The History of Godzilla (1998)
This is a re-upload with some minor corrections, additions, and edits.
Original upload date: Oct 21, 2020.
Sources
– Brian Solomon’s “Godzilla FAQ”
– David Kalat’s, “A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series”.
– Steve Ryfle’s “Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of “The Big G”.
– https://wikizilla.org
– https://www.tohokingdom.com/
You can purchase or rent “Godzilla 1998” at https://www.amazon.com.
49 Comments
This is a re-upload with some minor corrections, additions, and edits.
Original upload date: Oct 21, 2020.
Where is The History of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 1974?
Just imagine if Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were BOTH huge vintage Godzilla fans and if they both LOVED the 1994 script and all of the initial development that had been done on the film.
To get a version of that script, with the insane budget and marketing campaign that Sony put behind it…I think it could have become one of the biggest hits of the 90s.
Then the 90s animated spin-off series would have been based on THAT version of the movie, and that series might have been much more successful because of it.
It likely would have launched the trilogy of US Godzilla films and completely changed the direction the franchise has taken in the last 25 years.
This is one of my favorites. And one of the best movies ever made. A superstar of limitless views its a joy to watch compared so many Japanese concoctions. It trie and succeeded at telling a monster movie without baggage of baggy rubber suits and ridiculous kaiju monstrous designs. I don't hate the Toho movies but they're just not good. This one reinvented the monster movie. Using cgi to lead the way out of monstrous rubber suits. All the way to the masterpiece that is shin godzilla. The greatest, best monster movie ever made 😜👌❤️💯🙄✨️
I will always view Godzilla 2000 (especially the US version with the more "Hollywood" sound design, pacing, music and G98 roars) as an unofficial sequel to this movie. I just imagine that hatchling grew up and evolved into the Godzilla seen in Godzilla 2000.
That's my headcanon.
I was devastated at how bad the movie was.
So, as a kid when this came out, this was my first introduction to Godzilla as a monster itself. I had known about that traditional design of the original Big Man himself, but never watched the movies beforehand since my parents didn't care about seeing those movies. Now, I'm a huge Godzilla nerd. Bought blurays of all the best movies from the Showa and Heisei era (my favs being vs. Ghidorah & GMK). But I still like this movie even though it's kind of terrible. It's not even nostalgia lens I'm seeing it through, it's because I still really like the sleek and threatening design of Zilla, still like our main characters (which is more than I can say for the majority of OG Godzilla films), and the little Easter eggs tossed in between like Simpsons actor cameos. And my other friend who's even more of a Gojira nerd than I am, even though he hates this movie as a Godzilla movie still respects it as a general thriller film.
Being a Godzilla since childhood, I did see this movie on my Birthday. I like it but not as a Godzilla movie but a monster movie. I still have my Claw slashing Godzilla I got as a Birthday present, even though it lost its leg…
Say what you will about the movie, the marketing was top tier. Holy crap I remember being so freaking excited for this movie.
Why it sound like Stewart was about to introduce the Rock Dwayne Johnson instead of Godzilla at that award show lol
When this movie came out, I almost ran to the theater. I was soooooooooo disappointed ☹️. I do like the animation, but there is no returning to this mess. As a New Yorker, it still hurts 😢 seeing “ The Twin Towers” in a movie, so I can’t be impartial.
This movie came out two days before my 8th birthday. I'm sure you can guess how disappointed 8 year old me was.
My first snippet of Godzilla was the ending of Godzilla v Desotroyah and I remember crying for something I didn't understand, granted I was three years old, But this 1998 Godzilla just isn't Godzilla in my eyes.
Honestly if they just called the monster and film anything other than "Godzilla," I bet the world would have loved it.
I just found your videos today, but I'm absolutely hooked, Godzilla was a big part of my younger years and watching these videos brings those days back nostalgically. You're videos are great, keep em up!
The dubbing for Shogo Tomiyama sounds familiar… Was that Jim Cummings doing the voice there?
I actually like the movie lol and this retrospective actually made me kinda of realize I don't like Godzilla movies for what most people must like about them because most of the criticisms against it here are things that I thought made it more interesting then the old ones.
But I also loved the 2014 one and kong skull island and think the rest of the monsterverse movies are atrocious lol
Zilla was done better in the comics.
You mentioning your dragon "Burner" was just like me as a kid. I loved creepy crawlies and it's one of the reason I loved Godzilla (as a kid Godzilla 54 and 64 were the only two but loved them. I had a bearded dragon named Spyro back then……flash to now, and my wife and I have 7 beardies, 3 blue tongue skinks, 18 snakes, 60 species of tarantulas, two tegus named Rodan and Kaiju, and a Savannah Monitor. So yah reptiles and monsters was a big part of my life.
The thing that pisses me off about Ebert is that he praised the old movies in his review of this one, but when the 1954 original was finally released in American theaters for the fiftieth anniversary, he gave it one star and wrote a really stuck-up and insulting review.
