The Most Controversial Godzilla Movie Of All Time Is Hidden Away
Godzilla is an iconic movie monster that has existed for nearly a century now, having spawned countless iterations on the big and small screen. While some of the latest takes on the creature like Godzilla Minus One, Shin Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Kong have brought in massive box office scores and critical acclaim, not every Godzilla outing is such a resounding hit. In fact, the highly controversial 1998 American Godzilla movie is widely regarded as a massive flop, and is not currently streaming on any major service.
An Important Flop
Personally, I think it’s a real shame that 1998’s Godzilla is being lost on new viewers, even if the film doesn’t rank among the most universally popular versions of the creature. Whether you’re a fan of this outing or not, it can’t be denied that Godzilla is a part of cinema history, as it marks the first time that an American studio took on the task of bringing the creature to life. Godzilla was originally commissioned by TriStar as the first of a trilogy of movies, with disaster movie legend Roland Emmerich attached to write and direct.
Godzilla In The Big Apple
The narrative of the film centers on an irradiated lizard creature that has risen from the depths of the ocean after nuclear tests conducted by French scientists caused it to grow out of control. After attacking a Japanese canning vessel, the creature makes its way to New York City, where it wreaks havoc on the residents of Manhattan. One of the most glaring issues with the film is the design and backstory of Godzilla, as this metallic lizard creature does very little to resemble the original design of the Japanese classic.
Starring Matthew Broderick
As Godzilla rampages through the city, audiences are introduced to a wide array of characters, including Matthew Broderick‘s Dr. Nick Tatopoulos, who specializes in the study of nuclear radiation on wildlife. Tatopoulos, also nicknamed “the worm guy,” is enlisted to help the United States military track, understand, and destroy the creature before the destruction gets out of hand, and is eventually accosted by members of the French secret service, who seek to cover up their role in the creature’s origin.
We also meet Tatopoulos’ ex girlfriend Audrey, who works as an up-and-coming journalist, alongside her hilarious cameraman Victor “Animal” Palotti.
Bombed By Critics
As stated, Godzilla failed to please critics or general audiences, and currently touts a paltry critic score of 20 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film received such harsh reviews that the planned TriStar sequels were scrapped indefinitely, resulting in no new Hollywood Godzilla outings for over a decade.
Despite its flaws, a certain subset of 90s kids grew up absolutely loving this Godzilla movie, cementing it as something of a cult classic in the modern day. Many audiences consider the film to be a competently-made monster movie, especially when viewed from the lens that the creature is not in fact the “real” Godzilla.
A Godzilla Film Everyone Needs To See
REVIEW SCORE
No matter what you think of 1998’s Godzilla, the film should definitely be available for viewers around the world to stream at their convenience. Whether that means watching the film for genuine enjoyment, ironic laughter, or morbid curiosity, is best left to the individual viewer.
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