I have about the film in the theater was that it was too dark, making it difficult to follow Godzilla as he weaves through the buildings of nighttime Manhattan. That is simply not the case on the DVD transfer as the contrast and brightness are superb in bringing forth the details and adding to the excellent visual depth. Black and shadow detail are exemplary. Colors are vibrant and solid, and fleshtones are rendered naturally. The only compromise on this disc is the layer switch which is a bit abrupt, and depend on your player, could take a second or longer.

The encoded Dolby Digital soundtrack is stunning in every which way. Bolt down your furnitures because the bass extension is unbelievably deep and powerful. The scene where the cars jump in unision as Godzilla approaches provides the levels of bass response that you just have to experience. It is so wonderfully full and dynamics. As Godzilla steps overhead, even the rear channels sustain some serious bass energy. Simply thrilling! The spatial integration of sound effects is fabulous with a huge soundstage that excels in imaging and depth. The split surrounds are extremely aggressive and blend seamlessly with the front speakers for an awesome 360 degree presence. The heavily action score by David Arnold is expansive and rich in fidelity. Dialogue is well integrated and sounds natural throughout.

The Special Edition DVD is packaged in a cool radioactive-green cover. The animated menu is very innovative as the perspective is through the view finder of the recording camera. The whole menu would shake as though the viewer is holding the camera while filming the approaching Godzilla. After selecting an option, a giant foot would come crashing down on the menu. Strangely enough, the sound effects on the menu is presented in Dolby Digital, but the default soundtrack when playing the movie is Dolby Surround. I don't understand the logic in that. I find the supplements to be rather weak except for the five entertaining trailers. Two of which are teaser trailers, including the one showing Godzilla stomping on a T-Rex fossil display. Surprisingly, there are also two Japanese trailers, Godzilla vs. King Ghidora and Godzilla vs. Mortha. The Before and After is basically a slide show comparing two set of images, one with the digital effects and the other without. The Featurette is a lighthearted segment hosted by Harry Shearer that include interviews with director Emmerich and producer Devlin, plus other cast and crew. The Photo Gallery is useless since it contains still images that you can just pause on your player. The commentary by the special effects supervisors is somewhat interesting, but suffers from too much pauses.

Despite the moronic plot and lousy acting in Godzilla, the DVD production warrants a look just to experience the incredible audio and video portions. Godzilla delivers in that regard.


Jurassic effects . . . and disappointment   November 14, 1998
 6 out of 9 found this review helpful

This movie starts off well enough, and I actually thought the premise for Godzilla's creation was fairly clever. I was beginning to think that the negative reviews I'd heard were a bit exaggerated. Unfortunately, the film makers decided special effects were more important than originality and story line. It's really too bad as this could have been a great movie instead of just another special effects tour de force lacking subtance.

The U.S. Army's attempts to stop Godzilla are reminiscent of the Keystone Cops; they have the most advanced weapons in the world but can't hit the broad side of a barn (just large skyscrapers). And just how do you loose a 60-story monster on Manhatten Island?

Several of the scenes appeared to have been lifted right out of Jurassic Park and leave you with a been-there-done-that feeling. What's worse, you're made to endure the mandatory tired romance formula so many movies think they can't live without. Godzilla is worth renting if you like special effects, but not one I'd shell out my hard-earned bucks to own.


great looking DVD; lousy movie   November 8, 1998
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

You've read the reviews, this movie stinks, but rent the DVD at your local video store. It's chock full of neat features: animated scene selections, a huge lizard foot that stomps down your screen every time you make a menu selection, trailers, documentary film, trailers for the original REAL Godzilla films.

As for the movie itself, where the heck was Godzilla? Every time the going got good and Godzilla was getting it on with the New York skyline and swatting down pesky helicopters, boom, the story cuts back to the dull, dull humans and their dull, dull relationships. You watch a Godzilla movie, you want to see Big Green kick some Aishe, you don't want to see some dumb scientist pine over his dipsy-doodle girlfriend.

And the end of the movie was a crime, utter and absolute. It didn't make me sad, it made me angry. A great classic movie monster like Godzilla humiliated by the U.S. Army, I mean, come on! It was a crime, an absolute crime. END