Godzilla (1998)

reviewed by
Homer Yen


"Godzilla" - A Monstrosity

If you think that a nuclear test ban treaty would be in the best interest of everyone, then you would be correct in supporting it. Indeed Godzilla is a creation, or mutation if you will, that is a direct result from too much testing. The radiation fallout somehow mutates the DNA of certain creatures which produce odd side effects. Abnormal growth is one of those effects, as explained by Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick), a specialist studying the effects of nuclear fallout on animals. Tatopoulos is brought to the Caribbean where large lizard-like footprints were discovered. "Was I just standing in a footprint," he asks incredulously. There is more unbelievable evidence. An ocean vessel has run aground. It appears to have been torn apart, gigantic claw marks can be seen along the exterior of the ship, and a traumatized survivor blurts out something to the doctors that sound like "gaw-chill-ah".

Our anticipation grows. We want to see what we're paying for. Finally, the overgrown reptile makes itself known by entering Manhattan. He is an impressive beast. Cars get squashed, buildings crumble, and the surprised citizens run for their lives. The military and Tatopoulos hurry and set up a command post, and they begin to develop a plan to attack it. Tatopoulos is also reunited with old college crush Audrey (Maria Pitillo). She left him long ago, but still feels something for the quiet scientist. As a reporter wannabee, her career is presently going nowhere, and she sees this as an opportunity for her big story.

Tatopoulos does make a scary discovery, learning that Godzilla has come to NYC to nest. A new species is being born, and if they don't act fast, New Yorkers will become food for the scores of reptilian offspring that are close to hatching. Time is running out. The military can not find Godzilla. Tatopoulos can not find the nest. And the audience can not find a story.

The problem with Godzilla is that it is a 30-minute effects extravaganza stretched out into a 2-hour movie. There's a feeling of ineptness that wafts through the movie. Military might can't bring down the creature. Useless politicians look on in dismay. The citizens want to return back to the city despite that fact that baby Godzillas are looking for food and that practically every building is in need of some major repairs. Meanwhile, Broderick's and Patillo's characters are so vapid that we become more interested in the secondary characters, such as Animal (Hank Azaria) who throws common sense to the wind in order to get exclusive video footage and Phillipe Roche (Jean Reno), a mysterious character whose purpose is kept a secret until the last 30 minutes. But that's not to say that Godzilla isn't visually spectacular. Army helicopters chase Godzilla through the city streets. They fire their weapons, which manages to destroy everything except the 50-foot nuisance. Submarines can't even catch him. And the best sequence comes at the end of the movie when Godzilla chases the scientist and his friends who are fleeing through the city in a taxi. Nuclear or atomic testing may have resulted in Godzilla, but I would suspect that significant movie audience testing would have never yielded the same mistake.

Grade: C

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