Science FictionActionThriller

Godzilla

- Size does matter.

French nuclear tests irradiate an iguana into a giant monster that viciously attacks freighter ships in the Pacific Ocean. A team of experts, including Niko Tatopoulos, conclude that the oversized reptile is the culprit. Before long, the giant lizard is loose in Manhattan as the US military races to destroy the monster before it reproduces and it's spawn takes over the world.

Release Date : 1998-05-20

Language :EnglishFrenchJapaneseRussianSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : TOHOTriStar PicturesIndependent PicturesFried FilmsCentropolis Entertainment

Production Country : United States of AmericaJapan

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dr. Niko Tatopoulos

Original Name : Matthew Broderick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Philippe Roaché

Original Name : Jean Reno

Gender : Male

Character Name : Audrey Timmonds

Original Name : Maria Pitillo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Victor 'Animal' Palotti

Original Name : Hank Azaria

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel Hicks

Original Name : Kevin Dunn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor Ebert

Original Name : Michael Lerner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles Caiman

Original Name : Harry Shearer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucy Palotti

Original Name : Arabella Field

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Elsie Chapman

Original Name : Vicki Lewis

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sergeant O'Neal

Original Name : Doug Savant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Mendel Craven

Original Name : Malcolm Danare

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gene, Mayor's Aide

Original Name : Lorry Goldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jean-Luc

Original Name : Christian Aubert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jean-Claude

Original Name : Philippe Bergeron

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jean-Pierre

Original Name : Frank Bruynbroek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jean-Philippe

Original Name : François Giroday

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ed

Original Name : Nicholas J. Giangiulio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Murray

Original Name : Robert Lesser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Fisherman

Original Name : Ralph Manza

Gender : Male

Character Name : the Governor

Original Name : Greg Callahan

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Anderson

Original Name : Chris Ellis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caiman's Secretary

Original Name : Nancy Cartwright

Gender : Female

Character Name : Admiral Phelps

Original Name : Richard Gant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Leonard

Original Name : Jack Moore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jules

Original Name : Steve Giannelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arthur

Original Name : Brian Farabaugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Anderson

Original Name : Stephen Xavier Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Freddie

Original Name : Bodhi Elfman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jimmy

Original Name : Rich Grosso

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Tanker Cook

Original Name : Lloyd Kino

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Tanker Captain

Original Name : Toshi Toda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Tanker Skipper

Original Name : Clyde Kusatsu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Tanker Crew Member

Original Name : 加藤雅也

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kyle Terrington

Original Name : Glenn Morshower

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pharmacist

Original Name : Lola Pashalinski

Gender : Female

Character Name : WIDF Co-Anchor

Original Name : Rob Fukuzaki

Gender : Male

Character Name : WKXI Anchor

Original Name : Dale Harimoto

Gender : Female

Character Name : WFKK Anchor

Original Name : Gary W. Cruz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Utah Captain

Original Name : Derek Webster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Utah Ensign

Original Name : Stuart Fratkin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Utah Sailor

Original Name : Frank Cilberg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Utah Sailor

Original Name : Jason Edward Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Utah Sailor

Original Name : Roger McIntyre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorage Captain

Original Name : David Pressman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorage Ensign

Original Name : Robert Faltisco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorage Ensign

Original Name : Christopher Darius Maleki

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorage Ensign

Original Name : Scott Lusby

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anchorage Sailor

Original Name : Ali Afshar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Terence Paul Winter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Kirk Geiger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Pat Mastroianni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Eric Saiet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Burt Bulos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Robert Floyd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Apache Pilot

Original Name : Seth Peterson

Gender : Male

Character Name : F-18 Pilot

Original Name : Jamison Yang

Gender : Male

Character Name : F-18 Pilot

Original Name : Nathan Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : F-18 Pilot

Original Name : Mark Munafo

Gender : Male

Character Name : F-18 Pilot

Original Name : Dwight Schmidt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raven Pilot #2

Original Name : Dwayne Swingler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officier

Original Name : Lawton Paseka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier on the Bridge

Original Name : Greg Collins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : James Black

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Thomas Giuseppe Giantonelli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Paul Ware

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier on Plane

Original Name : Montae Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Technician

Original Name : Christopher Carruthers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Technician

Original Name : Daniel Pearce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Operator

Original Name : Mark Fite

Gender : Male

Character Name : Radio Man

Original Name : Craig 'Radio Man' Castaldo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rodgers

Original Name : Eric Paskel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Homeless Guy

Original Name : Lee Weaver

Gender : Male

Character Name : Homeless Guy

Original Name : Leonard Termo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spotter

Original Name : Joshua Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taxi Cab Driver

Original Name : Al Sapienza

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tunnel Guard

Original Name : Stoney Westmoreland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gun Technician

Original Name : Gary Warner

Gender : Male

Character Name : New York Cop

Original Name : Ed Wheeler

Gender : Male

Character Name : New Jersey Cop

Original Name : Bill Hoag

Gender : Male

Character Name : Forklift Driver

Original Name : Joseph Badalucco Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Field Reporter

