TALKBACK: Godzilla (1998)

[Hybrid Gojira]

[DannyBeane]

G98 came out 17 years ago. Young impressionable kids who saw it before other Godzillas didnt know any better so they grew up accepting it as Godzilla.That's my explanation I guess. I still think it's garbage though.

[jellydonut25]

I'm sticking with "hipsters" as my explanation. Stuff like "Pregnancy test LOL!" makes them pretend they love it. I'll admit, that is something that could work on a "SO stupid, it's amazing" level, but in the context of the film as a whole, it doesn't work...because the film itself is SO DULL. As has been said, when the monster shows up, it gets boring, and that's because the monster is a weakling, so we don't CARE if it shows back up. There's no tension, there's nothing interesting, and degenerating into Jurassic Park ripoffs is just lazy.


side note: the kaiju design is a cool one, and in all honesty, I would have been capable of accepting it as Godzilla if it ACTED like Godzilla. It would go down as the funkiest, weirdest, farthest departure of a re-design, but I could do it. I still think it's a cool design on its own right, too...but the characteristics of the creature in this film are just awful.

[Hybrid Gojira]

[RaptorG]

Judging from your comments, I can easily tell that you guys are the same age as me (jelly and Hybrid). The funny thing is that we all walked out of the theater knowing that the movie sucked and we've only been exposed to the Showa movies during the time.

[DannyBeane]

[walshiam]

I find it amazing that some here still regard this turd worthy of discussion. Simply amazing. There are no redeeming qualities about this film nor will there ever be. The producers tried their best to assassinate the character and the name Godzilla.

[Specium Ray]

[jellydonut25]

I think there are redeeming qualities and I think that's a big part of the reason why this still draws the ire of so many people. The set up is all solid. It's not great, but it's the setup for a decent, fun 90s-Hollywood Godzilla movie. Then GINO shows up and it's not only not Godzilla, but the movie itself falls apart in terms of pacing, story, and even effects.

Also, it's after GINO shows up that pretty much every character winds up showing his or her true colors as a TERRIBLE person.

[MekaGojira3k]

I saw it when I was 9, and I was disappointed by Godzilla dying, but honestly I watched the heck out of it on VHS. Then Godzilla 2000 came out and I forgot about GINO entirely. As a 9 year old I was just glad to see something new.

I've seen some GINO apologists, the only new thinking I've had regarding this film is that I'm tired of people shouting "B-BUT GINO ISN'T A GODZILLA MOVIE." It is. It's called Godzilla. It's a terrible movie, but you can't retroactively say that because Toho named GINO Zilla in 04' that somehow the 98' film was never a part of the film series. That irritates me almost as much as GINO apologists.

[RaptorG]

[GFan]

[kent]

[klen7]

Saw this on bluray for the first time...it didn't do the CG any favors. Otherwise the practical shots look fantastic. I still really dislike the nest plot, but I'm get more enjoyment from this than most of the Heisei flicks.

[jellydonut25]

[kent]

Self-righteous? Hardly. A person isn't self-righteous for pointing out the bad treatment most G98 fans have received from the bulk of the fandom over the years.

Taken out of context? How can one take something out of context when it's clearly stated that those who like the movie are "whack jobs"? If sarcasm was meant to be had, then it wasn't properly displayed. Try explaining how such an obvious statement is taken out of context.

What has always bothered me was that those who enjoy the film are treated as less-than fans by the majority who despise it. There's been the air of exclusivity by those who hate the movie. Either you're with them and you're a true fan, or you like the movie and your "fan card" is called into question and you're harassed/bullied. Try being someone who enjoys a film and then is consistently ridiculed by fellow fans for 17 years and you'll understand. I've said my piece on the film in earlier posts. I felt the need to continue to point out how those who enjoy it are still treated as crap by many who hate the film.

[klen7]

I do think in the fandom its popular to hate on this film and Final Wars. Its unfortunate because they not only aren't the worst of the lot, but they introduced a number of fans to the series.

[kent]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

[DannyBeane]

GINO is to the Godzilla fandom what Batman and Robin was to the Batman fandom. Yes there are some technically terrible Godzilla movies but they are corny in a watchable type of way. They still feature the character of Godzilla, and they were made with child audiences in mind so there has to be considerations made just like with how the 60s Batman was corny but made with children in mind. GINO just wipes out everything Godzilla is as a character and the tone of the film is awful. It can decide whether it wants to take itself seriously or be goofy. The humor falls flat because its poorly written and yet feels out of place when the film tries to be serious. Most of the characters are just awful. Even the worst Toho Godzilla characters usually suffer from just being bland instead of downright hateable. If GINO had decided to cater a 100% to kids and just went full corny, I think it would have been better received or if the film had taken itself seriously like the trailers indicated, it would have been better.

Also if this was the film that introduced you to Godzilla, I can understand the attachment, but try and understand the resentment from older G fans. Godzilla had been known for being a joke for the past 20 or so years prior to G98. This was supposed to be the big American film that legitimizes the character in the same way the X men films and Batman begins legitimized comic book films. Instead it just made Godzilla into a bigger joke. Can you blame people for holding a grudge for almost 20 years in this context? I will say this film is awful probably till the day I die. The only opinion I have on this movie that has changed for the positive is that the GINO design isn't as bad as a monster design as I had originally though and the Godzilla TAS wasn't half bad and fixed a lot of G98's mistakes.

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

Part of the hate this movie gets, is that the movie was created by people who hated the Godzilla character as well. They hated everything about the character. Not a good way to approach it.

I still hate this movie. It fails at portraying Godzilla as Godzilla, was hyped up as bigger and better than Godzilla, and the cartoony characters from the 70s Showa entries have more energy, spirit, and personality than the cynical horrible people portrayed in Godzilla 98.

The lead up was pretty good. By the time the creature arrives, everything falls apart with the way the characters work. They're much more interested in their own things, than the reality of a giant creature existing and on the loose.

[klen7]

[Shin_Edda_Robo!!!!!]

1) Those movies suck. Not much of a hurdle to climb. I'd like to see a debate, and how to frame it as to how this movie is on par or surpasses the likes of Mothra vs Godzilla, Monster Zero, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, or Godzilla vs Biollante.
2) All of that, save for GMK occurred during the period of what was Godzilla's character was all about. And even then, GMK portrays Godzilla as what at the core of Godzilla's traits. A giant creature capable of great physical feats against other monsters, and generally unstoppable by military might. Anthropomorphism of Godzilla or NOT to do that, is an entirely different debate.
3)Awkward and dull pacing is not good movie making, it's not blasphemous as to what is within Godzilla's core traits as a movie character.
4)Wrong-o. Godzilla dies after someone drills a hole from inside out of him, which causes him to be destroyed when he tries to breath his ray. He got shot multiple times by missiles and guns from tanks, jets, and ships. Far more than a single missile. Fell to military might? Hardly. Felled by a witty and determined individual.

[DannyBeane]

[klen7]