Product Details

• Actors: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn
• Directors: Roland Emmerich
• Writers: Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
• Producers: Cary Woods, Dean Devlin, Kelly Van Horn
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English, French, Japanese
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 139 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (615 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0800141326
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,319 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As "gigantic monster reptile attacks New York" movies go, you've got to admit that Godzilla delivers the goods, although its critical drubbing and box-office disappointment were arguably deserved. It's a shameless, uninspired crowd pleaser that's content to serve up familiar action with the advantage of really fantastic special effects, and if you expect nothing more you'll be one among millions of satisfied customers. There's really no other way to approach it--you just have to accept the fact that Independence Day creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin are unapologetic plagiarists, incapable of anything more than mindless spectacle that can play in any cinema in the world without dubbing or subtitles. The whole movie plays out like a series of highlights stolen from previous blockbusters of the 1990s; it's little more than a rehash of the Jurassic Park movies. The derivative script is so trivial that it's unworthy of comment, apart from a few choice laughs and the casting of Michael Lerner as New York's mayor, whose name is Ebert and who closely resembles a certain well-known movie critic. Perhaps that's a clever hint that this movie's essentially critic-proof. It's stupid but it's fun, and for most audiences that's a fitting definition of mainstream Hollywood entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker

The star of those tacky old Japanese horror films now gets a tacky new Hollywood horror film all to himself. Brought into being by irresponsible nuclear tests in French Polynesia, Godzilla heads for New York in search of a really first-rate fish restaurant. In his haste and fury the monster destroys a large proportion of the city's leading tourist sites; having totalled the White House in his previous picture, "Independence Day," director Roland Emmerich can hardly contain his childish desire to blow stuff up. The movie is of minimum interest; the story of the movie, however-or, rather, of the way in which it has been engulfed by its own publicity-is bound to fascinate connoisseurs of cultural meltdown. (When Godzilla tramples on New York, he takes his cue from Columbia TriStar's marketing campaign.) All that stands in the monster's way is the combined bravado of Nick (Matthew Broderick), a research scientist, and Phillippe (Jean Reno), an entirely cool human being. Not even Roland Emmerich can keep the hangdog spirit of Reno on a leash. See the movie with a thousand friends, scream and shout, and then forget it. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a Fun Movie, March 1, 2005

By	B. Beck - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Godzilla (DVD)

I watch and love a movie like this cause it's fun and entertaining, that's it!

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A film to make the Big Guy proud, June 16, 2005

By	Mojo Jojo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godzilla (DVD)

Okay, I know this is going to be a highly disputed opinion, but I think this movie is very, very good. Great, I'd even daresay. And I am a Godzilla fan. I love the Big Guy from his early masterworks to his campy mid-period to his new thrilling outings.

Admittedly, this is not the same Godzilla. But Godzilla himself is a product of the 50s fascination with giant monsters, and this movie is really just an homage to all those old, great monster movies. Anyway, I don't see why the universe isn't big enough for two Godzillas.

A lot of fans hated this just for the idea. But Tristar had to make a new version. The old version would've flopped in America. In fact, Godzilla 2000 came out about a year later, and it did terrible. So where were those so-called fans when he really needed them? I submit that there really aren't that many Godzilla fans. There's plenty of people who claim to be, but do they really like him or these types of films? Doesn't seem like it.

Onto the movie. First there's Godzilla. He's a terrific special effect. Some people say he doesn't look real. He looks pretty darn impressive to me. Realism is a rather silly complaint when you're talking about a giant lizard running through New York.

The story is deceptively simple. You could boil it down to Army vs. Monster, but there's a creativity here that gets overlooked. The characters (all of whom are well-developed especially considering none are the real star) are all likable. Their motivations are believable. And their story arcs are solidly connected to the central conflict in a way that doesn't seem forced.

The action sequences are wonderful. I like to think of them as monstrous versions of great kung fu showdowns. Godzilla isn't invulnerable in this film, and so when he fights helicopters, rockets, and submarines, I actually felt suspense, even though I knew he wasn't going down until the end of the movie.

The plot of Godzilla's young gives a nice excuse for some human-scaled action. The pacing is expertly handled. At two hours, there's still a lot crammed in here. The acting is good. Jean Reno's French military agent is beautifully understated. And the final end of Godzilla is both tragic and satisfying.

I don't love the last little bit, but to me it's not so much an advertisement for a sequel as a wink to those "THE END?" titles at the end of those great old movies.

Boy, this is a long review. I guess I'm just trying to make a case for this underrated and much-maligned film. Personally, I think the original Big Guy would love it. Although I'm sure his version would end a little different.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure it's not the original, but it's still undeniably fun, November 27, 2006

By	J Wine "The Sonic Expert" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godzilla (Monster Edition) (DVD)

I've always loved Godzilla. Ever since I was a kid, I would put the tapes in my VCR, fast-forward to the monster scenes (I didn't want to take the time to understand the storyline), and watch the big G stomp Tokyo, beat up on other monsters, and sometimes even save the day. Godzilla, the radioactive monster who has terrorized Japan for decades. If something could ever be called a classic, then Godzilla is most definitely it.

Then in 1998, I went to see the newer Godzilla (which is the one this review is based on. Plain and simple, I LOVED IT. I can understand why die-hard fans of the original wouldn't like this, I mean come on, he's not even in Tokyo. But there's a bright side to that, no more bad dubbing. And...what? He's not even in a rubber suit? You mean that now he actually looks real with some the most superb CG animation ever seen? Dear me, how horrible. I really don't understand why people hate it so much. What do they expect? It's not done by the Japanese, so why shoot it in Japan when you could shoot it in New York, which the Americans can relate much easier too than Tokyo. And why not, with all of the amazing special effects out there, WHY NOT ACTUALLY MAKE HIM LOOK REAL?! And that is exactly what TriStar has done. They've taken a classic, ripped it apart, thrown out some old pieces, worked in some new ones, and put it back together, in my opinion just as good, if not better, than the orginal. Sure he looks different, sure it's a different story, but it's still EXTREMELY fun. It's got action, humor, twists, turns, and a couple of characters that you will never forget. So take a chance. If you can forgive to see a new kind of Godzilla, certainly not a replacement for the original, but just a down right FUN remake, then buy this movie. You won't be disappointed.