Original Name : Jonathan Dienst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporters

Original Name : Benjamin Baird

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Madeline McFadden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Julian M. Phillips

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Raymond Ramos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Creature Vocals (voice)

Original Name : Gary A. Hecker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Creature Vocals (voice)

Original Name : Frank Welker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman

Original Name : Al Leong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bridge Onlooker (uncredited)

Original Name : Ed Godziszewski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Original Name : Steven Ho

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Original Name : 張佐治

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Koyama

Gender : Male

Character Name : Japanese Fishing Boat Crewman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Goto

Gender : Male

Character Name : WIDF News Worker in Elevator (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Fessler

Gender : Male

Reviews

tmdb27219454

@tmdb27219454

2021-06-23

***HERE THERE BE SPOILERS*** This version of Godzilla is a difficult one to give a simple overall rating. Honestly, if Hollywood had just made this into a generic monster movie, kind of the way they did with Cloverfield, it would have easily been an above average movie, possibly even breaking into 4 star territory. The acting is above average (including the must-have flavor of the month, Jean Reno), the F/X are excellent for 1998 and the plot actually makes sense. Nevertheless, the failure for this movie is that it was made by people not familiar with the franchise and/or what Godzilla means to his fanbase. Godzilla is to the people of Japan what Batman and Superman are to Americans, what Dr. Who and James Bond are to the British and what Shaft and the Black Panther are to the Black Community. The demotion of Godzilla to that of nothing more than an over-sized animal working wholly upon instinct instead of the more humanistic level of intelligence that we in the fandom have come to know and expect was a slap in the face. Furthermore, the final scene where Godzilla is killed (a blasphemy only seen two other times in his 60 year history (Gojira (1954) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), the later being the planned end to the franchise in its entirety) by only three F/18s and a total of 6 missiles when entire armies have done nothing more than irritate the King of Monsters was beyond belief. For those not familiar with Godzilla's accomplishments and reputation, imagine the outrage that would come from the respective communities if James Bond was taken out by a mall cop or Superman was killed by 3 six-year-old brats with baseball bats. Now you understand why Japanese movie-goers were storming the box-offices DEMANDING a full refund for this insult and why Toho quickly resurrected their dearly departed Kaiju less than one year later for probably one of the best movies in the entire franchise, Godzilla 1999 (Godzilla 2000 here in the United States). All in all, as a monster movie, Godzilla gets 3.75 stars. However, for a Godzilla movie, it gets a 1 star rating. I'll cut the difference and meet them somewhere around the middle with a 2.5 star final score.

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

The hype was as big as the monster to start with! It felt like this take on Godzilla was advertised for 2 years in advance of the actual release, every time (it seemed) I went to the cinema I was awestruck by little teaser trailers, in fact the one of the old guy fishing and hooking Zilla is a personal favourite...SIZE DOES MATTER! Love it I do. Sadly as most of us now know, the film didn't meet fans and critics expectations at all, but was the film done down by the hype and an expectation of a masterpiece for the genre?. Well it didn't help that is for sure, but taking aside that problem, the film only glimpses at what might have been. It has many great points that seem to have been forgotten, so sadly we are all too aware of the film's failings on the makers behalf. The build up in the film is excellent, the makers mount the tension in steady strokes, doing what all classic monster movie makers do, they have you waiting with gripping expectation of the creature by a series of scenarios and inventive dialogue. The sound is incredible, making it an essential viewing for those who cherish home surround cinema, while some of the shots and destruction of New York are well worth the viewers time. But then? Well they throw the good work away by turning the film's focus away from the big lizard to a story line that was only fitting for the cartoon version of Godzooki. Thus rendering the film as a poor man's Jurassic Park, which quite frankly doesn't sit well. Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno and Hank Azaria all deserved better scripting, hell we all did! It's not the evil stinker some would have you believe, it does have its moments of both good and bad, it is, by definition, very much a film split down the middle. 5/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-08-28

I found this to be quite a fun take on the Godzilla fable. Matthew Broderick as "the worm guy" and Jean Reno as the French Secret agent deliver quite watchable performances as they investigate some radioactive shipping incidents and some really big footprints. The special effects are decent enough too and help carry this admittedly over-long little movie. Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin are quite good at churning out these adventure films - never great, but usually they move along nicely and keep you entertained and the last half hour of this is actually quite fun to watch and on a big screen if you get the chance.

Prodank

@Prodank

2023-09-21

As a kid, I was absolutely fascinated by dinosaurs, so you can imagine how Godzilla (1998) held a special place in my heart. Back then, I found the film to be a thrilling spectacle filled with awe-inspiring giant creatures and epic city-destroying action. However, as an adult revisiting this childhood classic, I couldn't help but view it through a more critical lens. The standout disappointment, of course, was the design of Godzilla itself. It departed significantly from the beloved original, leaving a lot to be desired in terms of authenticity. It's not a good movie, but it's fun to watch 6/10.