Godzilla (1998)

A giant, reptilian monster surfaces, leaving destruction in its wake as it strides into New York City. To stop it, an earthworm scientist, his reporter ex-girlfriend, and other unlikely heroes team up to save their city.

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Writers:

Dean Devlin (screenplay), Roland Emmerich (screenplay)

Stars:

Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo

10 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Broderick	...	Dr. Niko Tatopoulos
Jean Reno	...	Philippe Roaché
Maria Pitillo	...	Audrey Timmonds
Hank Azaria	...	Victor 'Animal' Palotti
Kevin Dunn	...	Colonel Hicks
Michael Lerner	...	Mayor Ebert
Harry Shearer	...	Charles Caiman
Arabella Field	...	Lucy Palotti
Vicki Lewis	...	Dr. Elsie Chapman
Doug Savant	...	Sergeant O'Neal
Malcolm Danare	...	Dr. Mendel Craven
Lorry Goldman	...	Gene - Mayor's Aide
Christian Aubert	...	Jean-Luc
Philippe Bergeron	...	Jean-Claude
Frank Bruynbroek	...	Jean-Pierre

Storyline

Following the French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing eastward through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla then makes its way north, landing at Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city. Even with the combined forces of the U.S. military to fight the monster, will it be enough to save the people of New York?

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Plot Keywords:

battle tank | bipedal monster | set up for unmade sequel | monster | scientist | 

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Taglines:

The city that never sleeps just got a wake-up call.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi monster action/violence

Details

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English French Japanese Russian Spanish

Release Date:

20 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Godzila

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$55,726,951, 25 May 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$136,314,294

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$242,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Centropolis Film Productions,Fried Films,Independent Pictures (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harry Shearer's character, Charles Caiman, is a reference to a crocodile type lizard, the Caiman, native to S. America.

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Goofs

On the Battle Dress Uniform of Colonel Hicks he displays two ranks. A silver oak leaf cluster on the left collar (lieutenant colonel) and an eagle on the right (colonel). No military personnel can have two ranks simultaneously.

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Quotes

Philippe Roaché: What did you, see old man?
Japanese Tanker Cook: Gojira. Gojira.

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Crazy Credits

Various effects that appeared as green film scratches (but were not, in fact, scratches) showed up periodically over the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Matthew Broderick/Natalie Merchant (1998)

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Soundtracks

La Marseillaise
(uncredited)
Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

User Reviews

I thought it was great...

As opposed to most people, I thought this movie was excellent. You can't watch the movie and expect Shakespeare...it's Godzilla. You have to appreciate the work that went into making this creature look so lifelike. This movie had spectacular special effects and a pretty decent story line. I thought this movie was great. I didn't find the acting to be all that bad. I would recommend watching this movie before you come to any conclusions.