Review of Godzilla (1998) by Matthew O — 23 Aug 2014

Godzilla is a strange experience to sit through, and once it was over I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. To start, the first half of the movie is very so bad, it's good. Not Smog Monster levels, but just enough to be fun.

This part feels like a bad Friends knock off from the late 90's that coincidentally also involves a giant monster attacking New York. If you think that sounds hilarious then we're in the same boat, sadly this movie jumps off that boat in the next half.

First there's a lot of dumb stuff to laugh at, everyone falling for Matthew Broderick, the random Siskel and Ebert, it's all good b-movie material. Then when the previously mentioned second half comes in the fun goes down to zero.

The Godzilla babies here are basically velociraptors and each scene rips off either Aliens or Jurrasic Park, two much better movies. To make matters worse the movie shifts from horror to 80's comedy logic at the hit of a switch, and it's more frustrating than anything else.

Basically the movie becomes a mess and never recovers from it. Overall it could have been a three, but that mediocre finale knocks it down a score below good.