I making a fanfic to expand upon the TV show and I’m going to add some stuff in it like the unused Monster designs of myths for other monsters and other fan fics sequel of the Godzilla 1998 movie
Loved the trailer, movie not so much. As a HUGE Kaiju fan especially Godzilla this was a huge letdown, did laugh at the Roger Ebert parody though.
It’s maybe my worst take but I love this movie. So much. The weird creature design, the babies, the comedic dialogue, and more. I will never blame a Godzilla fan for disliking the approach taken in this film but I love it as it’s own unique entry in the series. And… I think that it’s often seriously overlooked how much better the effects, cinematography, and other aspects of production are versus most of the rest of the franchise.
I also think that it is made better after having the more faithful Monsterverse films here in the States, as well as the fantastic Shin Godzilla with slick modern production. Now G98 doesn’t have the weight of being the only big budget Godzilla film on its shoulders.
The lame jabs at the film critics, and of course killing Godzilla with military weaponry still don’t sit right.
I do think that the film has a subtle anti-military, America-critical theme to it that isn’t pushed as hard as it should be but is fun.
Neat update
Roland Emmerich he is the one of those Directors in my Blacklist
and when I see The Movie Of 1998 for me is a "WTF" That Movie is not my first in
My Childhood Only is Godzilla 2000 From 1999 in Toho Studios and
The 1998 Creature The False American Godzilla From Roland Emmerich
I Desire To Forget About This Movie Forever Bloody Hell and the Animated series well I got Positive and Negative Thoughts on that series but I won't tell any details to be honest.
Godzilla (1998)….Its a good monster movie….but its sure as hell never gonna be a godzilla movie.
I feel this was a decent enough monster movie that simply shouldn't have been associated with Godzilla
As an adult by the time this came out I was disappointed by this movie but my 5 yo daughter who had never seen the originals she loved the movies and made us go to the drive in 3 times to watch it. I slept through the last watch lol
Godzilla 1998 is the first godzilla movie i've seen and i was 9 years olds when it came out (i watched it in both cinema and a VHS) Godzilla is a god scary movie for me, it scared (and still does) the shit out of me, not my favorite movie but i still like it a lot. As for the other Godzilla movies well i never knew what godzilla was before this movie so i didn't know that Godzilla is supposed to be the good guy who protects the humanity from evil monster and other bull shit like that, i never liked the idea of Godzilla being a good monster and fighting other monsters that i saw in the godzilla movies that came out 10 years ago or something.
Although I never like it's Godzilla design, but this '98 movie is beyond anything at that time…even until now.
I love the story (thrilling and hilarious as well), the movie phase, the brilliant cast (Reno & Broderick) it's just such a great monster movie ever….
Dude your stuff keeps getting better and better each upload. I especially like the joke cutaways and meme voice-overs
Love this movie
Don't @ me with your lame cheesy ass star wars '77
I enjoyed 98 Godzilla and still enjoy it. It's a nostalgia kick, very 90s.
Plus that CGI looked great, specially for the time.
If it had any other name than Godzilla, I'm sure it would have reviewed better, but the catch is no one would have seen it
Idc I loved this movie. I was 9 and watched it on my 9th birthday, and cried in front of my friends when Godzilla died at the end. Loved the animates show too, but hey I'm a 90's guy. Shout out to Gargoyles!
Yo Zilla!
I always hated how terrible inaccurate the military vehicles were. Plus the the jet that blows up Madison Square Garden fires extra missiles in the end.
Video on the Monsterverse films?
Yes I watch Godzilla when I was a kid back then I was amazed at it as I didn’t know there were other Godzilla movies from the real people that made goji but now days I still enjoy this movie because I just don’t see it as Godzilla but rather it’s own kaiju
I was only like 5 or 6 when this came out but I remember liking it. Too be fair kid me was pretty easily entertained. Even today I don't hate it.
Me personally, I don't hate this movie or think it's a bad Kaiju flick in the slightest. It's just… Not a film featuring Godzilla even though his name is all over it
I do agree though that the Mayor is the best character in the whole movie XD
I love the design as well and in the animated series when jr is an adult he looks great the series put the God back into Godzilla and this movie though not my introduction to godzilla was enjoyable for me
The MTV presentation has the same vibe as the Godzilla ‘85 teaser
As a norwegian 13 year old, yes, and yes.
Emmerich's BS logic, is where I lost interest in his disasterpieces
Honestly, I feel that this movie was a decent monster on the loose film. It just shouldn't have had the name Godzilla.
The baby godzillas scared me as a kid. Always had nightmares from them
I personally have always felt if this film were not called Godzilla it might have done much better. It's an ok popcorn flick & the creature is cool looking, it's just not Godzilla.
Yes it would have been better if the monster attacked more & was harder to kill but that's not what they were making.
As mentioned the follow up cartoon series, where the title Godzilla is the one surviving babies from the film, is actually good. Godzilla fights other monsters & has atomic breath!
Godzilla 1998 was my first Godzilla movie and like Spongebob and Patrick says 35:12 it wasn't lame.
I had a lot of fun memories watching it in a Drive-in Cinema with my family when I was a kid.